Comments on: The Saga Continues . . .

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:33:02 +0000

ps. Forgot the best part- “8” stands for new beginnings!!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:31:48 +0000

Karen,

I was distressed to read of your struggles. Would say that easily millions in this country ~~USA~~ can empathize with you. Life is hard, but we are endowed with the grace to live it! And resiliency. You demonstrate that, you are not a victim, but a victor. The greatest of life’s victories are internal, not external. Your sufferings with loved ones and life’s frustrations impart a wisdom and depth that will come through in your art. Looking forward to seeing it!
Happy New Year-somthing for your muse to use… on the Hebrew calendar, this year is 5768-named “samekh chet”- symbols for those words are a circle- things come full circle this year, and an open gate- this is the year of open gates and doors. Just thought that might stir and encourage you. Art friend- amanda

By: JoDee Luna

JoDee Luna — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:35:41 +0000

Karen,

I stumbled upon your website while looking for butterfly pictures in order to study the body structure. Your website inspired and encouraged me. I, too, am a teacher/writer/artist who seeks creative expression both inside and outside the classroom. I am currently constructing my website. Literacy, technology, and the arts are my passions. Thank you for posting your work! JoDee Luna

By: Deena Beverley

Deena Beverley — Thu, 24 May 2007 15:20:26 +0000

SOOOO relieved and delighted that you did have the pics of your mum’s creations, for your sake and also to share with us. Thankyou for sharing your hard learned lesson about backing up info, but also for sharing all that emotional stuff as well. I’ve had a few big crashes lately, often sparked by stuff such as you describe, which is clearly hadr to bear but which I have felt i SHOULD (bad word !!) be able to bear and it really helps to read your experiences and not feel like such a nutcase ! Deena, Wiltshire UK

By: Dargie

Dargie — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 20:59:20 +0000

My first visit to your blog and I see something that strikes such a familiar chord that my heart was literally pounding as I read this entry! I spent 15 years as a caregiver for my folks (extreme age, dementia, heart problems… the whole ball of wax) and during that time, one of my favorite ways to escape was to do photo trips. When I got this computer, I was putting all my files onto the hard drive and discovered that hunks of them were missing. Some of my favorite outings—the Chihuly exhibit at the local conservatory, dinner dates with friends at wonderful restaurants, treks through some of my favorite parks and cemeteries—and it felt as if my heart was breaking.

Then about six months ago, I found most of them on some mis-labeled disks. I went right out and bought a couple of back-up drives, one for all my image files and one just to back up everything else. I’m also in the process up uploading all my photos to Flickr which will serve as an off-site back-up.

There are some things which can’t be replaced either in fact or in your heart. My losses were nothing like what you thought you’d lost. If I’d had something of my parents’ (now both deceased) go missing like that, I don’t know what I would have done. I’m so glad you found those photos. And now I’m going to do a special back-up just to make sure everything is covered. Thanks for the reminder.

Dargie

By: Robyn

Robyn — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:14:18 +0000

You had me in tears when you found the back-up disk containing moms nature designs. I recently lost my mom after a very difficult year dealing with Alzheimers. How wonderful that you have this record of her art. There’s something very zen and peaceful about them. I get a lump in my throat looking at the photograph above as I can imagine my mom pottering in the garden arranging little bits of this and that over and over again. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Robyn, South Africa

By: Fran

Fran — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 19:51:15 +0000

Oh Karen! I was sobbing with you as I read this story. Having just recently gone through a few major crashes of my own, I can completely understand those feelings of loss and grief. My husband could not understand it at first, but finally got it.

What a gift to yourself for you to have backed up those images from your mother’s art. I’m so relieved for you!
All the best, Fran, Phoenix, AZ

By: Val Kerry

Val Kerry — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:07:34 +0000

I am sooooo pleased and RELIEVED that you found your precious photo’s of your mums artwork. I completely empathised with you when you first thought you had lost them for good. Last year I went on holiday with my best friend and her husband. I had grown up with her and gone had many shared experiences with her both good and bad. Whilst we were on holiday together we had news that their house had burnt out completely and she had lost all her photo’s. Although she didn’t focus on her photo’s as it wasn’t her priority it made me realise that my family photo’s were mine. They are like a visual diary of mine and my familys life together and I too no longer have my mum with me. I am also an artist and use photographs in my work as referencing points so I have slowly been trying to back them up onto a ‘my space website’ which is personal to me and only retrievable by me and close one’s just in case of fire…. I couldn’t bare to lose them…. I am so pleased you found yours ! Val xx Manchester, England, UK

By: Carol Soules

Carol Soules — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 04:56:39 +0000

I have just spent my entire evening reading many, many pages of your web site and am in awe and very inspired to try some of the techniques your so generously describe. I clicked on the blog to see what was new in your work and to leave you a note. This entry is a powerful nightcap to my evening of adventures with you.

Many thanks for sharing so much of yourself thru the “interwebs!”
Carol
my blog (tho not an art blog per se) is:
http://musingsfromshute-ho.blogspot.com/
from western Massachusetts but a lover of Berkeley!)

By: Emily Goodwin

Emily Goodwin — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 21:45:17 +0000

Wow, thank goodness for that. I’m so glad you got the photos back.
I am a little bemused about the conselor though… I don’t think they have anything like that in the U.K and certainly not here in Greece!
Emily