Repeat the Sounding Joy

 

It's a toss-up to know who felt the most magic last night, but I know we all found joy, regardless of whether we were the listeners or the carolers themselves. 

Not all sang.  

Some probably loved the occasion, quietly escaping to their own little worlds of wonderment, peering through a window, watching another classic of the Christmas season:  a Hallmark movie. 

I sneaked a peek as the young ones watched, and there was a Santa Claus dancing. 

Others found fascination in little Foster who served as part of the Lovestead audience and as a cute little furry creature to pet. 

Foster could never see whose hands were petting him, but he remained receptive to any affection the group wanted to share with him.

It was an occasion of simple gifts aka the songs of Christmas. 

Those gifts were a long time in the making as adult voices well-honed to the classics of the season blended with those of youth.  

Some beautiful and enthusiastic voices took the lead and carried the show. 

And, there were several moments of joy derived from the simplicity and beauty of the annual happening.  

Members of the area German Baptist fellowship treated us to three carols before I treated them to some homemade cookies as a bribe for just one more carol. 

The group honored our desire after cookies were dispersed and it was time to leave the deck, climb back into the vehicles and head on to the next rural setting where lyrical joy would surely abound.  

We thank the group for this their third caroling appearance in as many years at our Lovestead. One really snowy year, they even sang in the barn to the delight of the horses. 

We have felt blessed every time to be on their annual neighborhood tour. 

Thanks to all who delighted us last evening. 

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

A Night for Smiles

 

It was a good night for Coach Love. 

Wins are always nice.

Our three beloveds above. 

SHS girls basketball coach Will (Willie) Love

Geocaching aficionado, world traveler Annie Love

Bonner Community Food Bank executive director Debbie Love

They all make us smile.

And, smiles were plentiful at Ugly Sweater Night during last night's game between the Sandpoint Bulldogs and the University Titans from Spokane, Wash. 

It was a return home of sorts after more than a month's drought of home basketball games for the girls squad. 

In addition to friends and family gathering with Bill and me behind the team, we were all smiles at the end when the scoreboard read Sandpoint 64 - University 54. 

Another win for the Bulldogs, bringing their season record to 5-2 and ushering in a few days off for Christmas and then a return to action at a tournament in Spokane after Christmas. 

It was a fun evening, filled with lots of good visiting and, of course, a welcome win. 

These Bulldog teammates are out of action for the season due to injuries, but they participate with the team every way possible. 

Below:  the gallery of regulars who love to come and watch the Bulldog action.

We Love's all appreciate their presence. 

I learned last night that this nice young man in his dapper Christmas suit is the grandson of a former student. 

 

Bob, who works the scoring table with his grandson, always gets his picture taken when I pass by.

That's his dad's name on the scoreboard.  The family has definitely put in the years for the Bulldogs.

  

A lot on the agenda today, so keeping it short.

The link below will take you to a fun and nostalgia-loaded column which appears in today's Bonner County Daily Bee.  

Enjoy. 

 https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2024/dec/22/the-benefits-of-being-a-really-old-guy/

Happy Sunday. 

SMILE

Saturday Slight

We visited some icons yesterday while traveling to Spokane to pick up Annie from the airport.

This morning, another icon made the New York Times newsletter. 

Schweitzer Ski Resort, below, was photographed by New York Times photographer Ruth Fremson. 

Fremson caught the story of Schweitzer in a magical image.  The skiing, the magnificent Lake Pend Oreille below. 

A great photo of a great place. 

The black diamond White Lightning run at Schweitzer in Sandpoint, Idaho. 

                                  Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

 

Bill usually does a solo drive to the airport for Annie's comings and goings, but since she was arriving shortly after noon, I thought it would be fun for all of us to visit the historic Davenport Hotel, a genuine Spokane icon. 

The beautiful hotel, with its elegance and sophistication, is historic to our family because my grandmother lived there for a time way back when.

Plus, it's a beautiful tradition to take in the gorgeous Christmas decorations and the downtown holiday atmosphere. 

Unfortunately, the auctioned trees with all their goodies were gone, but we still enjoyed an inspiring trip walking through the lobby and around the second-floor balcony with its silver trees and numerous historical displays.

We had taken the dogs with us on the trip.  Annie suggested we take them with us, and we should have done so.  

When a very friendly and knowledgeable security guard told us that the Davenport is dog friendly, we regretted leaving them in the car.

