Celebrate the Small the Things: Family and Progess

As some of you know, Vince and I are in a race to see who can finish first. I'm trying to get my book published. He's trying to paint

his plane. It would appear he is a good lap ahead. April was a set back for me with the a-z, and now with family (Mom) still visiting, I'm focused on spending time with her. (I've spent one whole day on my book in the last two weeks). But you know.....I have no regrets. I wrote somewhere that family trumps all, and this is one of those times. After spending time learning about my uncle in the Battle of the Bulge, Mom and I have been gardening and hitting the putting course.

Check out my new Shasta Daisy and Petunias!

Ha-ha :) Put-put golf for grownups on Desert Aire's putting course.

 

Vince applying his first large piece of vinyl wrap underneath the wing. The white vinyl on top is lying loose. It's next. Vinyl wrap is the latest way to paint vehicles and although the learning curve is high, it beats setting up a paint booth and learning how to operate a spray gun. Pretty clever if you ask me.



So celebrating my husband's progress and the priority of family, because when it comes down to what is most important, I'm thankful for family most.

Happy Weekend!

Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)  Two wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Sharon M. Himsl

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

The First Airplanes by Megan Cooley Peterson: Book Review

 
"Famous Firsts"The First Airplanes
Author: Megan Cooley Peterson
Publisher: Capstone Press, 2015  
Ages: 4 to 8, Picture Book
Pages: 24


For young children interested in airplane history, The First Airplanes is a great introduction. Given the vastness of the airplane’s development, Peterson does a good job selecting a few representative planes. Beginning with The Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903, Peterson takes readers on a photo journey that covers the monoplane, flying boat, four-engine plane, metal plane, jet airplane, jet fighter, and jumbo jet. There is just enough information to tweak one's interest, with short lines of text on the left and full-size black and white photos on the right. A simple timeline with captions runs along the bottom of every page of text.

Language is basic and age appropriate, as in the introductory sentence, "Zoom! Airplanes soar through the clouds." There are new words to learn, and repetition of words and phrases helps in the learning process, as does the glossary at the end. The First Airplanes complies with the National Social Studies Standards related to science, technology, and society. Included are Table of Contents, "Read More" section, List of Internet Sites, "Critical Thinking Using the Common Core" section, and Index.

Personally, I loved this little book, which now sits in my china cabinet for when the grandkids visit. I have a Wright Flyer displayed on one shelf already, and it fits nicely behind all. 



Copyright 2015 © Sharon M. Himsl

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Hopeful in 2015

Mt. St Helens and collapsed crater on right 
after eruption in 1980. You can see Vince's 
reflection through the canopy.

Not a good year for completing my novel. Moving didn't help, but I am tired of making excuses. I had hoped I could start another manuscript when I arrived. Instead, I
have unfinished business. 

Is it fear that keeps me from finishing? The other day I wondered if I had a creative bone left in me to work with. Apparently I do. I sat down to try some flash fiction, and out came the opening scene to another book I am anxious to start. It was so much fun, and uses my new setting here (we live in the desert on a runway!). At any rate, I have been caught in the revision process far too long. It's time to wrap things up, fear or no fear. 

JUST IN CASE IT IS FEAR, I have given myself a visual reminder, a recent trip to Mt. St. Helens in my husband's home built plane, an RV8. I have never been comfortable flying in the mountains, as there is no easy place to land, and weather and all kinds of things can go wrong.....or so my white-knuckled reasoning goes, even though I could not be with a more conscientious pilot. 

But all fears were unfounded. It was a perfectly beautiful day to fly, and THE SCENERY WAS AWESOME. By the way, Mt. St. Helens is Washington State's famous volcano that blew its top in 1980. We lived in Pullman, WA at the time, in a small college town, and the region was covered for miles with a talcum powder-like ash for weeks. Incredible. I still have a jar of ash as a souvenir.

You can see the reflections (my husband's) on the canopy in the photos. Photoshop can remove these, but I like that they are proof we were there. We did a clockwise flight around the mountain and landed in Packwood for lunch with our friends (they were flying an RV7) .

You can see a section of the wing in front. It appears blue 
in the sunlight, but it is really unpainted (bare aluminum).

Up close. (Mt. Adams is in the distance)

Safe and sound on the ground in Packwood, WA

Celebrate the Small the Things: One Crazy Move

Ah, gee. Where do I begin?

It all started in May with my husband's retirement. A few days later he re-discovered an air park home in eastern WA (we had casually looked at it several months before). This time we were serious. We looked....made an offer, put our house on the market, and by August we were moving into our new home. I wish I could say it was an easy move. It wasn't!

Moving day. "Whew, got that #%$*& treadmill down."

  
In fact, it was one crazy move. The first offer on our home failed on the day of closing, and it had a snowball effect that left the sellers and buyers reeling, wondering where we were all going to live. Fortunately, we had our camper to live in. Eventually, we rented the home until the deal was finalized. Trust me on this one.....bank loans are not what they used to be today, even with the best of credit!!! 

