Westside Stories

With community events wrapped up, all was quiet on the Western front the week of Christmas. Mark and I attended the candlelight Christmas Eve service at the Naselle Lutheran Church, had a game night with some friends, and then enjoyed a quiet holiday. Complete with a video chat with our grandson, watching movies, and slurping down some homemade clam chowder. 

Heading into New Year’s week, I’ve been reflecting on this past year and looking towards 2025. I’m not usually one for resolutions or making goals for myself, but this coming year will be a year of milestones for me, so I thought I should come up with something. I will be turning 50 years old in March, and Mark and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary in July. My goals are simple: write more and get more involved in our community. 

With those goals in mind, I need your help, the reader, to achieve them. Since I started writing this column in October, I’ve quickly realized that having things to write about each week can be challenging. What ideas do you have for me? What do you want to read about? I would love to hear from you. The best way to communicate with me is by email or in person. I’m not a big fan of talking on the phone. 

Besides writing this column and other articles for the Eagle, I am starting a writing program in January to help me write the first draft of my memoir in 90 days. I will be deeply immersed in my childhood and early adult life experiences. It could be an emotional roller coaster, but in the end, it will be worth it to have it written. 

Getting more involved in the community has its challenges for me as well. I am naturally an introvert, and I have some social anxiety when it comes to meeting new people. I tend to cling to people I know in larger groups. I plan to attend Wednesday’s senior lunches at Rosburg Hall and be at Appelo Archives once a week. I will also be volunteering at the Westend Food Pantry on Thursdays. If you see me, please introduce yourself. I would love to get to know more of my readers. 

Another thing I’ve been reflecting on this past week is the transition we made from city living to country living. There are trade-offs and sacrifices we all make to live where we live. Shopping, going out to eat, and attending appointments require extra travel time and forethought. If there is an emergency, it will take a bit longer to get help than if we were in an urban area. Cell service can be spotty or non-existent. But the trade-offs for those things far outweigh the hassle. Waking up to deer or elk grazing outside the front window and taking a peaceful walk through the forest, listening to the trees swaying in the wind and watching the sun glisten off Grays River after a rain shower as a rainbow arcs over the valley and smelling the sweetness in the air after the hay is cut. 

This past week, my attention was drawn to our front window early one morning. It looked like piles of leaves were blowing up the driveway, but after watching for a few moments, I realized it was hundreds of birds flittering across the ground. The huge flock of small brown birds would take off into the air in a swarm, float through the air in a synchronized pattern, and then scatter back down to the earth. This went on for quite some time. It was mesmerizing to watch. They were here one day and gone the next. Where did they come from, and where did they go? 

We never know what the new year will hold. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s to hold our plans loosely and be flexible with whatever life brings us. I hope 2025 is a great year for you!

Westside Happenings

January 2025

Senior Lunch at Rosburg Hall will be on the second and fourth Wednesdays in January.

25 – Bingo at Naselle Community Center, 6 p.m.

To include an event on the calendar or to give feedback, please contact me at writerlisayeager@outlook.com.  You can also follow me on Facebook @ Writer Lisa Yeager.