tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79084080976795314352024-02-28T15:41:53.581-08:00Sharon M. Himsl - Shells, Tales and SailsA ship in port is safe, but this is not what ships are for. Sail out to sea and do new things. ~Grace Hopper~ Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.comBlogger564125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-52731711532792856152023-02-13T05:00:00.014-08:002023-02-13T05:00:00.174-08:00Oh my. National Clean Out Your Computer Day<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Eb4Hiyg8msKbOQ2RE8Cjk5F-amDDXwTwb8esRXfADOB1c3Crh56HlJUgZNCU5VbAl89bs0olv8YePVP8vS14Qzl-9qNuc_7zOtaSbanU1iIDYO5eTP39VNiGedoHMdc6w6sTcwE-fldYCIkhKn_2VNisatU_V2x7C33j0_pPB9lV1LR-W1bE8fnXpQ/s300/Laptop_Eye_Contact.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="300" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Eb4Hiyg8msKbOQ2RE8Cjk5F-amDDXwTwb8esRXfADOB1c3Crh56HlJUgZNCU5VbAl89bs0olv8YePVP8vS14Qzl-9qNuc_7zOtaSbanU1iIDYO5eTP39VNiGedoHMdc6w6sTcwE-fldYCIkhKn_2VNisatU_V2x7C33j0_pPB9lV1LR-W1bE8fnXpQ/s1600/Laptop_Eye_Contact.webp" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">February 13th is "National Clean Out Your Computer Day." Seriously! Funny how this motivates me. I've had a few snafus lately trying to locate items on my computer. Files are messed up it would appear. I swear my computer has lost its marbles or should I say vision? Maybe some maintenance is in order. <br /><br />I'm going to start with physically cleaning the exterior of a computer, and then tackle the interior. Thanks to my husband and all who offered professional advice online. Here are suggestions for those who work at home. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Exterior Cleaning: (for safety, turn off computer first) </b></span><br /><br />Start with a cleaning solution safe for computer screens. Here are three options. <br /><br />1) Make a vinegar solution to clean and disinfect. Use a ratio 1:1 of white vinegar and distilled water (note: tap water eventually leaves mineral deposits).<br /><br />2) Use 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean and disinfect. This can also be used to clean electronics. <br /><br />3) Purchase a cleaner. Check if safe for computer screens. Windex and most other glass cleaners are too harsh on screens and can damage anti-glare coatings, although some with vinegar may be okay. Read the label. <br /><br />To disinfect, spray cleaner on microfiber cloth and use as a wipe. Do not spray directly on surface. Don’t forget the keyboard and gaps in between the keys. I found a toothpick or a cotton Q tip works well for this. Check the underside of your keyboard too for food crumbs if you sometimes snack at your desk like I do. Remember to use microfiber cloths, not paper towels, rags, old T-shirts, or the sweater you happen to be wearing (they can scratch surfaces). <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interior Cleaning: (warning - potential headache😟)</b></span><br /><br />--Empty computer trash (do regularly) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">--Scan for malware/suspicious files. I have <b>Malware Bytes</b> which scans my computer daily. I also have several computer sign-ons. One for Admin (for program changes, etc.), one for Financial (for bills, etc.), and one for My World (daily work). I highly recommend. Apparently, this method gives different layers of protection. My husband set this up and swears by it. We recently gave my elderly mother a sign on too, so she can have email. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">--Review emails and delete those no longer needed. Ongoing. (I have too much spam). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> -- Uninstall/Delete unwanted or unused programs. Yes, probably some there. <br /><br />--Delete files no longer needed. Oh my. Feels like I have hundreds. Probably an exaggeration. But this will take some time. <br /><br />--Organize files and folders. Definitely could use some work. <br /><br />--Update programs you use. Need to verify auto updates. <br /><br />-- Backup your computer. I have neglected this because I was under the impression my files were backed up to a second hard drive automatically. My computer savvy husband just informed me this is not the case. I do have auto backup, but nothing more. Oh, dear…this is me screeching </span><span style="font-size: medium;">😲</span><span style="font-size: medium;">. I have a backup hard drive, but I must remember to use. I also have Microsoft OneDrive. No excuse. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">😲 'The tale of how Sharon lost her writing' is not one I wish to read or tell!</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />-- Move files on your desktop screen to their appropriate folders. Not sure about this. I like to keep folders on my desktop where I can see everything at a glance. They serve as reminders, which is a good thing when juggling projects. I do have files though that have no purpose on my desktop. These will be filed appropriately or removed. <br /><br />-- Clean out downloads folder. Thinking I may have a lot. I seldom check. <br /><br />--Remove duplicate files. I’m groaning. There are programs for duplicate files, photos too. A big mess. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good luck everyone. I hope you are in better shape than I am. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All the best, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sharon</span></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nKAUrOBsG4s/W_jbOQEuVwI/AAAAAAAAKzU/pRN3daguYIsSu4k60OxI3ubm9e0cd6WxQCLcBGAs/s1600/smET%2Bteenbookpic_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="192" height="157" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nKAUrOBsG4s/W_jbOQEuVwI/AAAAAAAAKzU/pRN3daguYIsSu4k60OxI3ubm9e0cd6WxQCLcBGAs/w157-h157/smET%2Bteenbookpic_n.jpg" width="157" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-76526251864787263382022-04-17T07:00:00.027-07:002023-02-04T23:38:47.146-08:00Happy Easter: We Used to Send Postcards<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>We used to send postcards...a lot</b></span>, and it was
a fun way to let people know we were thinking about them when we
traveled. But I do not recall ever sending one at Easter time. Below is an Easter postcard sent from Norway, addressed to my grandparents in America in the early 1900s. The scribbling on front was probably my mother's doing or that of one of her five siblings.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qZzq4WO7Q2s/WPMEXsJnSGI/AAAAAAAAIn0/14KHb4CJi9IMub0syEuKkdM22Eqn6vMKACLcB/s1600/CCF03282013_00002.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qZzq4WO7Q2s/WPMEXsJnSGI/AAAAAAAAIn0/14KHb4CJi9IMub0syEuKkdM22Eqn6vMKACLcB/s16000/CCF03282013_00002.png" /></a></div><p></p><p></p>I've never saved postcards for long. Have you? Perhaps I should have. I did find an old collection of greeting cards once in a drawer. Some were for Easter, not the Easter bunny kind for kids, but those celebrating the resurrection of Christ. For some reason they were never sent. To be frank, the holiday never really caught on with Hallmark or other card makers as it had with the other holidays. Not that it never caught on with me. I still attend sunrise services. But I sometimes blame the loss of Easter on the school system when spring break stopped falling on this holiday. Just a theory. Perhaps, it was one too many Christian celebrations to keep in the mix, I'm not sure, but let's face it, both Christmas and Easter can easily be celebrated without any reference to Christ. <p>I come from a family of Lutherans, both German Lutherans and Norwegian Lutherans. My closest German ancestors pretty much lost their faith, despite one Rader ancestor who had ridden horseback all over Missouri evangelizing his neighbors and extended family in the late 1800s. The Rader family made history in that state and left quite a legacy. One town bears the family's name to this day. </p><p>My Norwegian side held firm to the faith, even those who boldly tried less traditional worship in other churches, like Baptist and Pentecostal types. My grandfather was a diehard Lutheran though, having been the only Lutheran Gravseth to travel to America. Religion divided my grandmother and him quite a bit over the years, as she did leave the Lutheran church. From the old country (i.e. Norway) their families sent religious postcards during the holidays, like the one below, and I have to think it may have been the one time their faiths were united. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wWWeV_9ejxg/WPMEJLij9KI/AAAAAAAAInw/e-Rqso3nKZgrWQUbC4EL2Xg2Zd44qEvEQCEw/s1600/CCF03282013_00003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wWWeV_9ejxg/WPMEJLij9KI/AAAAAAAAInw/e-Rqso3nKZgrWQUbC4EL2Xg2Zd44qEvEQCEw/s16000/CCF03282013_00003.jpg" /></a></div><p>
</p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nKAUrOBsG4s/W_jbOQEuVwI/AAAAAAAAKzU/pRN3daguYIsSu4k60OxI3ubm9e0cd6WxQCLcBGAs/s1600/smET%2Bteenbookpic_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="192" height="157" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nKAUrOBsG4s/W_jbOQEuVwI/AAAAAAAAKzU/pRN3daguYIsSu4k60OxI3ubm9e0cd6WxQCLcBGAs/w157-h157/smET%2Bteenbookpic_n.jpg" width="157" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-5482121712727410152022-04-09T22:34:00.000-07:002022-04-09T22:34:00.153-07:00The Classics - CLOSING LINES: The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N5GyQSOESpw/VpV7ItGhq_I/AAAAAAAAHKk/JMy80jr0u7k/s1600/last-of-the-mohicans-book-cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N5GyQSOESpw/VpV7ItGhq_I/AAAAAAAAHKk/JMy80jr0u7k/s200/last-of-the-mohicans-book-cover.jpg" width="148" /></a><p>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;">"It is enough," he said. "Go, children of the Lenape, the anger of the Manitou is not done. Why should Tamenund stay? The pale-faces are masters of the earth, and the time of the redmen has not yet come again. My day has been too long. In the morning I saw the sons of Unamis happy and strong; and yet, before the night has come, have I lived to see the last warrior of the wise race of the Mohicans." (Published 1826)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>I
love the classics, don't you? Comment if you wish, or read for inspiration.
