Gifts I Have Loved - The Singing Teapot

Gifts come in many forms, big and small. Many I have forgotten over the years, but some stand out in my memories, and many I still have. A singing teapot is one of them.

It was Christmastime and we were exchanging gifts at my job, where I worked as a Service Representative for General Telephone. In those days you called the phone company and ordered service. I was was one of many you might reach in the Moscow, Idaho region. 

There were sixty of us. Holiday and birthday parties were celebrated all day, so some of us could man the phones. My turn finally came to open my gift , and I don't even remember who gave me the teapot, but I loved it right off.  You tipped it over to serve tea and it played Christmas music. Neat!

Years passed and apparently the battery had failed. The teapot no longer played music. I liked it though and decided to display it on a glass shelf in our china cabinet as a keepsake. Suddenly it began playing music randomly throughout the year. When I lifted it up though, the music would stop. Strange. Nothing. Again and again, it would play randomly. 

It became a family mystery. A visitation by a ghost, an angel? We didn't know. I just knew we loved it. We finally concluded it was vibration on the floor when someone walked by the china cabinet that caused it to play. Logic dictated this but the music was never consistent and sometimes we heard it playing in bed.

Frankly, it's still somewhat of a mystery. Any ideas?

Today I can get it to play if I tilt the pot just right, but we are in a different home now and nothing else triggers the music. So far... 

Hear for yourself:

~~Sharon

Sharon M. Himsl

Published: Evernight Teen 

The Shells of Mersing

Gifts Along the Way: Mom's Big Move and Interview of Me

WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND WONDERFUL HOLIDAY! Had wanted to write the IWSG December post and share a holiday series similar to last year's 'Words of Old at Christmastime', but couldn't fit it in, so sharing an interview of me instead and the latest news, Mom's Big Move. Two gifts along the way this season! 

We're buried, truly buried right now in minute by minute details. I've been helping my mother move into a retirement home this month and it's been pretty darn time consuming for the family. The move is still underway as my husband and I (and others in family) help her downscale the furniture and get rid of a lifetime of stuff. Helping her say goodbye to favorite things and finding treasures in the mix hasn't been easy. The good news is Mom will be living only 45 minutes away. For most of my married life, I have lived a good day's ride or more away. Mom is doing fine, I might add, a bit frazzled with the change but eager to get some semblance of her life back.  

I know some of you have shared similar moves. Did any of you do this over Christmas? What a delight it was to see the retirement home beautifully decorated for the holiday when we arrived. Being we were all borderline nervous with the pending change, the decorations were a bonus in helping with the transition. After hanging a Christmas wreath on the balcony railing and displaying Mom's lighted tabletop Christmas tree, her tiny studio apartment began to sparkle with charm. Turns out December isn't a bad time to move. 

If I may indulge, below is an interview of me that took place in November, published on Jennifer Macaire's blog, but few read. Kind of proud of my answers because they explain why I wrote this book. There is a Christmas scene in the book I happen to adore, where Callie and Lucas find a tiny Christmas tree ornament in the Mersing market. They secretly display the tree on Lucas's red T-shirt surrounded by gifts for their newly found Muslim family. It was risky on their part, given the family doesn't celebrate Christian holidays, but the gesture turns out well for both sides of the family. I won't tell you what happens :-)  The ornament in the scene is based on one from my collection. Love how the 'things we collect' inspire our writing, don't you? 

Christmas tree ornament from collection.

(As first published...Jennifer Macaire: The Shells of Mersing by Sharon Himsl: "Today I'd like to welcome Sharon Himsl, whose debut novel, "The Shells of Mersing" will interest young adult readers")

Me: You begin with a sailing journey from Seattle. Was there a reason for this?"

Sharon: Yes. I wanted Callie to know there are people in the world she can trust. Her father is dead, her mother is missing, and she has just witnessed a grisly murder. She has her little brother to take care of, but she has never felt more alone. The captain (Eric) becomes a father figure who proves valuable in locating her lost mother. In Hawaii, Callie faces the gray areas of trust with Uncle Azman and his questionable forgiveness.

