(It has been a while, babies. I thought it might be time for a re-introduction and a few words about my intentions for this space now that circumstances find me sweeping the cobwebs away.)
Welcome! This space is for my creative projects and other things I think are worth sharing. A curio cabinet, if you will. Kara’s collection of oddities, pretty rocks, and feathers.
TL;DR
Not interested in a long About Me page? Kara and KEF in five quick bullet points:
- What is this blog about? There are lists here, many of them.
- Who am I? Gen X, INFP, 4w5, introvert, process knitter, taker of far too many personality quizzes. You can cover all your bases and just call me moody.
- Mom to a houseful.
- Homeschooler for 16 years and counting.
- Lover of lists, libraries, live music, and hand-knit socks. Exhausts easily under the pressure to be interesting.
The longer story
In the autumn of 2022, I decided it would be fun to think out loud and let all of you eavesdrop on the conversation. So, after doing a bit of random posting for a few years, I unlocked my old blog and started “officially” but unofficially moving back in. Is it too late to teach an old-school blogger new tricks? We shall see.
I must warn you that some of the scraps and bits around here are shoved into drawers and stacked in corners. Most of the boxes aren’t unpacked yet. At this point we’re just putting a tablecloth over them and setting out the wineglasses and cheese.
In other words, you might have to do a little digging while I figure out exactly how I want to move back into this online space.
Who is K Elizabeth Fleck?
My name is Kara. I have a crooked smile and several bad habits (including subjecting the world to ridiculous self-portraits taken in our overgrown backyard).
I thought my blogging days were long over. Trust me, no one was more surprised than I when the answer to the question, “what would make you happy right now?” was “dust off my old blog again.”
Why this?
I love a filtered view. Enough reality to be true, enough fantasy to maintain hope. Daydreaming is my default mode.
It seems silly to talk about hope today, but that’s exactly why I feel like I ought to. I need some hope. I think many of us do. Some low-stakes, silly, indulgent, foolish hope.
That is a part of the battle, isn’t it? To refuse to believe, no matter how much evidence to the contrary, that flowers on the table, turning up the music, or leaving the dishes to dry in the sink while you watch the sunset are meaningless moments.
Why am I telling you this? Who will care?
Perhaps no one.
I’m at peace with that.
These are the words that I write down to make sure that I’m paying attention to my own life.
I don’t think I’m alone. I think some of you care. And I think you care in the same imperfect, heart on your sleeve way that I do.
And so, K. Elizabeth Fleck gets dusted off. I flip the lights back on and discover a place for daydreams. I move the furniture around and here’s space for a curio cabinet to fill with pretty things.
Please know that I don’t take fresh starts for granted. I have been reinventing myself in these virtual spaces for almost 20 years, trying on new dress after new dress. Imagine me twirling around the room, happy to be here.
I hope you find beauty, a tiny joy that you can tuck away in your breast pocket. We can place our hands over our hearts and think of each other.
Be brave. Be kind. Keep going.
Love, Kara
September 26, 2022
*I do not miss comments, which is why I've shut them off.