Turning a Corner

 

The light will be coming back. 

Yay!

I always love this day of the year because we have once more paid our dues of living in increasing darkness, and from this day forth for several months, the light will increase. 

So, there's joy in that fact alone. 

Around here, we had some joy last night, gathering at Second Avenue Pizza to eat and to have some family time. 

Annie flew in from Seattle.  Bill went to the Spokane Airport to pick her up. They did some shopping. Willie and Debbie got some rest from their busy week, and I did some housework and raked up some of the wind-storm residue in the yard. 

As always, food tasted good at Second Avenue, and we had a nice time sharing news. 

How about a little pizza on your sausage!

Talk about a generous topping! 

That's how it is at Second Avenue. You don't go away hungry. 

The kids had pizza.  Bill had a calzone and I enjoyed my ultimate bacon sandwich. 

It was fun to add a festive touch to the potato sack hanging in the garage. 

I purchased that sack for a couple of dollars several years ago at a Festival Wine and cheese tasting fundraiser.  

This fall I saw a framed version that sold for more than $300 at another fundraiser. 

I think I made a good investment. It greets everyone who comes through the back door. 

Below:  one other project----once I found the scissors, which were hiding in the Christmas card pile---was to give Foster a spruce-up.  

He happily stood on the dryer as I snipped away at his long hair. 

He now looks pretty dapper. 

Foster is mostly back to his normal self, but the head tilt is still a factor. 

I've read that it takes time and sometimes doesn't go away completely. 

For now, Foster is thrilled because his "person" is here for a few days. 

The ZAGS play Oregon at 3 p.m. today.  

Good luck watching it. 

Bill says the game available on Peacock, which requires a subscription.  

The game is being broadcast at the same time that Ed Robinson and his fellow musicians will be performing Irish music at Pour Authority. 

They'll be there from 3-6 p.m., and we may just choose to go there rather than paying to watch the game. 

Whatever the case, we'll be keeping track and hoping the ZAGS take another win. 

GO, ZAGS!

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

And, Happy Sunday.  

Saturday Slight

 

I met Vera Yetter yesterday at Yoke's. 

She insisted that, since I had only two items, I go in front of her in line at the check-out stand. 

I insisted that I was okay with waiting. 

Vera persisted with insisting. 

So I took her place in line, and she took mine. 

At that time, I had no idea who this nice person was. 

So, I asked her name. 

"Vera," she said. 

"Vera who?" I asked. 

"Vera Yetter," she responded. 

"Do you by any chance have a daughter named Angie . . . and a daughter-in-law named Moriha?" I asked. 

"Yes, I do," she said. 

"Well, I taught Angie," I said. 

After asking my name, she felt a sense of familiarity. 

Along with the nice gesture of offering her place in line, those few words exchanged began a new friendship with a lady who told me that she has lived in the same house in Sandpoint for 44 years. 

Just a simple story of people being nice and establishing a bond and a sense of familiarity, albeit brief. 

It's a good thing, and worth repeating a millionfold.

As the Catholic hymn says, "If everyone lit just one little candle of friendship, what a bright world this would be."  

Bill Peterson, retired FBI and Sandpoint High grad. 

Bill Peterson grew up in our neighborhood on Gooby Road. 

During that time he was a member of Sandpoint's Boy Scout Troop 111. 

My husband Bill served as his scout leader. Last night in a text exchange, Bill state the following: 

"I think I mentioned this before but one of the most significant events in my life was when Bill took the troop on a 50-mile hike in the Bitterroots. 

 "We all had to grow up fast, and that experience has carried with me throughout my life and career." 

Besides his scouting experiences, Bill was fascinated with the FBI, always watching the series where actor Efrem Zimbalist played an FBI agent . 

Bill held on to his dream, went to college and served in the Navy before finally landing his career with the FBI, which began in 1999. 

As an FBI officer, his focus was terrorism. His career took him all over the world. 

In this podcast, he tells about two high-profile cases which defined his career. 

Since retiring from the bureau in 2022, Bill has been working for Amazon security in the Los Angeles. 

When I saw the podcast link on Bill's Facebook page, I asked if I could include it on my blog. 

By all means, he said. 

I have listened to the podcast and, to put it very mildly, Bill story about cases taking him to Kenya and Pakistan is compelling, riveting and amazing. 

It will take an hour to hear it all but I can guarantee that every word shared is worth the listen.

https://jerriwilliams.com/381-william-peterson-kenya-kidnapping-most-wanted-terrorist-sajid-mir/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOy22lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFXUmVPOGZGT2Q3VGRYNUk2c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmtV3OtvLw6NPIAPYaQT9M-89K7UPZKnd8VSXeLcUBalWxLvIDA4FwKY2tZT_aem_z12anmRFBfmXbTRu3w6FP

Bill's story of this terrorist (identified in the link) below dramatically shows the tenacity, patience, skepticism and persistence needed to break a case. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sajid_Mir

Plus, Bill's experiences once more prove that, even if you grow up on a country road in little ol' Sandpoint,  big dreams can come true and that they can be very rewarding personally.

I am extremely proud and honored to share the podcast above. 

Enjoy. 

💚💛💜💙

Also, it's Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, which means that today marks 41 years since our house burned to the ground on Dec. 20, 1984. 

This day will live with us as long as we live because we saw the worst possible circumstance almost instantly turn into an eye-opening and inspirational view of the goodness of humanity. 

