So...My name is Karen, and I'm the founder, creator, artist, graphic designer, and owner and CEO of Karen's Memory Treasures Photography, located in Wheeling, WV. More specifically, it's on Wheeling Island. I've wanted to start writing a blog for a long time. I used to write all the time on Myspace during it's heyday, but it's been awhile. I plan to use this blog to say what I want, what I feel, and all the things I don't feel comfortable saying on my Facebook. And I'll be posting pictures, usually the ones I think are the best. And lots of music. I finally started a blog not to be therapeutic, but because my eldest daughter Gretchen, age 20, is studying abroad in Japan for a whole year. She is on Blogger, and now so am I. I'm going to follow her journey, and see her year in Japan through her eyes. My hope for her, is that it is as magical as my first year in New York was for me. I was 24 when I left Wheeling for New York, with no plans to EVER come back. And so, it wouldn't be right if I didn't post this blog I wrote on Myspace in 2006, the year I had no choice but to come back. From my Myspace, 2006: "I'm remembering 20 years ago, almost to the month, when I first arrived in the amazing, wonderful, gothic, glittering, fascinating concrete jungle that is my beloved New York City. I came to NYC with about $300 in my pocket, and nowhere to stay. And I was in heaven. I was having the time of my life. And it was 1986, and one of the best years of my life - in fact, I'll rate it up there in the top 3. THAT'S how fresh and great life was to me back then. Is it possible to be in love with a place? Just $300 in my pocket, and I was loving it? Oh, you betcha I was. I was the "Princess" and I was the "Queen of Corona", and I suppose one could say, it was the stupidest thing I could have done, or the bravest thing I could have done. Depends entirely on who's doing the "saying". No intention of elaborating on that tonight. You all know who you are, and if you are part of the nay-saying crowd, well, you aren't cool enough to be here on MySpace, and if you ARE here (1 of you is, but you're NOT on MY friends list), guess what, you still ain't cool. I was 24 years old, and I had planned my escape from where I find myself sitting here typing tonight, since I was about 12 years old. It really started to gel when I was about 15. I knew for sure, that I would live in NYC in 1983, when I went there with my college drama club, and saw some shows. I swore I'd be back, and be back to stay, and DAMN if I wasn't living in NYC in 1986, with only 300 dollars. :) I remember...walking around, anywhere and everywhere, in Manhattan, with little direction, and it didn't matter. I was gainfully employed, it was my day off, and I happened upon a "garage band" type, playing Bob Dylan, down in the village, near Washington Square Park. I sat down on the huge nearby concrete fountain, with all the other "hippy" types, and knew Freedom, and I knew Happiness. So I guess you could say, I've known them at least once in my life. And I thought, this is MY song, this is MY town. And I was right. But strangely enough, the lyrics apply more fittingly to the situation I find myself trapped in now. Maybe this song isn't about that indescribable feeling I felt on the late summer day in the city, loving life and love..... but about being trapped, and I mean, truly trapped. And I know "how it feels". And now, at age 44, I finally know who the "mystery tramp" and the "diplomat" and "Napoleon", in my life, are... You just gotta love Dylan... here's the song: "Once upon a time you dressed so fine You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you? People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall" You thought they were all kiddin' you You used to laugh about Everybody that was hangin' out Now you don't talk so loud Now you don't seem so proud About having to be scrounging your next meal. How does it feel How does it feel To be without a home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone? You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely But you know you only used to get juiced in it And nobody has ever taught you how to live on out the street And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it You said you'd never compromise With the mystery tramp, but now you realize He's not selling any alibis As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes And say, do you want to make a deal? How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home A complete unknown Like a rolling stone? Ah, you never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns When they all did tricks for you You never understood that it ain't no good You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat Ain't it hard when you discover that He really wasn't where it's at After he took from you everything he could steal. How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone? Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people They're all drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe You used to be so amused At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse When ya ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal. How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?"