Author Archives: iamkaren23

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About iamkaren23

I am a Canadian writer currently living in Aguascalientes, Mexico. When Glad Becomes Sad was published in 2009. Alive Again was published in March of 2015. Both are self-help books. I am currently writing fiction. The first book in the trilogy introduces the reader to a troubled child. In the second book he is diagnosed as being bipolar in his late teenage years. The third and final book in the trilogy follows his struggles as an adult. Estimated publication date is the spring of 2026.
Jul29

Ambassador Karen

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Ambassador Karen

Yesterday I was an ambassador. I spent six hours down by the river near the Icicle Bridge volunteering. It was hot and sunny but we were shaded under a canopy. Statistics were requested by the Chamber of Commerce in Leavenworth. Clicker poised in my hand, I counted just under 1700 people arriving at the site with boards, tubes and miscellaneous other flotation devices. Needless to say, traffic was extremely heavy at the 5 minute loading zone.

I call it a successful afternoon. Not one 911 call was needed and no wild animals invaded our area. I got to talk to a lot of interesting people who were only too eager to float down the river despite the high temperature and the sun mercilessly beating down on them. No. I didn’t talk to all 1700 of them but I did talk to quite a few. Also, many brought dogs with them and these animals happily frolicked in the water in the shallower areas.

Today was more relaxing and quite a bit cooler. We hid inside an air-conditioned movie theater and watched Twisters. It was quite captivating and the special effects were one thousand per cent better than in the original movie Twister.

What did you do this weekend?

Jul21

The Hills Are Alive

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The Hills Are Alive

A highlight of the time I spend in Washington each year is attending the productions of Leavenworth Summer Theater. This week we attended both productions nestled up in the hills in the amphitheater. They were both amazing!

The venue itself is spectacular. From the time Maria arrives singing as she walks through the surrounding woods until the final scene with the Von Trapp family perched up on a hill the audience is totally captivated. Our seats were in the center on the aisle which made it even more enjoyable in scenes such as the wedding procession. We even had a stormtrooper standing beside us in the scene where the Nazis were searching the abbey. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this production in Leavenworth, and is the best one I’ve seen yet.

Beauty and the Beast was the other musical. The choreography of the dancing and the music was fabulous. We had fierce wolves running by us as well as the lovely Belle as she went in search of her father. This was another engaging performance for both adults and children alike.

There are usually three productions each year but the venue at the Fish Hatchery is no longer available. Word is out that next year some performances will be held at the Festhalle in downtown Leavenworth. That should prove to be another excellent venue.

I can’t wait to see what the other musicals will be in addition to Sound of Music. And I know I’m not the only one. Every summer visitors come here from all over. Even the cast come from afar in addition to the many locals who participate.

Come here and experience it for yourself!

Jul17

Where Were You?

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Where Were You?

Where were you on Saturday when all hell broke loose at a rally in Butler?

We were out at Lake Chelan, sitting by the water. It was peaceful and the shade was a welcome respite from the stifling heat. We watched boaters out on the water. We saw swimmers on the beach. It was a very relaxing time before joining the steady stream of traffic headed back to Wenatchee.

At home the TV news was shocking. Wild speculations about this moment in history were voiced on social media. Whether this was a legitimate assassination attempt or a well orchestrated publicity stunt gone wrong on the part of Trump’s team, the fact remains that one spectator is dead and two others were injured and hospitalized.

Such a traumatic event has no place in our society. It is despicable. When innocent bystanders become victims, doubts about our own safety haunt us. Whether we viewed this horrific event in person, live on screen or on the numerous replays, our lives have been impacted in some way.

Growing up in Canada, I always marveled at how much more colorful American history was compared with Canadian history. But it’s getting far too colorful for me.

Jul11

I Did What?

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I Did What?

I’ll try anything once. I may decide to never do it again but there’s no harm in trying something new. So I did just that.

The North Central Washington library offers some really interesting programs. I’ve done several on Zoom. The speakers and topics have all been great but the events I enjoy the most are the craft programs offered in person. I try to take advantage of as many as I can while up here in the spring and summer.

I was volunteering at the book sale in Cashmere on Founders Day when an event on the calendar caught my eye. Woodburning Coaster. Sounds intriguing. I know what a coaster is. But I claim ignorance of woodburning. I registered for the event.

Upon arrival I had to sign a waiver. Etching in wood with a hot pyrography pen can be dangerous. If I burned myself there would be no lawsuit. I’m Canadian. We don’t embrace lawsuits in the same way as Americans. So I eagerly completed and signed the waiver although I noticed other participants hesitantly complying.

I tentatively put on the silicone finger protectors provided and gingerly picked up the pen from its stand. Hmmmmm. I’d best stick to straight lines and curly lines. My attempt at a circle was unsuccessful. Practice time was now over and I flipped to the other side of the coaster where I would create my masterpiece.

