35 Comments
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Brian Stiller's avatar

I could hear your chatty voice with scattered chuckles, and see places and people with lovely splashes of colour.

Nice to know you’re home.

Lily sends her love too.

Karen Stiller's avatar

Please send mine right back to her!

Deborah A.M. Phillips's avatar

A salon style event sounds like a great idea. Good to hear you got your writing voice back Karen.

Cate's avatar

I liked the hand stand part best.

Karen Stiller's avatar

It was pretty great, and my friend is very forgiving.

Carmon Flanigan Conover's avatar

I loved this newsy post and peek into your solo travels. It makes me want to take a road trip! Florence and the Machine are/is great. And I am definitely looking for that bookmark!

So glad we got to meet in Grand Rapids :).

Karen Stiller's avatar

Me too Carmon! Instant connection.

Sparrow Leigh's avatar

Hooray for adventures and more laughter than tears. The Festival of Faith and Writing is on my wishlist ... maybe next time once I don't have an active 7 month old. So glad you are finding your writing voice in this season. May God bless you!

Karen Stiller's avatar

Thank you. When the time is right, it’s a great event. But you have lots of time!

Tara Hannon's avatar

I love that we’re in this field of flowers together, alternately with machetes and then gentle parting hands. Other thoughts: you could definitely trust them. I heard your voice and laughed out loud. I’ve asked for the waffle maker to be refilled and then pivoted away to oatmeal after seeing “the bag.” I gifted that very bookmark to a racy-book-reading friend this Christmas. If you host salon style conversations in moody Canadian homes, I hope I’m invited. I’ll wear all my best Banana Repub blazers. They will be in shades of velvety pink. 🌸💕

Karen Stiller's avatar

I love this whole message.

Elizabeth Harwell's avatar

"Even though their friend couldn't trust them, I knew I could." LOL. You are wrong that these are more details than we want. I want them all-- the waterbug floating! The heads-together conferring! This was a masterclass in storytelling, and I loved it.

Karen Stiller's avatar

Thank you! I love those little stories that make life funny and interesting.

Jeremy Green's avatar

Loved reading this and picturing you out there enjoying life and all it’s little gifts. ❤️

Karen Stiller's avatar

Thank you my friend.

J.L. Genest's avatar

I really wanted to see Florence & The Machine too but the timing of her shows in Montreal and Toronto didn’t work for us. Glad you got to experience it! Also, I’ve seen that bookmark before 😂

Laura Kauffman's avatar

Not to be demanding, but I'm going to need Slow Turn's album title and track list asap. I suggest "You're Standing on my Hand" for an angsty ballad.

A delightful post, friend. Honored that I got to spend a few of those days writing next to you.

Karen Stiller's avatar

Haha ha. We will get to work on that!

Jane Hamilton's avatar

Oh, Karen! I love reading about your adventures. The yogurt bag. The blazer. Floating in the pool. I'm so happy to hear that The Minister's Wife is out in the world and that you and your voice are out there too. Love, J.

Karen Stiller's avatar

Thank you. You're an amazing encourager.

Garth Stiller's avatar

So evocative; thanks for taking me along with you on your adventure!

Marsha Faubert's avatar

A full life you are having! What a gift to notice the small things that enrich our days. And, great photo!

Judith Paulsen's avatar

I loved your attention to the small things encountered in your travels. We could all use more of that in these days when the big things captured in the daily news have grown so weighty and exhausting. So yay for the small beautiful things of life, like a yogurt dispenser in a hotel breakfast room! The Jesus bookmark gave me my first real laugh-out-loud moment of the day. Now I want one.

Karen Stiller's avatar

I wish I had bought another one. I will keep my eyes open. I found it so funny.

Tabitha McDuffee's avatar

Welcome home. So glad I got to see you at Festival.

Meredith Ward's avatar

Hi Karen, I loved your post! Since April 8, I’ve been in Rome, on a Mediterranean cruise, Athens, and a week in London. Five days later, I flew to Victoria for 10 days. This is not the place for the context of what I was doing, but just to say I can relate to the numbers of beds and miles taken. I also loved the bookmark, and I have an equally inspirational piece of art, which I will share with you when I see you! Thirdly, I am all over the idea of an evening discussing discussing a topic. Please let me know if I’m on the guest list!

You are a very fine writer and I’m glad you’re home. I will see you later this Spring!

Karen Stiller's avatar

Let’s be sure to get together soon. I’d like to hear about your adventures.