Memorial Day: Remembering Those Past

A political cartoon in the paper this morning . . .

Memorial Day is a day to remember our ancestors and soldiers who have served in peacetime and war . My mother faithfully delivers flowers on this day to all the family graves in Tacoma. I did this once with her and it was a wonderful experience. 

Memorial Day is also a time for celebrating the present with family and friends. My son is off camping with his young family in California woods somewhere today. No family here in eastern Washington, so my husband and I will enjoy a day off from normal work activity and maybe take a bike ride this afternoon with friends if the weather permits.  

Hope your day is as pleasant!

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Do You Read the Comics?

(Comic book: Ken Ernst's
 Mary Worth (March 1956)

I recently asked a few bloggers if they read the comics, or if they had a favorite, and no one said they did. I have been a fan of newspaper comic strips for a long time. One in particular I remember from my youth, the Mary Worth series, arrived on my parent’s porch with a loud thud every night around six—in the Tacoma News Tribune. I was eleven or twelve at the time, and I may have been a budding artist. I spent hours tracing this strip on paper and writing captions. I have since learned that Mary Worth was known for its cliffhanger endings.  

In fact, it was considered the soap opera of comics and dealt with issues not uncommon today: unwed mothers, drug addiction, spousal abuse, infidelity, juvenile delinquency, elder issues, and the generation gap, to name a few! No wonder I love writing suspenseful scenes today. And those cliffhanger endings . . . the more the better!

But what I mostly remember about the series are the people that came into Mary’s life, and as a kind neighbor, she tried to help. This savvy silver-haired widow, who had been a school teacher once, offered a deep well of wisdom and loving advice to everyone she met, and apparently, I was one of them! 

Newspaper: Mary Worth by Karen Moy and Joe Giella)

Credits for Mary Worth go to writer Allen Saunders and artist Ken Ernst, and its distributor, King Features Syndicate. Other artists and writers have worked on the series, but most recently, artist Joe Giella (1991) and writer Karen Moy (2003). The comic strip thrives to this day (unfortunately, not in the paper I now get). It should also be noted that most references credit the 1932 Apple Mary series (by Martha Orr) as being the true origin of Mary Worth, but King Features refutes this claim.


Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl; Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Worth
http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Mary_Worth/2013-03-07/?info=1&feature_id=Mary_Worth&feature_date=2013-03-07

Sharon M. Himsl

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

A Charlie Brown Christmas Greeting

     

          

      

   

Merry Christmas everyone. 

Hang on tight and take good care of each other.

We are all in this life together!!

 

 (Credits: Special thanks to the work and talent of Charles Schulz)

Sharon M. Himsl

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

The Charles Schulz Philosophy

(I like this a lot. It further underlines my feelings about the importance of being ourselves. Good to remember in our writing and other endeavors. Not always easy to do!!)

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip:

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant. 
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. 
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. 
These are no second-rate achievers. 
They are the best in their fields. 

But the applause dies . . .
Awards tarnish. 
Achievements are forgotten. 
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: 
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with
the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards. 
They simply are the ones who care the most

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

Sharon M. Himsl

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