... her ability to make whoever she is talking to feel important and included. She gives her full attention and energy to every conversation.   AngieC

...Its taken me a while to get here because I still can't stop crying whenever I think of Karen. Which I think in itself says a lot about her. But I really want to say something so here goes... What I love about Karen was her warmth, her humour, her wisdom, the fact that she always made a point of meeting up with me whenever I came to Canada, no matter how far or for how long, others came when they could, Karen came every time. I'll never forget that and I love the fact that she counted me as a friend. Miss you very much lass. x  Gwen 


...I only met Karen the one time in Fergus, but always wish I could have got to know her better. She was loved by so many and I feel I'm getting to know her through all of you.  LyndaJ

...She turned me on to "The Persuaders". We loved Roger Moore and Tony Curtis. She was just a great gal!  Judie At Lallybroch 

.... zeal for life!!!!!!!  Ann Klosterman Spanier

...Roller derby and bluebirds.  Ginny 

... will always remember her smile & her friendliness(not sure if that's a word!) Kathy Cooney

...Her sense of humor, the way she made you feel as if you had been friends forever even if you had just met, her love of life and her family.  Betsy E


 ...is that she is still so very much a part of all of us and how even without her physically here, how she has played a role in the camaraderie and friendship we are all experience it today in her absence. We should all leave such a legacy. What an honor to be in the company of such amazing people. Ya done good, girl...   Kristin Kunlha Laing 

...her overwhelming generosity. She would do anything for her family, her friends all you had to do was ask. Come to think of it, most often you didn't even need to ask she just knew what would make you happy. She was such a good, true friend. Kind of like your mom...no matter what you do in life at least you always know your mom loves you. And Karen.   Jodi Yo B

STORIES

It's September 2012 when I made this page, and it's still hard for most to share about Karen, so the stories right now are few, because some can't put into words what Karen is to them... the loss is just too deep yet.  Feel free to email them to me at any time.  
Michelle

Marcie - Katiscotch - M&M -

___Marcie

The first time I met Aislinn on the Voy Boards was a sort of a funny thing. 

A Scottish Hoser posted a comment about "the black bitch". Well Aislinn had some choice words to write about _that_! 

Turns out, after the poor story teller got the story out, the black bitch was a black dog that showed heroic efforts to save her master's life and the dog is now on the coat of arms of the town of Linlithgow and there is still to this day a pub by that name. 

So it was all a good thing, even if not politically correct in these times.

Whew!

It just impressed me on how quickly Karen would come to the rescue and 
speak up for what she felt was derogatory of anyone. I admired her courage
then, as well as all the years I knew her on the boards.

Unfortunately I never got to meet Karen, or her family, or the little princess, Lily.

(I always loved Lily's name because my Mom wanted to name me Lily, after
my grandmother, but my Dad wouldn't agree. So I got my name off the back of
a can of Carnation milk instead. *sigh* I am keeping my fingers crossed that
some member of my family will use the name Lily in this generation.) 

I did get the chance to make a digital scrapbook page for Karen from a photo
she shared of Lily on the Voy Board. That child's eyes are just amazing. Karen
seemed to appreciate the page and I was so happy she was pleased.

Karen, miss you and your spunky-ness now and forever. You will be loved forever
by those of us at the Broch! 

http://www.theblackbitch.co.uk/about-linlithgow 
"The town's coat of arms features a black bitch dog against an oak tree, after a legend of a black greyhound whose master was sentenced to starve to death on an island in Linlithgow loch. She used to swim from the town every day with food for him, and managed to save his life. The townspeople took the symbol of the dog's loyalty and bravery as their own. The local pub named "The Black Bitch" is one of Scotland's oldest pubs"

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___Katiscotch

Karen and I met on the Boards (like most of us) and it was a few weeks before we realized that we only lived a couple of miles from each other. Karen asked if I wanted to get together with her in person and to my DH’s horror I said yes. Apparently, Thom was just as horrified as he thought like Bruce that anyone you met on the internet was probably an axe murderer.

I suggested we meet at a local pub for lunch. Karen told me later that she knew we’d get on just fine as I had not suggested meeting at a Tim Horton’s (not that there’s anything wrong with Tim Horton’s).
Anyway, I told her I had shoulder length red hair and I’d be wearing black jean and a yellow sweater and asked how I’d recognize her. She gave me the standard Karen answer that she too would wear black jeans and a yellow sweater and that she had a good tan. I laughed my ass off when she walked in the pub door.
We chatted about the “Books” for about 30 nanoseconds and with the help of several pints of beer we had told each other our complete life history by the time we had finished lunch. We had also decided on going to Fergus for the weekend to meet other Hosiers and have dinner with Diana. We also signed our DH’s up for the annual pub golf tournament. We were sure they would love it and like each other as much as Karen and I liked each other. The DH’s did meet and got along well but never did go golfing as it peed down with rain on the appointed day. We shared secrets knowing we could trust one another to keep those secrets.
That was only one of many times we met for “lunch”. We did a whole lot more drinking than we did eating and as I live just around the corner from the pub we would often come back here and keep going. Both Thom and Bruce were less than happy with us as Karen had to call for a ride home more often than not but we had a blast. 