Writing styles were different back then, perhaps too wordy for some. But weigh this against a world without computers, internet, television or cell phones to see the difference. I think we read to experience this difference. We write to capture it as well. </i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nKAUrOBsG4s/W_jbOQEuVwI/AAAAAAAAKzU/pRN3daguYIsSu4k60OxI3ubm9e0cd6WxQCLcBGAs/s1600/smET%2Bteenbookpic_n.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="192" height="157" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nKAUrOBsG4s/W_jbOQEuVwI/AAAAAAAAKzU/pRN3daguYIsSu4k60OxI3ubm9e0cd6WxQCLcBGAs/w157-h157/smET%2Bteenbookpic_n.jpg" width="157" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i></span></span></p>Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-85607194182229379762022-04-07T19:37:00.000-07:002022-04-07T19:37:37.581-07:00IWSG: A Plug for Audio Books<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="clear: left; color: #cc0000; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqvtZkqO6v2xtWweEbrNyaTktV2dBPxtLVHy-9iGtAm0qYzXSkXglMdKewBRgj5qphcQe3sqDSbVSil6DBhYtZ2xlEt3qqnBFd5HkqOjC7dBApVo61tmwgWVC01vuwYNdZPIuKaZtbvg/w217-h214/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="217" /></span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you <b><a href="https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">IWSG</a></b> for </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">this April 6 posting</span> and your co-hosts <b><a _blank="" href="http://joylenebutler.com/blog” target=">Joylene Nowell Butler,</a> <a href="http://jemimapett.com/blog/" target="_blank">Jemima Pett,</a> <a href="https://www.patriciajosephine.com/blog" target="_blank">Patricia Josephine,</a> <a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Louise - Fundy Blue,</a> </b>and <b><a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi</a></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span> </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hello!</span> I've been offline for awhile, so I was pleased to find this group is alive and well. You never cease to amaze me. May this be one of your best writing periods in life yet. We certainly have been through a lot these past two years! <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Regarding the suggested topic of the month, I'd like to put in a plug for <b>Audio Books</b> in general. For some reason
they fell out of favor with me after my children were grown and gone.
Fondly, I remember traveling to the library and checking out DVD books
before embarking on the many road trips we took over the years as a
family. As we were a day's ride from family across state, we listened to
quite a few books on tape. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of my favorite memories was listening to
a radio version of the first Star Wars movie, broadcasted on NPR. (We
had either taped these or ordered a DVD; can't recall). I was later
surprised at how much detail was missed in the movie itself. The audio
version had added a whole new dimension to the story and characters, and
to this day, I almost love the radio version more. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I think a good point
can be made for what makes a good audio book and what does not. You've
all experienced the fiction book that is easily skim-read, you know, the kind
with little holding power word-wise. But there are others you read word
for word because they paint such vivid pictures in your mind. These and nonfiction are
the best on audio. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So back from that period when audio
books existed in my life, I have turned a corner and started listening
to books again. Thanks to Amazon's 'Audible' offerings, I recently
signed up for the $7 version as an experiment. Since my husband and I
now live an hour away from major services, we find ourselves on the road
at least once a week. I've started with the purchase of nonfiction
books, since we have different tastes in fiction, but I'm contemplating
earplugs and book downloads to my Smart Phone when I'm outdoors
gardening.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I'm hoping this will increase the yearly number of books I
read, which has been pitifully small. My only complaint is the cost of
Audible for the full version, which is $14.95. I may eventually opt for
the full version, since selection is otherwise limited. It does however
add to the cost of a book if you don't read a lot, so as I said, this is
an experiment for me. But then the goal....is to read more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm
curious as to the cost of making an audio book and if authors in this
group have been successful. And, how on earth do you do it? What are the
do's and don't's of this process? It's my understanding, your
readership needs to be pretty high for audio books to be profitable.
Nevertheless, I do see a lot online, so I'll see what others have to
say. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">All the best<i>, Sharon</i><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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<!-- start LinkyTools script --><script src="https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=103850" type="text/javascript" ></script><!-- end LinkyTools script -->Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-88410546660351732812022-03-12T15:31:00.008-08:002022-03-19T13:04:24.111-07:00Celebrate the Small Things: How I Survived the Pandemic<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKeMOTSmWcZT1hlOL_0MXMCwnMgQmBydb-QAMGk0uvPoRp9TmNuHq3WxDY5ANGuXK3lG_p9JXK2yRnWgLjedPfVfko5tIvBoK3KUvJkmREx9n-eRqZKlwd9Kv0MOzL90xESIXRfWAKPuppu4BEJ_e1sRqEpWfoaTQO7grNCUAMA82MvfRuthdW1irWrg=s4160" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2340" data-original-width="4160" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKeMOTSmWcZT1hlOL_0MXMCwnMgQmBydb-QAMGk0uvPoRp9TmNuHq3WxDY5ANGuXK3lG_p9JXK2yRnWgLjedPfVfko5tIvBoK3KUvJkmREx9n-eRqZKlwd9Kv0MOzL90xESIXRfWAKPuppu4BEJ_e1sRqEpWfoaTQO7grNCUAMA82MvfRuthdW1irWrg=w320-h180" title="My largest molly - 'Goldie'" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Largest molly - 'Goldie'</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Hi there. It's been awhile. <span style="font-size: large;">I survived the pandemic</span>, as did everyone else reading this post!! I think it changed me though. I know it did. I found myself hunkered down in our home with my husband and 95 year old mother for the duration, sorting through an onslaught of online opinions (many ugly) regarding the virus, a new president, politics, and our waning democracy in the U.S.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I tackled some of the ongoing arguments, but felt awful, depressed to be honest. Mostly I wanted to hide. So, I did. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">I went into hermit mode</span>, sewing a hundred face masks for the community and learning how to purchase just about everything online. Amazon became my new best friend. While it inspired my husband to build a better pantry and my mother to nearly complete a novel, <b>writing pretty much went on hold</b> for me...unless you count the Facebook rants. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOjpdl7yk5DkTwjNehqQPPoR7JsvPPfQY4tDmJox6QC_jyCy00-o1gOx-MYJnkLUxXJBX6BeyQ_mYDdxoECMVRyL-Lf4kyTVX3C2SzkCDurD2riTmmfctiUoRlIhsV2J_0fkp-pMCQohpTcdcOozyRdLaaxozpz0DwEzFh07XUMpoCX1hq_h5waBozdA=s4160" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2340" data-original-width="4160" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOjpdl7yk5DkTwjNehqQPPoR7JsvPPfQY4tDmJox6QC_jyCy00-o1gOx-MYJnkLUxXJBX6BeyQ_mYDdxoECMVRyL-Lf4kyTVX3C2SzkCDurD2riTmmfctiUoRlIhsV2J_0fkp-pMCQohpTcdcOozyRdLaaxozpz0DwEzFh07XUMpoCX1hq_h5waBozdA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJzfEwl578JPi8PerbisYaPfcYzWotMOPij8KdVcU0ldSzSF5D1m72Qe88ICrTXiPpHMxo_5cb8TAtv5diyABz5Wq7yAwW_f2WgNsf6oNJMtLSIvk_P_eSWKHWQ1YuJFhgiNku4wW7hYwuxF0wxZ2pjnohrtvjULnp6cpvOmNYMUARCPdtXH8T8hjsog=s2560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJzfEwl578JPi8PerbisYaPfcYzWotMOPij8KdVcU0ldSzSF5D1m72Qe88ICrTXiPpHMxo_5cb8TAtv5diyABz5Wq7yAwW_f2WgNsf6oNJMtLSIvk_P_eSWKHWQ1YuJFhgiNku4wW7hYwuxF0wxZ2pjnohrtvjULnp6cpvOmNYMUARCPdtXH8T8hjsog=s320" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Hunkered down: With Mom & Vince</b><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Instead, I pulled out our empty 55 gallon fish tank in May of 2020</span>, a long postponed project and Christmas gift of old. I learned everything I could about tropical fish and decided to start with a betta sorority: five young female bettas, plus a couple mystery snails, some ghost shrimp, and several neon tetras. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwQxtxWgkRSMusLr6cwML40KHHIp5mc1u3grXdMk0hAgk5Ua0X_bLIm2OFsavQQXfW6qEJDQ0FrZLfQQ5reG8hVUkTMLWDEK8hQ1Ll5GEL9Leo3_bb7hphAWTbhZ44OuXHfj3UL0p2QqOh65olkocS7kR03Kw6ZHssFuMm8s7ldKtme80cvpZ2hncr-Q=s4160" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="two" border="0" data-original-height="2340" data-original-width="4160" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwQxtxWgkRSMusLr6cwML40KHHIp5mc1u3grXdMk0hAgk5Ua0X_bLIm2OFsavQQXfW6qEJDQ0FrZLfQQ5reG8hVUkTMLWDEK8hQ1Ll5GEL9Leo3_bb7hphAWTbhZ44OuXHfj3UL0p2QqOh65olkocS7kR03Kw6ZHssFuMm8s7ldKtme80cvpZ2hncr-Q=w320-h180" width="320" /> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2 favorite bettas, Suzzi & Sassy </b><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> It was fun, captivating and very peaceful at first, until I discovered that two of the females were males, which subsequently created <span style="font-size: large;">drama in the tank</span>. Betta males are territorial little guys. In the end, all but one died due to either disease, stress, possibly old age, and I'm guessing my inexperience at properly cycling a fish tank. Only one ghost shrimp of that group remains, and I have to say it was heartbreaking to see the rest go. You really do develop loving relationships with your fish. I know, silly to non fish-keepers out there, but it's true. All have special spots in my garden now, my favorites under an outdoor turtle ornament.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <img aria-label="Reading list image" class="OlNqv" data-atf="false" data-iml="2796022" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlOeDghqsYI1-gv1UHhjk1V2ui_3kC2t51jLUkfnRV2yzwFXZmmR7i8PVFAqR9ow0bwMVMv0IapTJnWTeY066PVz8E4bbzKoma_ZoJn0xYALZKu4-DAEvngnTLHsQBrjxQwh9NJNIxkG7/w143-h174/celebrate.png" width="143" /></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I have 4 mollies, 5 platies (and babies), 3 amano shrimp, 3 new neon tetras, 2 new mystery snails, an unknown number of Malaysian trumpet snails and a few bumblebee snails. <span style="font-size: large;">This tank, these beautiful 'small' creatures in God's incredible animal kingdom, gave me refuge and soothing comfort throughout the pandemic. </span>I did write about it actually, that is, random entries in a fish journal detailing my daily/weekly experience, and interwoven with Covid and political drama taking place outside our home. Perhaps, I will pull it out someday and see if there is something worthy of a small book. </span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, I'm celebrating the small things in life, fish or not. We have much to be thankful for!! Future-wise, I plan to continue my Classics collection of 'closing' and 'opening' lines, a favorite of mine, and I'm seriously considering the April A-Z Challenge this year. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When life gets the best of you, find a quiet place in nature. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hug a tree and it just might hug you back. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A long over due visit to California's Redwood Forest in 2015. </b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-27061630903034079662019-01-02T16:23:00.000-08:002019-02-22T12:38:42.718-08:00Happy New Year: IWSG Question and Writer's Prayer for 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m7d0kR9DagU/XC2a-o8Ei4I/AAAAAAAALCM/MFyK16O5gM0hDC4Pe_vmakHmTNgTWrIlwCLcBGAs/s1600/Insecure%2BWriters%2BSupport%2BGroup%2BBadge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="196" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m7d0kR9DagU/XC2a-o8Ei4I/AAAAAAAALCM/MFyK16O5gM0hDC4Pe_vmakHmTNgTWrIlwCLcBGAs/s200/Insecure%2BWriters%2BSupport%2BGroup%2BBadge.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a> <b></b>My thanks to Alex and the <b><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Insecure Writer’s Support Group</a> </b>in giving writers an opportunity to express their fears and insecurities. A great way to offer encouragement too. Anyone can join. Just click on the tab above
