In every way she knew how — The day my parents brought her home, they said she was mine. But nobody told her. That puppy with the golden locks and rusty eyes set her sights on winning my mother over, not me. I was the family dog lover. Mom only tolerated them; our cat tolerated Mom. I…

But not all days were bad. — When I was an infant, I did my parents a favour by finding my thumb. I never asked them to run to me to readjust a rubber soother that fell. My pacifier was ready-made, always handy, and cheap. I suppose, in the beginning, using my thumb met with enthusiasm until…

And might be afraid to ask. — Did you ever wonder if I’m double-jointed? I’m not. Have you ever asked yourself, with a twisted imagination like that, does Karen ever frighten herself? I have. Or perhaps you’ve wondered, out of all the professions in the world, why did I become a clown? …

I am a poet, fiction and non-fiction storyteller, aspiring children’s picture book author, and animal enthusiast. — Hi, my name is Karen Schwartz. My surname is my married name. I proudly commemorate eleven happily married years and my three fantastic children. I live in Canada with Ed, my husband of ten+ years and my cat named Skye. I am a former daycare and nursery school teacher, past…

I even surprised myself. — Some months, my life is uneventful. Other times, the world insists on testing my resilience. Reflecting on May, my life circumstances coaxed the latter as I dealt with illness, harassment, injury, and fear. I’m not sure which was worse, surviving my virus or my family’s infections. When loved ones are…