Forum Members Not Heard From in a Long While

[blessOTMA]

If we all look at our message file, we could gin up quite a list of others who were here and now are not ! There is something special about feeling the interest enough to come here and some times that feeling just leaves .  I generally think people  don't get back to us because it's painful to disappoint someone and it's our human nature to avoid pain. I know it's intense feelings that bring us here and often intense feelings that cause people to drop out.  We kind of have to give folks slack...which we all need for one thing or another. 

[Jen_94]

Unless she's buys with school/exams?

Yes, but what about holidays and weekends?  I find it hard to believe she can't take five minutes to let you, or anyone else, know that she is okay.

Maybe they realized one day six months later and figured it better to stop coming to the board altogether than to go through the whole "welcome back" process. Some people would rather just stay fairly anonymous.

Perhaps, but I still have my doubts.  In the case of RHB, for example, we were working on an ongoing project, and she just left me high and dry with no warning, no announcement, nothing.  Is there some reason why she couldn't have posted, or sent a PM, saying that "Life is getting busy, blah, blah, blah...."  I would have been disappointed, but I would have understood.  In my mind, there was NO reason for her to just sneak off like a thief in the night.  I would never have done that to her, or anyone else, I was working on a story with.  I would have come out and explained that I was leaving, and then why.

I hate to sound angry with RHB, because, as I have said, I have no idea what happened.  I have several explanations why she vanished.  All of them bad.

1.  She died, or is serious ill or injured.

2.  Family issues arose (divorce, alcohol, drugs).

3  Personal issues (see examples in reason 2).

This is why I wish she would contact me, or log in to the board, at least  then I'd know she was still among the living.  The same applies for Talya, bestfriendgirl, and all the other friends I made here who have vanished.

Yeah, that's a possibility. Or maybe ongoing computer problems? I just don't know.....I've been thinking about trying to email her again but I don't know....

RHB-I wasn't on the board when she was around so I can't comment really. But i'm guessing a personal issue arose and she's simply not got the time to be on here anymore or something?

[grandduchessella]

Does anyone remember Helen (not Rappaport - I believe this Helen's surname began with A?). She was very knowledgeable about all things DNA. Each time someone would appear in the Claimants forum disputing the DNA evidence, she would tirelessly (and successfully) refute their posts. It was great.

Helen Azar, maybe? I don't remember noticing her around the forum lately, either. I do see her on Facebook occasionally, though.

If it is Helen Azar, she is doing quite well. We are actually meeting up in DC in a couple of weeks to see the Romanov Coronation Exhibit at the Hillwood Museum.

[Forum Admin]

I still hear from Helen Azar as well via email and Facebook.  She just felt it best to take a "break" from active posting here but does look in from time to time and read threads of interest.

[blessOTMA]

Speaking of Helen, her translation of Olga Nicholaievna's dairies  is coming out in July  =)

http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Olga-Romanov-Helen-Azar/dp/1594161771/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365792438&sr=1-1&keywords=9781594161773

[TimM]

Maybe Helen will come back to promote her book.  it sounds good.

[Jen_94]

Speaking of Helen, her translation of Olga Nicholaievna's dairies  is coming out in July  =)

http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Olga-Romanov-Helen-Azar/dp/1594161771/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365792438&sr=1-1&keywords=9781594161773

That does sound like an interesting book actually.

[helenazar]

Hello everyone, yes I am alive and well, and finally my book is completed and almost ready to go.

It ended up being quite a different book than was originally planned, because the diary entries that I translated are only part of it. I also included a lot of Olga's letters to her father at Stavka from the same time period as the diaries, as well as memoir excerpts of the people who were close to Olga and her family, like Anna Vyrubova.

You will also find there the "other side's" perspective, i.e. Alexander Kerensky's take on the events in 1917. And finally, I translated many entries of Nicholas II's diary to continue Olga's story where she left off in March of 1917 when she abruptly stopped writing in her diary,  which go well into their exile to Siberia and the Urals. Most of these things have not been translated into English and published before.

[Forum Admin]

Welcome Back Helen!  That is wonderful news.  Would you mind posting a new thread in the Books Section with the details? I'm certain many users will be interested!

thanks!
FA

[helenazar]

Yes, I will, thank you!

[TimM]

Nice to see you back, Helen.

[Jen_94]

Hello Helen!

Nice to see you back here. I hope your book ends up being a success!!

[Inok Nikolai]

I too hope that Inok Nikolai is all right. His contributions are always interesting.

Perhaps he is simply busy.

Ann

               Or seeking study, peace and reflective solitude, as befits his chosen path.  This very excellent and knowledgeable person's prime concerns/loyalty are certainly to a Higher Power.                         Regards, AP.

Hello everyone!

(Thanks, AP, for putting things in their proper perspective.)

And thanks to everyone for your concern. I was moved to read here all your inquiries as to my whereabouts and health, etc.

I'm at least "checking in" now, if not "back for good"! (I did visit the site for the first time again yesterday, trying to catch up on all the unread postings.)

Moving, after having lived at one location for over 30 years, proved to be much more involved than I/we had anticipated.

Winter was coming on when we arrived here, and our first priority was to remodel some of the old farm buildings to make living quarters for everyone. (The population here had gone from three to eighteen, literally overnight!)

And now that spring is here, we are starting construction on our new church and monastery complex.

(I'm also the cook here.)

BUT, God willing, I do hope to take up the Imperial letters project again soon, and to be able to visit the Forum more regularly.

May God bless and keep you all!
Inok Nikolai

[edubs31]

Inok, great to hear from you!!

Glad things are coming along, if not always smoothly :-) I'm sure I speak for all when I say we look forward to anything you can contribute here on the AP during the occasional downtime of what is your very busy schedule.

Blessings to you and yours as well!

[Carolath Habsburg]

I miss Kmerov. Does anyone have news about him? :-(