Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Karen there?
Go to her blog and you’ll find the words One Writer Mom, One Tween Kid, One Brilliant Australian Shepherd, One Comical Border Collie Mix, and One Big Fluffy Maine Coon Cat. The words are not very large, but they’re in all caps.
Karen Shanley named every one of them in the email she sent saying that she wanted to be a B.A.D. blogger. This is a woman who considers her animals to be a cast of characters in her life. Who wouldn’t enjoy a conversation with someone who has a joie de vivre like that?
Gosh we had a fine conversation of the kind that two abstract thinkers with too much say can do. We talked about writing and blog writing and why we do it. We talked about our dads and unconditional love and how we wished everyone could experience it at least once in their life.
When we talked about being moms. I think I told her the story of how, at 17, my son thought it tragic that people over 30 just don’t care about anything. That seems to be when Karen said that “Getting older is humbling in a good way.” I still like the sound of that.
Karen and I had a full-out writing discussion. We talked about how writing makes a person a better thinker — deeper, quicker. “When you go about it with integrity and vision, you’re sure to grow,” is how Karen said it.
Karen writes about the two-legged and four-legged creatures she loves. and “Good people take the time to read and make thoughtful comments.” she says.
It’s easy to see why. She serves them stories abour the characters in her life. They make you want to tell her stories abiout the characters in yours or get her talking more about the characters in hers.
Karen Shanley makes conversation easy.
I smile to think back on it.
B.A.D. Blogger Quote
My writing is about finding the words someone else would hear, but not shying away from difficult conversation. —Karen Shanley
Stop by Karen Shanley’s Blog and say hi!
Thanks, Karen you B.A.D. Blogger!
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Want to be a B.A.D. Blogger see the. . . a B.A.D. Blogger? page in the sidebar.
It’s a thrill to see Karen up here. Her writing and her relationship with her daughter serve as a real inspiration.
Well, it’s always good to find a new PetLvr sites out there – even thought it’s mixed with non-PetLvr stuff like inspirational writing, feelings, family and other issues and all that boring stuff 😀
So I’ve added her site to my bloglines ..
Hi Rory!
Yes! karen and I talked several weeks back and I’m the BAD blogger for taking so long to get her here — not that you’d know anything about that Rofy. 🙂
I was reading karen’s blog for a long while last night to hear her voice again. It was wonderful!
Hi HART!!
Great choice, HART, this is a petLvr of the highest order. Her pets aren’t just loved they hold a high station. I’m sure you’ll find that Karen’s blog is a welcome addition. 🙂
G’morning! Yup. I should be linking to at least one post later today in my Random Linking post 🙂 And, it really is something if I add a feed to my already 1853+ feeds in my Bloglines, because – as you know – I never remove them! One day I will donate a list of all my feeds to the HART-Empire Institute and Research Foundation, Inc. or something.
Morning!
This site is great. Everybody can find full help, ideas and about life.
Thanks a lot, Karen
Regards.
Peter
Hi Peter!
Welcome! Good morning to you as well!
Karen is a wonder! Isn’t she. Thanks for coming to help celebrate her contribution!
Thanks too, for your kind words.
You’re not a stranger anymore!
I have to admit, the reason I asked Liz for the privilege of joining the ranks of her B.A.D. Bloggers was for the chance to talk with her.
I’ve always had an eye for interesting people. And I can’t help but want to have a real conversation when I find one. Always proves to be a fascinating and enlightening experience. Liz was no exception.
While I really enjoy her Successful Blog and always take away some useful information, it’s her Letting Me Be Blog that’s really grabbed me. Wow. The thoughts are deep. The writing is exquisite. The talk is about life. A whole other side of Liz. As a writer, that’s the side that has really captured me.
Liz and I had a great conversation; we went around the galaxy and back. And I got to experience firsthand just how cool she really is.
If you have a blog, ask Liz to become one of her B.A.D. Bloggers. Forget the free write-up and plug for your site (which is pretty darn amazingly generous), it’s the conversation you’ll have with Liz that’s worth its weight in gold.
Aw, Karen,
Thank you. SOBCon has taken me from my writing blog a bit, so the piece only changes a couple of times a week these days. But I’ll be there again as soon as SOBCon is over. That little blog is a deep part of me. I’m touched that you value it so. Thank you deeply. I hope you read the one on top now. “The Definition of Love.” It about a self-defining moment — another story about by dad.
What can I say about the rest of your comment except, Wow, thank you from my inside out.