and sign up. Postings are the first Wednesday of every month. Members are encouraged to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. </div>
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The awesome co-hosts today are <b><a href="http://www.patricialynne.com/blog" target="_blank">Patricia Lynne,</a> <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Buie-Collard,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a></b> and<b> <a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Fundy Blue!</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Today’s optional question for discussion:</u> "What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since moving to a new community in 2014, an hour from any major city, I rarely see other writers. I miss being asked about my writing and never minded their interest or questions. We were in the same boat and usually shared similar struggles. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Word did eventually spread when my novel was published here in 2017. As I am shy about sharing my writing life, my new neighbors were surprised when they learned about my book in a local newspaper. There is a definite disconnect between being an introverted writer and the requirement I promote my writing in an extroverted fashion. It's a strange disconnect for me. Am I alone in this? I therefore felt terribly out of my comfort zone and probably blew it by not setting up some community book signing. I've only had one. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Awkward questions about my next book followed, which of course made sense if I wanted more readers. And then there was that unspoken question....that if I was a writer, well....why hadn't I published anything else yet? I guess I satisfied their curiosity by publishing garden articles over the summer in the newspaper, but I wish I wasn't such a slow writer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">As for daily goals, my husband gave me a miniature timer for 4 daily events. Thinking about this, I listed some practical have-to events. I know I can fit in other things I love like reading, gardening and cooking, as these require little motivation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">1- Blog & other social media -1 hour or less daily as needed</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">2- Write daily - 3 hours or more</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">3- Exercise daily - at least 30 minutes </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">4- Bills, filing, etc. - 1 hour or less daily as needed</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">So then I felt inspired this morning and wrote a Writer's Prayer for 2019, which I share below.... </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!</span></b></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"A Writer's Prayer for 2019"</span></span><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">May you walk along the free</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">sandy shores of discovery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">May kindness find its way </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">to you and yours with the break of day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">May you bask in the warm sun, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">pausing for a bit of fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">May you find gold amidst the embers</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and peace and comfort in the forest firs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">May words flow like petals from heaven,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">soft and pure with healing, again and again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">May words flow with joy, faith, and laughter </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">when nothing else matters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">May your writer's pen bless you abundantly, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">and ten-fold more, those who read and see.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">~~Sharon Himsl</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-63029188552474284412018-12-28T18:26:00.000-08:002018-12-28T18:28:13.490-08:00Going Solo by Roald Dahl: Book Review<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEg-cQwBHA-NWaFkvznkTfy-CjHNXiOe8zojevDP-rajw5UoLO4mqG0eVVBK7xdZrJO5_9oy8&usqp=CAc" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Going Solo" border="0" data-atf="0" id="plahover0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcSEg-cQwBHA-NWaFkvznkTfy-CjHNXiOe8zojevDP-rajw5UoLO4mqG0eVVBK7xdZrJO5_9oy8&usqp=CAc" style="border: medium none; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: <i>Going Solo</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: Roald Dahl</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Illustrator: Quentin Blake </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publisher: Puffin Books, 1988, YA up</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pages: 210</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Believe it or not, this was my first Roald Dahl book. Lucky me, it was
geared more for adults, as I found the book in a Roald Dahl collection for
children. Wonderful read. I highly recommend this memoir. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dahl tells the story of
his life as a young twenty-something British employee in east Africa working for the
Shell Company. The adventures with his sometimes dangerous surroundings
and the people he meets along the way are daring enough, but with the outbreak of
World War II, his life turns on a dime. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With minimal training, he finds
himself flying all makes of planes for the Royal British Air Force in active combat against
incredible odds. Few in his squad survive. Told with humor in great detail you will laugh and
marvel he even survived. He was one very "green" pilot. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~Sharon</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span> Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-78559470453551776892018-12-14T21:20:00.002-08:002018-12-14T21:20:48.384-08:00Celebrate the Small Things - Christmas Chores<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--I finished my Christmas letter yesterday. The cards are stacking up, nearly ready. I always breathe a sigh of relief when it's over. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hate to call it a chore, but it's a lot of work and there are all those added handwritten notes you have to write. I'm not faithful every year. I
missed last year. We were just too busy getting my mother moved into her
new place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Email greetings. I have family in Norway and write special letters to them. Thank goodness, I can do translations with Google Translate Some of my relatives barely speak English. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Decorations. About all I'm going to do. No tree this year but I have plenty of other Christmas do-dads to pretty up the rooms. I might pull out the Christmas village.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Outdoor decorations. Sorry, just a wreath and a "Merry Christmas" door hanger, but I do admire my relatives who could easily win a contest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Presents mailed. Yay for Amazon Prime. An hour away for shopping is no problem at all. I go to my computer and can order just about anything, even gift wrap. Please "Mr. Government" don't take my Amazon away. I can afford this service at the current rate. I heard somewhere that Amazon was under attack by the administration. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Christmas gift to Vince and me this year is coming - A 55 gallon aquarium and stand! Can't wait for it to arrive. Then it's off to the pet store for our new pets. I'll post pictures after it's all set up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>~~Sharon</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">To join "Celebrate the Small Things, visit <a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lexa Cain</a><a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'s </a>blog</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">Co-hosts are: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">L.G. Keltner @ <a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">Tonja Drecker @ <a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/">Kidbits Blog</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-79868333544769946932018-12-09T16:33:00.003-08:002018-12-09T18:06:04.301-08:00Gifts I Have Loved - The Singing Teapot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP-qNS37FlDd3QTAa3I_csrDfF7LhVhG4Ggb3Qim3ZXyh9cUJrNfqOydx92Nd0wIfYpRnksrdvdrE5_V2DHI47n4iGshivVqg6Uop40h6I1mFqMWT_O6F_ApWRqUr3Tqeogee-Z0u2gyz/s1600/singing+teapot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="965" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP-qNS37FlDd3QTAa3I_csrDfF7LhVhG4Ggb3Qim3ZXyh9cUJrNfqOydx92Nd0wIfYpRnksrdvdrE5_V2DHI47n4iGshivVqg6Uop40h6I1mFqMWT_O6F_ApWRqUr3Tqeogee-Z0u2gyz/s320/singing+teapot2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gifts come in many forms, big and small. Many I have forgotten over the years, but some stand out in my memories, and many I still have. A singing teapot is one of them.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was Christmastime and we were exchanging gifts at my job, where I worked as a Service Representative for General Telephone. In those days you called the phone company and ordered service. I was was one of many you might reach in the Moscow, Idaho region. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There were sixty of us. Holiday and birthday parties were celebrated all day, so some of us could man the phones. My turn finally came to open my gift , and I don't even remember who gave me the teapot, but I loved it right off. You tipped it over to serve tea and it played Christmas music. Neat!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Years passed and apparently the battery had failed. The teapot no longer played music. I liked it though and decided to display it on a glass shelf in our china cabinet as a keepsake. Suddenly it began playing music randomly throughout the year. When I lifted it up though, the music would stop. Strange. Nothing. Again and again, it would play randomly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It became a family mystery. A visitation by a ghost, an angel? We didn't know. I just knew we loved it. We finally concluded it was vibration on the floor when someone walked by the china cabinet that caused it to play. Logic dictated this but the music was never consistent and sometimes we heard it playing in bed. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Frankly, it's still somewhat of a mystery. Any ideas?</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today I can get it to play if I tilt the pot just right, but we are in a different home now and nothing else triggers the music. So far... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hear for yourself:</span><br />
