Include Generosity In Your 2001 Agenda

Since Thanksgiving, local news outlets have chronicled the stories of hard times and tragedy that define life for some of our neighbors in the region. Also well-documented have been the extraordinary and numerous acts of generosity in our community that have ensured as happy as possible holidays for the less fortunate.

With the new year upon us, let’s all resolve to continue the “goodwill to all” message of Christmas throughout the next 12 months.

The food bank and blood bank don’t close for business after the holidays. Good deeds that aren’t publicized are still important and our neighbors will experience sorrow and strife in April and August. So to your list to lose weight, stop smoking, write a book, read a book, work more, work less and be happy - save space for volunteerism. Do those things in 2001 that other people think just happen.

The $50 million Y2K Center in the other Washington is now George W.’s presidential transition office. In 1999 more than $200 billion was spent trying to spare the planet from all manner of possible Y2K destruction. I’ll admit to stockpiling bottled water and filling the propane tank on our gas barbecue grill at this time last year, all the while pooh-poohing the predicted end of the world. Many local people whose jobs included essential services or whose companies were computer-dependant had to forego holiday vacations a year ago. Let them all step to the front of the line for the Y2K1 celebrations! We don’t need to dwell on the fact that 2000 was a leap year, making Dec. 31, 2000, the real moment of truth; day 366 that the techno gurus fretted about a year ago.

Last week, I mentioned Cyndie Hammond’s holiday tradition of baking ammonia cookies from an old family recipe. I accepted her invitation to join her on Saturday morning for cookie-making. Using antique cookie cutters, circa 1800s, which had belonged to her grandmother, Cyndie stirred and rolled and baked the cookies while gifting me with stories of her grandmother.

While we were making the cookies and Cyndie was elbow-deep in dough, the phone rang and her husband Jim answered. She can’t come to the phone right now, we heard him tell the caller. Then he proceeded to say to the woman from Rathdrum, who’d read this column Saturday morning, that Huppin’s Pharmacy in Spokane is the only place they’ve found which carries the crystallized baker’s ammonia.

Now that I’ve experienced the whole pungent process of making ammonia cookies and the tasty, crispy result, I shall leave the tradition to the Hammonds with appreciation for their sharing a bit of their holiday.

We’ve had the pleasure of being guests of Jeanne and Cliff Hayes for barbecues, game nights, graduations and everything in between through the years and their Christmas Eve open house is a popular holiday tradition. Their secret to successful entertaining is no fuss, no frills, good friends and fondue. The Hayes own several of these relics of the ‘70s and love the opportunity to set the electric pots out on the kitchen island and watch guests fondue steak, cheese, spaghetti sauce and all things fondue-able.

There’s something special about interactive entertaining and the Hayes’ retro penchant is a real hit in all seasons.

When 83-year-old Don Matheson died on December 15, it was the end of an era. Mr. Matheson was the Don of Don’s Pool Hall, the saloon in the 300 block of Spokane Street which was torn down in the mid-1990s. The pool hall brought a feel of early Post Falls into this century. One could easily envision the wooden sidewalks with hitching posts holding the reigns of cowboys’ ponies while their owners bellied up to the bar.

Most people never knew who or if there actually was a “Don” to the Don’s Pool Hall. There was, and we bid farewell to this early Post Falls businessman.