Karen Beery in full historic garb in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, 2011 photo by the author.
THINKING ABOUT:
A friend of mine died four days ago. I got the text this morning.
Not long after I moved to San Diego in 1997 to work at the zoo, I invited museum folks to a monthly gathering. Karen was instrumental in getting people to attend, plan events, and host meetings at the state park offices for the better part of ten years. She’d worked at Hearst Castle for years as an interpreter before getting promoted and managing the interpretation (storytelling) in Old Town San Diego.
Once I left the zoo and started my consulting business, Karen hired me multiple times to work on projects with her as a content creator and writer. Karen (and many others) had a vision for Old Town to showcase the vibrant stories of early San Diegans, from Native Americans to ranchers, land owners, shop keepers, and entrepreneurs. California State Parks decided that the part of Old Town that's within the bounds of the state park must reflect historical accuracy as much as possible, from the food served to the attire of the staff members. It was a balancing act that wasn’t always popular, as people loved their ginormous margaritas and sombrero-related merch. But Karen stuck to her directive, and we spent many enjoyable 4th of July holidays in the newly re-imagined Old Town, with old-timey activities for families and tourists alike: blacksmithing demonstrations, cannon firing, and the reading of the Declaration of Independence in English and Spanish.
While searching for a photo of her, I found a short video (I don’t even remember making this) for Old Town’s social media channels. Karen is one minute in.
Karen was a devoted mom, grandmother, and daughter. I heard so many stories about her family over shared meals I felt like I knew them all. She was an artist, a bookbinder, and had a colorful backstory I didn’t even know until reading her obituary this morning.
We had lost touch after I finished working with her in 2011, mostly seeing each other on Facebook. When my husband and I moved up to Oceanside in 2022, I contacted her only to discover that her house was ten minutes away from my new place, and couldn’t believe my good luck.
On May 24, two days after we moved in Karen, sent me this message: “Welcome to North County!!! Would love to get together to get caught up. I feel badly that I have not been very good about staying in touch.” We exchanged a bunch of messages over the following months, mostly about how busy we both were and her upcoming travels for family.
And here I am nearly two years later. We never managed to find a “good time,” and I don’t have any further messages saved from her. It’s a reminder not to take people for granted or assume there’ll be plenty of time to get together. I’ll be attending her memorial service in Old Town next week, and I look forward to hearing more about her legacy.
If there’s someone you’ve been meaning to get in touch with, do it NOW.
WATCHING:
If you haven’t heard of the Barkley Marathons, you’re not alone. It’s a race run in backwoods Tennessee under hellish conditions that begins when the race director lights a cigarette. It’s five marathons in 60 hours. It’s by invitation only. Intrigued? The 2023 documentary is highly entertaining.
READING:
Loved, loved, loved Lian Dolan’s new bestseller, The Marriage Sabbatical. What happens when empty nesters decide to take a year apart? She goes to Santa Fe; he goes to Patagonia. Lian draws vivid characters and does extensive research so you truly feel like you’re going on a journey with the people in her story. A fantastic spring/summer read.
EATING:
Karen would have loved this salad, which feels like spring to me. I make it every year when the asparagus and strawberries come in.
Strawberry Asparagus Salad
1 ounce thinly sliced almonds
6 ounces asparagus spears
6 ounces strawberries, divided use
2 cups romaine lettuce
Dressing:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp water (filtered or spring)
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp sea salt
Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until golden. Let cool.
Snap the ends off the asparagus spears and compost them. Lightly peel the stems. Cut into bite-sized pieces on the diagonal.
Steam asparagus for five minutes, then plunge into ice water. Drain well.
Wash and hull the strawberries. Roughly chop 2-3 strawberries and place in the blender.
Halve the remaining strawberries lengthwise.
Add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the blender and blend on high until smooth.
Arrange the torn lettuce onto two plates, then top with the asparagus, strawberries, and toasted almonds. Drizzle with dressing.
Cook’s Note: I recommend using white pepper because it melds with more delicate flavors like strawberries and asparagus.
Migraine peeps: Skip the almonds unless you have tested them (as a migraine trigger); try toasted pepitas as a sub. Use 1 teaspoon organic white vinegar if you have not tested balsamic.
Low-so peeps: You can omit the sea salt.
Plant-based peeps: Enjoy!
Chronic illness peeps: This requires minimal prep and tastes SO fresh and nourishing.
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Nice remembrance Stephanie. Victor has passed away recently as well. Hope to see you next week. ❤️