We were recipients of generosity, kindness and love that day and during the days and months afterward, and we shall never forget. 

Forty-one years later, thank you, Sandpoint and family and friends, for helping us put the pieces of our lives back together.

Happy Saturday.  Stay safe.   

It's Friday!

 

The snow came.  

Then, the snow went with the rain. 

Twas really sloppy snow, but it was white and plentiful enough to create some neat but very temporary images. 

This morning the lawn is once again green.

Also, this morning a "man-lift" is coming to the Lovestead so that a worker can get up on the roof and  remove the errant limb that pierced a hole in the roof and our ceiling.

The hole in the ceiling is a little bigger today because the Northwest Flood and Fire staff member opened up so he could see what was behind the opening.  

He found plastic, which was a good discovery because it kept last night's downpour from ultimately landing on our floor.  I put a garbage can under the hole, but, fortunately, it was not needed. 

I have a feeling there's a pool of water in that plastic though. 

Anyway, today the roof will be patched, and, later, repairs will be done. 

After lots more rain and some more wind blasts, it's a quiet morning here. 

On my first walk with the dogs, the sky was filled with stars, always a welcome sight after so many water-filled clouds. 

Bill and I ended our day by attending an enjoyable home high school basketball game. 

The Bulldogs hosted Priest River and earned a significant victory.  

It's been a good week for the team, especially after their thrilling overtime win Tuesday night over a previously undefeated West Valley team from Spokane. 

Bill just read me a segment from this morning's Spokesman sports page that West Valley, now 5-1, soundly defeated their opponent last night. 

We not only enjoyed the game, but we enjoyed the good company.  

My hairdresser Sally who yesterday afternoon highlighted my hair and her husband Joey, (our plumber) came to watch, and there was the usual enjoyable banter with Terry Iverson and his family. 

Fun night. 

The Bulldogs, now 5-3,  will get a rest before traveling to Wenatchee, Wash., to compete in another tournament in early January. 

The bird feeder station outside our living room window was a popular place yesterday, and it seemed that all species were willing to share with each other. 

I love watching the action of chickadees, juncos, finches, doves, squirrels, etc., especially throughout the winter. 

Now that the snow has disappeared, I can do some more clean-up from the wind storm. 

The yard is covered with bark, limbs, twigs, cones, and even a few ornaments which blew off from my swags. 

I almost forgot about this ornament but ran across it yesterday and immediately added it to the tree. 

The ornament came from the Kylemore Abbey gift shop in Connemara, Ireland. 

I purchased it on our most recent trip in October. 

It seemed perfect with the adorable little Irish robin and, of course, an "L" for "Love." 

The Ponderay Pet Lodge staff created the ornaments for Foster and Bridie while they stayed there in October, and, later, the red bow made a perfect backdrop. 

It's fun going to the kitchen sink these days with array of  Santas and Border Collies and dough people. 

Lots to do today, so will sign off. 

Happy Friday. 

Enjoy the bagpipes in the You Tube piece below. 

Christmas Prep; TBT

 

It was good that the ZAGS game last night turned out to be an easy win. 

The lack of nail biting gave me time to turn up the TV volume in the living room and dive into my cookie plate project in the kitchen. 

Just about the time of the final buzzer, I wrapped up the last cookie plate. 

So, two birds with one stone:  both with nice endings. 

It was also a good ending to a day that started out with a bang  . . .  and a crash . . . and lots of other noises. 

When the noise ended, we knew that we had a problem. 

As noted in yesterday's post, it's not a big problem, but, big or small, a hole in the roof opened by a tree branch and distinct hole in the ceiling  need fixing. 

Happily, I've heard from our insurance adjuster Scott, who was pretty busy after yesterday's wind storm.   He told us to call North Idaho Flood and Fire to fix the hole in the roof and probably later the full repair. 

We left the mess intact until we heard from Scott last night, so this morning's outdoor walking slots have been filled with a lot of bending over and picking up branches that either fell to the ground or pierced the ground like spears. 

I'll also sweep up the sheet rock residue on the floor just three or four feet away from the computer where I'm typing. 

We always think of what coulda been in times like these and count our blessings.

So, we're moving on toward Christmas.  I have a hair appointment today, and tomorrow I'll do the last of the house preparation for Annie's arrival on Saturday. 

Still doing some shopping and writing Christmas cards but am getting there. 

It would be okay to have a break in the wind and rain storms, and I'd probably even welcome a little white stuff on the ground for the holidays. 

We'll see. 

In the meantime, happy Thursday.  

Enjoy the TBT's and do scroll "Auld Lang Syne" as you view the photos.

It feels like that kind of day. 

💚💛💜💙 

Last game before the holidays!  

At 7 p.m. PST tonight, the Sandpoint Bulldogs Boys Basketball team will tip off against the  Priest River Spartans at Les Rogers Gym. 

If you can't make it to the game, you can stream it at the following link:  

https://fan.hudl.com/usa/id/sandpoint/organization/7601/sandpoint-high-school

The Bulldogs, now 4-3, hope to add another W to their record. 

GO, BULLDOGS!!!

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

We love Malzards and its owner Fred in Stoneyford, Ireland.  It's an Irish pub of the year, and it's a fun place to sit back, have a Guinness and celebrate being in Ireland. 

The image above is their Christmas card for 2025. 

******

Thursday Throwbacks:  from my photo library.  Fun memories, all. 

I always love this photo of our North Boyer farm long ago on a winter day.