The guard, who is passionate about the place, also showed us a few points of interest in the hotel's rich story. 

Later, we honored Annie's request to have lunch at the other Spokane icon,  DICKS Hamburgers. 

It was a festive place with a few staff members dressed in their Christmas best holiday themes.

Bill had his fish and chips, Annie, her Whammy and I, my chicken sandwich. All satisfied our lunchtime palates, as the food always does at DICKS.

Same was true at Sweet Lou's where we enjoyed dinner with my sisters and Willie and Debbie. 

Twas a nice and incident-free Dec. 20, 2024, and the day was good to us. 

Today is Game Day for the Sandpoint High girls basketball team and for the ZAGS.  

Hoping for two Bulldog wins today. 

At 6 p.m. the Gonzaga men's team takes on Bucknell in the Kennel.  

GO, ZAGS!!!

The game will be televised on KHQ-Channel 6. 

We'll be missing part of that game because we'll be heading to Les Rogers Gym to watch Willie's girls take on University High School from Spokane. 

Tip-off for what's been touted as Ugly Sweater Day for fans is at 7 p.m. 

GO, Bulldogs!

Happy Saturday. 

This Day and Tis the Season up North

 

Forty years ago today our house on Great Northern Road burned down.  

We lost pretty much everything, except a few green bags of garbage which were retrieved from the laundry room by neighbors trying to gather and save whatever they could. 

We also thought we had lost Pink Cat, a stray that had wandered into our long driveway and adopted us. 

Happily, the next morning, Pink Cat appeared from the rubble, kinda dirty but alive.  My folks kept him for the rest of his life.

Our lives slowly came back together, especially when John Knowles and his crew built our replacement house within a few months. 

Ironically, tomorrow, the community will say good bye to John.  In our minds and, probably still appearing on the door of the house he built, there's an engraving giving thanks to John and to all who helped us through that tragedy. 

We'll always remember and appreciate our friend John and we'll never forget the generosity of the Sandpoint community. 

Two days ago, a Facebook friend named Debbie celebrated her birthday.  Forty years ago, Debbie, then a senior at Sandpoint High School, donated her birthday money to a fund to help us get back on our feet. 

Such gestures are never forgotten.  They serve as everlasting reminders of the goodness and generosity of most members of the species we call humanity.  

I always tread a little lightly on Dec. 20 of any year, remembering the fire and also remembering the same date a few years later when Willie rolled his grandfather's pickup on HWY 95 while on his way to Les Schwab to get snow tires.  

His grandma had just turned over the keys a couple of miles away when this accident happened. 

Fortunately, Bill was following behind and soon saw what had happened when the pickup was no longer visible on the highway.  Even more fortunately, Willie was only shaken up. 

A few months later, the pickup's engine caught on fire while parked beneath the willow tree at our old place. 

On the day of Willie's accident, we did have some happy moments when we welcomed Annie back home from her six-month college exchange to New Zealand. 

Ironically, we'll welcome her home from Seattle in a few hours, and, yes, we'll tread lightly and will be careful on the roads.

Dates and gestures stand out in this journey we call life.  

Yesterday, Bill called and asked if I'd like to go to Bonners Ferry.  

He was taking a forestry report from Inland Forest Management to the Boundary County Courthouse. 

I had stuff to do, but a break from the "to do" list and other stressers sounded like a good idea. 

So, we packed up dogs and off we went. While Bill was at the Courthouse, I walked around and took a few photos.   We both agree that we love the Courthouse in Bonners Ferry. 

Later, he went to Bonners Books and I took a few photos of downtown Bonners Ferry and holiday-related items on display at one of the local stores.

"Do you want to have dinner here?" he asked.  Never one to turn down the opportunity of not cooking dinner, I, of course, said yes. 

It was my first time at the Rusty Moose Tavern and Grill, and I doubt it will be my last. 

 https://www.zmenu.com/the-rusty-moose-tavern-and-grill-bonners-ferry-online-menu/

Good food, great and friendly service and a comfortable setting.  

Twas a nice way to end a spontaneous trip to the town we visit so often. 

Plus, the Christmas decorations along Main Street in Bonners are pretty. 

By day's end, Annie will be settling in for her Christmas week and Little Foster will be on top of the world, knowing his bestie is here. 

Should be a good day. 

Happy Friday.