Celebrate the Small Things: Taking a Breather

Celebrating the end of the A-Z and enjoying a breather. 

I'm getting ready for my mother's 90th birthday out of town this weekend. The family is planning a surprise potluck for her at my brother's home, one of her favorite ways to gather. Then I'm bringing her back with me for a couple of weeks. I have no idea what we will do, but I have a hunch we will end up in the garden pulling weeds, or down by the river collecting rocks, or sipping coffee on my patio. 

Maybe we will go bird watching. I have been told there are pelican down by the river. I haven't seen one yet, but I did see a bald eagle one day perched high in a tree. I'm still learning about all the bird life here. I have seen plenty of killdeer, geese, robins and quail already. Maybe I'll take Mom to Bingo at the senior center or Bible study at the church on Monday. 

And I'm dying to take her out in our new golf cart. She doesn't play golf (I barely do myself) but I know she would love a tour of our lush green course. Whatever we do, I know it will be relaxing and filled with plenty of conversation. I have learned much from this still 'young at heart' woman of 90 years!

Check out our new toy, and it's all electric. I know how to drive it, just wish I 

knew how to golf (one lesson wasn't enough). One nice thing is 

we can drive off the course anywhere in the community.

Have a nice weekend everyone!!

  

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)

Co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Celebrate the Small Things: Happy (March) Birthday Grandson

Some "cool" cats driving by to say "hi"

Just wanted to wish my grandson a  

Very Happy Birthday this month.

 

  

With two younger brothers, he works really hard at being 

the #1 son. We are all so proud of you, Elisha.

  

Have fun today!

Didn't post on time for the Celebrate post yesterday, but I think this works. 

I'm gardening and still getting ready for the A-Z next week. How about you?

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Thank you Lexa Cain for hosting one of the 

best Blog Hops ever; And co-hosts:

 L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge  

and Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Click on Lexa's link to join this hop. You will love it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE BROTHER

 
Just wanted to sneak in another post today and 
wish my brother Bob a

Very Happy Birthday. 

We don't see each other all that often but he means the world to me. And although he's getting older, I happen to know he's still pretty young at heart. 

Enjoy your day, Bob! 

Bob at Lake Entiat a couple years ago.

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