Hometown Christmas Magic

 

Raindrops have been ubiquitous and relentless the past 24 hours in our area. 

I'm not a big fan of rain, but I didn't mind seeing a lot of green again this morning, instead of white. 

Warmer temps and rains have brought on another dramatic change in the landscape.

When this warmth rids us of the slippery patches of ice, I'll be happy. 

Instead of walking in the icy areas with Bridie on my second outing this morning, we headed for the woods where soft cushy pine needles and very little snow make walking easy. 

As we were moseying along with the only light ahead coming from the flashlight I was carrying, a plump mouse appeared in the trail. 

What fun for Bridie! She chased the mouse, and it skittered from one tree to another, eventually finding a hiding place in the needles at the base of the tree. 

Twas a nice interlude during our walk, and it did take a minute to convince Bridie that she didn't have to continue her pursuit of the mouse. 

Walking in weather like this is tricky at best. The snow in the hay field is crusted over and with no idea where the bumps and dips are, old feet and legs suffer some unpredictable strains. 

So, yes, I'm happy to see bare ground again. 

The rain kept us inside for most of the day yesterday, but by mid-afternoon I was ready to see some different scenes besides the television set or the kitchen. 

So, off I drove to town with my camera and the Cedar Street Bridge as my destination. 

We locals like to gripe a lot about how the town has changed too much in recent years, but it's also fair to say that downtown Sandpoint is beautiful at Christmas time, and one of the most magical places I've ever seen in my hometown is the Cedar Street Bridge. 

Besides the magic and the beauty, that segment of Sandpoint has family history. 

And, this morning after spotting the mouse in the woods and then going to the spot where this year's Christmas tree stands next to an opening in the woods, I realized that this Christmas marks 80 years since our family moved to Sandpoint. 

I never tire of telling the story of how on a wintry, wet and miserable night my mother, my brother Mike (then 18 months old) and our English Setter Peggy aka Licker Lap stepped off the train from Chicago at the depot across Sand Creek. 

Mother was moving her family west, and, more than likely, that first scene of total ugliness made her wonder why.  She often laughingly said that she thought she had moved to Hell. 

Still, she walked across the then uncovered Cedar Street Bridge and turned onto First Avenue.

After walking past bars where raucous activity was prevalent, she arrived at her destination, the Rolands Hotel on First and Church where she stayed for about a month before finding a temporary residence at the stone house across from what's now the Sandpoint Events Center. 

Mother never left Sandpoint, except for when she traveled. 

For that I am grateful because I love being 78 years old and still appreciating my hometown, even with the changes. 

Yesterday's trip through the Cedar Street Bridge felt like nothing less than nostalgic, magical and beautiful. 

It's been through its good times and bad, but it's safe to say that the Cedar Street Bridge is flourishing, and, having brought home a few bags of goodies, I'd say it's a perfect place to find some unique and meaningful and fun Christmas gifts. 

And, there was some hometown flair.  I saw a former student and her grandson, whom I had written about a few years back when, as a baby, he faced a daunting challenge with his life. 

He seems to be flourishing too, and it was neat to see the baby had turned into a kind, polite young man. 

So, the hometown flavor is still there, and that is comforting.

Outside the bridge, Sand Creek looked about as ugly in the gloomy rain as it must have on Christmas night 1945, but inside the beautiful wooden structure, the scene was festive and glorious. 

Fun trip to town. I may go back again and snap some more evidence of how pretty our hometown is, even after all the years of change. 

And, I have made a mental note to go back to the Bridge on Christmas Day and reflect on the 80th anniversary of our family's existence in beautiful Sandpoint. 

Enjoy the photos. 

Sunday Potpourri

 

Lisa Ailport lives a few miles from us down Selle Road. 

When not serving as city administrator in Hayden, Idaho, she spends much of her time with her family and their many horse activities. 

She also takes along her camera equipment on their farm and as she travels through ranch country.

And, she likes to put together calendars depicting ranch life. 

Above and below, you'll see her calendar cover for this next year and the back side showing the monthly images. 

If you'd like to have one of Lisa's calendars or maybe purchase it as a gift for someone else who loves ranch life, she is selling them for $20 apiece.  

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100038889945695

You can order a calendar by visiting the link above which provides more examples of Lisa's work as well as contact information.  

Lisa says you can text or call her. 

She says people call her "Potato Chip." 

She also has other names. 

I attended the year-end meeting of the Emerald Empire Arabian Club yesterday.

Weather cut down the numbers attending but not the fun. 

In addition to a short business meeting and year-end reports and awards, some a litany of horse tales were told. 

Club president Todd Mitchell served as story starter by asking who among the group had ever had crazy experiences with their horses. 

Anyone who's not had a crazy experience with a horse just hasn't lived a complete horse life, I'd say. 