We knew from that first meeting that we would be friends for life. Karen was one of the warmest most generous hearted people I have ever had the honour of knowing let alone calling my friend. She was one of the first people I told when I was diagnosed with cancer. She held my hand all the way through the dreadful experience. She gave me a beautifully embroidered framed wall hanging that said “FUCK CANCER” I’d laugh when I looked at it and it helped me through tough days. 

I could tell you so many stories. Going to each other’s home’s for dinner. The crazy Fergus weekends we spent staying at the “Punjabi Arms”. I didn’t know for years it was really called the Fergus Inn. It was our name for the place even though it was very un PC. 

I think about Karen almost every day and I shall never forget my friend.

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___M&M

I can't tell you how I first met Aslinn on the boards, because I just don't remember.  I can tell you how she made fun of my Chicago accent,  but do you really need to read that... I think not.  Especially since I don't have an accent. *g*  The first time I met her in person was at a baby shower I gave for BetsyE at my house about 12 years ago.

I can tell you about the last time I hugged her.

In early November of 2012, BetsyG, Jodi Yo B and I met in Toronto to visit Karen.  We wanted to go before she started Chemo because we didn't know how the Chemo would affect her this time, and we didn't want to burden her with our company if she didn't feel well.   There is only one thing worse than making travel plans with three women... that would be sending us to a shoe store and telling us we needed to pick out the same pair for all of us!

Plans made, Betsy drove from PA,  I drove from IN, we picked up Jodi at the Toronto airport Friday night.  We made plans to meet with Karen on Saturday afternoon for a short visit, and then give her some rest time and visit her again later that night. 

Almost the first thing I saw walking in the door was Lily! This little girl we all heard and saw so much of on the boards, who surely couldn't be worth all the hype *g* .... but was every bit the little precious girl we all grew to love on the boards and FB.  She is so worth the hype and MORE!  

Helene and Kate were also there on Saturday,  along with Thom, Kellye, Lily, Brad and Karen's beautiful mother.  We sat, we drank tea, we talked, we laughed, and it was just wonderful and fun! Then we were shoo'd out by Thom because Karen was getting tired.  When Betsy, Jodi and I got into the car we talked about what a wonderful caregiver Thom was, and how he must love her because she was obviously having a good time and she wouldn't tell us to leave, but thankfully he knew the signs and showed us the door. :)

We did some shopping, went back to the hotel, went for dinner, and then back to visit Karen.  This time we sat around her dining room table drinking wine and talking...... and laughing..... oh and I forgot bitching, because that's what a bunch of girls do together.  And of course we talked of books!   It was the first time I really got to know Kellye, and witness for myself their wonderful mother/daughter bond, and Kellye is just sooooo "one of us", which is a very good thing!  Really Kellye it is! 

Jodi's husband Grant came later, and still we sat... we talked...  we laughed...  didn't bitch as much.  I can't even tell you what time it was, but late. Then about 15 minutes before we left, Karen said the word "terminal", the three of us had never heard her say it before, we all just sort of let it roll off us not to bring the mood down... but inside our hearts were breaking. 

It was time to go, and as I was putting my coat on I saw a Dunkie Mug , won by Karen in a contest  I had on the boards eons ago, in her China cabinet next to all her beautiful treasures.  I said, "I can't believe you still have that ugly mug displayed like that."   Thom mentioned how he couldn't believe it either! lol  I told her to toss it and she said "never" or something to that effect. Poor Thom!   

I was first to hug her goodbye, and it was a close tight boobie squishing hug, and the longer it lasted I started to think that this might be the last time I see her, and I could feel she didn't want to pull away... but I had to, because I was starting to tear up......and I didn't want to leave crying and making a fool of myself, I wanted to leave her laughing.  I felt so bad pulling away...  I still feel bad about it.  It will forever be one of the moments that I wish I could of been a stronger person and get a do-over.

That crazy ugly Dunkie/Duncan McCloud/Elvis?/Adrian Paul mug, bought for 90% off some online site years ago came to be the mug that the Fergusites toasted Karen with at a Memorial service they had for her at the Fergus games.  That fugly (f'n ugly) mug will forever keep a treasured spot in Karen and Thom's china cabinet, because that ugly mug holds some of the most beautiful and fun memories of Karen.... just like our hearts, which in real life are a bit fugly too!

I'm still in a bit of denial that you're gone, still shed tears, still get mad,  I just can't stand to say good-bye to you... so I don't.  

M

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