The older I get the more I repeat myself — and today I’m repeating the opening comments from the Karen’s Corner column that was published late in 2018.
“It’s November, the month we’re all reminded to give thanks.
“The obvious answers for what I’m grateful for are my high school sweetheart, who’s been my husband for over 47 years (now it’s 52 years); three great kids who turned out pretty darned well despite some of my questionable parenting skills; and five amazing grandchildren. Oh, and I can’t forget my job at The Daily World.”
And I ended that column with the statement: “I’ve already started compiling my list for next November’s column.”
But that was a total lie, because I haven’t done a Thanksgiving column since then — until now.
So here’s some of the things I’m glad are part of my life.
1. My commute
I work Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. so I usually miss rush hour traffic. It takes me 8-10 minutes to get from our home in Central Park to The Daily World, at the corner of Michigan and State streets in Aberdeen. Coming into town in the morning, the traffic lights on Wishkah are usually set to be green all the way from F to M streets. And the same can be said for heading east on Heron at the end of my shift. Every once in a while, one of the lights will get out of sync and then I gripe all the way home about having to stop and sit at a red light. But that’s nothing compared to the commutes my daughters have — one of whom lives in Black Diamond and the other lives in Maple Valley. Their commutes can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on traffic.
2. Our home in Central Park
We’ve lived in our ranch-style house in Central Park for just over 20 years. And I love it — two roomy bedrooms, a nice office, two and a half bathrooms, a really nice deck, a two-car garage and located on a nice, quiet street with great neighbors.
3. The neighborhood dogs
We don’t have a dog anymore — haven’t had one for lots of years since our last pet — a black lab named Coaty — died. And just to make it clear — as much as I miss having a dog, I don’t want another one. At my age I’m way past wanting to pick up dog poop from the backyard, getting up in the middle of the night to let the dog outside, making plans for someone to take care of my pet when we’re gone — and probably the biggest reason — the heartbreak when they die. So I am ever so grateful for the four-legged pets I get to pay attention to when I take my nightly evening walks around our cul de sac. Enthusiastic tale wagging, friendly barking to greet me as I pass by, and those who let me throw a stick or two for them to chase — great dog encounters.
4. Pete Carroll and the Seahawks
I am a football fanatic. I love the Seahawks — always have, always will, no matter what their record. And I thank the lucky stars (whatever the heck that means?) that we have Pete Carroll as the Seahawks coach. It’s so much fun to watch him along the sidelines, sometimes leaping for joy, chewing vigorously on a piece (or two) of gum and even when the Seahawks lose, he’s optimistic about the future and so supportive of his players and coaching staff. I would have a hard time if we had one of those coaches who pouts, throws temper tantrums and blames others for mistakes his team has made. Thank you Coach Carroll and “Go Hawks.”
5. Composting
One of our friends has a compost pile and graciously allows us to take our compostables to her place. It amazes me how much we used to throw into the garbage can but now we’re able to put to good use. Egg shells, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, paper towels, tea bags and in the summer time lots and lots of watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew rinds. All this stuff she adds to her compost pile, making the worms very happy and turning out some wonderful rich soil.
That’s all I’ve got for this year — just five little things that I’m thankful for. And maybe this time I’ll remember to start a list for next November — but probably not.
Karen Barkstrom is the editorial assistant at The Daily World. She can be reached at kbarkstrom@thedailyworld.com and 360-537-3925.