Why is the second half of The Shells of Mersing set in Malaysia and Thailand?

It’s hard to say which had more impact. My stay in Malaysia in 1995-1996 or the novel that resulted. I only know that when my husband accepted a teaching position at a Malaysian polytechnic in 1995, nothing would ever be the same again. I joined him three months later, following a job lay-off at the telephone company where I had worked for fifteen years.

What was it like becoming an expat?

Huge learning curve. I received travel specifics and instructions for expats from my husband’s stateside employer about what to wear and what not to do in a Muslim run country. For instance, knee length skirts and tops with capped sleeves (no bare shoulders, please) were recommended.

Your main characters Callie and Lucas travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia alone. Are their impressions yours as well?

Some of the sights, sounds and smells they experience are straight from my diary. Malaysia was over 50% native Malay (Muslim), 35% Chinese (Buddhist), and 15% Indian (Hindu) in 1995. Each ethnic group has their own language and dialect, but they use English to communicate publicly. Callie and Lucas are relieved to hear English spoken at the market in Kuala Lumpur when they lose their way. The Muslim girl Hayati is based on a teen girl I met on the bus in Kuala Lumpur.

Callie and Lucas meet their Muslim family in Mersing, Malaysia. Do they experience any religious conflicts?

Yes. Malaysians are a religious people. In 1995, expats were warned not to share their Christian faith or pass out bibles if so inclined. It was likewise illegal for Chinese and Indian Christians to do so. I couldn’t resist putting Callie in a situation where she accidentally gives a cousin a Christian flyer handed to her at the market. She has a brief falling out with her Muslim family. As Muslims do not celebrate Christmas, Callie and Lucas then find a way to give gifts to their aunt and uncle, and cousins.

Where did the idea for The Shells of Mersing come from?

I was volunteering at a local orphanage in Kluang, Malaysia. I learned that one of the boys (aged 7) had been rescued from domestic slavery. I was aware of human slavery, of girls mostly, but my shock level jumped to a new level. This was the little boy I had made yarn dolls with at Christmastime. My heart was melting. I then learned that human trafficking and slavery did indeed exist in Malaysia and more so in Thailand to the north. From this experience a story grew.

In Thailand, Callie and Sam kiss for the first time and learn to trust each other. Did you find inspiration anywhere?

Yes. I imagined Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens when I wrote about Callie and Sam. The innocence of first love portrayed in Highschool Musical 1 was my go-to source. I must confess also, that my husband and I very much relate to their romance. We were high school sweethearts♥♥.

Excerpt: Floating Market scene in Bangkok:    

“…The air buzzes with the din of boat engines winding down and taking off.

Sam takes my hand when it’s time to board. Eric beams at us from across two rows, noticing. That obvious, huh. Earlier he was worried about the prison arrangements tomorrow, but I’d rather think about this cool guy holding my hand. I can’t think about Mom right now, because every time I do my thoughts go dark and I’m instantly depressed. Not today, not now.

Sam squeezes my hand. “You okay?” he shouts over the engine.

He always seems to know. “I’m fine.” And I am, just gazing into his light brown eyes.”

Who is your ideal reader?

Teen girls primarily (13 up), and anyone who identifies with a teen’s point of view in an otherwise out of control adult world. The choices made at the brink of adulthood can have a powerful effect on one’s future, even when the odds are against success. Callie’s experience ranges from losing a father and mother and being placed in a disreputable foster home, to fending off smugglers and human traffickers, and then finding favor with the King of Thailand. On the other hand, a seventy-plus year old male relative of mine said he identified with the characters and cried at the ending.    

(Print & E-Book) (Suspense, Mystery & Romance)

Amazon

Evernight Teen

Barnes & Noble

Short synopsis: When notorious Uncle Azman disobeys orders, and secretly sends Callie and her younger brother Lucas to meet their mother's sisters in Mersing, Malaysia, 14-year-old Callie hopes their troubles are over. After all they have endured, what more could go wrong? Their American dad is dead, Mom is missing, and their foster dad in Seattle was murdered, with Callie falsely accused. Pawns in a crime operation gone awry, Callie and Lucas barely escaped being targeted by their uncle's sinister boss for sale in Thailand’s human trafficking market. Although Uncle Azman's turnaround was a miracle, Callie knows that real safety lies with family in Mersing, where they can begin searching for Mom, but a shell box, a ruby, and a boy named Sam from Chicago are about to change everything.