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<i>~~Sharon</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-52390649034129599682018-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:002018-12-05T10:40:23.984-08:00Wise Words.... No Better Time Than Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was about to hit the 'send' button. I'd spent a good deal of time wording and re-wording my disappointment in a group I had briefly participated in. Someone in the group had put together a survey asking for feedback as to the future of the group. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Evening meeting times were my biggest complaint, as I live an hour out of town and didn't like traveling back home in the dark during winter. As a result, I never got to know the people in this group very well. Was it any wonder they treated me like a stranger when I did come? Yet suddenly, this became my biggest complaint. I did not feel welcome in the group, I complained on the form. I added a carefully worded paragraph restating my impression.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />My husband, who shares an office with me, leaned over, and said, "<i>What's</i> you doing?" He got an earful. Always thoughtful, and slow to respond, he calmly said, "You don't want to send that if the group is important to you." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And of course he was right. The group would never treat me the same again if I did. They would feel bad that they had made someone feel unwelcome. To be fair, friendship takes time. My real problem was not being able to attend more. I reworded my comment and told them the group was important to me and about my problem driving home in the dark. It was a kinder response and left the door open for a solution. Not sure how this will turn out but I feel better<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publilius Syrus got it right in the quote above. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holding your tongue is not easy for most of us, but it can mean living with "no regrets" later when we do. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Among
family, with friends, in the office, and doing business out and about,
our words have the power to impact others negatively and positively. I tend to be bolder with the pen than in person and sometimes forget. Today was another reminder. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But hey, I'm going to forgive myself. This is the season of forgiveness after all. And there is no better time than Christmas to reflect on this, when we are faced with holiday gatherings and festivities we may or may not appreciate. There is continued unrest in our countries of residence and elsewhere. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Within our lives and without, there is plenty to upset and isolate us from others.</span> I'm going to concentrate on the message of love and forgiveness instead that Christmas represents. This is true peace. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On another note...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm still trying to figure out the Christmas tree thing. We no longer have an artificial tree and I'm resisting the urge to buy another one that costs more than $300 if you want one that doesn't shed. I do enjoy these trees, fresh ones even more, with all the decorations and that wonderful, reminiscent scent of Christmas past, but I can see these elsewhere....in stores who choose to celebrate Christmas, my church, Mother's retirement home, and neighborhood yards with lighted trees. Someday I wouldn't mind doing a survey. Fresh only or artificial? Did you stop having one when your children left home? Maybe I'll get a few answers here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>~~Sharon</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-89683194931543575532018-12-03T00:00:00.000-08:002018-12-03T00:00:08.687-08:00Call the Midwife: A Nice BBC Series<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwgvpvPE6dLgbfQN8sybzIP2SEG-lqrHMz1fgT6MivJKsJfF8k2xNb1wf_QC7PZ5CZUKT_CDupKTvxZCuztjSJTylnRU_uSQ-s8lB1BnI8M3nipGJ0S6wpVDq4BEn6E52Mv83s_kJ_kJ0/s1600/CallTheMidwifeSeason1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwgvpvPE6dLgbfQN8sybzIP2SEG-lqrHMz1fgT6MivJKsJfF8k2xNb1wf_QC7PZ5CZUKT_CDupKTvxZCuztjSJTylnRU_uSQ-s8lB1BnI8M3nipGJ0S6wpVDq4BEn6E52Mv83s_kJ_kJ0/s320/CallTheMidwifeSeason1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love Christmas movies and have watched several already. I like that they end happily and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">leave me with an 'all's right with the world' kind of feeling. Come to think of it, the reason for celebrating Christmas, Christ's birth, does the same if you believe and embrace this miraculous story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Occasionally I find a series on TV, in my case, on Netflix, that equally warms the heart, so much so I am brought to tears. 'Call the Midwife' is one such series. Set in the 1950s and early 1960s Britain, the series follows the lives of four young midwives and four nuns who assist and supervise them in the delivery of babies and female care.<br /><br />When the convent phone rings for a midwife, they hop on their bicycles and ride to east London's poorest district, where families are packed in like sardines. They get an earful and eyeful about love and marriage at such a tender age. All in their 20s, they are pretty naive, barely women themselves.<br /><br />Based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth, their stories are told in Jenny's voice, narrated by Vanessa Redgrave. It's a marvelous adaptation of a memoir to the screen. I dearly look forward to watching it, often while on my treadmill wearing headphones. A physical workout and a delightful mental retreat all packaged in one. I highly recommend it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-80202472686810172332018-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:002018-12-01T00:00:12.775-08:00Hide Me Please: Reflective Time Restores the Writer Soul<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We all need time to unwind .... and re-wind, especially after a flurry of activity. As life often does, it interrupts, takes you on unexpected paths, sometimes fun detours that give you an abundance of writing material for the future. No regrets. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Family, friends, and unexpected activities that interrupt take my hand and pull me in various directions for awhile. All good, all good. Helping Mom with an arthritis fare-up. Did you know that wrapping up in an electric heated blanket works wonders? Meeting up with friends recently, talking of old as we always do. Touring a magical Christmas store in Tri-Cities, complete with live reindeer and traditional Christmas music. Shopping online and finishing my Christmas shopping for faraway family, a first to be so early. All good, all good.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But when the dust settles after such activities, there is a part of me that wants to retreat, to hide out for awhile and reflect. I find myself sitting in front of or staring out the window. I revisit a clip board I use to sketch writing ideas. There to my surprise I find a scene I'd written for my novel, forgotten but safely tucked away, waiting for my return. I begin sketching an introduction to a nonfiction book I'm working on and wonder if it would also work as an inspirational talk for young adults. Can I do this? I wonder. Much to think about as always, much to do. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Warm Wishes for a Merry Christmas! And may there be moments of reflection too that nurture your soul along the way in this busy, busy season of life. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>~~Sharon</i></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-68771264593147151122018-11-29T16:31:00.002-08:002018-11-29T16:36:30.397-08:00Africa Mercy - What Gratitude Looks Like: One Nurse's Journey<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIrcs-mrVUE/Wfa3ve3y7oI/AAAAAAAAJkw/9nNCQMZxgfUlY0NJNd8OkXx1-ayp7ez0wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/AfricaMercy%2Bship-smaller.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="504" height="191" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIrcs-mrVUE/Wfa3ve3y7oI/AAAAAAAAJkw/9nNCQMZxgfUlY0NJNd8OkXx1-ayp7ez0wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/AfricaMercy%2Bship-smaller.jpg" width="320" /></a>My friend Marilyn continues to give of her time and life on the Africa Mercy, a hospital ship that travels up and down the coast of Africa. Her email post is a bit dated, but it is never too late to reflect on Thanksgiving and being thankful. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As Marilyn says below: "Gratitude is a constant theme around here, so much so that it starts to feel normal and expected."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2<b>018-11-24 Thanksgiving and kids </b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> It’s a long weekend for us on the ship. We don’t officially celebrate Thanksgiving, but since the largest people-group is American, they did contrive to serve turkey, dressing, and </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></i>cranberry sauce for supper. Then there was a party in midships, everyone invited. Assorted people shared desserts that they’d made to celebrate. We also celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving in October, again unofficially. Thanksgiving is a lovely holiday no matter when you celebrate. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I went to the Hope Center yesterday to play with the kids. The Ponsetti program is in full swing, so we have lots of kids with bowed legs or knock knees who are in the process of being straightened. Walking with both legs in full length casts can be a bit tricky, but it doesn’t slow them down much. They especially delighted in the balloon animals that one crew member made for them. Personalities quickly emerged: One boy wanted two, then two more, then two more…all with a twinkle in his eye and a big grin, even when we told him no. One boy had casts on both arms and hands, but he tried very hard to grab a balloon out of the box. When he dropped the balloon I gave him, he quickly knelt down and picked it up off the floor with his teeth. Resourceful lad. One shy girl just looked longingly; she lit up like a Christmas tree when we gave her one, too. One girl was a bit of a bully, bossing others around and taking her turn first when she could. They certainly had different strategies, but they were all eager to participate, and they all stayed cheerful even when we set limits. No pouting, no tears, no sense of entitlement. They teach a good lesson to live in the moment, be grateful for what comes your way, and don’t covet what you don’t have. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> Work has settled into a rhythm and goes along without a lot of drama these days. I have scheduled almost 600 people for surgery, half of our goal for the field service. So, we’re pretty much on target. Most of the people do show up for surgery as scheduled, but of course some can’t come because of illness or a death in the family. (We try to reschedule them.) I turn many away due to blood pressure or blood sugar problems, with instructions to get it sorted and come back. Most of them do, so maybe we’ve been a double blessing to them, if they continue to take care of their hypertension or diabetes as we have instructed them. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Conakry is still experiencing a fair amount of unrest. There are demonstrations several days a week, obstructing traffic, sometimes closing businesses for the day. Some of our day crew and patients live in dangerous neighborhoods, but for the most part, the unrest doesn’t impact Mercy Ships, even the off-ship locations for dentistry and eye clinic. I still haven’t figured out what all the unrest is about—is it just the opposing party trying to unseat the president, or are there specific grievances that could be addressed? Most likely, it’s both. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Christmas season is almost upon us. It is a wonderful, joyous time on the ship, celebrating traditions from several countries, and free from the commercialism we experience at home. I'm looking forward to it. </span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-- </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> Marilyn Neville </span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00Jo3dKMACc/U0hENTKzd8I/AAAAAAAAGcA/fnni7cH9uQc3eUpmnHFkCdANOqQ6Uu8GACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/marilyn%2Bpic.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00Jo3dKMACc/U0hENTKzd8I/AAAAAAAAGcA/fnni7cH9uQc3eUpmnHFkCdANOqQ6Uu8GACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/marilyn%2Bpic.jpg" /></a></span></i></span></i></span> </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="mailto:marilynneville@elitemail.org">marilynneville@elitemail.org</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>2018-11-03, What gratitude looks like </b></i></span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gratitude is a constant theme around here, so much so that it starts to feel normal and expected. And then something over-the- top happens to remind me how thankful all our patients are, and how much they tell us so in words, smiles, tears, hugs, handshakes, songs, and prayers. I had one of those over-the-top events yesterday. An old woman, formerly blind, spent her time and resources for the six weeks following her surgery to make fans for a couple of us, a gift of thanksgiving. It must have taken her many hours; you can feel the love and gratitude woven into every thread. I’ve attached a picture so that you can see how intricate and beautiful the work truly is. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> It humbles me to receive this gift. I personally have done so little for her—I typed a few things Hopefully I at least smiled and greeted her warmly. (I don’t always…it gets pretty busy, and I neglect <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KlNAIIJZMPc/XACAq5x2cfI/AAAAAAAAK0w/fhevX7RGqmQ1wQtDb1GaQ4MlBknYMxt5wCLcBGAs/s1600/the%2Bfan-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KlNAIIJZMPc/XACAq5x2cfI/AAAAAAAAK0w/fhevX7RGqmQ1wQtDb1GaQ4MlBknYMxt5wCLcBGAs/s200/the%2Bfan-sm.jpg" width="150" /></a>the least “essential” but most important thing.) But of course, the gift is not so much for me personally; it is an expression of gratitude to Mercy Ships for the restoration of her sight, and hopefully, to God as the true source of blessing, without whom Mercy Ships could not succeed. <br /><br /> It’s not just the patients that God blesses through Mercy Ships. He uses this ministry to bless the volunteers who come to serve. In fact, his shovel is much bigger than my teaspoon when it comes to dishing out the blessings. Perhaps I, too, need to weave a symbol of my gratitude…but lacking the artistic talent to make a fan, perhaps I’ll just need to weave with words instead. <br /><br /> Speaking of words…I listened to the Celebration of Sight being translated from French into Soussou and Pular yesterday. As I listened to the babble of meaningless sounds that obviously meant something to others, I once again marveled at the gift of speech. Isn’t it amazing? We twist our tongues and lips and breathe through our vocal cords…and convey ideas, even abstract and complex ideas, to one another. When you understand the language, you think about the meaning of what’s being said, not about the vehicle of language itself. Yesterday allowed me to be an outside observer of speech, and it is really quite remarkable. The same can be said about written language. How is it that all these squiggles on the page convey meaning to you? But since God has indeed enabled us to interpret language in squiggle form as well as speech, I’ll use these squiggles to weave my symbol of gratitude to God. He has indeed blessed me abundantly, and I am grateful. Receiving the fan yesterday reminded me of how much I have to be grateful for, and how important it is to say so. <br /> </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marilyn Neville </span></i> <i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="mailto:marilynneville@elitemail.org">marilynneville@elitemail.org</a></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span></div>
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-38839652562694686232018-11-08T00:29:00.001-08:002018-11-23T21:03:43.223-08:00IWSG: Reflecting on my Writing Life<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="315" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gaP80NrH_M/W-PrahImczI/AAAAAAAAKuc/ImQuTLVcN5AgweldO_KVJTvL8Z6p8vfLACLcBGAs/s320/Insecure%2BWriters%2BSupport%2BGroup%2BBadge.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A supportive, encouraging group for writers. </span></b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you awesome co-hosts for November 7 </span></b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">posting: </span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor</a>, </span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">Ann V. Friend</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">JQ Rose</a> and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">Elizabeth Seckman</a>!</span></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: #f4f2f8; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?</b></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bear with me. I start with the negatives but end on a positive note. I've been writing for many years now, but only recently was my fiction published. I actually found a publisher (a small press). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Initially, I was over the moon excited, as only my nonfiction had been published before, and this was the novel I'd spent 10 years rewriting. Out of the gate sales were okay I guess, but then dropped to practically nothing. (It's been 16 months). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now I'm wondering what (if anything) I did wrong. The publisher did do some marketing, but most it would seem depended upon my efforts. I hear other writers complain about their low sales and wonder. What are normal sales anyway? I've followed all of the online advice, setting up a Blog, Twitter, FB, Instagram and have spent an enormous amount of time learning the process. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Allowed to fester, this kind of thinking gets me in a rut. I contemplate silly things like:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--My profile photo online. Should I smile more and look less serious? Maybe a caricature would be better. How about a younger photo? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Embarrassment. I committed to doing the NaNo this November, but now I'm so pitifully behind, it's a 'why bother'. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Feeling like I'm in a popularity contest. Why did "they" get so many reviews? Why did "they" get so many visits and comments at their blog? Oh....the road to jealousy is a bad one, folks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">--Blog overhaul. Should I go with a different color? A new theme? Would it be more energizing? Would it generate sales? Do ads even work?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This kind of thinking feels like such a time waster. Feeling sorry for one's self never accomplishes much, other than to rewind and start all over again.Thankfully, I'm too busy to linger long. The best therapy is really to get back to work....whatever the task at hand is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Truth is, I enjoy writing. When I wrote a garden column for our local newspaper this summer at zero pay, I didn't mind. I had always wanted to write about gardening. I've gained confidence as a writer over the years. A younger me would have felt unqualified to write for a newspaper. As an academic editor (now retired), I learned the importance of "less is more." Academic writers tend to be overly verbose and I got pretty good at red-inking their manuscripts. If nothing else, I learned that 'rough' drafts are indeed that--they always need work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Freelancing with an educational publisher later helped me stay focused on the topic at hand. I tend to wander in my thoughts, easily distracted with the details. I still have a certain editor's voice in my head ("stay on target"/"keep your focus). I learned how to research history too, at the library and online when it was still the wild, wild internet west. We have so much data available today. It's almost scary. I've done quite a bit of pioneer women's history at my blog as a result. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm more reflective these days and find myself wanting to write poetry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm a slow writer but I'm okay with that. I tend to be a perfectionist and like the results. I've been reading a book about happiness. It talks about the importance of the three P's in life: Purpose, Pride and Pleasure. I took a little quiz and I came up short on having enough pleasure in my life. I recently returned to church, which should help, as socialization is key to finding healthy pleasure. I fully understand the other P's. Purpose and Pride in what I do are important to me. Right now, I'm helping my mother write her memoirs and it's taking precedence over my current novel. She's 93 and I love being able to honor her in this way. I'm learning so much about our family too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last but not least, I found a better way to connect with the IWSG group. Turns out Facebook is an easy way to connect with other members (as opposed to the blog-o-sphere). Members responded quickly to a question I had asked recently about autographing books. Linking my blog post to FB and IWSG site will help promote this post too. There is always a learning curve isn't there? I'm looking forward to connecting with more writers in this group. I live in a rural community, an hour's drive to any writers' groups. IWSG is starting to fill that void.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sharon M. Himsl</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published: Evernight Teen </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></span></span></div>
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-73988305332330188952018-11-02T20:24:00.002-07:002018-11-03T16:02:45.738-07:00Celebrate the Small Things: My Granddaughter and Badass Ladybugs<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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, <i>The Shells of Mersing! </i>Take a look...<i><br /></i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;">An image of (MC) Callie when she examines the shells on her bed.</span></span></b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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😕) </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Liza, at ten. With her fabulous Barbie doll collection.</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span data-dobid="hdw">anomaly</span> 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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A familiar nursery rhyme most of us know:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> fly away home. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Your house is on fire and </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>your children are gone.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Meanwhile, hugs, hugs, hugs to Liza my sweet granddaughter and "ladybug" for inspiring this Celebrate the Small Things post!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Special thanks to 'Celebrate the Small Things' </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">host,</span> <a href="http://lexacain.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lexa Cain. </a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And co-hosts:</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">L.G. Keltner @ <a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Writing Off The Edge</a></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tonja Drecker @ <a href="http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/">Kidbits Blog</a></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Sharon M. Himsl</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Published: Evernight Teen</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span>Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-9044000010615369392018-10-28T14:34:00.002-07:002018-10-28T19:38:43.876-07:00National Chocolate Day: Shoes Are Like Chocolate<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just had to say a few words about chocolate today, since I'm
such a chocolate fan. One nice thing about being older is not worrying
about the pimples (and cramping) chocolate caused me in my younger
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thought it was funny someone had compared chocolate with shoes. Well, maybe, I'm thinking.....if I had a larger closet. I could certainly find more to buy if I had the room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If I did, I want the closet actor Kurt Russell built in the 1987 movie, 'Overboard' for actress Goldie Hawn. Did she not play the perfect 'rich bitch'??? Just loved those two together and the fact they had married in real life. I hope they are still together. Don't tell me if they aren't. It's one Hollywood fairy tale I'd like to believe 😃.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">How about these shoes? </span></div>
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<img alt="A woman can be sexy, charming, witty or shy with her shoes. - Christian Louboutin" class="bqpht zoomc" data-img-url="/photos_tr/en/c/christianlouboutin/567006/christianlouboutin1.jpg" id="qimage_567006" src="https://www.brainyquote.com/photos_tr/en/c/christianlouboutin/567006/christianlouboutin1.jpg" /><br />
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<img alt="I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes. - Oprah Winfrey" class="bqpht zoomc" data-img-url="/photos_tr/en/o/oprahwinfrey/127186/oprahwinfrey1.jpg" id="qimage_127186" src="https://www.brainyquote.com/photos_tr/en/o/oprahwinfrey/127186/oprahwinfrey1.jpg" /><br />
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<img alt="Be well dressed, behave like a gentleman, and keep your shoes shined. - Joseph Abboud" class="bqpht zoomc" data-img-url="/photos_tr/en/j/josephabboud/821191/josephabboud1.jpg" id="qimage_821191" src="https://www.brainyquote.com/photos_tr/en/j/josephabboud/821191/josephabboud1.jpg" /> <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">More shoes at my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/smhimsl/shoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pinterest </a>link<span style="color: purple;">.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So enjoy some chocolate today</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">....and maybe, </span></div>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Sharon M. Himsl, Writer / Author</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published: Evernight Teen</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-86339134243019856662018-10-24T00:00:00.001-07:002018-10-28T14:26:47.043-07:00A Few Notes... Plus, Africa Mercy - Off to a Great Start and House of Cards: One Nurse's Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes life gets a bit lop-sided, hectic, and out of the </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ordinary. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've found myself lost in unexpected family activities, but in a good way. I'm helping my mother adjust to her retirement home and simply put, getting old. Hey, I'm not so young myself either. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Apparently, the extra time needed to do this well was more than my pea-brain could handle. I simply had to neglect this blog for awhile, in order to keep my writing flowing elsewhere. I found myself writing a weekly garden column over the summer, typing my mother's memoir, and squeezing out time for my novel whenever I could, so nothing really lost "writing-wise." Happy about that, and it's good to be busy - as they say.<br /><br />Finally, organization is starting to prevail, and I see that I really can handle more than I thought possible. Thus, I'm starting to blog again and it feels pretty darn good. I won't stress if no one visits for awhile (I've neglected you!), but I do hope to chat with some of you eventually. I've neglected updates to my friend's amazing Africa experience too on the Africa</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Mercy, a hospital ship that sails up and down the African coast with a team of doctors and nurses. I missed her return to Africa in August and share her August and September emails below. (More to come later and then I'll be more up to date). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before I say adieu, CONGRATULATIONS </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">to <a href="https://victorianscribbles.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">E</a>LIZABETH VARADAN!! She has a new </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">children's </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">book out and I just love the cover. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be sure to check it out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Have missed you all! </span><br />
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<i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sharon</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2018-08-20, "Off to a Great Start"</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> After the customary 36-hour journey without sleep, I arrived in Conakry, Guinea last night to return to Mercy Ships for another seven months of being the scheduling nurse for the eye team. I must say, it was harder to leave home this time because my sister and I just got moved and settled into her house in Philadelphia, and I was getting really, really comfortable there. I was so focused on the move and settling in, it was hard to generate my usual enthusiasm for coming back to Mercy Ships.<br /><br />No problem. About the time I got on the plane, my thoughts flew ahead of me, and the flame rekindled. Walking up the gangway was a thrill, a sense of being home (my second home). So many people have stopped to welcome me back—I feel loved in this community (in my other one, too!).<br /><br />It’s a good thing I got a good night’s sleep last night. I, and many others, put in a thirteen-hour workday today. We held a mass screening event, screening for all the different surgeries that we do during the field service. Over six thousand people were screened, and about a quarter of those came to the eye team to be screened for cataract surgery. Of those, we scheduled over 300 adults and 15 children to come back for a full eye examination and possible surgery. <br /><br />It’s hard to put into words the joy, the thrill, of being part of such an event. It tears at your heart to see so many people with medical problems, so desperate to snatch this opportunity for surgery that they nearly rioted outside the gates. We actually had to delay starting for a couple of hours while the police and our security forces worked to calm and organize the crowd. We didn’t dare open the gates; people would have gotten trampled. Eventually, we staged an end run—we opened a gate at the end of the line, where people were quieter. “The first will be last…” Anyway, it all worked out, and we were able to see everyone who came to be seen. You can hardly blame them for their frenzy—their options for health care are so limited, so a chance for a surgical slot with Mercy Ships is priceless. And being part of that priceless gift is the thrill of a lifetime for me. Oh, yeah. That’s why I’m addicted to this ministry!<br /><br />If you are unenthusiastic about being on this newsletter list for yet another round of Mercy Ships stories, just let me know. It’ll probably be much like previous years, and I won’t be offended if you’ve heard enough already. But if you’re game, lets go for another ride together.<br /><br /> Blessings, Marilyn</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2018-09-28, "House of cards"<br /><br />As you remember, the advance container with the tents for the dock went on an extended world cruise, only arriving here in mid-September. Until then, we held our eye clinic in the room on the ship where we normally care for patients on the day of surgery. Meanwhile, the new tent, the one newly purchased for the eye clinic, had arrived and was used for the screening team. When the other three tents arrived, we were put in one of those and the screening team kept the new tent. It was a sensible arrangement.<br /><br />Life in the tent has been fine, very convenient. If a day crew doesn’t show up for the Day of Surgery room, we can send one of the clinic people as a substitute. If we need something unusual, we can go get it. If I get tired, I can rest in my bunk for half an hour at lunchtime. If, as happened today, one of our post-op patients has a seizure in the clinic, we can fetch a doctor, do labs, get medications from pharmacy, and generally deal with the problem.<br /><br /> A few nights ago, we had quite the rainstorm. The new tent, already defective and leaking, collapsed completely. Since it was 2:00 am, no one was in the tent, so no one was injured. Not only that, none of the equipment inside was damaged. The tent has been declared unsafe, however, so the screening team had to move out. Everyone who had been working in four tents now had to crowd into three.<br /><br />Now they have decided that that arrangement isn’t working so well, so they have decided to relocate the eye clinic to somewhere north of here an0d give our tent space to the other teams. In about a week, we will have to move again and set up the clinic for the third time. Then we’ll have to call a bunch of patients to tell them of the new location—hopefully we’ll be able to reach them and they will be able to find us. The clinic site is a substantial drive away from the ship, so we won’t be back for lunch, and the days are likely to be long and the commute tedious. If patients have post-op complications, I suppose someone will have to drive them to the ship, leaving us short-handed in the clinic. If we need something we don’t have handy…too bad. It is not an ideal situation, that’s for sure, and I, for one, am not happy about it.<br /><br /> Last year, when they were tentatively planning to locate the clinic far away from the ship, I decided that I would not come under those circumstances. When they bought a tent for us to be on the dock, I was elated. But now, I’m here, and now they are going to do just that, move us far away from the ship. I suppose I’ll adapt, but for today, I am grumpy about it. It does feel like the poor eye team lives in a house of cards, never secure in our accommodations, always the first to be kicked to the curb. Harumph.<br /><br />-- <br /> Marilyn </span></i></div>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Sharon M. Himsl, Writer / Author</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published: Evernight Teen</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-64811332580648144542018-10-22T21:34:00.000-07:002018-10-23T00:17:50.613-07:00The Classics - Opening Lines: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving<span style="font-size: x-large;">Boo!! A Halloween classic....</span><br />
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<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/88/6a/87/886a87b81883025a4b4bbb535ae9c7f2--antique-books-vintage-books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Related image" border="0" class="irc_mi" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/88/6a/87/886a87b81883025a4b4bbb535ae9c7f2--antique-books-vintage-books.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="282" /></a> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore
of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river denominated by the
ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, and where they always prudently
shortened sail and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they
crossed, there lies a small market town or rural port, which by some is
called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the
name of Tarry Town." (published 1820)</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QfmxAmJID3U/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QfmxAmJID3U?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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A delightful retelling of the story in film with</div>
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Jeff Goldblum.1st broadcasted October 31, 1980.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sharon M. Himsl</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published with Evernight Teen:<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>~~</b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span><br />
<br />Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-82032672313529314732018-10-14T18:13:00.000-07:002018-10-14T18:13:01.603-07:00So What's Everyone Doing? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I'm reading and probably should be writing but I found a good book and I can't stop reading.<br />
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This is Roald Dahl on steroids for adults. Honestly, I had no idea the book existed. And did you know he's Norwegian? Really....now that I should have known. I'm half Norwegian after all.<br />
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But seriously, the guy really knows how to write. I discovered 'Going Solo' in a Roald Dahl children's collection I had purchased to divide up among my grandchildren.<br />
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I'm embarrassed to admit I have never read the children's books he's most known for. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, to name some.<br />
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But if you like memoirs with a sense of humor that focus on the WWII period, flying airplanes, and living in Africa, Going Solo is for you!<br />
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Well, I have been typing too.... Not my own work, but my mother's memoir. I
love the little miner sitting on the keyboard. He's 'panning for
gold' and that's exactly what writing about a life history feels like. Mother is 93 so you can imagine there's quite a bit of life to glean from there.<br />
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But I'm back to thinking about writing for myself too, and will use this miner for inspiration. Just 500 words a day someone on Instagram posted today. Now that feels doable. My current novel is around 22k, so I have a ways to go if I'm going to reach 60k.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">How about you. What have you been up to?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcuysJ3RYkOMgczwwDuwoEdpjDFZbqwHIGLwWLP2DZN70prcyWQRzTzetsffsUw9Mygc0-LwzdlhIGbBgNf0qjB6NCay0xjNIZv9wrAbxEaBgwDNS-EpG7WRBcpXk4KIL2NyFcNhRQV-s/s1600/shell+image.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcuysJ3RYkOMgczwwDuwoEdpjDFZbqwHIGLwWLP2DZN70prcyWQRzTzetsffsUw9Mygc0-LwzdlhIGbBgNf0qjB6NCay0xjNIZv9wrAbxEaBgwDNS-EpG7WRBcpXk4KIL2NyFcNhRQV-s/s200/shell+image.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sharon M. Himsl</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published with Evernight Teen:<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>~~</b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span><br />
Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-33363649629748223712018-08-20T09:05:00.000-07:002018-10-09T18:42:42.716-07:00The Classics - CLOSING LINES: The Study of Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyles<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YrVMRWcQVw/VpWUiKyCJZI/AAAAAAAAHLw/LNNAb3H7W8A/s1600/ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet_annual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YrVMRWcQVw/VpWUiKyCJZI/AAAAAAAAHLw/LNNAb3H7W8A/s320/ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet_annual.jpg" width="205" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As narrated by Dr. Watson:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Didn't I tell you so when we started?" cried Sherlock Holmes with a laugh. "That's the result of all our Study in Scarlet: to get them a testimonial!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Never mind," I answered, "I have all the facts in my journal, and the public shall know them. In the meantime you must make yourself contented by the consciousness of success, like the Roman miser— </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"'<i>Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo Ipse domi simul ac nummos contemplor in arca</i>.'"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Published 1887) (This short novel introduced Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to the public)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sharon M. Himsl</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published with Evernight Teen:<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>~~</b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span> Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-62759422450200725422018-08-13T10:15:00.001-07:002018-10-09T17:26:52.253-07:00Stuck...It's not such a bad thing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Shipwreck freeimages.com/Roger Buser" class="entry-thumb td-animation-stack-type0-1" height="464" src="https://themoney.news/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/04/e5c044f3490d6bf71e997e207dd8389d-1-696x464.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Shipwreck <i>freeimages.com/Roger Buser</i>" width="696" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shipwreck <i>freeimages.com/Roger Buser</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Shipwrecked, stranded, and especially the word STUCK comes to mind with this image. Ever feel that way when everything you are trying to do in your writing feels frozen? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">IF you're like me you have to set everything aside and focus on something new to get moving again. I've been cleaning house, tossing out old papers in my office, cleaning elsewhere in the home, thinking about painting, and window coverings....baking sourdough breads (my go-to source of comfort lately), but mostly throwing stuff away. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One example, and boy did it ever feel good, was to throw out a file drawer full of research on a nonfiction book I almost did for an educational publisher years back. I kept thinking this would be great for historical fiction. Most came from hours of copying at a university library.....Why? Because the network was still questionable back then when it came to research. Yet all that work, I kept reasoning.....surely it could be used elsewhere. So I had a serious talk with myself. IF I were to seriously do historical fiction, wouldn't I use online resources after all? Wouldn't I? So into the garbage it all went....volumes worth. And how did I feel afterwards? <i>A sense of freedom.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now that I'm clearing the plate so to speak, I am beginning to see my office and goals more clearly. This is not to say I'm now unstuck, however. As I'm kneading the dough for sourdough pitas, and letting another batch of dough rise for sourdough crackers, I'm toughening up to start writing again. It's time for the explorer in me to investigate this hunk of junk before me. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To be honest, that's how my current manuscript feels at the moment. My Na-No experiment awhile back left me with a story that began twisting and turning in strange ways. Was it the creative juices taking over or do I really need to start again? I'm <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">hoping there are treasures to find nonetheless as I investigate.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Time to explore! If I come up short, I'll bake more sourdough. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Sourdough Pita Bread" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 cups flour (my favorite combo: 1c whole wheat and 1c spelt)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 T. sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 Tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 cup sourdough starter (freshly fed)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1 T. olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3/4 -1 cup water (room temperature)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mix flour, sugar and salt together. Make well in center and add oil and starter. As you mix, add water 2-3 T. water at a time as needed to make a workable dough. Knead until soft and elastic. Place in greased bowl and cover. Let rise to about double. Punch down. Shape into 8 lemon-size balls (thickness of two tortillas). Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 5 min. Meanwhile, heat up a griddle or skillet to medium heat. Roll dough balls into 6 inch circles and fry in light oil. When the dough puffs up you can flip over for a few seconds to lightly brown. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcuysJ3RYkOMgczwwDuwoEdpjDFZbqwHIGLwWLP2DZN70prcyWQRzTzetsffsUw9Mygc0-LwzdlhIGbBgNf0qjB6NCay0xjNIZv9wrAbxEaBgwDNS-EpG7WRBcpXk4KIL2NyFcNhRQV-s/s1600/shell+image.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcuysJ3RYkOMgczwwDuwoEdpjDFZbqwHIGLwWLP2DZN70prcyWQRzTzetsffsUw9Mygc0-LwzdlhIGbBgNf0qjB6NCay0xjNIZv9wrAbxEaBgwDNS-EpG7WRBcpXk4KIL2NyFcNhRQV-s/s200/shell+image.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sharon M. Himsl</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published with Evernight Teen:<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>~~</b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span><br />
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Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-91187458365476156452018-08-09T18:46:00.000-07:002018-10-08T13:28:11.444-07:00Evernight Teen: DEBUT NEW RELEASE: BREED by Niki Cluff<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI47JydKLnaBb_ZJGnseyYioKxHEgwZbQfnX07SYcBio4MlicB6nXhLo5a6aQ9Zna5iDCqz5BwqTsgjvaNAbqJLZ7oxzUuIIKpN2bO_DMhQ-myPyse1l_Wc0dxjZ0BKThmhMDMhBtMNao/s1600/Niki+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI47JydKLnaBb_ZJGnseyYioKxHEgwZbQfnX07SYcBio4MlicB6nXhLo5a6aQ9Zna5iDCqz5BwqTsgjvaNAbqJLZ7oxzUuIIKpN2bO_DMhQ-myPyse1l_Wc0dxjZ0BKThmhMDMhBtMNao/s200/Niki+pic.JPG" width="131" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd4MPTw5-ROJ1ksAdQtn_uyg6ZwYr8EF2FSn57X3Hsf8wFY0KC5pw_Z30oDKlPTrtfDaB9YA-QiySJEVKNaGA_SoOl8NUwfgSgwCgewd7qGl-yHyya0JUd-gvEMVHoWUx3jw4jCbbdDY/s1600/breed-evernightpublishing2018-eBook-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd4MPTw5-ROJ1ksAdQtn_uyg6ZwYr8EF2FSn57X3Hsf8wFY0KC5pw_Z30oDKlPTrtfDaB9YA-QiySJEVKNaGA_SoOl8NUwfgSgwCgewd7qGl-yHyya0JUd-gvEMVHoWUx3jw4jCbbdDY/s320/breed-evernightpublishing2018-eBook-Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a>A comet is set to destroy Earth, but Kyle Singer is determined to survive. Tired of being treated like a second-class citizen thanks to her perfect
brother, Kyle doesn’t think twice when offered the opportunity to
attend an academy formed to stop the comet. It’s not like there’s going
to be much left after the comet hits, anyway. <br />
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She's drugged, shipped off to the school, and thrown into a relationship
with Ichiro Seung-hun, an exchange student from South Korea. The school
isn’t just about stopping the comet. It’s a breeding program for after
the comet hits and wipes out the human race. Terrified of becoming a
baby-making factory, Kyle and Ichiro will do whatever it takes to
escape.<a href="http://evernightteen.blogspot.com/2018/08/debut-new-release-breed-by-niki-cluff.html?spref=bl"> Evernight Teen: DEBUT NEW RELEASE: BREED by Niki Cluff</a>: NOW AVAILABLE! <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">********************** </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hi everyone. It's been awhile.... This is one scary plot. One of the characters is from the Asia Pacific, a part of the world wracked with uncertainty and havoc today. </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am</span></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> surprised that more authors haven't introduced characters from this region.</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Internationally, those in the U.S. are easily a flight away from South Korea, where most speak some English at least. The culture and people of that region are no doubt beautiful, but as with any race, there is always a dark side. </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not sure if the bad guys are from the Asia Pacific, from here, or both (read and find out), but it sure strikes my imagination. I wish Niki the best of success! May sales reach the moon and over. </span></span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I believe we read these stories, among other reasons, to explore the dark side of human nature and to find some commonality with a people unlike ourselves. When I researched </span></span></i>Malaysia and Thailand (including Hawaii) I discovered a seedy world of drug trade, human trafficking, and smuggling, with sadly, ties to the mainland U.S., but I also discovered in the mix</span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, the goodness of people</span></span></i>, as this author has with Kyle and Ichiro. </span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I invite you to explore Niki's debut novel and also my own Evernight Teen novel: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">T</a></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he Shells of Mersing</span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, which is set in Hawaii, Malaysia and Thailand.</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Happy reading!! </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1osYijDIINN6vfUj4shMoP-quPv2FZdMbPGHB4Isb7bsJBVE59rjd58BIfY7rGHjVcIQdb9cMKuO0rUQ2hxEN2_9qqWrFBPcxMKT1UN2TX_gm2Zl2HcbGCrKPlJJqZ_HSUA1t1ntazk/s113/sharon+on+mountain2.jpg" /> <br />
AUTHOR, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" target="_blank">THE SHELLS OF MERSING</a><br />
Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-28819939305911493602018-06-20T19:52:00.001-07:002018-10-09T18:59:36.482-07:00Living with Old Age - Mom's New Glasses <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBLIM0a-f5w/WysS90p20-I/AAAAAAAAKSw/YN2SsE2u3CwBuFi9I3GpWUbGxIoOtNiIACLcBGAs/s1600/smoke%2Bbush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBLIM0a-f5w/WysS90p20-I/AAAAAAAAKSw/YN2SsE2u3CwBuFi9I3GpWUbGxIoOtNiIACLcBGAs/s320/smoke%2Bbush.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Ooh, ooh," she moaned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dr. H hesitated, needle injector in hand. This was the first eye and he still had to do the second eye. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He glanced at me thankfully, sending the silent message that if anything goes wrong.... </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">You're here to help, right</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Yep, I pray every time doc</i>, I nodded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So then, Mom smiled at Dr. H ever so slightly. "Don't mind me. I'm okay." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So....The big day arrived. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"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." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As for ordering the wrong frames, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">she blames me now. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So be it, I accept the blame. After all, my eyes are better than hers and it's simply not worth arguing over. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcuysJ3RYkOMgczwwDuwoEdpjDFZbqwHIGLwWLP2DZN70prcyWQRzTzetsffsUw9Mygc0-LwzdlhIGbBgNf0qjB6NCay0xjNIZv9wrAbxEaBgwDNS-EpG7WRBcpXk4KIL2NyFcNhRQV-s/s1600/shell+image.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcuysJ3RYkOMgczwwDuwoEdpjDFZbqwHIGLwWLP2DZN70prcyWQRzTzetsffsUw9Mygc0-LwzdlhIGbBgNf0qjB6NCay0xjNIZv9wrAbxEaBgwDNS-EpG7WRBcpXk4KIL2NyFcNhRQV-s/s200/shell+image.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sharon M. Himsl</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published with Evernight Teen:<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>~~</b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span>Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7908408097679531435.post-77712730501138518792018-06-03T13:45:00.001-07:002018-10-09T18:57:57.220-07:00The Rewards of Old Files: Historical Goldmine<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://sharonmhimsl.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-rewards-of-old-files-historical.html?spref=bl">The Rewards of Old Files - Historical Goldmine</a>:
I spent the morning looking at all the unpublished stuff I've written
over the years....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(live on 2nd blog)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sharon M. Himsl</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Published with Evernight Teen:<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>~~</b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shells-Mersing-Sharon-Marie-Himsl-ebook/dp/B07345Z3GB" target="_blank">The Shells of Mersing</a></b></span></span>Sharon Himslhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835934582653243661noreply@blogger.com0