Looking for Karen Bennett

Sometimes when God opens a window, He slams a door. I just happened to have my face in the way this week.

Last Tuesday, a friend told me he had heard that my pal, Karen Bennett, had died. By the time I saw our mutual friends, aka the Friday crowd at Nick's, I had already scoured the internet for days. I found one reference to her but I couldn't find anyone who actually knew her. I left Friday night with a few more clues to work with. I lost Saturday and Sunday to working and a vicious migraine (one the worst I remember) so I re-started my search this morning.

Karen did die. In January. She was found a couple of weeks after having had a heart attack. (She had been caring for her elderly parents so we assumed that she was with them all of this time.) As I understand, she was found because her apartment was subsidized by Project H.O.M.E. and they had missed her. She wasn't just a "client"; Karen was a political champion, activist and loyal volunteer. They were the kind folks who gave me the information I needed. They also gave me her parents information and expressed how happy they were that we found THEM. Her family and the organization knew she had us but they had no clue as to "who" we were.

I also found out that on May 7th, there will be an event "Women Enpowering Women" that will be dedicated to her. She participated last year, and was her style, her personal testimonial had been the highlight.

I will be embarking upon some kind of fundraising in her name.

Thank you, Project H.O.M.E. for being staffed by such good people. Thank you, Karen, for being our pal, our photographer, our good sport; you will be missed for a very long time.

Namaste and Good Night.

(top photos courtesy of Project HOME and bottom photo by Karen, August 2006, "Nick's Annual Fishing Trip"

Nor'easter

This is a picture of my office. Today is Friday* and I am not there. In retrospect, I really should be there...

We are experiencing what I PRAY is the last of our snow/sleet/misery-sent-from-God. I decided that, since my office printer doesn't work, that I would work on my taxes at home. In the home office. Because the printer works and I didn't want to go out.

I am now in that home office sitting in the rain. Yes, it is dripping rain in my home... again.

With the financial cloud that is hanging over my head, do I really need to be rained on, too?

My husband doesn't like for me to take these things personally. After all, with all of the freeze/thaw action this winter, there was bound to be something... does this man realize how lucky he is to be alive? (Just kidding. Really.)

I have realized that this was my first winter/spring cycle since I cut back the meds. And I suspect edges of periomenopause creeping into play. I can't say that I met every challenge recently in the best of form but I've hung in there.

The exhausting element has been my over-thinking. 'Heard from another person from the past (anyone taking a head count here? it's been weird) and it was helpful; the more pieces of my personal puzzle I can find, the better. And, of course, the ones lost the longest are the most poignant in their return. This time I revisited how much I miss making music. I'll never quite understand why I closed the door so solidly on the talent I once had...

Sounds like Momma needs out with the camera and some time in the Photoshop. (As my sister says, "Will do, Mildew" and then I look up... mildew in the summer in the office with no A/C. This house is a nightmare. Pray for us.)

So hopefully, I will have art-o-facts next time I blog. It will just HAVE to be about Good News 'cuz this shit is getting beyond the absurd. And would any other ghosts and/or skeletons from the past please just go ahead and write? I'd like to catch up to myself by the time I'm 50... is that too much to ask?

Thanks Cyper-Universe for being there. Thanks Cyber-Souls. I needed that!

Namaste,
Denise

*Yes, I realize that the post says Thursday... I wrote this at about 11am and my blog was set on another time zone but I don't remember which. If you want to do the math, go for it. But it was Friday. :-) DMC