There was no shortage of material as some told about the discomfort of sitting atop a saddle horn while another told about sitting in the saddle on a manure pile shortly after being ejected, saddle and all from the horse. 

It was a fun time and maybe even a few choice stories about really naughty horses where fleeting thoughts of McGhee's horse trading and the glue factory surfaced. 

Roxzene's horse Eddy had to spend some time healing this year so she received an award, crafted by Laurie Tibbs, for all the time she spend helping her horse in rehab. 

Youth members talked about their experiences while competing in youth judging and hippology at the Arabian Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. this past fall. 

A thoughtful look in the Sandpoint Reader of a book that could be a nice Christmas gift.  

Jeff Tedd Bock

Debut kids’ book from locally-raised author is a heartfelt exploration of family separation

December 3, 2025

By Zach Hagadone

Reader Staff

Kids’ books can be for entertaining, learning and explaining hard topics — and often all three. My House in the Sky, published in 2025 by Jeff Tedd Bock, is entertaining with its whimsical, softly rendered illustrations; instructive with crisp, clear writing perfect for grade-school readers; and most deft at exploring the difficult concept of growing up in a separated family.

“The ‘house in the sky’ came from imagining where my daughter lived emotionally while growing up between two homes,” Bock told the Reader. “She was always positive about having two houses and two rooms, but part of me liked to think she also had a place that was truly hers — a magical combination of the best of both worlds.”

The narrator throughout the book, illustrated by South Africa-based artist Althea Botha, is a young girl who describes both her mother’s and father’s houses, while explaining the days she spends at each and the activities that happen there. Meanwhile, her “house in the sky” is an imaginative third place that she inhabits, filled with all the features and elements that evoke her happiest feelings and memories.

Bock grew up in Sandpoint — where his parents, Ed and Jeanne still live — and graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1992, where he and his brother played soccer with their dad as the coach. My House in the Sky is dedicated to Lili Dot — Bock’s daughter, Lilianna Dorothy — who grew up in Los Angeles, though “Sandpoint is very much her second home,” he said. “She visits every summer and has her own deep connection to this place.”

“Finishing the book took two years, but in reality, the journey was much longer,” Bock added. “I started writing it when Lili was very young and published it near her 18th birthday. In a way, the book grew up with her.”

Remembering the inception of My House in the Sky, Bock referred to the co-parenting schedule of rotating weekdays and alternating weekends, and how that affected his daughter.

“I remember feeling guilty about how often she had to transition back and forth, and it comforted me to imagine her spending those in-between moments in this peaceful ‘house in the sky,’” he said. “The book grew out of that feeling — a place where she was always safe, always centered and always loved.”

Bock said he’s always been drawn to storytelling, earning a master’s in screenwriting and even making a film in Sandpoint called Losing Julia Finch, based on a short story by fellow SHS grad Keith Lee Morris.

He said that while “self-publishing was an incredible journey with a steep learning curve,” he hopes to work with a traditional publisher for future works. “I discovered the writing was the easy part — designing, marketing and actually getting the book into the world were much tougher,” he added.

Despite being “literally oceans away,” working with Botha as the illustrator wasn’t one of those tough things. Bock found Botha through a Facebook group for children’s book writers and illustrators, and, “Her watercolor-based artwork immediately struck me — warm, glowing pieces that felt like childhood memories. One illustration of a campfire stopped me in my tracks. She has this rare ability to capture emotion inside an image.”

As for advice to other writers looking to get their projects in print, Bock emphasized joining a writing or publishing group.

“There’s so much great information available now — unprecedented access to creators, publishing experts, illustrators and step-by-step guidance,” he said. “The only thing that can stop you is your bandwidth.”

The other critical component is being open to letting a book develop as it will.

“I vividly remember cracking the heart of the story one spring afternoon in 2023, sitting under my blossoming orange tree, with tears welling up,” Bock said. “Stories arrive when they’re ready. And while I’m not saying you have to sit under an orange tree for magic to happen… it certainly doesn’t hurt.”

For more information and to buy My House in the Sky, go to myhouseinthesky.com.

I haven't been following my ZAGS schedule closely enough. 

Just discovered by reading the newspaper that the ZAGS play tonight at home. 

They'll host North Florida aka the Osprey's. 

6 p.m. PST on FOX 28.

Let's GO, ZAGS!!!

Pope Leo asked Michael Buble to sing the beautiful "Ave Maria" during a Christmas concert for the poor at the Vatican yesterday.

So, I thought the glorious hymn would be a nice way to end this post. 

Enjoy.

Happy Sunday.  

 

Saturday Slight

 

Let there be light so we can shovel at night. 

Not meant to be poetic, but it will do and it worked last night. 

Thanks to Todd and Adrian from Mitchell Enterprises, I was able to shovel a path from the house to the barn last night AND actually see what I was doing. 