I quickly concluded that freestyle was the way to go rather than drawing a design with a pencil. I experimented with different pressures and different strokes. The time went by quickly and I was pleased with the result. Not bad for a rookie!

And I might even try it again.

Jul5

From One Extreme To Another

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From One Extreme To Another

I was in Winnipeg for two months. It rained at some point every single day and the temperatures were cool with the odd 70 degree sneaking in. Here in Washington it’s sunny and temperatures are in the 90s predicted to reach 100 in the next few days. I prefer to be here.

Last weekend I volunteered at a book sale in Cashmere on Founders Day for Friends of the Cashmere Library. We raised just under $1000, up from last year’s $600. The money goes towards funding the amazing programs this library offers. I’m actually registered for a woodburning coaster event this coming week. Other programs I’ve attended in the past have included such activities as pastels and painting with acrylics.

It was great to be back at my writers group the other day at the Wenatchee Senior Center. What a variety of writing was presented at this meeting! Members come from all walks of life as well as very different places. Poetry, memoirs, fiction, non-fiction……………it’s all here and the two hours flies by quickly.

Another highlight of the week for me was going back to Shears in Leavenworth to have my hair done. I know. There are salons in East Wenatchee. But Lisa knows my hair and I don’t mind going a few towns away every few weeks to pamper myself. Another bonus is that Linda and I pick up lunch at Dan’s and then go back to her place to visit and binge-watch Netflix.

And yes, I’ve been back to Costco a couple of times and we won’t even discuss clothes or the bag of Hershey kisses I bought. But I did pass on the dark chocolate sea salt caramels LOL.

Cashmere Valley Bank I am annoyed with you. I got a new debit card from my Canadian bank and you wouldn’t accept it at your ATM. But Numerica did. I guess I have a new favorite bank now.

Please pray for my friends in Mexico as Hurricane Beryl bears down on them today.

Jun29

Seventeen Hours

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Seventeen Hours

That’s how long it took me to get from Winnipeg to East Wenatchee last week. Commute to Winnipeg airport, go through TSA, go through Customs, flight to Minneapolis, layover, flight to Seattle, shuttle to Wenatchee, commute to East Wenatchee. Needless to say I slept almost twenty-four hours once I arrived back home.

It’s great to be back. I’ve missed my friends. I’ve missed the mountains. I’ve missed the sunshine.

What I don’t miss is barricading myself in a tiny room and staring at a computer screen as I scanned thousands of photos. I used to jokingly tell my friends that all I left behind in Winnipeg was my son and bins of photo albums. I can now honestly say that all I’ve left behind is my son. The photos are all digitalized. My childhood photos I gave to my brother. The rest of the photos and framed photos are history.

This was a tedious task and it was also emotionally draining. It took twice as long as I thought it would. I’m glad it’s done. Why didn’t we have cellphones with cameras decades ago? This generation has it easy.

I’ll miss my friends in Winnipeg, St. Norbert and Oak Bluff. We had some great times together while I was visiting. We enjoyed stimulating conversations, shared meals, watched movies and did some traveling. I’ll miss you Donna, Loris, Rita, Doug, Audrey, Sheila, Laura, Jacque, Marilyn, Kathy and David. I also enjoyed spending time with my brother.

The moments I treasure most are those with my son, Kyle. I was truly blessed to be with him both on Mother’s Day and on my birthday in May. That hasn’t happened in several years. He also took the time out of his busy schedule to set up a meeting with his attorney so that I could deal with some legal issues. I’m so very proud of Kyle and all of his accomplishments throughout the years. He has come a long way from the photos I scanned of him as a baby and as a child. But it gets harder and harder to say goodbye when it’s time for me to leave again. It’s painful when a mother and her child are separated for such long periods of time.

And now it’s back to life in Washington. Tomorrow I will be volunteering at Founders Day in Cashmere.

Enjoy the weekend!

Jun17

Monday Morning Musing

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Monday Morning Musing

I kept four thousand of the photos I scanned. I’ll wait until I’m back in Mexico over the winter to organize them better. There are way too many files that need to be put in a better order. But they’ll do for the time being.

If you’re on Facebook, you’ll have seen some of the photos I’ve put up of two institutions that are absolute musts when I return to Winnipeg. VJ’s for gut bombs and BDI for ice cream. I’m not a fan of Jeannie’s cakes so I’ve passed on that one.

Another place I visit when I come back is the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. This is where my amazing friends come in. “Karen, what do you want to do today?” My reply is “Please take me to the cemetery.” Strange request? Not really. They know me. And every time I go back to the cemetery I wonder if it’s the last time I’ll get there.

I moved out of the rental and am staying with Rita for a few days. Time to veg before I start up with airports and flights. I felt my blood pressure drop ten points when I got here and cuddled with Cooper and Leo. Cooper is a fifty pound dog who thinks he’s a lap dog. Leo is a cat who also likes to cuddle and purrs happily.

