hello!
I’m Karen.
– journal keeper, photographer, homebody, perpetual overthinker, and aspiring author (writing as Kara Charles).
I live in a tiny village nestled in Vermont’s Green Mountains – the inspiration for my mystery series. When I’m not at my laptop creating havoc for my characters, I am rambling through the forest with my husband and spirited Labrador retriever – camera in hand.
Join me as I navigate the exciting road to publication.
From my notebook
Exploring Bellows Falls
We took a detour to explore Bellows Falls, Vermont with my camera. Not your typical "Main Street" type of tour. It took me back to my away for the weekend blogspot days!
Playing tourist at home
"All at once, summer collapsed into fall." Oscar Wilde - But in Vermont, fall is quickly changing to winter and I have yet to share about our summer of playing tourist at home.
It's okay if it's not all figured out
I'm a planner.
Before diving into something new, I like to figure it out before getting my toes wet. But - I also love to break plans and replan and create new plans. And so, I am revising, replanning and replotting something I was certain I had figured out months ago. And that's okay.
Summer downtime
Summers in Vermont are short - but beautiful - and I am determined to get lots of outdoor time! What better way than some hiking and camping (and a new tent)?
Following curiosity
There are signs of spring in Vermont and I've been busy revising my manuscript. My "curiosity" project may have been a bust - but I still follow my curiosity excited to go where it leads.
How do you eat an elephant?
Large projects can be overwhelming - but I'm finding that taking it one bite at a time - like eating an elephant - is helping me keep everything in perspective.
Five lessons I learned while revamping my website
Updating my website was an adventure to say the least. These are five of the many lessons I learned.
2021-Year of HOPE
Happy 2021!!!
"Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage to make dreams into reality."
2020 Fatigue
I have a bad case of 2020 fatigue - feeling like all roads lead into a thick fog.
The story within the story
While photographing my story, I wondered what the real story was.
Random moments
October was about capturing and enjoying those random moments - while "mastering manual" settings on my camera.
Road Tripping
Summer flew by and Fall was threatening to do the same. Before winter set in, one of our bucket list items was a quick road trip to Fort Kent, Maine.
Details, details...
As a photographer, my instinct is to shoot the bigger image. This month was about getting in closer, letting details tell the story.
"Who do you want to be?"
We can't always choose our circumstances, but we can choose our reaction - and decide who we want to be.
Meet yourself right where you are
Starting something new can be so intimidating, but when my photography instructor started her course with the words "meet yourself right where you are," I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Like squirrels gathering nuts
Summer flew by and now it's time to prepare for our first winter in Vermont. Greg and I are like squirrels gathering nuts.
Glimpses of everyday
The project - to photograph glimpses of everyday. The only thing that came to mind was "morning coffee" - whether at home, on the beach, on in a kayak - I photographed that morning cup of joe.
"All shall be well,
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well" - words that came to me while feeling anxious and uncertain - bringing stillness.
Artist date - mural walk
For years, my morning train has taken me through Lynn, Massachusetts where I'd catch glimpses of murals from my window. On this morning, I headed out with my camera to capture the murals close up, and witnessed a city coming to life.
Stillness-Part I
I finally made it, transitioning my work over the past two months - and arriving in that uncharted territory called "retirement."
And now, I'm picking up my photo challenge where I left off - stillness.
If I were a flower
If I were a flower, what would I be? This was my recent art journaling prompt, but I didn't have to give it much thought. I would be a daisy. Not the flashiest flower - nor my favorite - but it feels right. Its beauty is in its cheerful simplicity.
The path chosen
What is it about paths that draw me in? My photo library reveals numerous images of paths - some straight, some winding - but my favorites disappear into the distance. The unknown, the mystery, the potential they hold...
Baby steps and marathons
2019 - my year of exploration - of "following my soul" got off to a slow start with a few baby steps that set things into motion. Then - I did it - I listened to my soul and dropped that big stone into the river...
Neglecting...
Sitting in my office the other day, I asked myself - what am I doing here?
And my mind whispered without hesitation - neglecting your soul.
camera club mystery series
A widow, seeking a new beginning
An idyllic village nestled in the Green Mountains
A cast of loveable (and not-so-loveable), quirky characters
And a murderer on the loose…