This father-son team of electricians came yesterday to enhance our lighting around the place. 

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for spring to fix the lighting in the far shed and the pole next to the lane. 

In a preliminary observation, Adrian determined that the problem with that area was probably underground wiring. 

So, in the spring, they'll come back and work with that project. 

No. 1 on the list was the yard light outside the garage.  For the past couple of years, the light has switched on and off according to its own whims. 

Sometimes we have light; sometimes not, and when it's dark and rainy outside, light would be nice. 

That problem was fixed with a newer and brighter bulb.  In addition they installed a new light off the east side of the garage. It automatically switches on and off at dawn and dusk. 

I've already had one delivery person who came around 7 last night tell me that he really appreciates light when he's delivering packages. 

So, I know that more than just the Love family will be happy. 

Last night after the fabulous Gonzaga victory over Kentucky and when the snow had stopped, I spent about an hour shoveling around the house and the pathway to the barn. 

The extra light was wonderful, especially because it created some neat effects for me to take night photos of the fresh snow.  

Bill went to a company party and said it was nice to come home to all the light.  

Thanks so much, Todd and Adrian.  You have made our lives much more pleasant with your skills. 

Todd and Adrian Mitchell of Mitchell Enterprises.  

Great people and topnotch electricians. 

I had already published my blog this morning when I discovered this amazing news about our beloved daughter-in-law Debbie.

As usual, a most humble Debbie has not shared this good news with us, but, by golly, we will share to all the world how lucky we are to have Debbie as a member of our family. 

Willie picked a gem when he asked her to marry him almost 25 years ago. 

The entire family and, I'm sure, most of the community would agree with this award bestowed upon one of the most giving and sweetest souls ever. 

Congratulations, Debbie.  

You can read more about Debbie (page 26) and the other winners in Sandpoint Living Magazine's online edition. 

 https://issuu.com/likemedia/docs/sandpoint_living_local_winter_2025-2026/27?fbclid=IwY2xjawOhM3BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeRXh4G9QIK8Hi-ed94lU179nfc9Y2aeuDphQ4Q7hp2MKndtQVJ39NytZZP1Y_aem_-4kk_UczuAV9ewQYnnKz_Q

In this morning's New York Times newsletter, I saw this list of sensible guidelines for making Christmas cookies. 

Even if you've been baking snickerdoodles or experimenting with wienie boats and purple cows since first-year cooking in 4-H like I have, the guidelines below serve as great reminders. 

The other day I was making those pumpkin chip cookies and not following a recipe. 

When the first cookies came from the oven, they did not look like what I had imagined. 

 I then remembered that, because I was doing the recipe off the top of my head, I had forgotten to put the soda and salt in the dough. 

Fortunately, only a few cookies had to be scrapped and after the soda and salt had been added, the cookies looked and tasted great. 

So, the following the first two guidelines would have helped.   

• Read the recipe all the way through before you start baking. I know this is boring, an assignment in English class when you’re ready for recess. Do it so you’re not caught off guard when, for instance, a recipe calls for you to chill the dough for three hours, but the party starts in 20 minutes.
• Measure and prepare all your ingredients first. This is also a little dull. But once you start moving through the recipe, you’ll find how amazing it is to have everything you need at hand so you can glide through the steps, no pausing to frantically search for the salt. And, if your cookie recipe calls for room temperature butter (many do), take it out of the fridge to soften as soon as you’ve decided to bake.
• Cookie dough generally freezes well; make extra. Freeze the dough in individual portions if you want to be able to bake a single cookie on a whim. (You can easily double recipes using our new scaling feature. You’ll need to be in the Cooking app on Android or iOS; click on the little icon at the top right of the ingredients list.)
• It’s better to underbake than to overbake. You can’t unbake a cookie any more than you can unsalt a soup. So take the pan out of the oven when the cookies look just done; they’ll firm up as they cool. (And if you take them out of the oven and they’re still raw, just put them back in for a minute.)
• Really, follow the directions, especially if you’re making a recipe for the first time. If the recipe says to leave two inches between the cookies on the baking sheet, do it. If it says not to move the baked cookies until they are completely cool, listen.

 

If all of the above are too challenging, there's always the Betty Crocker and the box stuff, which I'll probably do today: brownies. 

Still homemade cuz you did them in your home kitchen. 

 

Happy Saturday. 

A neat story in the link below about a neat win and an amazing player accomplishment.  

It all happened Thursday night at Les Rogers Gym when the Sandpoint Bulldogs defeated the St. Maries Lunberjacks.  

The Bulldogs are now 2-1 in their young season.

 https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2025/dec/05/prep-basketball-roundup-iverson-makes-it-rain-with-career-high-31-as-sandpoint-downs-tough-st-maries-squad/