Cindy Hval

I wonder where I'd be right now if Velcro had been invented when I was 7. One rainy night the frustration of being the youngest of four finally caught up with me. My parents were out for the evening, leaving my teenage brother in charge. He refused to let me stay up past my bedtime to watch "Gunsmoke." It was one injustice too many. I packed my round, red-and-black plaid suitcase with all the books and comics it could hold. Donned my raincoat and tennis shoes and went to the kitchen to pack a snack. I couldn't make the square box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch fit into my round suitcase so, leaving it on the counter, I slipped out the backdoor.

In an aging neighborhood near Gonzaga University, Master Gardener Carolyn Starner created a secluded oasis of beauty and tranquility. Seventeen years ago Starner purchased a 1928 bungalow. Though the house and yard had been neglected, two old maples that towered near the sidewalk sold the home to her. Those trees were part of a yard that begged for a gardener's touch.

The Washington State Patrol offers these reminders: •Traffic fines are doubled in work zones when workers are present. Fines cannot be reduced, suspended or waived.

I'm allergic to the color orange. Every time I see it, I start to itch all over. Then my heart starts racing and I break into a cold sweat. Specifically, I'm allergic to orange traffic signs.

If your summer travel plans don't include a trip to Europe, you still can get a taste of Italy in north Spokane. When Ed and Leanne Smith sampled gelato while vacationing in Italy, they were hooked and wanted more. Only trouble was, there was no freshly made gelato to be found in Spokane.

You know you're getting older when you skip the birth and wedding announcements in the newspaper and head straight for the marriage dissolution petitions and obituaries. It means folks you know are no longer having babies and getting married. They're getting divorced and dying.

Have you wondered what happened to those high school students featured in The Spokesman Review's graduation issues? Well, one such student, Samson "Sam" Lim, a member of the Mead High School class of 2006, recently completed his freshman year at the University of Washington. While there, he discovered a new dream.