Short Bio:

Sharon spent more than ten years developing The Shells of Mersing, a story first outlined in Malaysia in 1996. With a B.A. in American Studies, she has a soft spot for history and other cultures. Malaysia is a rich storehouse of culture, with its Malay, Chinese and Indian populations. Today she is working on a second novel (a sequel to Shells…) at her home in Eastern Washington, where she lives with her husband on the edge of a desert runway . . . but that’s another story! 

Blogs:

https://shells-tales-sails.blogspot.com/

http://sharonmhimsl.blogspot.com/

Images of Christmas - Capturing the Magic

Merry Christmas!

 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

The nativity wall hanging on the left is a treasure of mine. I found it in an antique store in 2008, in Trondheim, Norway. I noticed that needlepoint wall hangings like this were quite common in the homes of families I visited. Does anyone else go antiquing when they travel? I found this to be most rewarding. You learn so much about area culture and how people live.  

So how is your Christmas celebration going?

Vince and I enjoyed a brief holiday in Spokane, Washington in early December. We spent a couple nights in a very nice hotel (The Oxford) and met up with two dear friends. We dined in the hotel's warm restaurant, swam in the pool, sat in the hot tub, walked through a nearby park, and area stores, drank coffee, and talked and talked. We had a wonderful time!

Spokane's scenery in general was a bit disappointing, not as festive as I had expected. Perhaps Dec 4th was too early for Christmas decorations, but we also noticed that the downtown and mall merchants had cut back a lot on Christmas decorations. Some chose not to decorate at all. I do not know whether it was an economic decision or simply because they had chosen not to acknowledge the holiday. I do not believe this is unique to Spokane, but a trend in other cities as well. Have you noticed the same? More and more people are buying gifts on line. Perhaps our local merchants are more stressed than we realize.

Could it be too that merchants are fed up with losing the true meaning of Christmas, the Christian celebration of Christ's birth? It really does not seem likely, not likely at all. Let's face it, the commercial takeover of Christmas happened a long time ago.

Still, and here  is where the nostalgic side of me takes over and puts on rose-colored glasses, I sometimes yearn for those animated storefronts with all the working parts, the ones I remember from my youth growing up in Tacoma, Washington. I wish I had pictures. Perhaps you remember them too.....Santa's busy workshop, those sweet manger scenes, snowy mountain landscapes, etc., and Christmas music everywhere. From a child's perspective, it did not feel commercial at all, just magical.

So my goal became to capture some of the magic, and maybe I did after all. Take a look. What do you think?

A magical view from our room

Riverfront Park: Structure in back is from Spokane's
1974 Expo. There is a nice IMAX theater now.

Riverfront Park: on Spokane River. Historical clock tower on right.

Riverfront Park: Clock Tower was first constructed in 1902 as part of the
Great Northern Railroad depot. The rest of the depot was later torn down to
make way for the 1974 Expo. The Clock Tower is still wound every week by hand.

Riverfront Park bridge on right

Riverfront Park Carousel

Background not all that great, but good of Vince and me

Back at home I began decorating the house. No (real) Christmas tree this year or outside decorations, but I did manage to create a little magic.


Santa: "He's making a list, and checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice...."

The Carolers: "Oh come all ye faithful...."

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Blessed Easter

Vintage postcards from the family's archive . . .  I do miss the Easter egg hunts, dyeing all those eggs, and filling the children's baskets with candy (no grandchildren here unfortunately), but it is always good to reflect on the real meaning of Easter.

"Easter Blessings Crown Thee"

(Postcard addressed to my grandfather Carl in Bisbee, ND from ?? in Norway)

Postcard is addressed to my great-great grandmother Beret from a sister in Norway.

