Who IS The ShuttleSmith (aka Karen Bovard Sayre)

I have recently become enamored with Wordles.
 A Wordle is a visual depiction of words in a “word cloud” from text that you provide. It seems to be a great way to quickly understand the essence of a person in word-form. I got the idea after visiting a cemetery. Most of the tombstones that I saw had a descriptor such as ‘wife’, ‘mother’, ‘daughter’, etc. I got to thinking about what one or two words that I would want to represent me forever, actually ‘carved into stone’, and realized that there are sooooooo many more descriptors needed to adequately get an idea of who I am/was, as is true for everyone. So, I created this Wordle using descriptors/labels that represented my life. Since creating this, I decided to keep a list of attributes that I think represent me.

Karen Kay Reuter Bovard Sayre: TheShuttleSmith, Mother, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Tatter, Sewer, Embroiderer, Fiber Artist, Lacemaker, Needlelacer, Motorcyclist, Sidecarist,
Motorcycle Safety Instructor, Dirt Biker, Trials Rider, Electron Microscopy Technologist, Neuropathology Technologist, 4-H Member, Smocker, Designer, Author, Publisher, Silversmith, Enamelist, Christian, Gardener, Teacher, Dana College Graduate, Lapidarist, Tatting Shuttle Maker, Nebraskan, Iowan, Farm Girl, One-Room Country School Student, Wisner-Pilger Gator, Baton Twirler, Piano/Guitar/Banjo/Mandolin Player, Farmer’s Daughter, Divorcee, Single Mother

I think that it is important to look at an individual as the sum of their parts. The above descriptors are the parts of my life, some more important to the whole than others, but still parts. I keep adding to the list as my life changes….but I never take away a descriptor.

It seems to me that a Wordle would be a great tombstone….I’m looking into this concept in the future.