mental health

Seasons of the Heart

August 26, 2026 By Kimberly A. Cook

Is it still August?

Seems to me this month has been longer than usual. I know they call it the dog days of summer, but I think that just means dogs and people need to nap. A lot.

While on a small shopping spree at Dollar Tree last week, I saw the staff move out the school supplies. I turned and came face to nose with a wall of pumpkin and red truck harvest signs. Then I escaped around the corner and ended up in a fully stocked aisle of Christmas decorations.

No wonder I have no idea what month it is. They say when you’re retired, every day is Saturday. Okay. That was always cleaning day when I grew up. But retailers don’t make it easy to figure out the actual month either.

Given the fact both allergy and wildfire seasons came way too early to Oregon this year, shouldn’t I be carving a pumpkin by now? But nope, more to go.

A huge thank you to the incredible firefighters, pilots, cooks, support crew, mechanics, and law enforcement personnel taking care of the more than 13,000 firefighters on the line in Oregon and Washington, plus across the west and Canada. It’s been another very bad fire season.

And not to be forgotten, hugs and support to the people of Hawaii who seem to be getting ALL the rain. We could help out by using it here on the mainland to put out flames, but Mother Nature is not cooperating with any of us right now.

Which brings me back to August.

This is a transition month from the end of summer to the start of school and then into fall and winter. I tend to get a little melancholy this time of year. Most of it is the allergies wearing me down and the heat and wildfire smoke, but part is the change of seasons.

Then I jerk myself back into perspective and remain grateful that I am not on the fire lines – those folks have to be in amazing physical shape and brave – or bobbing around on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Iran. A salute to all of the above. It helps me realize how good I have it.

Then I remember it’s almost pumpkin everything time!

Which gives me an excuse to stay inside and read books, craft, write, and drink gallons of hot cocoa. Even though I pound down hot chocolate all year long. I don’t need an excuse to do all those things in the summer, but it is cozier in the fall and winter.

Yesterday I checked on the Akawa Butte Fire close to my favorite town of Sisters and it is ninety-nine percent contained. Then a turkey photo popped up. Given my recent book, Tactical Turkeys, imagine my surprise to see the wild turkeys forging back into the burned area to start over. So proud of those feathered fowl. They are tactical.

I’d put myself on a media diet this week to improve my August mental health. But when I checked an online order last night, I saw the news about Dolly Parton. WHAT? NO…

I loved that lady. Before going into a tailspin, I asked myself, “What would Dolly do?”

I purchased her Dream More ebook to find out. After reading the first two pages, it helped. Dolly is a legend who has left a hole in our collective universe. We were so blessed to have her in our lives. And being a smart cookie, she planned her legacy to live on after her. Epic.

While I process her passing, I will strive to embrace the four principles in her book that guide her Dollywood Foundation for the Imagination Library:

“Dream more. Learn more. Care more. Be more.”

How about that for a mission statement for all of us?

I can’t wait to read the rest of her book. She left us instructions.

Because I’ve got my own writing projects kicking my butt all over my office and I need to get back to the fight.

Dolly would.

And the wild turkeys are way ahead of me, leading the charge.

Dolly Strong everybody.

September is almost here.

Turkeys on the march into burned over ground in the Akawa Butte Fire. The caption “Birds, such as turkey, quail, and woodpeckers, are the first to return to a fire area, often as vegetation is still smoldering.” Photo taken 8-2-2026 Image credit to the Central Oregon District of the Oregon Department of Forestry, Prineville, Oregon.

It’s Holiday Hustle Time! Or Not

November 30, 2022 By Kimberly A. Cook 5 Comments

Everybody still full of turkey? Not me. Due to my sister’s dental surgery, we opted for spaghetti take-out this year. With garlic cheesy bread. I’d give up the keys to the kingdom for that amazing delicacy. Since I figured spumoni ice cream did not go with pumpkin pie, I adapted and made brownies instead. Worked like a charm. No complaints.

I’ve made my holiday gift list and pulled down the box of Christmas cards to mail. No idea when that will happen. The shoemaker elves appear to have gone to the North Pole for better wages, because they’re not in my house.

My current work in process has moved out of town with my editor, who sold her house and had to move in two weeks flat. It’s a miracle the manuscript isn’t in their storage PODS waiting for delivery. Yes, we are old school. She edits on actual paper. So do I. Computer screens are tricky and can disguise and change words without your knowledge. That’s my excuse and I’m using it.

