Celebrate the Small Things: My Granddaughter and Badass Ladybugs

My granddaughter Liza surprised me with a special gift over the summer, a 'little' something she had made at school. Assigned in class to make a book cover for her favorite book, she chose mine, The Shells of Mersing!  Take a look...

  

An image of (MC) Callie when she examines the shells on her bed.

Callie discovers who the killer is in this scary scene.

In typical shy-free "Liza style" she also informed the school librarian that the school needed to order my book for the library. God bless her. I was so flattered and bursting with appreciation inside. I'm terrible at doing my own promotion. She then informed me she wanted to play "Callie" when my book made it to film. Talk about a great confidence booster. I need to hire this little girl as my public relations person, but alas....she is twelve. 

Turns out my occasional nickname for Liza, "Ladybug," is just perfect for her. Ladybugs, as many of you know, are pretty 'badass' in the garden when it comes to fighting aphids and protecting their own. Liza is not only 'badass' in promoting her grandma's writing, she plays a pretty mean game of soccer as the team's star goalie. But don't get me wrong, she's all girl too. She has loved her dolls over the years. Below is a photo of Liza at ten with her fabulous Barbie Doll collection. Unfortunately, I lost the original picture of her holding the book cover she had made. My smartphone fell in the toilet on a camping trip later and shorted out everything! (Another story😕)

Liza, at ten. With her fabulous Barbie doll collection.

So thinking about the 'badass' ladybug as one of my favorite garden bugs, I decided to do a bit of research. Years ago at the house on Grant Street I came upon a large ladybug nest at the base of a tree in my family's backyard. It was the first time I'd ever seen such an anomaly and I couldn't believe how big it was. If memory serves me right, the nest was two feet across. It was swarming, and if you've never thought a lady bug could bite, think again. Several bit me. Small stings really and of no consequence, but the bites surprised me. 

I liked ladybugs. I had spent years letting them crawl up my arms and legs, and encouraged my children to do the same, which they did. The orange track marks they left behind on your skin, releasing a stinky fluid from their legs, was the only drawback. I have since found out that the fluid is really ladybug blood. I had no idea, did you? Ladybugs release this blood to keep predators from eating them. That's why you will never see a bird eat one. Ladybug blood is their first line of defense, whereas biting is secondary, which explains my surprise. Since I had discovered the home nest, I can only assume that the "ladybug guards" were defending their own. Plus, they were hibernating for the winter. 

 

A familiar nursery rhyme most of us know:

Lady bug, ladybug

 fly away home. 

Your house is on fire and 

your children are gone.

I have released more than one ladybug into the air with this innocent little rhyme, but as with most British nursery rhymes of old, the meaning is far from innocent.

In Britain, Ladybugs are called Ladybirds, which is an old Catholic reference to "Our Lady." In the 1500s and 1600s, a law known as the Act of Uniformity (1559 and 1662) punished Catholic worshipers for refusing to attend the Protestant church. Punishment was severe. Priests were hung and some burned alive at the stake. Worshipers were jailed and fined heavily. The rhyme served as a warning cry for Catholics to escape. I wonder how many lives were spared with this clever use of words. 

I think I will try adding this 'badass' red bug with black spots to my garden in the spring. If I can get them to stay (I have plenty of aphids to dine on), I might have a better gardening season (summer 2018 was a fail). 

Meanwhile, hugs, hugs, hugs to Liza my sweet granddaughter and "ladybug" for inspiring this Celebrate the Small Things post!!




Special thanks to 'Celebrate the Small Things' 
host, Lexa Cain. 
And co-hosts: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Sharon M. Himsl
Published: Evernight Teen 
The Shells of Mersing

Happy Earth Day, Hello from the Trenches - Still Celebrating the Small Things

Chrysanthemum in a pot

A nice message (below) for Earth Day from Jane Goodall! We have quail on our property. Did you know that the males and females mate for life? About 90 percent of bird species in general are monogamous. Hubby and I enjoy watching the mamas and papas, their head plumes bobbing away in rhythm as they scurry about with their tiny chicks  in tow. So-so cute. One of these days I hope to catch a photo. They move fast when they see me.