(Baret Marie Carlsen was born in Sylten, Norway in 1842)

A Joyful Easter to all of you!!

(A re-post from April 2013)
(postcards from Gravseth family archive) 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Christmas Elves

To Karl from Oline (mother)

As we approach Christmas Eve and the celebration of the birth of
Christ, I look forward to a quiet candle light service at my church . . . But tales of mischievous elves, Santa Claus, lively snowmen, cute reindeer and other animals, and inspiring stories of love and forgiveness continue to entertain us at every turn, and for the most part, I don't mind at all. 

As half-Norwegian, I am fascinated with the elves of Scandinavian origin, which upon research, is really where the elf myths originated, in the ancient lore of Norse mythology. "Norse" refers to medieval Scandinavians, the people of that region and their language and culture. Scandinavia usually refers to the countries (and regions) of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, and as some argue, Finland and Iceland.  

Generally speaking, elves were viewed as magical beings, who were either helpful or a hindrance to humans, but their importance in Scandinavian culture runs deep--even today. In Reykjavik, Finland, for instance, people are urging the government to stop a highway project because of the cultural impact on a wilderness area the road would enter. The area, according to Scandinavian folklore, is home to elves and an elf church. It is now up to the Court of Iceland to decide the highway's fate (Associated Press, Dec. 23, 2013). An elf church? How interesting. Has anyone traveled to Finland and seen this before?

Elves were not necessarily viewed as impish or small either, which was my view until seeing Tolkien's take on elves in the Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit movies. The view of elves as "wee people" was actually an influence of William Shakespeare. Elves were related to fairies in his view. There are volumes of information and literary debate on elf folklore available for those interested. I am hardly the expert, but having inherited a collection of Norwegian postcards from my ancestors, I wanted to share four in the collection of elves. 

The postcards were mailed in the early 1920s to my grandfather (Karl) living in North Dakota and later Washington state, from family in Norway. Karl was the only son of five boys to immigrate to America. The elves are rather funny, with their pudgy middles and contented grins, do you agree? All are up to mischief it seems. 

To Karl and Marie (grandparents) from K?? and Ragnar (a brother)

To Karl from Dene (?)

To Karl from Ragnar (a brother)

Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf; author's Graveth family archive collection

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Stereoviews A to Z: April Challenge

A friend talked me into participating in the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge and I am so excited. Beginning in April, all of my posts (for one month) will be in alphabetical order. There will one post per day, except for Sunday (26 posts total). Anyone interested in the blog challenge can sign up as late as April 1. Just have a post ready to go on that day. Postings can be theme-based or random. They just need to follow the alphabet. I hope you will stop by and see how I am doing. Let me know if you sign up, too!

 If there are any A to Z Challenge participants visiting my blog already, WELCOME!!! I will be delving into an old collection of stereoview cards (Stereoviews A-Z) recently inherited from my mother. These are 3-D photos on cards normally viewed through a Stereoscope. The cards were enjoyed in the 1920s and 30s by my mother's family, but the dates of the photos are older (1890s to pre-1910). I will be commenting on the culture of the time and any historical tidbits I discover, but be prepared for some fun slapstick comedy, too. Check label "Things We Collect" for similar posts.

Here is the line-up for STEREOVIEWS A-Z

A - Apprentice Bags the Painter

B - Brief History of the Stereoscope

C - Chumps on the Street

D- Desperate Times

E - Eerie Sponges

F - Flocking Together at the Beach

G - Good Friends

H - Historical U.S. Buildings 1890s

I - Indoor Time with Mama

J - Juggler Gets a Surprise

K - Keyhole Dilemma

L - Looey and Hans Get a Spanking

M - Mr. Jones, Please Remove Your Hat

N - Native Americans

O - Oh, My Aching Head

P - Pulling Teeth

Q - Question. What's Happening Here?

