About

I have left the house on the cove in the center of the Ozarks.

We have lived in this home for over 18 years and in the Ozarks for over 30. This land is one of the great loves of my life.

Moving one thousand miles to the east. To the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and a new life.

I will miss this land of steep ridges and deep fern green hollows. And I don’t know how my writing will change. This beloved land has been my muse for now much of my adult life.

I am excited for this new adventure. And it has all happened with such suddenness and energy that I have no doubt it is exactly what and where we are supposed to be.

And with that certainty, I have little grief over leaving. I know I am being given another great love of my life in our new home. A home very much like my beloved shack in Arkansas, but this time tucked into the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in a small village in western North Carolina.

My husband is going home to the state of his birth and home to his family.

We are both going home to a place we never dreamed of until a few months ago.

I know I will find a voice in that new place and my writing will follow its course – The Course of Our Seasons – a new and beautiful adventure.

Kathleen

Also on this site, I am writing a memoir of our time living in an 1880’s farmhouse in Northwest Arkansas called The Last Really Good Shack. It was one of the great loves of my life and it is wonderful to recall our experiences in the country. I think you will enjoy our adventures (and misadventures, too!).

59 thoughts on “About”

  1. There is something about the Ozarks…my grandparents lived near a small town called Eldon, and I’d spend hours in the woods near the edge of the lake. I haven’t been there in almost 20 years, but the landscape resides within my memory like it was yesterday.

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  3. Quite a wonderful read today! Thank you for the words that blend so with the subject and the setting. I have truly enjoyed the journey into your private world with a smug pleasure of being there today. I am interested in an answer to my question, “Do you write then read and rewrite or most of the time leave the words on the page as you originally wrote them.”
    I write and do not like rewriting my ideas or changing my thoughts. Is this wrong? Looking forward to your answer. Thank you. Kathleen, so very much. Ann Ruth
    Pemberton.

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    • Ann Ruth – thank you so much for your kind words. I am happy you have enjoyed reading thru my writing and I invite you to drop by anytime.
      Even though I don’t believe there is a right way or wrong way when it comes to a writers choices, I do edit quite a bit. Most of the things I post have been edited a few times before posting – and even after posting, I may go back and change a word or two. It is rare that I am completely happy with a poem and feel that it is as close to what I wanted to say as I can make it. So I may mess about with a poem even years after writing the original – maybe that is a sickness – smiles!
      Thank you again. It is very meaningful to me that you were here, read my poems and responded to me.
      All the best, Kathleen

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  6. Hiya! I (dre of Grackle & Sun) have nominated you for a One Lovely Blog award because I think your blog is full of awesome goodness. If you would like to accept this blog award, you may find the link here:

    https://grackleandsun.wordpress.com/2014/11/30/thanks-and-more-thanks/

    And if you’re not into the whole blog award thing, that’s ok, too. The rules for the award were passed on to me. Please know that I did not nominate you because I expect a follow back. I nominated your blog because I read it regularly and genuinely appreciate your writing and the work you do and wanted to share that with my readers. Thank you!

    Cheers,

    dre

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    • Well, you just made my day! To know that you read and feel this way about my writing means a great deal to me. I appreciate the sweet nomination for the award, but I have not participated in these for a long time. But I do appreciate it and I am very grateful – Thank you – Kathleen

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  7. I’ve enjoyed your blog for the past several months. So nice to read your poems reflective of nature. I’m working on a hiking guidebook of the Ozarks and would like to know if you have any favorite day hikes in your area. I look forward to exploring the Missouri Ozarks. Thanks.

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    • I am a horrible person to not respond earlier to you – please forgive me. I am thrilled about your project – how exciting!
      Now I must admit that I do not hike other than around our little cove. I do know there are a couple of ‘Wilderness” areas in and around Branson that many people enjoy. And Roaring River State Park is a beautiful area to hike.
      I will make note of any I hear about and will let you know.
      Good luck on your project and again, sorry for the very delayed response. K

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  11. Kathleen,

    I live in the Kansas City area and love the way you capture the beauty of the Ozarks. My husband and I spent our honeymoon at Table Rock — fishing, biking, hiking — just enjoying the scenery. 🙂

    Thank you for following my blog. I’m so glad to connect with you!

    Sincerely,
    Tarissa

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  15. I continue to enjoy your work and have named you to receive the “Very Inspiring Blog” award. Check my site for details in about an hour. – AB at Mild Musings of a Mediocre Man

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    • I can’t tell you how much that means to me, that you would think enough to choose this blog as worthy of an award as ‘Very Inspiring’! What I am most grateful for is that you continue to enjoy my work and that you drop by and ‘like’ or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your generous support. All the best, Kathleen

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  17. hello Kathleen, thanks for stopping by my blog, glad you liked my poem.
    i really enjoy your stories and poems. hope to see you around.
    wish you a wonderful day,
    franza

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    • Thank you, Cynthia Ann. I so appreciate you dropping by and commenting. How wonderful to live in such a beautiful garden/nursery! My husband and I owned a nursery garden center for several years – I especially miss it in the Spring. Have a lovely day, Kathleen

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    • I am so happy you found my blog via Nancy. I stopped by your blog this am and it looks like you and I began this blogging journey about the same time. And also found the Abundance book at a specific time in my life when it was most needed. I hope you will drop by again. Have a lovely day – Kathleen

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  25. The Ozarks are an incredibly special place and I really enjoy your work here. (Can’t wait for your memoir!) Best, ~ Red

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  28. Thank you for ‘liking’ my post. I am here checking your blog and you seasons are similar to mine in New England, especially the fiery maple trees. I look forward to seeing what is next here. Love the poetry, you are definitely talented.
    Thanks, again. Glad you found me and happy that I searched you out.
    Have a glorious weekend.
    ~Louise

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    • Thanks for your kind words. I liked your post so much – I think we all get into our little ruts and its amazing what a little change in our routines will do. Makes us more creative, don’t you think? Enjoy your beautiful fall weather – we are in for our first cold snap this week!
      Have a wonderful day – Kathleen

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