"ALS is one of those diseases that everyone has heard about, but few people know what a devastating disease it is for the one who has it and those who love them."

That's just one line from one of a stack of letters and emails I've had the pleasure of reading today. The people of the ALS community in Spokane took the time to say thank you for our stories highlighting the disease and the half-hour special we produced to show what's being done to help ALS patients here at home.

I don't do my job for the thank you notes or the pats on the back; I do stories like this to make a difference and highlight a need. Still, those thank yous are an incredible boost to morale on a Friday afternoon.

From Steve Gleason and Linda Sheridan to Dr. Scott Carlson and ALSSO president George Akers, every single person I have met in the course of researching and reporting on ALS has been incredibly gracious and open and wonderful. I wish I could have met all of them under different circumstances (it's no fun getting to know someone when talking about a devastating disease.) I absolutely learned something from every one of them and I want nothing more than to help each of them battle this ugly diagnosis.

Every June, I dust off my cowboy boots, pair it with a polka dot sundress and hightail it to The Farm Chicks Antiques Show at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. For self proclaimed "junkers" the show is what Disneyland is to a 5 year old. Really, it's THAT exciting. Trust me.

In this crowd, a slight obsession for all things vintage and fabulous instantly bonds women from across the country. The show features refurbished antique furniture, beautiful, handcrafted home accessories and decor. The search for that perfect vintage piece is all part of the experience.

What started out in a barn in 2002 is now one of the largest show of its kind in the country. Serena Thompson, who lives on Green Bluff, is the entrepreneur responsible for creating the funky and oh. so. fabulous. weekend event.

Thompson has also penned several cookbooks, is a contributing editor for Country Living Magazine, a wife and mom to four boys. Whew! She pretty much rocks.

And now she's getting ready to launch her latest venture, a website called My Favorite Find. I recently had the opportunity to ask Thompson a few questions about her latest project.

AB: Tell me about your latest project My Favorite Find. How did you come up with the idea?

ST: I'd been receiving a lot of mail from all over the world, from readers asking how they could find great events similar to mine or shoppes in their area and from others who were hosting these events and running these shoppes, wondering how they could promote them. I soon realized there wasn't anything for them out there and decided that I'd just create it myself. And My Favorite Find was born.

For months, many South Hill residents have watched in eager anticipation as renovations have been underway at Ferris High School. But, perhaps no one has watched more closely than Ferris senior Ryan Hawley. He's been watching out the classroom windows every day and even documenting the progress for his senior project. Friday, he got to see all that hard work up close and personal.

Ryan is in the developmentally delayed class at Ferris, but don't second guess what he's able to do. His instructional assistant Renee Haynes says Ryan is extremely mechanical and can put together your vacuum if you needed him to. He also loves videotaping the world around him. Lucky for him, plenty has gone on just outside the school walls since school began last fall, as Ferris undergoes extensive remodeling. He turned his passion for the project  into his own project, the senior project necessary for graduation.

Of all the work going on outside, Ryan has been most fascinated with the massive crane that dominates the landscape on the east side of the building. Over the months of work, he and crane operator Wally Forbush have developed a friendship of sorts, though they had never met. The two waved to each other and even corresponded via email, with Forbush taking the time to explain his job to the adoring Ryan.

"The owner bought this crane brand new in 2006 from Italy," Forbush explained in a letter to Ryan last month. "It's pretty cool. It's a little complicated cause it's all computerized."