Happy New Year!

Kathleen Anderson

The wise ones always advise us to avoid looking forward or back but rather to stay focused on the present.

They point out that there is a reason the rear-view mirror on your vehicle is so small, while the makeup mirror is the clearest and the windshield so large.

However, sometimes it’s fun to do all three.

Although sometimes it is also redundant. For example, Christmas is past, and it was wet. Martin Luther King Day is ‘forward’ and, according to the current forecast, will be wet. Today, it’s been dry.

I know this because my children gifted me with an “all-weather” puppy who loves going out in the rain, wind and snow. While I am not complaining that she is willing to brave these elements, we will have to wait a while to see how she reacts to sunshine.

Ever since I returned to Washington in 2018, our local weather experts have told us that the ice storms, snow storms, heat waves and winter weather storms we have experienced only happen every ten years or so.

No comment…

Moving on, I have met some very interesting people since my return and joined some great groups. The Olympia Host Lions Club introduced me to great fellow members, The Corbin Low Vision Resource Center and the members of The Low Vision Support Group held at the Olympia Senior Center.

I am also impressed with my fellow members of the “100 Women Who Care” group and most recently The Olympia Writers Group.

A fellow member, Author Judy Kiehart, is the winner of the 2022 Best Indie Book Award for “Calico Lane: A memoir about family breaking through social and cultural norms.”

I have been toying with the idea of returning to a half-finished book I started years ago and Judy very graciously offered me support for this project.

Online groups I have explored include the Olympia Free and Buy Nothing Upper East groups. The latter groups post needs and donations of just about everything from baby formula to jobs to furniture, all free.

Currently, an acquaintance of mine, Lacy Edgmon Petty, is walking her dogs 50 miles to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Lacy, a wife and mother, is also the owner and CEO of two local companies, South Bay Build & Remodel and Pinup Cleanup LLC.

Earlier this year, another friend, Bill Scholl, walked 1000 miles in 1000 days to raise money for the Mary Bridges Children’s Hospital.

So, it came as no great surprise to me when I heard on a recent FOX news broadcast that Olympia is ranked in the top ten cities in the United States for generous giving.

All of the above still convinces me I made the right decision to return to enjoy my sunset years in the glorious Pacific Northwest.

As for the future, I think it will arrive, all in good time.

Happy New Year, Friends.

To donate to Lacy Edgmon Petty fundraiser, go to her Facebook page.

Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia.  Contact her at  kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment below.