F ISHTRAP HOLLOW, Miss. -- Peace on earth, at least in my small corner. Outside the leaves are a brown Berber carpet across the yard, and, inside, the dogs hug the hearth of our wood-burning stove. We all linger in bed a little longer now that mornings are chilly and bones are older.
What a wonderful year this has been, with no major hurricanes battering our shore, giving the Gulf Coast a respite and chance for recovery. For calm seas -- and so many other things -- I am thankful.
I'm thankful for that Holy Trinity of Happiness: health, time and loved ones to spend it with. You might see us walking any fair day, dogs and humans, at our respective paces, together yet apart. Yellow dog Mabel rockets away after a squirrel. I stoop to pick up a red oak leaf. Pound puppy Boozoo sniffs a suspicious patch on the pavement. Don, leader of the pack, herds us up to finish the walk.
I am thankful that the elections are over, that the Democrats won and at least now there might be talk about bringing our boys home. There are parts of this world in the centuries-old habit of fighting, and nothing we can do will change that. Drop the speed limits and the thermostat; oil isn't worth dying for.
I am thankful for the opportunity to travel to France once more, to see a few of the 20,000 sycamores along the Canal du Midi, to watch a sunset from the bow of a boat in a foreign land. I am thankful for old-fashioned film and a nondigital camera to help me remember it all.
I remain thankful for books, the best way to travel on the cheap. I reread Marjorie Rawlings' "Cross Creek" this year, and I am overcome, once again, with her insight about borrowing the land and finding a home. I loved Julia Child's comparison of England and France. And I wish I'd written "Marley and Me" or "Water for Elephants."
I am so grateful that I was able to watch both my niece and nephew graduate high school, the ceremonial moment that ushers in official adulthood. They have added so much to my life. Now I can sit back and watch them tackle the world. For the way they delight and amuse me, I thank them.
I am glad Annie still writes real letters, that Anne takes pictures of our party tables, and for Beth and Frank's bounty of funny family stories. I am grateful to Terry, who loves our dogs whenever we're away, and for Sue and Luke, who love all dogs.
I am thankful for a new album that salutes Kris Kristofferson, the man who wrote soulfully about Sunday mornings and pilgrims. He and John Prine are the best songwriters since Hank.
I am glad I know Betty Douglass, and that I don't know most of the people mentioned on "Entertainment Tonight." I am grateful for the longest, most brilliant leaf season ever, and for the results from one package of Halloween in Paris pumpkin seeds. I remain thankful for Amanda's painting of a purple door.
I'm thankful for Mexican lunches with Jean, quiet suppers at home with Don, camping on Pickwick Lake and one long Sunday morning stroll in Savannah. I am grateful so many of you still read this column.
Nobody I know has a sweeter, better existence than I, or shares it with more wonderful people. I don't always act it, but I am thankful for my quiet, slothful, cozy life. I want for nothing.
Rheta Grimsley Johnson writes for King Features Syndicate.
Editorials
There is much to be thankful for
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Cuts in mental health short-sighted at best
When state budgets tightened up three legislative sessions ago, mental health and substance abuse treatment appropriations amounted to low-hanging fruit. It was easy for lawmakers to reduce treatment for mental health consumers and ...
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‘Flavor of the month’
State Republicans have invited all of the GOP presidential candidates to Oklahoma. Former candidate Herman Cain came to Oklahoma City in early December, just days after he suspended his campaign. Rick Santorum brought his charged-up ...
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Gov. Fallin says tax cuts bring national attention
Rating agencies are often courted by state, county and local officials seeking better ratings and thus lower interest costs on long-term debt financed through bonds. Oklahoma’s governor and other officials called on various agencies this ...
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AA’s decision a blow to Tulsa
The announcement by American Airlines that it will likely lay off almost a third of its Tulsa work force is terrible news. Looking for the bright side, the huge Tulsa maintenance facility will keep almost 70 percent of its employees ...
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Oklahoma kids rank low
Oklahoma kids continue to rank low in terms of poverty, health, child welfare, early childhood development and hunger....
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Schools deserve best equipment, teachers
A candidate at a state Senate forum this past week repeated the oft-made comment that Oklahoma has too many school districts. We agree some consolidation is needed, and it’s happening. But the candidate went beyond that and said we don’t ...
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Thanks from our readers
Oklahoma senators serving on the finance committee wisely killed a bill that would effectively tax newspaper and magazine subscribers. It came up on the session’s first full day of work and was quickly dispatched by a 13-1 vote....
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Governor, chancellor push higher grad rates
Oklahoma has long had college students who leave campus before finishing their degrees. They leave to take jobs in order to support families, they get behind in studies and don’t see a way out, or they just need a break. Additionally, some ...
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A turning point in Oklahoma’s health
The governor’s announcement of a tobacco ban on any state-owned or leased properties may be a turning point in the state’s push for better health. We’re currently ranked 48th in the United Health Foundation rankings. We made some progress, ...
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