Today marks the first anniversary of the sudden and unexpected death of my friend, Andee Carlsson.
I know that many of you read her blog, My Life in Chacala, and enjoyed her chronicle of day to day life in a tiny ocean side hamlet. To say that Andee was opinionated is to put it mildly. She never held back her feelings. If she liked something she let you know. If she disliked something she let you and the offender know in no uncertain terms.
Andee was instrumental in my forming the First Annual Bloggers Meeting last April. I was bemoaning the fact that there were so many interesting people out there blogging and I wished I could meet them. She basically told me to stop whining and get off my butt and do something about it then. So I did!
Her biggest legacy will probably be the assistance, guidance and work she did for the people of Chacala. She set up an Internet network for them to be able to advertise and rent out their extras rooms to tourists. She was so successful in helping them earn some much needed extra money that Chacala fairly exploded with people putting additions onto their homes!
I was devastated when I heard she died. I'm still devastated to this day. She had a profound effect on my life and I will never forget her. She enters my thoughts almost every day still.
Andee, I miss you very much and will never forget you.
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5 comments:
Nice thoughts. As exasperating as she could be at times, she was one of the most honest people I ever met.
I remember her at odd times here and there. I really regret having not met her in person, but I am so grateful that she shared herself with us in such an open way.
Some people really do live on in others, and she is one.
steve: i can readily believe that she was exasperating to some. She never hid her feelings. The first internet dealing I had with her made me want to slap her. Thankfully, I gave her a second chance and the rest is history.
Nancy: what a beautiful sentiment expressed in your last sentence. Thank you.
Inever had the good fortune to meet Andee is person but i spent an afternoon in Chacala a few years ago and it really put the hook in me.So when i returned to Canada i would look up things on the net about that lovely little town.Eventually of course i discovered Andee's blog and fell inlove with it and her.It was a dark period in my life and her daily adventures were like a tonic to me.I read all the blogs from the past slowly savoring each month.Ultimately i caught up to her current blogs and would wait for the next one to appear like i was waiting for Santa to come and towards the end of her time i remember her saying in one blog that someone had made some remarks to her that were sort of like threats i was deeply worried about her safety and even though i was 3 thousand miles away and ill myself it was all i could do to mot get on a plane fly down to mexico to take care of her problem.i know that sounds nuts but thats the way i felt at the time,and still do.
anonymous: thank you for your kind words about Andee. I know exactly how you felt and it does not sound nuts. In fact, a lot of us suspected foul play, possibly even poisoning of some sort. We'll just never know.
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