Cindy Hval

Anyone who has ever spent frustrating minutes hunting for a business card buried under stacks of mail or combed the house desperately searching for car keys could benefit from a few basic organizational skills. Cindy Vanhoff, owner of Reclaimed Spaces, says Americans can spend up to 25 minutes per day looking for things. That adds up to a whopping 19 workdays per year. "Time is a precious commodity," she said, "and once it's gone – it's gone!"

Mark Dobson has come home again – and he brought his family with him. The Dobson family of four, plus one dog, one cat and a fish, moved into their turn-of-the-century home in July 2005. "Mark grew up just down the street," said his wife, Kathryn. "He lived in this house for a time when he was 16 to help care for the elderly woman who owned it," she said. So, when Dobson and his wife heard it was on the market they snapped it up.

CLAYTON, Wash. – Like most young women, 21-year-old Eryn Denison is fascinated by fashion. But as she pored over the pages of glossy fashion magazines, she found little that was of practical use and much that was offensive.

When Warren Schott was a 20-year-old sailor in the Navy, a friend set him up with the new girl in town. "Don't do me any favors," he said. He wasn't looking for love.

The large room at the Spokane Police Regional Training Center bustled with children and adults donning their gi's (the traditional uniform) for judo practice. Bob Harder, 72, the head instructor for Pacific Judo Academy, towered in the center of the room. His graying crew cut, sparkling eyes and military bearing made him a commanding presence.

Tucked away just north of Upriver Drive, is a new style of retirement community living. Village West, a neighborhood of condominiums was developed and is owned by Riverview Retirement Community When Tom and Rosemarie Talkington, both recently retired, were ready to downsize they moved from their 5,000-square-foot home in Spokane Valley to a 2,000-square-foot condo.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006 the oldest members of the baby boom generation turned 60. The aging boomer population is now caring for elderly parents. This presents a unique challenge. How can working adults – often still raising their own families – take care of their parents as well? Jim Greenup, a local developer, has come up with a novel solution he calls multigenerational homes. "I watched my mom care for my grandmother in a duplex. They both had their own kitchens and maintained independence, but my mom was nearby when my grandmother needed help," he said. On the east rim of Five Mile prairie, Greenup is building Vista Ridge. In addition to upper-end family homes, he's incorporating six multigenerational homes. These unique homes have taken the idea of a mother-in-law set-up to a new level.

In some ways 14-year-old Loon Lake, Wash., resident David McBee, is a typical teen. He enjoys the outdoors and likes to talk about the summer he caught 18 turtles.

Some folks are good neighbors to the people next door, or to their friends down the street, but for North Side resident Ernie Dieterich the concept of neighborliness is far more expansive. "I've known Ernie for close to 40 years," said Gerald Ray. "He married my former sister-in-law, who had three young boys at home, and he raised those kids just like his own." Ray, a former schoolteacher, was a regular volunteer at the Inland Northwest Blood Center. "One day I couldn't make my shift, so I called Ernie and asked him to fill in for me," said Ray. That was 13 years ago.

Most folks start their day with the shrill bleating of an alarm clock. Char Parsley's day begins with the bright on/off flashing light of a special bedside clock.

In November, a new Mexican restaurant opened at the intersection of Nevada Street and Newport Highway. Owned and operated by the Beltran family, Mr. Don Mexican Family Gourmet Restaurant specializes in northern Mexican cuisine. "We offer a mixture of old favorites and specialty dishes," said owner/manager Felix Beltran. Beltran moved to Spokane from Sinaloa, Mexico, located in the north part of the country, five years ago. His parents, Alberto and Rosa, and sister Michelene, soon followed. "We wanted to have a family business," said Beltran.

Busy families often struggle to fit everything into tightly packed schedules. Work, school and sports can consume so many hours each week that it's difficult to find time just to have fun together. When families do have the time, there are so many entertainment options available it can be difficult to find an activity that everyone enjoys. Recently, two North Side families rediscovered the simple pleasures of family game night.

Each Thursday afternoon at the Waterford Retirement Community on the South Hill, a small group of women meet together in an upstairs craft room. They bring pieces of the past with them and create works of art for future generations. They are the Waterford Quilters. The group is unique in that many of the quilts they make go either to local charities or are raffled to raise money for worthy causes. Elaine Thrush, one of the founding members of the group, has raffled several quilts for the Our Place Food Bank.

You never know where a passion for pretty things will lead you. Thada Ziegler's love of teacups, beautiful dishes and vintage silver led her – and her husband – to sleeping in a closet. "My husband and I are nuts about estate sales," Thada said. Over time she developed a huge collection of teacups and related serving items.

Bells are ringing at Riverview Retirement Community, thanks to resident Lois Iller. In the fall of 2005, Riverview received a gift of 37 hand bells. Generous donors had purchased them from Our Savior's Lutheran Church when the church closed its doors.

North Side residents watched the recent outcry over the proposed South Hill Wal-Mart with amusement. After all, we have two Wal-Marts less than five miles apart on the North Side. But, just because we have them doesn't mean we patronize them. I don't shop at Wal-Mart.

When it comes to true love, having a mom who likes to dance is a definite plus. So is having a tape of your pastor's Sunday sermon. At least it was for North Side resident Charlea Schwartz. Charlea was a widow with two teens, living near her parents in Chula Vista, Calif. Her mom, Charlotte, had traveled to Spokane to visit friends.

For South Hill resident Donna Young, the "one that got away" is a Dresden china milk pitcher. Young was in an antique shop in Vancouver, B.C., when she discovered a delicate Dresden tea set. Captivated by the gold trimmed, floral china, she purchased the teapot with its cream and sugar service, but not the matching milk pitcher.

Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging. It originated as a ritual floral offering made in Buddhist temples. In this style, floral arrangements are based on an asymmetrical triangle. The tallest line is called Tai (Heaven), the shortest line Yu (Earth) and the flowers halfway between are called So (Man). Lee McLeron is a member of the Spokane chapter of Ikebana International, and has been practicing this ancient art for 33 years. "I like the simplicity of ikebana," she says. "It's all about visual balance."

Tim Lord's pursuit of art has taken him on unusual journeys, but none quite as unique as his recently completed promotional calendar for Johnston Printing. Titled "Thumbelina 2007," the calendar is composed of thumbprints for every day of the year.

A happy group of 3- and 4-year-olds found new uses for shaving cream recently in an upstairs room at Manito United Methodist Church. Two cans of the white stuff had been squirted on a table. The kids dug in with both hands.

When Paul Patrick was notified that his neighbors had written to The Spokesman-Review to nominate him and his wife Doris as "good neighbors," he was puzzled. "Seems like a lot of fuss and bother about nothing," he said. But to his neighbors in north Spokane's Blackhawk development, he and his wife of 50 years are something special.