Although I haven't physically been here in years, when I am feeling stressed, my mind wanders back to this beautiful place. Need a break? Come join me!

This user is an administrator on the English Wikipedia (verify). This user is a member of WikiProject Texas. This user is a member of WikiProject Texas A&M. This user is a member of WikiProject Biography. This user is a bibliophile This user enjoys reading romance novels. This user is of Acadian ancestry. This user is a current or former student of Texas A&M University. Gig 'em Aggies! This user enjoys country music. This user helped promote Fightin' Texas Aggie Band to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 11 September 2007. This user helped promote Aggie Bonfire to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 22 December 2007. This user helped promote Ima Hogg to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 1 April 2008. This user helped promote Grass Fight to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 11 October 2008. This user helped promote Lawrence Sullivan Ross to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 22 May 2009. This user helped promote Texas A&M University to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 30 September 2009. This user helped promote James Bowie to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 19 October 2009. This user helped promote French Texas to the main page as Today's Featured Article on 24 December 2009.

Hi, I'm Karen. My username comes from the main character, Karana, in Island of the Blue Dolphins. After my class read this novel in junior high they christened me "Karana" too. The "cs" comes from C.S. Lewis, whose books I was reading when I signed up for this account.^[1] I suspect you have gathered that I like books.^[2] I am in my early thirties, married, and raising two small children and a dog who thinks he is a person. I am a graduate of Texas A&M University (WHOOP!) and a huge fan of college football and Aggie basketball. I have spent most of my life in Texas, although I have also lived in Louisiana, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Massachusetts, as well as Italy and Canada. I am semi-fluent in French and I can be a good tourist in Italian.

Real-world commitments usually keep me off of Wikipedia on weekends. During the week, however, I can usually be found at WP:FAC; in March 2009, I was named a delegate to the Featured article director to assist in promoting and archiving at WP:FAC. I enjoy reviewing featured article candidates, especially biographies and articles which concern history and will continue to review as I can.

I actually like to research,^[3] so if I'm not at FAC I'm probably working on my next article. I'm currently indulging an obsession with the history of Texas before it reached statehood (essentially covering the time period 1684–1845), although I occasionally wander into other articles for a change of pace. I am currently working my way through the list of Texas Revolution battles, and I've discovered that it is a lot faster and less stressful to write a short article than a long one (which is why Battle of the Alamo took 18 months to finish).

In June 2008 I became an administrator on the English wikipedia. I use the tools sparingly, usually in the realm of speedy deletions. To review any administrator actions I have taken, please see this tool. I am disgusted with the lack of integrity I've seen in some (by no means all) administrators on this project. If I've lost my way, please take my tools away. (my recall criteria)

I am related to User:JohnGluon.^[4]

[edit] Selected articles I have worked on

^[5]

[edit] Texas A&M-related

• Texas A&M University (reached first)
• History of Texas A&M University (reached first)
• Aggie Bonfire
• Lawrence Sullivan Ross
• Traditions of Texas A&M University
• Aggie Muster
• Campus of Texas A&M University (not finished)

[edit] Texas history

• Jim Bowie (reached first)
• French Texas
• Ima Hogg
• Grass Fight
• Battle of Concepción
• Battle of Goliad
• Battle of Lipantitlán
• Juan Davis Bradburn
• To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World
• Fredonian Rebellion
• Battle of the Alamo
• Convention of 1832
• Spanish Texas

• Battle of Gonzales
• La Belle (ship)
• Mexican Texas
• Siege of Bexar
• Alamo Mission in San Antonio

[edit] Lists

• List of Texan survivors of the Battle of the Alamo (FL)

[edit] Book-related

• Georgette Heyer (reached first)
• Mary Higgins Clark
• Romance novel
• Historical romance

[edit] Awards

View the list of Barnstars that have been awarded to me. They really mean a lot—thank you!

[edit] Did You Know?

On 14 July 2007, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article CMA Music Festival, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 16 July 2007, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Andrew Davis Bruce, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 2 September 2007, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Nancy Warren, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 21 April 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article José Enrique de la Peña, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 27 May 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Lon Tinkle, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 7 July 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Texian Army, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 18 July 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Battle of Goliad, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 19 July 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Presidio La Bahía, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 26 July 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Battle of Lipantitlán, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 5 August 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Convention of 1836, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On 29 August 2008, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Frank W. Johnson, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On January 6, 2009, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Juan Davis Bradburn, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On January 23, 2009, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Melissa Anelli, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On February 6, 2009, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Fredonian Rebellion, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

On December 24, 2009, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Convention of 1833, which you created or substantially expanded. You are welcome to check how many hits your article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check ) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

[edit] Sandboxes

• User:Karanacs/Dispatches – where some dispatches are born
• User:Karanacs/sandbox – my todo list
• User:Karanacs/Siege of Bexar – must organize thoughts
• User:Karanacs/Jean Lafitte – total rewrite?
• User:Karanacs/Matamoros Expedition – should this be a separate article or part of Texas Revolution?
• User:Karanacs/2009 FAC reviews
• User:Karanacs/Outline RfC draft

[edit] Useful stuff

• How to cap text: {{hide|bg1=CornflowerBlue|contentcss=border:1px CornflowerBlue solid; |headercss=color:white; |header= |content= }}

• User:Tony1/How_to_satisfy_Criterion_1a
• Article Traffic Statistics
• Readability Checker
• Analyze page history
• Soxred93's cool tools
• Watcher
• Sort CSD by time
• Wikichecker
• PD Image overview from Cornell University
• Oxford Journal search
• How not to break FAC
  • {{FAC welcome}}
  • {{FACClosed|withdrawn}}
• User:Dr pda/Featured article statistics
• D comes before G but L comes before G, no I mean D
• User warning messages

Notes