Then this past week, I decided to rip my home office apart and purge and reorganize books. Do not attempt this without massive amounts of chocolate on hand. Everything was going great until I realized the cable connection would be behind the tall bookcase. Sigh.

A five-day craft project ensued to move the cable box using a sheetrock saw, drill, tape, mud, sanding, and texturing from my construction Ninja friend. My desk and office were draped in pink sheets. Dusting and vacuuming happened. Then I applied two coats of paint after hunting down the original color chip and getting it matched.

Today the books go in the bookcase!

I think that epitomizes the past couple years. No matter what you start out to do, something is going to make it a challenge. For those of us not quite ready to go prime time with naked faces, heading outside to be with people seems like a complete Indiana Jones type adventure. More snakes and rolling rocks than fun treasure. And that’s okay.

I’ve always walked to a different drummer, expect during Army basic training, but every person on this planet has a story about this pandemic. We’re all doing the best we can, except for the usual outliers who prefer crazy all the time. I’m going for boring.

We’ve had enough drama. With all that is going on in the world, you have my permission to hide under your bed until 2023. I plan on doing that myself.

But I bet I will find dust bunnies I need to clean.

First world problems.

Know there are others out here with anxiety issues, holiday stress, lockdown syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive office rearranging impulses. I’ve got all of those on any given day. Reach out for help when you need it. That makes you a mental health warrior and a badass. Trust me.

We don’t know how to do all the things all the time.

That’s why coaches get big bucks to teach the rest of us how to do things from football to writing.

Same goes for mental health; get a coach if you need one. That might be a friend, a pet, or a professional counselor.

Last time I checked the majority of us were not around during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, so this pandemic rolling dumpster fire is new for all of us. And apparently relentless. Nobody make a song about Covid, flu and RSV unless the Minions sing it.

For those of us in the sexy senior category, it does feel a bit like we have targets on our butts. But don’t count us Baby Boomers or our older scouts out. We grew up without seat belts, bike helmets, the Internet, and cell phones. We have vintage skills, survival know how, and power tools.

And we are happy to welcome the Zoomers, aka Gen Z born 1997 – 2012, to the table who have gotten a baptism by fire and appear up to the challenge. Whatever the cool word is now, you folks are that. I salute you.

As we move into holiday central, be kind to yourself and others.

And feel free to make brownies. It helps.

Thank you to all our veterans, active duty, reserve and guard military members, hospital and medical staff, law enforcement, and fire fighter personnel for keeping us safe 24/7 around the globe.

Santa has you on the very nice list.

Digital hugs to all and to all a good night!

P.S. There are never enough cat videos and this month our local feline celebrity is my favorite! I give you OwlKitty!

Blankie Time?

October 24, 2017 By Kimberly A. Cook 3 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook

The past two weeks family commitments have kept me busier than a popcorn fart, as my Dad used to say. Nothing bad, just hectic. Plus given the news lately, sometimes I don’t even know what to write.

But here goes. Compassion fatigue is real. Back in the day we had three tv channels that went off the air at midnight, no cell phones and social media happened at the hair salon.

So feel free to unplug, turn off and give yourself a break. Take action to focus on family, friends, pets and neighbors close to you. What you can control.

Believe it or not, we are USAStrong. We’re a very big family, a dysfunctional bunch, but that is true with most families. So practice kindness and see what happens.

With that goal in mind, here are some of my favorite recent pics to focus on pleasant moments.

A picnic lunch last week at Chinook Landing in Fairview to watch the Columbia River presented us with river breezes and the approaching storm front.

This little guy was very busy storing snacks for the winter while we were on a neighborhood walk.

After passing Mr. Squirrel we came upon this gorgeous view of Mt. St. Helens, our resident volcano, across the farm fields.

IMG_2558 (2) — One of my favorite roses, The Fairy, is still blooming in October. How about that magic?

And if you could use more happy moments, the Hallmark Holiday movies launch this weekend on their two channels. Get your blankie, eggnog and snacks and start training for the holiday movie/series marathons of your choice.

There’s nothing like a good jammie day to pick up the spirits!

Seasons of the Heart

It’s Holiday Hustle Time! Or Not

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Blankie Time?

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