Cindy Hval

This week, north Spokane resident Jo Lal went to Seattle to deliver an unusual present. She's donating her kidney to a 29-year-old man she's never even met. Lal has a compelling reason. Her husband of 34 years, Jay, is suffering from kidney failure. Because she's donating her kidney, Jay will be moved to the top of the donor recipient list.

Visitors to Don and Diane Kelly's home in Sunset Hills feel like they've embarked upon a European tour. The décor, a reflection of Diane's years in the travel business, flows from elegant Italian to French Provincial with a dash of classical Greek. When they built the home in 1979, they liked the proximity to Spokane and to the airport. "It was like living in the country but close to downtown," Kelly said. As the area around their home grew and developed, she decided their home should evolve as well.

When Spokane resident Colleen Roe and her friend Carolyn Holmes saw an exquisite miniature home on display in a bank lobby in Coeur d' Alene, they had to get a closer look. The 4-foot tall, beautifully designed structure contained four furnished floors with nine delicately decorated rooms. Itty Bits Too, a local miniature club, spent nine months creating this work of art. "Our club donates a project to a fundraiser every year," said club member Judy Krueger. This year club members chose the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department K-9 fund.

On a gray, blustery day a group huddled near the entrance to the Women's Hearth on Second Avenue in downtown Spokane. A smiling woman unlocked the doors and welcomed the crowd inside. An electric fireplace blazed. The smell of coffee and muffins warmed the air. The brightly painted walls were covered with artwork made by the women who gather here.

For years, Roger and Kathy Chase lived across the street from the historic James and Corinne Williams House. When the Cannon Hill neighborhood house was offered for sale in 1999, the couple jumped at the chance to buy it. "I marvel at the craftsmanship that was put into this home," Kathy Chase said. Built in 1911, with a low-pitched roof, overhanging eaves and open-floor plan, the home is an excellent example of Prairie-style architecture. It's been well cared for and has had only five owners. "Every family who lived in this house must have loved it," Chase said. A blue teardrop light fixture, original to the home, illuminates the cozy entryway. Quarter-sawn oak is one of the hallmarks of the Prairie style, and the beautiful wood is used extensively throughout the home.

Spokane Preservation Advocates' annual Holiday Home Tour lets residents look inside beautiful historic homes. This is the seventh year the organization has hosted the tour. The focus this year is on homes built for two prominent Spokane families, the Comstocks and the Shadles.

Most passers-by don't give the old Millwood Post Office on Euclid Avenue a second look, but a group of people has big dreams for the small brick building. Millwood Community Presbyterian Church has owned the property for several years. Roger Crawford, a retired business owner, and member of the church, proposed a plan to renovate the old post office and create a youth center for the community.

Tresa Torgersen, 9, isn't shy in expressing how she feels about her father. "He's an awesome dad. He's really nice and descriptive!" she said.

When the Lakeside High School cheerleaders in Nine Mile Falls won a Superior Squad trophy at cheer camp this summer, they had no idea that award would change the way they will celebrate the New Year. On Dec. 28 the group will leave chilly Spokane and travel to sunny Orlando, Fla., to perform in the pregame show at the Capitol One Bowl on New Year's Day.

More than 20 years ago, newly married Steve and Tresa Schmautz were asked to housesit an elegant home on Cliff Drive in Spokane. While there, the couple enjoyed exploring the nooks and crannies of the sprawling, 12,000-square-foot historic home, and they were captivated by its breathtaking 360-degree view of the city. Two years ago they moved back in to the house, this time as the owners.

Holly Wahl is a collector. Clocks, small planters, rolling pins and old windows are among the things she gathers. When she purchased her 1910 bungalow on the South Hill 15 years ago, she found the perfect home for her treasures.

Dropping temperatures usually mean more than snow on the horizon. They are also a sign that higher utility bills may be on the way. What about an environmentally friendly alternative heat source to help keep those utility bills down? North Spokane resident Bob Hutchinson said, "I was looking at what's going on with energy costs." He decided to purchase a multifuel system, commonly known as a waste-oil burner.