 But here is the small thing: no matter where we live, being with someone you love and are loved by makes all the difference in the world. It's true. Home really is where the heart is. Even when we thought we would have to rent a dump and put everything in storage, we never lost our sense of humor. At times all we could do was laugh. 

It took two large u-hauls, two trucks, one camper,
one boat and three cars to haul our stuff!

Some new views.....
 

Sentinal Gap

New home

  

Priest Dam Lake (Columbia River)

So here we are, loving our new home and adjusting to a new community, landscape and climate. I DO love it, but feeling like such a newbie sometimes, I do not have a handle yet on what is normal here or what to expect. The locals tell me that the 107 degree heat wave this summer was even too hot for them, and it really does get cold in the winter. But temperatures are still in the 60's. Now that's nice....REALLY nice.

 Judging from the golf cart parade we see in front of our home almost every morning, it appears there is a golf cart in our future. We are not golfers, but live next to a beautiful 18-hole golf course. More to my liking is the lake a five minute walk away and the bike trails. Of course, my husband would say having a hangar for his plane trumps all. 

Hmm....this works.

View from hangar. Our wind sock sits on a small sage brush hill.
Sunsets are glorious here.

Now to finish unpacking....just a few more boxes
to go.....those smaller items that require thought and organization. Where is that printer paper, and does one really need all those pens and pencils? Goodness, I had no idea we were such collectors. I do have my writing desk up and running again, and it feels oh so good to have a place to write again.  

Happy Halloween everyone! 

   
Not my favorite holiday, but I do love seeing the kids. We bought way too much candy for two people, so I hope we get a crowd! What do you do for Halloween?

Celebrate the Small Things: A Blog Award

Anoosha at Little Big Girl was very sweet to nominate me for the Liebster Award. THANK YOU, Anoosha! This particular Liebster (my second) highlights the discovery of new blogs, which I was all too happy to do in the April Challenge. I discovered some very creative blogs, and Anoosha's was one of them. I encourage you to take a look if you missed her in the A-Z.

Other blogs nominated by Anoosha were: 

The Pink Dewdrops 

Creative Ramblings
Suzannes Tribe
Anything But Ordinary

Anoosha's Questions for me:

1) Why Blog?

For me, it is the same as "Why write?" I blog because I have to. I have this innate need to share my thoughts and feelings in this journey called life. I find that in addition to keeping me sane and focused, it brings organization and clarity to my thoughts. I started blogging with the intention of creating a blog platform for my novel, but it has morphed into something more.

2) What is your favorite sport/activity/hobby besides blogging or writing ?

Gardening, for one. My husband and I may be moving, so I have been doing some intensive gardening lately. Biking is my favorite personal sport. I would like to take up tennis again, and couple's dancing (hoping husband agrees). I seldom watch sports on TV.  

3) Which is your favorite Blog post ?

Mine? I wrote one about kissing in elementary school that riled me up a bit. I like posts that get people talking. I wish I could write more like that one. I also wrote a post about two bikers in Thailand who had lost their lives. They were living the adventure I would have enjoyed in my youth. A very sad end for the thirty-something couple, in a country I had traveled to and enjoyed immensely. 

4) What is your Spirit Animal ?

Well...I don't think I have one for real, but I did have an interesting experience with an eagle once. It was after learning about spirit animals in a Native American class I had recently taken. An encounter with an eagle was very special, I was told. It meant that you would complete your journey. A short time later, I was on

vacation. While standing on the balcony overlooking Washington state's beautiful Puget Sound, an eagle flew by so close in front I could almost touch its wings. I have always loved the eagle, and have a painting of one in flight in my home. It reminds me of the scripture: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they will mount up on wings like eagles." (Isaiah 40:31)

5) Any guilty pleasures? 


Probably drink too much coffee. Strange thing about this beverage is that it is good for you in moderate amounts, but hard on the bladder in excess. I'm trying to cut down.

6) What is favorite book and why?

Have been asked this question before and could answer it in one of a hundred ways. Certain books (fiction and nonfiction) have been important to me at different stages of life. The only ones I consistently return to for inspiration are the Bible, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, and Anthology of American Literature.

7) Which fictional character do you most identify with?

Again, hard to answer. Will default to my childhood favorite, Jo, in Little Women. She wanted to be a writer (she wanted to be different) and that was inspiration enough.

8) If you could only describe yourself in three words what would they be ?

Creative, Adventuresome, Faithful 

9) When are you happiest ?

I need time alone to be happy. This includes in my home, garden, writing, and other pursuits. I am happiest when I can balance this with the people in my life....who are no less important, but know how grumpy I get when I am struggling with a goal or task.           

10) If you could meet anybody living or dead who would it be?

I would love to meet my two grandmothers as young women. My Norwegian Grandma had a deep faith (and jail ministry later in life). My German Nana looked so cute in a photo as a teen in her 'roaring twenties' flapper outfit. She later traveled around the world with my grandfather.

11) Eleven facts about myself:

1- I grew up in Tacoma, Washington.

