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

Living with Old Age - Mom's New Glasses

So off we went to the eye doctor again. Macular Degeneration requires a steroid injection and it's painful to watch. My 93-year mother does not hesitate to let you know she doesn't like it either. 

"Ooh, ooh," she moaned. 

Dr. H hesitated, needle injector in hand. This was the first eye and he still had to do the second eye. He glanced at me thankfully, sending the silent message that if anything goes wrong.... You're here to help, right? 

Yep, I pray every time doc, I nodded.

Her ophthalmologist looks to be in his early thirties, and Mom sometimes questions if he is too young to know what he is doing. Not having studied ophthalmology before in school, I can only assume the certification credentials I see on the wall of his office are real. I assure her he knows what he's doing,  but we often go round and round. I guess---to be fair---I might question things too if someone was shooting a needle in my eye. I went online and did a search just in case, but the method checked out. And the goal is to keep her from going blind.  

So then, Mom smiled at Dr. H ever so slightly. "Don't mind me. I'm okay." 

Dr. H and I both sighed in relief.  This was her six-week visit. The goal is to spread treatments out to as much as three months apart. We are now on the seven-week schedule. Meanwhile, Mom has not been able to see well at all. She's been using over the counter readers, making do, because her past prescriptions no longer work and her most recent prescription glasses (I found out) were lost. 

We were also under the impression we had to wait for her eyes to settle down before filling a new prescription, but Dr. H thought we could go ahead and order glasses, so off we went to the optician next door where we spent the next two hours trying on glasses and debating what would work for her. Although Dr. H had recommended single-lens readers, we opted for a no-line bifocal with distance on top since we could exchange within 30 days at no charge if they didn't work. 

So....The big day arrived. 

Mom looked into the mirror with her new glasses on and was horrified. "I can't see. The words are all jumbled. Are you sure this is the right prescription?" The frustrated optician tried everything and finally suggested we see the doctor again to verify the prescription. She made an appointment for the following week.

"Well, he should have got it right," Mom mumbled as we left. As we drove back to her apartment, Mom informed me that the frames were wrong too. "They are not the glasses I ordered." 

Surprised, I was certain they were the frames she'd ordered, but she wouldn't hear it. As we drove, her theory morphed. She was almost certain the prescription had been mixed up with her friend's prescription, as her friend had ordered new glasses too. We went back and forth. I told her we'd fix whatever the problem was. 

A week passed and we had to cancel. Mom was diagnosed with early pneumonia and I was sick too with some kind of virus. Another week passed and we finally returned. Turns out, Macular degeneration was bad enough in one eye to prevent the kind of focus a no line bifocal required. Mom decided to go for two pairs of glasses instead. One for distance, one for reading. It's not the most convenient solution, but reading is important to her and the distance correction made a huge difference. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

As for ordering the wrong frames, she blames me now. So be it, I accept the blame. After all, my eyes are better than hers and it's simply not worth arguing over.  

Living with old age and learning as I go. Keeping a sense of humor and remembering how blessed we are to still have her with us. And God willing......I'll be there someday myself. 

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Celebrate the Small Things: The Good, Bad, and Best of All

Just wanted to say "hi" and wish everyone a

Happy New Year!!

I'm still finding my blogger feet as I continue to help my 92 year old mother move and now adjust to a new retirement home, a process that started in November. She is about 45 minutes away, which is wonderful, as she has been a day's ride away for most of my married life. I'm happy to have her closer, but I had no idea how I exhausted I would feel after the move. My husband and I are her sole source of family here, and the demand on our time has been tremendous. It didn't help that she fell and bumped her head and then came down with stomach flu right after the move. Then just the other day, her chin swelled up terribly from an infected tooth, so we are processing that now. I feel bad that I'm complaining. I love my mother dearly and would do anything to make her last days comfortable. I just want a little rest for all of us. We could use a break.

Okay, got that off my chest. Now for the rest the story..... Prior to Mom's big move, Vince and I had an accident in our small RV8 airplane. No injuries, thank God, but the right wing now needs to be replaced, due to a damaged gas tank and spar. It all started with a take-off that went bad. Loss of rudder control and a crosswind pushed us off the runway onto the grass median. We hit a landing light, which then ripped through the wing and gas tank, and damaged the spar (part of wing structure). 

Lucky for us we were air born by the time we realized what had happened. I smelled gas, looked out the window, and saw gasoline leaking in great quantity from our right gas tank in the wing. Fortunately, the other tank was full and not leaking. We had to stay in the air until the tank was completely empty for obvious safety reasons, fearful it would ignite upon landing.  Meanwhile, Vince had declared an emergency and we were directed to an airport where firemen and two emergency vehicles awaited our arrival. I was greeted by a tall, burly fireman about seven feet tall, dressed in fireproof garb, hose in hand. I could have hugged and kissed the guy, but managed to stay calm. We landed just fine without incident. Boy, were we ever the sight! 

Then just the other day our Toyota was rear-ended on the freeway in Seattle. Again, no injuries so very thankful about that, but we are looking at $5000 dollars worth of damage.  Grr...

So-000 that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. It really has been a good year otherwise.  Really....truly, truly. My book was published, my mother lives closer, I wrote 17k words in new novel, and Vince and I are healthy for the most part. I have to say too that you can always find something to complain about, but it really is the little things in life that matter most. A neighbor delivered a pot of soup last week and I was reminded of how lucky we are to have them next door. My son and family visited from California and my home was decorated beautifully for Christmas. I pulled out decorations I hadn't used in years. Check out my grandkids asleep on the floor. I got some terrific pictures when we traveled to Seattle and saw more family on New Years day. These are the moments I'm going to remember most. They will warm my heart and make the bad bearable...and when you think about it, it certainly could have been worse! 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

"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

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/

Celebrate the Small Things: Fire on the Mountains and Summer Magic

A family visit took away from my blog these last two weeks, but it was time well spent. Some excitement with the ongoing fire hazard brought incredible views. It was quite the ringside seat.  We watched our suede mountain across the lake burn in full view.

When the fire was over, these suede mountains were black.

Mercifully, the wind did not blow choking smoke over our small community, although many of us saw ashes fall. None ignited fires on our side!

 We watched our phenomenal helicopter fire crew dump bucket after bucket of water for hours on end. These folks deserve some kind of medal. 

  
At one point, the Wanupum community (our local Indian tribe) was evacuated on the fire side, but the fire crews managed to save their homes and businesses. 

View from park and marina at dusk: "The 400 Fire"

A photo opportunity: Selfie with my daughter on left

Love this of my daughter at the water's edge

Summer magic: My daughter took this of me, and said I reminded her of a magician raising up the smoke.

When all was done, no lives were lost and to my knowledge, not one building or home was destroyed. Thankful, thankful, thankful!

"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

Celebrating Stephanie Faris's Cover Reveal: A Book My Granddaughter Would Like

I'm joining others this week in celebrating Stephanie Faris's new Piper Morgan Series and Cover reveal for Book 3 in the series:

Piper Morgan to the Rescue

When I first learned about Stephanie's character Piper, I thought of my spunky eight-year-old granddaughter Liza and her family's menagerie of pets. At one time I counted 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 birds, one frog, and a beta fish. Oh, and I probably missed a hamster somewhere in the mix.

Their household changes with the seasons, and some of their pets have been adopted too. Their home could easily be an animal shelter, because, like Piper, they love animals. I plan to share the series with Liza. The story is endearing, and isn't the cover a delight to the eye? I just love the bright colors.

Read Book Blurb Here...

Piper Morgan to the Rescue: Piper helps some four-legged friends find the perfect home in the third book of the brand-new Piper Morgan series.

Piper is super excited to help out at Bark Street, a local animal shelter in town. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by adorable puppies and dogs all day? And when Piper sees Taffy, the cutest dog she has ever seen, Piper is determined to find a way to bring Taffy home. But it won’t be easy—especially when she finds out someone else wants to make Taffy a part of their family, too!

Release Dates

--PIPER MORGAN JOINS THE CIRCUS (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, August 2016)
(Click on title if interested in an advanced reviewer copy. Stephanie is giving away a free copy through the 28th)
--PIPER MORGAN IN CHARGE (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, August 2016)
--PIPER MORGAN TO THE RESCUE 

Bio:
Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses, as well as the upcoming Piper Morgan series. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive.


Links:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

I wanted to add that I appreciate Stephanie's professionalism. She made it easy to share her book series and cover reveal on my blog. She emailed me a Press kit, complete with Book jacket, Head shot, Blurb about her book/series, Bio, other Books published, and Links.  

   

Congratulations, Stephanie. Wishing you the best of success!!

On another note, this is Celebrate the Small Things Friday. I haven't been keeping up that much, but I still love the simplicity of this lovely blog hop. As I spent most of this week fighting a nasty cold, today I'm celebrating a clean bill of health. 