The weather has sort of turned around. We went one almost whole day without any rain. Yours truly slept through a really wicked storm the other night. I can’t believe all the rain Winnipeg has had. More than six weeks of rain at some point every single day!

Duo, I hope you aren’t too sad although the emails indicate otherwise. I really do need to get back into Spanish on Duolingo. I am doing some texting to friends but I need to start talking and working on my grammar again.

My WIP has also been neglected, other than some minor editing. Those photos took up a lot more time than I had expected. I’ve been here almost seven weeks and am looking forward to returning to Washington soon. Just a few more loose ends to tie up.

Four students plan to arrive late to their final exam so they can take it the next day

By the time they arrive the exam is almost over, so they head over to the professor to ask if they can take it the next day. They tell him they tried their best to come on time, but their tire blew out and it took too long to replace it.

The professor tells them, “Don’t worry about it. You can take it today and, since there’s almost no time left, you only have to answer one question. If you get it right, I’ll give you an A on the test.” The students, thinking this is even better than they thought, excitedly take their seats and look at the question:

Which tire blew out?

Have a great Monday!

Jun6

Not Me!

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Not Me!

A danger of growing older is that we accumulate stuff, way too much stuff. As I scan photos of another lifetime, I am eternally grateful that I no longer have to dust all those collectibles or polish all that silver. I recently came across some jewelry in one of the bins of photos. I found a couple of sterling silver bracelets, very badly tarnished. While they will come back to Washington with me, I wonder if I’ll ever polish them or wear them.

I jokingly would tell my friends that all I have left in Winnipeg (other than my son) are bins filled with family photo albums. When I leave here later this month, that will no longer be true. The hard copies will be gone and I will be leaving absolutely nothing behind.

I found hard copies of the two books I’ve published, as well as a cookbook I co-authored as a fundraiser for Grace Hospital. I also found my baby book. So those will all accompany me to Washington as well.

I look at some of the “things” I found in those bins and wonder why I saved all of those as well. I stopped being sentimental long ago and it’s actually a relief when I toss them in the trash now. I’ve taken photos of the items and that will more than suffice.

I still have nightmares about cleaning out other’s apartments and condos when they’ve passed away and am thankful my own kids won’t have to ever go through that. Two suitcases in my closet in East Wenatchee with art supplies, clothes and a handful of memorabilia. That’s it!

A hoarder? Not me!

Jun1

A Glimpse of the Light

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A Glimpse of the Light

I’m beginning to see a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. After scanning photos for a month, I’m actually getting close to the end. Of course there are two bins still at my son’s and I haven’t a clue as to what’s in them. But I believe the majority of the bigger albums are almost done.

This morning I was at Kyle’s first day of kindergarten, Kimmy’s first haircut, Kyle’s fifth birthday party at the bowling alley and a vacation in San Diego. I’m not doing the albums in any type of chronological order so it’s been fun to skip around and see my kids at different ages.

And of course there are the pet albums. Kelsey and Koal had no idea that they were dogs. They were kids just like Kyle and Kimmy. Kelsey was around for a few years before Kyle was born. My kids had labelled him the geriatric dog. After he went to doggy heaven we got Koal. And he was quite a mischievous puppy and very different from Kelsey.

I really miss having a dog. But it’s bad enough that I have to deal with three different immigrations every year. I cannot fathom having to do that with a dog when constantly travelling from country to country. But if I ever do settle down, I would love to have a dog again.

In a way it’s been good that the weather has been so bad since I got to Winnipeg. When it rains every day I don’t feel so badly about holing up inside and going through photos. But I must admit that I miss that big, bright yellow ball that should be up in the sky instead of the ominous clouds.

And I’m still hoping for an ETA in Washington of mid-June.

May28

Way Too Many

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Way Too Many

For the past month I have been scanning photos. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are way too many. Why on earth did we take so many pictures? Why are there so many albums? The albums have been sitting in waterproof bins in my son’s basement for fourteen years. Has anyone even looked at them? This is 2024. Digital is the way to go.

In roughly the past ten years, I’ve had four surgeries in three different countries, sought asylum in two foreign countries during Covid and have moved from city to city in foreign countries. But none of this has been as stressful and gut-wrenching as going through these photo albums. I hope this doesn’t sound too crass but so many people in these photos are now divorced or dead.

I think I need a new project. But first I need to finish this one so I can get back to East Wenatchee. I need some normalcy in my life again. But I think I still have to wait a while for that to happen. My new ETA to the USA is now mid-June. End of May was unrealistic.

Caution to my readers. If you ever decide to do what I’m doing, you better hope that you’re in a place where it rains every single day so you don’t mind being holed up in a room with a computer and a scanner for hours on end. So far that’s been my experience this May in Winnipeg. Rain, rain and more rain.

But I’m strong and I can do this.