2- My high school (Stadium) was modeled after a French castle 

Stadium High School

and built in the late 1800s. Famous speakers there include one U.S. president and a Washington state governor. A movie was made there, too.

3- I was a tomboy growing up and could beat the boys in arm wrestling.

4- When I met my husband it was like that 'Tony meets Maria scene' in Westside Story. The room stood still.

5- A terrible dancer. My mother signed me up for tap when I was four and I cried the entire time. (Odd, I now want to take couple's dancing with my husband).

6- Attended five colleges before getting a B.A. degree at the

University of Idaho. My son graduated two years prior, and daughter the following year. (It was an exciting time)

7- Frustrated with Christmas trees and all the mess. Does anyone know a good way to market Christmas ornaments?

8- In high school, I co-chaired the decoration of a float  for Tacoma's famous Daffodil Parade. We covered an entire float with daffodils.

9-  I have six grandchildren (five boys, one girl).

10- Favorite holiday in the U.S. is Thanksgiving, because it keeps me thankful. 

 
11- My husband and I recently found an airpark home (with a 
hangar) in Desert Aire, WA and may be moving soon.  



 
My Nominees are:

1) Fanny Barnes Thornton
2) Things My Mother Taught Me (Leslie Melby)

Questions for you:

1) How long have been blogging and why did you start ?
2) What is your favorite sport, activity or hobby (besides blogging and writing) ?
3) Do you have a favorite song ?
4) What is your favorite animal and why ?
5) What would you change in the world if you could ?
6) What is your favorite book and why?
7) Which fictional character do you most identify with?
8) If you could only describe yourself in three words what would they be ?
9) When are you happiest ?
10) If you could meet anybody living or dead who would it be?


Rules for award:
Link back to the blog that has nominated you.
Nominate 5-11 blogs that have less than 200 followers
Answer questions posted to you by your nominator.
Share 11 facts about yourself.
Create 10 questions for your nominees to answer
Contact nominees; inform them they have been nominated.


This is a Celebrate post. I'm thankful to have posted something at all this week. It's been a very busy week cleaning house, filling out real estate paperwork, getting ready for a potential move and selling our home. Hope you are having a good spring. Summer is almost here!

Happy Birthday to One of the Happiest People I Know

(One more post....
then officially on BLOG BREAK :)

Today is my husband's birthday, one of the happiest people I know. He is incredibly blessed to have achieved so many of his dreams. He really is a happy man, and he would be the first to admit this if you were to ask. I know I am in there too somewhere (blush, blush), but that's a another topic for another time. 

Favorite photo of Vince and me, and the RV8. St. Maries, Idaho

Foremost on his mind has always been his desire to fly and a passion for aviation, as a young boy, a teen, and as the man I married at 19 (he was 20). It was a long struggle getting his pilot's license, interrupted by jobs, school, raising a family, home repairs, remodels, car, boat and RV repairs, etc. He also reads and edits the fiction I am writing and hope to publish one day. He has a heart for middle grade and young adult fiction, especially for troubled youth who were unfairly treated and are struggling to overcome the odds. To give you some idea, he read the Harry Potter series twice!

So is it any wonder it took twelve years to build an airplane in our garage? (Yep....that's right, in our garage :-).

But as the pilot's license eventually became a reality, so too did the plane he labored over and eventually flew. He soloed in 2009.

Here is the RV8 in 2007. The wings are hanging upper left. I helped with the riveting and did the upholstery, but Vince did everything else. It is still amazing to me an airplane was built in our garage. The boys in the neighborhood would stop by to visit and just drool. One boy even went on to get his pilot's license and became an instructor. He is now training in Montana to be a missionary pilot 

 

Vince at 14

There have been other accomplishments of note . . . finishing his
degree in his forties, a university career (he is about to retire), teaching computers in Malaysia for one year, and playing classical guitar, but flying and owning an airplane have always been somewhere at the top. If you have ever doubted that dreams can be achieved, he is the perfect example they can be.  

Happy Birthday Vince!!

Copyright 2014 © Sharon Himsl 

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Day Trip to Joseph, Oregon

Vince and I took a day trip to Joseph, Oregon with friends on Sunday, a 30 minute flight from where we live (three hours by car). Vince built this RV8 in our garage over a twelve-year period and flew it for the first time in 2009. It was quite a project and I even learned how to rivet!! Someday (hopefully soon) it will be painted blue and white.  

Joseph Airport is one mile from the town of Joseph. 
We saw this old barn along the way.

Joseph is named after Chief Joseph, a famous Nez Perce Indian chief. (me on left)

Vince with friends Cathy and Mike (they have an 
RV7 that Mike built!)

Wallowa County Museum. ~Sigh~ CLOSED

 

Vince and me (Joseph has beautiful bronze statues everywhere). Too bad most of the shops were closed. After walking around, we ate dinner at a restaurant in a nice outdoor setting and flew home.

Weather was great, but a little bumpy flying in!

Be sure to check out Cathy's blog for more pics! http://wordsworldandwings.blogspot.com/