I've neglected my writing, but I did manage to finish our taxes (just need to mail) and especially enjoyed the sunshine today. It's in the 50s here and the warm air (when out of wind) feels glorious. 

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Celebrate the Small Things: To join, please 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.

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Oddbods | 2016 Chinese New Year Compilation

Happy Chinese New Year! A Cute post by the Oddbods. Wish I could be with our California family to celebrate. Hubby and I flew down one year to visit and we were treated to Chinese "hot pot" at a restaurant in LA's famous China Town. Glad my daughter-in-law is fluent in Chinese. She placed the order and we ate like royalty. If you ever get a chance, don't miss it! It's a noisy treat (just like this video) and lots of fun for families.

Celebrate the Small Things: Gathering Together

--Christmas Dinner at the Community Center last evening. A drawing, some good jokes, conversation, shared food, and bring your own wine. What's not to like? We are about five minutes away from the center. With a population under 5000, no one has far to travel. The Community Center is unofficially the Senior Center (according to some). Members are in their fifties on up, but we are all young at heart, so we downplay the "senior" part.

--Exercise Group. We meet twice a week for stretching, aerobic dance (hey, I'm John Trivolta!), and weight lifting. We follow Jane Fonda's Fit and Firm videos. Boy do I ever sweat. I have exercised on my own all my life, but it's more fun as a group. We recently topped it off, by going out to lunch together.

--Blog gatherings where you encourage me and boost my self-esteem as a writer, and I try to do the same for you. What would I do without your kind words when I need them most?

--Book Club next week at my home.  We are discussing The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron. Suspense, romance and humor all tied into one. I highly recommend this novel. I can't seem to put it down, it's that good. It's been a fun break from the YA and Middle grade books I'm reading. As a writer, I am enjoying the author's humorous language and character development. Attention Dog lovers: this one's for you!

--Cozy Comforts, a group that meets to make blankets for the needy. I recently pulled out my crochet needles, tired of saying "someday" when I have time again. I can always find time in the evening when Vince and I watch TV. Why wait?

--Bible Study: we are studying the book of Ephesians, one of my favorite books. We pray for each other and share our life stories.

--Church on Sunday. Small is the key word with churches in Desert Aire, although I run into attendees everywhere I go. Attendance varies (we do our best). I consider myself a Christian first and a Lutheran at heart. I come from a long line of German and Norwegian Lutherans. One German ancestor (a great uncle) evangelized half the state of Missouri in the late 1800s.  

--Finally, a family gathering for Christmas dinner on Christmas day. There will be eleven of us this year. Prime rib, last I heard.

What are some of your 

favorite gatherings?

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

Sharon M. Himsl

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

Happy Thanksgiving: Memories Flood my Heart

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope all of you are tucked in nice and cozy somewhere, enjoying a special time with family and friends today. Memories flood my heart and mind this time of year and I can't help but reflect back. In America, this is the best holiday ever.

My memories grow and change with each passing year. Here are some of my favorites:

Sharing a Thanksgiving meal with international students, those that Vince and I met at the university in our jobs. How I loved the surprise on their faces and the gratefulness they always expressed. Harue and Akino from Japan; Federico, Corine, Pablo and Jose Juan, from Uruguay; Jose Angel and Daniela from Mexico; and many, many more who wandered in to share our table. I'm afraid I do not remember all your names. 

A snowy Thanksgiving morning. Vince was on the road, driving to Spokane to pick up our son. He had flown in from Oregon, where he had taken his first job after graduating from college. He was so excited to be home again. I filled the house with praise-filled music and scrumptious scents that wafted from the oven as the turkey roasted, pies baked, and pots boiled on the stove. How I cherish that memory. 

There is my first Thanksgiving meal as a newlywed in Biloxi, Mississippi. Not bad, as I recall, but no matter. We were thankful, oh so thankful to be alive. Vince and I had survived Hurricane Camille in August. The storm had killed over a 100 in our area alone.

So many more memories. Too many to count, I'm afraid. There are those of my childhood, when relatives gathered from all over the Tacoma area. The women and girls crowded in Mom's tiny kitchen to make a meal for ten or more. How did we ever do it, Mom? Your meals were pure perfection. 

And still, the tradition continues. With family far and wide, we will spend it with Vince's sister and husband this year. My apple pie is already in the oven baking. Sweet potatoes are boiling in a pot on the stove for the candied sweet potatoes, the family likes. 

Blessings to all of you, and if you are alone this holiday, my heart goes out to you in friendship. Huge hug to you! This is one time I would hate to be alone. God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving!!