I love nature, don't you? I love watching all it has to offer, the honeybees enjoying my crab tree blooms, the robins listening for worms in the ground, the occasional crow (did you know they are as smart as a seven-year-old?), and on and on. I write a garden column for our small newspaper and found myself thinking the other day that aphids have a right to eat too. Ha-ha-ha. I know, I know, but this is how my mind works. 

So I made a batch of homemade insecticide, with Dawn soap, vegetable oil and water. It repels aphids and other insects, but I doubt if it kills them. I'll need to spray the infestation at least a couple more times. My poor snow ball bush was covered. 

But on to the real purpose of this blog....recording my writing journey. You already know about my novel The Shells of Mersing and the long, long road to publishing it. If you haven't had to chance to read, you can find it at Evernight Teen for 25% off this weekend. I urge you to take a look. I am so grateful to this publisher for taking a chance on me. There are many other books there too in different genres. Mine is an adventure mystery, a sailing journey, a sweet romance. 

Our small sailboat, Duet. Friday Harbor, WA

You've seen me in the A-Z April Challenge. I do hope that is going well for everyone. I noticed a huge number didn't participate last year. That said, I will always be grateful for this wonderful blog hop. It got me thinking about topics I had always wanted to explore. People still come to my blog to the read the A-Z posts. 

Learn something new

Dare to be yourself

I've been gardening and thinking about working on a sequel to my novel as I work. Gardening is normally great inspiration for me, as there is time to think, but my novel has been on hold since December when my mother moved into a retirement home. My focus has been on her needs, but I'm trying hard to get back to a more productive writing schedule.  

In this together

 

How has your writing journey been going? 

Let me know in your comments. 

 

http://lexacain.blogspot.com/2015/01/celebrate-small-things.html

Yep, still Celebrating!

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Time Went POOF - Celebrate the Small Things

What I wish I could be doing

 and wish I was that skinny again!

To be honest, I'm not sure where the time went this week. It just went POOF!

• I've been gardening, which could account for some of the time drain. Planted geraniums, peppers, cabbage, marigold, basil and mint. Weeded some, but you'd never know to look at it. LOL. What a mess awaits me!
• I had a busy week working on social media again and writing future blog posts, another time drain, although fun to do.  
• Good news is I'm meeting other Evernight Teen authors and learning a lot about book promotion from Evernight's marketing person. A very nice group I might add. 
• Had a dream with characters in a book I've been thinking about. The scene was vivid enough to write down. Don't you just love moments like that?  
• Jumped on the treadmill yesterday. Happy about that. It had been awhile.
• SADLY, just found out my mother broke her arm and actually popped it out of the socket at her shoulder. She's mending now and pumped up with morphine for the pain. I'll be traveling tomorrow to see her. Not a fun way for Mom to spend Mother's Day!! But we'll turn the occasion into something nice. I plan to type the book she has been handwriting and is so excited about. It's her first novel at 92!! 

Have a Nice Weekend!!

(And Happy Mother's Day :)

"Come celebrate with us"

To join "Celebrate the Small Things, visit Lexa Cain's blog

Co-hosts are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Celebrate the Small Things: Ready, Set, Go A-Zers

Hope to see some of you 

in the A-Z April Challenge.

Starting tomorrow, April 1.

"Female Scientists Before Our Time"

Columbine from a summer garden in the past, different climate. So far, I've had the best luck with Roses, Gaillardia, and Chrysanthemums in desert heat, but I'm still learning. It's only been three years. I'm enjoying and "celebrating" the spring growth. How about you?

 "Come celebrate with us"
To join "Celebrate the Small Things:  visit Lexa Cain's blog
Co-hosts are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate the Small Things: End of Summer Thoughts

Funny how seasonal weather can be invigorating in the beginning and an energy drain in the end. I love the advent of the seasons, don't you? It's a wonderful time to reflect on the next leg of our journey.

Vince and I have one final job before completing this summer's landscaping project, the installation of colored rock over the new berm. If we finish by Friday, I'll post an image. 

Salmon-colored rock over the berm is coming soon. Whew! What a lot of work shoveling dirt and planting everything. The rock garden in the middle and shrubs next to the house were planted by the previous owner. We did everything else. Slowly the gravel is disappearing....

We also planted two new trees, an Amur Maackia and Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry. 
 

Amur Maackia - I love this tree. The leaves look tropical.

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry. Off to the right....out future deck!

The Serviceberry can only be described as hopeful. It doesn't look like much sitting alone in the gravel, with most of its leaves gone. I'm told the tree will fill out beautifully in time and pictures online all agree, but for now, it's a version of Charlie Brown's little tree. Remember the one with the single Christmas ornament? That's ours!

The serviceberry is a good reminder that all good things (and endeavors) come in due time if we persist. Kind of where my writing projects are at the moment, but I haven't lost hope. I'm attending the the Rivers of Ink writers' conference next month in Richland, WA. I'm excited to learn more about the field, and in particular, the writing software, Scrivner, one speaker's topic.

We passed the following restaurant while driving to Spokane recently, and decided to stop. We now have a new favorite. Check out the neat sculpture in front.

A great place to eat, Ritzville, WA

Across from the restaurant, just off I-90

  

Have a nice weekend everyone!!

Celebrate the Small Things: To join, visit Lexa's Blog for the rules. We post every Friday about something we are grateful for that week. It can be about writing, family, school, general life or whatever. Originated by VikLit, co-hosts are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge and Katie @ TheCyborgMom

(Scroll down for more 'Celebrate' bloggers)

IWSG: Making Headway

The Insecure Writers Support Group meets online every first Wednesday of the month. Founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG was created to support and encourage all writers in every phase of their work, from writing to marketing. Click here to join, and for information, writing tips and more.


Co-hosts today are Nancy Gideon, Bob R Milne, Doreen McGettigan, Chrys Fey, Bish Denham, and Pat Garcia! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The climate here is still quite hot but I'm adjusting to the heat. Hubby and I have been hanging out at the community pool in late afternoons. The pool is brand new, gorgeous, with lap lanes for the adults and play areas for the kids. It's been too hot for golf, although many get up early when the air is cooler to play. My preference is in the evening when we can also bike. 

View from new home. Umtanum ridge on left.

Funny thing about the sun, and I've never experienced this anywhere else. When it goes behind the clouds, you'd swear the temperature has dropped a full ten degrees. It comes out again and you retreat to the shade in the oven-like air. I read that the UV rays are high all over the Pacific Northwest right now, so best to avoid the rays. I'm not sure if this is unique to our high temperatures (high 90s, low 100s) or simply a weather phenomenon this year. Many of us find it odd that we are all so low in vitamin D too. A doctor told a friend that no amount of sun exposure would be enough. We're all taking high doses and hoping the medical community knows what they're talking about.

We are not officially a desert (our winters are cold). Farmers grow grapes, apples, peaches, apricots, cherries, corn, potatoes, wheat and more here. Give the land water and fertilizer, and you can grow just about anything in sandy loam (some areas are almost pure sand, but compost does wonders). 
 

I have one beautiful rose bush.

The truth of the matter is we get on average six to ten inches of rain a year. Fortunately, water is cheap. We live on an old river bed with an underground aquifer and a river lake just minutes away.

It's been an interesting year adjusting though. Major services are an hour away. We have basic health care, one main restaurant and grocery store, one hardware store, pizza, some fast food, three gas stations, and smaller related businesses that include a cool tortilla factory (fresh off the grill), but that's it. 

Given the vast number of fruit orchards, we also have a thriving Mexican migrant community. Many workers and their families have stayed and made their home here. I wish I spoke Spanish. Someone at church mentioned taking a Spanish immersion class, and I almost raised my hand. 

I'm not a city gal, but I find myself missing the cute college towns we left behind, with their tree lined Main streets and coffee hangouts. I miss walking through the malls, too, going to movies, and checking out the latest restaurant. I'm glad we are an hour from another college town, where we can take in a movie and dinner when we feel like it. We plan to see the new Jurassic Park movie later this week.

There is always pro and con to moving, which was almost one year ago to the day, and in that regard, you might say this has been an insecure year for me. It was a tough move saying goodbye. You really do gain some and lose some, but I don't think it helps to dwell on the negatives or the past. We should learn from the past of course and stay in touch with old friends, but embrace the new and move on. I'm treating our new home as an adventure, and slowly but surely we are putting down roots again. Landscaping over a half acre will be the dominant thrust for awhile and for sure my writing.

On that front, I successfully downsized my YA novel to below 80k, and finally....FINALLY, I'm satisfied with the ending. I'm currently using SmartEdit as one last check. SmartEdit can be downloaded for free for a ten day trial, or purchased outright. The software is awesome. For instance, it pointed out I had used "he said/she said" 109 times, which of course was excessive. But see for yourself. It's free to check out! 

As to the race, my husband and I are still competing to make the finish line first. Our self imposed motivation effort appears to be working. We both have made headway! Vince reached the halfway mark on painting his plane last week, and I'm running out of things to tweak in my novel. [Scroll down for a photo of the plane]. 

Something to inspire (remember 

the little train that could?) 

"The Ladder of Achievement" (Anonymous)

 (The Treasure Chest, 1965)

                                                                                                                                                                                 100%--I did.          

                                                                     90%--I will.
                                                              80%--I can.
                                                       70%--I think I can.
                                                60%--I might.
                                          50%--I think I might.
                                   40%--What is it?
                             30%--I wish I could.
                      20% --I don't know how.
               10%--I can't.
         0%--I won't.

 

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

Celebrate the Small Things: New Growth

Grow box is planted with Spinach and Swiss Chard

A spot for my new rose, a gift from new friend.

 

My garden pots are ready.

The ducks are too.

New daffodil starts reaching for the sun

A deer that Mom gave me and I 'dearly' love.

A burst of pink this morning, its big debut.

A showy forsythia in full bloom, the best of all.

The color of spring and new growth are everywhere. Welcome spring. Just 2500 words left to cut in my novel; I wrote eight posts for the April A-Z; and this afternoon I take my first golf lesson. What a lovely week this has been.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Thank you Lexa Cain for hosting one of the 

best Blog Hops ever, And co-hosts, too:

 L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge  

and Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Celebrate the Small Things: A Snoozy Post

I crammed in a lot this week, in addition to sitting at the computer and working on my writing, so I feel a bit like Garfield right now. I'm calling this a snoozy post, because I could use a nap. 

Here's a mishmash of things of going on:

• Attended my first Garden Club meeting. I'm officially an Earth Angel! A guest speaker talked about how to prune roses. Turns out, roses do really well in hot climates. Then I jumped off the deep end and volunteered for a Garden Show today. What was I thinking? But don't get me wrong, I love this stuff. It's my second outlet, next to writing.

• Flew to Pullman, WA and spent the night with friends; a leisurely dinner out, and flew home the next morning. It was fun visiting our friends and "old stomping grounds."  

View of area where we now live, flying off in hubby's RV8. Land sections are fruit orchards and vineyards (it's wine country here!).

 

Close up view of Sentinel Gap & the Columbia River

• Connected with another writer online, who is published with Poisoned Pencil, and decided I really like this publisher. 

•  Entered Pitch Madness today, just to see if I can make the final cut (no luck last year).

• Getting ready to do taxes. Ugh. I have done the family's taxes for many years now. The prep work in advance is more time-consuming than the actual forms.

•  Saw The Tourist with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. Missed it in the theaters. Absolutely loved it! The surprise ending is worth the whole movie, and of course, those two together.....I'll let your imagination fill in the rest :)

• Started two Grow Boxes outside, with Swiss Chard and Spinach. Planted daffodils in ground. Started seeds in house for lettuce, petunias, and sunflowers 

• Tomorrow morning, watching a Webinar based in New York, sponsored by Inland Northwest SCBWI. Keynote speeches by authors, Keynote Editor's Panel Marketplace 2015 (Report from the Front Line), and Keynote Agent's Panel (Charting Your Career Path). Should be good. 

Have a Nice Weekend!

Thank you Lexa Cain for hosting this blog hop!

And co-hosts: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge  

and Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Sharon M. Himsl

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