R - Resting

S - Sawing the Bass Fiddle

T - Twentieth Century Woman

U - U.S. Scenery 1890s

V - Vanity and the Portrait

W - World Destinations 1890s

X - "X" Marks the Spot

Y - Young Gladiator

Z - "Z" Perfect Day



Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Happy Valentine's Day

These postcards were sent to my grandfather Carl (Karl) in North Dakota around 1909 and 1910, from Norway and the U.S. Some are so old I can only guess at the signatures on the back. The writing is faded and all is in Norwegian. I believe two of the cards are from a girlfriend, a fiancee Carl left behind. She never joined him in America (some say she got tired of waiting for him to send for her).

[From ??]

Carl immigrated to America in 1906 alone, a brave journey for a young man of 22 years to take. He had the equivalent of $20 in his pocket. He left a girlfriend and his family behind, including his parents Oline and Johan and four brothers, Kristian, Ragnar, Elias, and John. He worked as a farm laborer in North Dakota and eventually moved to Washington state. None of the cards are really valentines, but all are about longing for romance.

[From Ragnar]  

  [From Ragnar]

An interesting picture of the "proper" kiss and culture of the time. The kiss is initiated by the man, and the bedazzled woman is swooning at his touch. Notice the wine glass in her left hand. Her other hand has a watchful guard on his hand, and her eyes are wide open. Mama taught her well, I think. It is just past midnight. Is the occasion New Year's Eve? Past her curfew?  

[From parents, Oline and Johan]

          

Ah . . . a romantic yearning for love put to words in poetry. Carl did not meet and marry my grandmother (Marie) until 1918, twelve years after his arrival in America. Too bad there is scribbling on the airplane. The world was so in love with airplanes then. 

And . . . I happen to know a pilot today who is just as enamoured with this machine! 

 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!  

 
Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl

[postcards from Gravseth family archive]

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Pining for Ski Days Past

Snow was abundant for a while here in the Pacific Northwest. To the south of us in Utah, my daughter said they were buried up to their hips a week and a half ago. It's melting now, but part of me misses it. There is something serene and centering about the snow when it falls. I love the feel of snowflakes melting on my face and the crispness of the air. And despite the lure of spring gardening (seed catalogs are already filling my mailbox), I find myself pining for ski days past, wishing for one more time on the slopes.

Postcard from Ragnar in Norway sent to Karl in Tacoma, WA (ca. 1918)

 I wish I had a photo of me in the 60s, flying down the slopes of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington state, with my pig tails flapping in the breeze. Those were the days when ski boots were laced tight around the ankles and ski clothing went on in layers: jeans, double socks and gloves, long underwear, sweaters, turtle necks, hat and parka. I did fork out money for bibs later, becoming more stylish, but in the beginning, paying for a ski pass and gas was all I could afford. A day on the slope in the late 1960s was $5.00. It sounds cheap now, but with wages at only $1.10 an hour (my first job), it isn't a whole lot different from today's cost.

Vince - 1971 (Germany)

I received my first pair of downhill skis in the ninth grade. My parents had never learned how to ski, so transportation to the slopes  meant trips on the KJR ski bus, rides in the back of a neighbor's car, or cramming into a high school friend's VW bug. When I later married, my husband and I also skied.

This was a new sport for Vince and he had his first lesson in Germany, while on military leave. We took a ski train to the highest peak in Germany, the Zugspitze (near Garmisch), and spent one incredible day. The lesson was challenging. Vince's knees were too stiff from a previous injury and wouldn't bend enough for the standard "snow plow" stop. He was a scary sight going full board down the hill trying to stop. 

Zugspitze - highest mountain in Germany



 Sharon - 1971
(Germany)

We continued to ski with our two children, but stopped when the budget grew too tight. We paid for their downhill passes and stayed home. I have regretted that decision, and have been campaigning to resurrect this sport ever since--even cross country skiing. Big hint to "you know who." I MISS it.

I can honestly say that skiing is in my blood. Most of my family in Norway are skiers, which hardly comes as a surprise. Wasn't skiing invented in Norway? I have received more than one photo of the family cross country skiing somewhere. Maybe I can join them someday . . .   

Reidun in Orvos, Norway - 2008

 

 Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl

[Postcard from Gravseth family archive]

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing