4th of July, Part Deux: Spruce Goose

I have seen with mine own eyes the largest wooden airplane that doesn't fly. It is incredible. Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose is in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Due to wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum, Hughes' flying boat was made out of birch wood. (But Birch Goose doesn't sound as daunting a nickname from critics. Somehow rhyming makes a better taunt, despite the sacrifice of accuracy.)

First flight: 2 Nov. 1947
Retired: 2 Nov 1947
Size: Incredibly immense. I took 2 pictures because it wouldn't fit in my camera frame.

During a Senate hearing on 6 Aug 1947 in the first of a series of appearances, Hughes said:

“

The Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That's more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I have my reputation all rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it's a failure I'll probably leave this country and never come back. And I mean it.

4th of July, Part I: No Place Like Home

Have you ever had a moment when you realized there is no other place you'd rather be? In the middle of making this giant sea turtle with my sister, next to my nieces and nephews who were constructing the most intricate (and historically accurate, according to my 7-year-old Jackson nephew) sand castle you just may have ever seen, I thought that very thing. There is nothing I'd rather be doing today. There are no people I'd rather be with (though there were some who it would have been great to have join us there!). And in that moment I realized, that's probably the best feeling to be felt in this life. At least, it's my favorite to date.

(Yo, Vo. Notice Ryan's choice of bucket... =oP )

A more perfect combination I couldn't have asked for. My fun family together (lots of us) on one of my 2 favorite holidays.

Siblings present: RaNae, Brett & Nancy, Barry & Rita, Gordon, JaNel & Paul, Jason & Jen, VoNique & Jared. (We missed you Brad & Julie, JD & Colleen, and Aaron & Donna!) Nieces & nephews present: Ryan & Ashley, Josh, Ben, Marlana, Bradley, Elizabeth, Maryam, Olivia, Sarah, Jackson, Elise, Aimee, Leo, Jaylyn, and Jason's new family: Kaitlyn, and Koby. (Missed: 26 (and their families)!) And my wonderful Dad!

Are We Not All Beggars?

I have these articles sent to me--nice thoughts for the day. This one I thought I'd share:

Taking Our Turn To Give
People In Need

When we see a person in need, we may want to give them something as a way of helping them, but if we give without taking the time to see who they really are, honoring that most of all, our gift is nowhere near as powerful as it could be. We may want to give a homeless person a sandwich, for example, but if we give it without also taking a moment to look the person in the eye, making authentic contact, we rob them of the experience of being human.

Being in a position of need leaves a lot of people feeling vulnerable and full of self-doubt. The greatest gift we can give is to meet people in need without judgment and with the awareness that we are not superior to them simply because we are not currently in their position. If we take the long view, we can see that we all began life in need of a lot of care and attention, and many of us end life in the same way. Giving and receiving are companion energies that take turns throughout our lives, and we all get a chance to be on both sides of the exchange from time to time.

It’s important to be aware of our own tendency to give from a desire to feel good about ourselves, rather than from an acknowledgment of our connection to all people. Letting go of our self-importance allows us to see that, regardless of appearances, we are all givers and receivers. When we are in the position of the giver, we honor those we are helping when we remember the many people who have helped us. Then we can look the person we are helping in the eye, aware that we are making contact with a human being who is our equal.

I love this scripture (and many around it):
"For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment...and for all the riches which we have of every kind? ... And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." (Mosiah 4:19,21)

We often recite the scripture, "...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." It's probably important for us to remember this part, too: "Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." (Matt 25:40,45, italics added.)

I don't get it. You see links? I don't see links anymore. Are you kidding me? Are you trying to make me think I'm crazy? I think YOU'RE crazy, li'l sis. Fine. I'll post a poll. Are you ...seeing..."links"? Then I'll talk to my psychologist friend (FRIEND, not MY SHRINK...really. I mean it) and have him tell me what he thinks is going on in your mind. =oP

Wahoo!

Halle-flippin'-luiah!! I finally figured out how to get rid of the pesky advertisement links! Sorry, guys. If you want to shop, you'll have to go to another site. Wahahaaa!

Thanks again, my smart anonymous friend, for your thoughtfulness =o) You ROCK.

Decisions, Decisions

Where is the balance? Balance between _____ and ______ has been on my mind for literally YEARS. Words to fill in that blanks shoot wildly through my brain. Confidence and humility (always first). Phonics and whole word approach. Boldness and meakness. Agency and dependence on God. Praying over everything, and not being a slothful servant needing to be commanded in all things. Democrats and Republicans. Work and play. Family and service outside the home. Pondering about things to glean insight and moving on. Taking care of the problems in our own country and "helping" other countries fight their battles. Algorithms and discovery learning. Saving and paying off debt. Responsibility and spontaneity. My list with this is, as yet, endless.

When does it cross the line when you're praying for something with faith and persistence...into nagging the Lord into "116 pages" that are really not in your best interest to have, or lose?

How do you choose between good and good...and good? And then, not look back?

I want to choose the better part. I listen to Elder Oaks and want to not settle for good or even better, but the very best. I waste time wanting to give the very most energy/effort/etc to the very best/most important use of my time, and being torn in multiple directions and often, thereby, do nothing. Which might, interestingly, explain my blogging about it... (I can almost hear in my head Wormwood and Screwtape loving this predicament of mine. Little devils.)

One specific sliver of this general question that is on my mind these days is...actually kind of more like a huge slice than a sliver, I suppose. You know...a little thing...like... life-direction-altering. My 3 narrowed-down options (the first is the one that's happening right now, but if I want one of the other two, I'll have to expend a little more effort to get the ball rolling elsewhere):

1) Teach at Westland next year (I'm already team leader for 2nd grade and on the executive PTA board as the teacher representative) and go to classes Tues/Thurs nights for 3 hours to earn my ESL endorsement, which I'd have at the end of the year. The district will pay me a stipend to do it, too (though it's only available in 2 disbursements in the following 2 consecutive Falls if and only if I am still teaching for Jordan District or the new break-off district after the split. This means long-term commitment. Unless, I don't care about the money. Which has to be part of my nature in order to still be teaching, pretty sure.) THEN I can apply this endorsement to a Masters at SUU the following year...so 1/2 my Masters was not only paid for, but I get a stipend for! (Which is NIGHT and DAY different in cost of the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology that I applied for and didn't get accepted to at UPenn. That would've been SO fun...and SO expensive. "Due to an exceptionally high number of very highly qualified applicants, and only limited space availability in the program, we regretfully inform you that you suck." But it was really okay, overall. My immediate first thought was "that would've been REALLY expensive", and lightning fast came the second thought: "Where God closes a door He opens a window." I like open windows. Just not in this deserty, sweltering heat. I don't know if that has any allegorical relevance...and since I can't think of any very fast here...just take that as face value. Or apply your own meaning and think I'm amazing for being so deep. Whichever.)

2) Look further into applying to a university and traveling to get a Masters through a study abroad program in another country (hence the "abroad" term...but it's sounds so great I had to say it twice =o) ) I know far less about this process than I'd like to admit. But really all it would take is going to talk to a counselor at a university. Right? This completely appeals to my desires for travel and education and stretching my brain to think outside the America First mentality (which is the name of my credit union...and which I cringe at every time I drive in their parking lot! haha! Don't get me wrong. I love living in America and am so grateful for my freedoms and the sacrifices made. But I do not and will not ever have an America First mentality. I am first a child of God, 2nd a world citizen, and THIRD an American citizen. And at 1 1/2 or maybe 1B--a member of my family.) Anywho.

3) I began an application to the Peace Corp months ago. I was exceptionally excited. I still am, but wonder if it's right. But I haven't felt like it's wrong yet. Just that I've felt obligation to go through with option 1, not abandon my responsibilities for next year. Which both option 2 and 3 would have me do. And I really don't want to miss going to Greece with my Dad and sisters at the end of the school year! And, on a deeply personal and almost-not-shared note, if anything happened to my dad while I was gone I just might never forgive myself for the time lost.

So, what's the balance between solidly choosing the option 1 and adventurously changing my life in exciting option 2 and 3 ways? There is absolutely nothing wrong with option 1. I would love to get my ESL endorsement and Masters. But you have to admit, it is the least exciting of the 3 choices. Either of the other 2 would be the memory of a lifetime.

But...I want to live a life full of memories of a lifetime.

Brain Overload

I've had a million things on my mind lately, and have realized it's the important things that I keep to myself and mentally wade and meander through, and I share the less meaningful things far more readily and easily. Who really wants to hear the ramblings of my brain at work? I mean, really. That's the wonderful thing about a blog...you're not obliged. Feel free to move on at any time. I can ramble with no one listening and still pretend I was heard, which is what some of these thoughts would seem to like. Just recognition of existence, really, and acceptance despite my non-professional, but interested and curious nature.

So, I'll imagine you're humoring me here, and begin publishing a series of VeNicia-thoughts, rather than solely night-out updates. Though, I'm sure there'll be some of those, too =o)