LILACS to Winter Glow Spokane for creating an outstanding Christmas light display this year (and we hope in years to come!) at Cowley Park on Sixth Street in front of Sacred Heart Hospital. They originally set up in Riverfront Park and added holiday cheer to downtown Spokane, but they were derailed by construction the last two years and moved it to the Fairgrounds. We think it’s much more impactful putting the entire display in one small park for maximum impact. As a bonus, it’s just outside the Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, giving the kids something besides dead trees to look at in the winter. Bravo!

LILACS to the City of Spokane, especially Spokane Parks & Rec, for installing the stunning ice ribbon in the park. Our city keeps reaching new milestones in progress and urbanity, and we love the Rockefeller Center feeling of the scenic skating park, especially the built-in islands even New York doesn’t boast.  They’ve even kept the price reasonable to make it inclusive for all. Now to make it all the way around without falling down.

LEMONS to people who bring their pets into grocery stores, shopping malls and even restaurants. The majority we have seen are (first of all) adorable, especially the little Pomeranians, but very few appear to be service animals. All create germ problems, affect people with allergies, and some make little mistakes.

LILACS to Washington State taxing authorities for mandating stickers at the gas pumps showing which portion of the pump fees per gallon go to state tax and federal tax. With taxes eating up 67.8 cents per gallon, it’s easier to see that Washington gas stations aren’t gouging us compared with, say, Idaho stations.

SYMPATHY and MORAL SUPPORT to those who lost their lives or were injured in the Amtrak accident near Seattle. We wonder how it’s possible that after extensive testing this calamity could have occurred on the first day of service for that line. We salute the many first responders who helped rescue people from the cars that dangled over the bridge above I-5.

LEMONS to Comcast for requiring businesses that close to continue paying for their service for two months after their closing date. Rather than having sympathy for companies that struggled valiantly against the odds, they try to milk them for two additional months. Does ANYONE watch over them? On another note, we got billed for a full year during which we didn’t receive service, and rather than arguing with them, I agreed to pay them about 70 percent of the bill just to make them go away. That’s the company our national government wants to give up net neutrality to?

LILACS to the wonderful doctors and nurses at Valley General Hospital and Deaconess who acted efficiently to diagnose and to reverse so very quickly the effects of my stroke. (Shout out to Dr. Harden!) The docs wanted me to let the world know how very important it is to RUSH to emergency or call 911 at the first sign of stroke, which in my case was a sudden inability to use my left arm and left leg. Most people sit it out and hope it will get better, and then miss their three hour window to get clot-busting treatment. Better to be embarrassed by a false alarm than crippled by pride.