“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho Each year since the early 1980s I have set goals. I always had goals, lists, “to-dos” in my head, but written goals came later. When I first started, it was primarily in the context of my job/career. In fact, […]
A Journey Into Mission Aviation Fellowship
In June of 2016 on a return trip to Kansas from a family gathering in Moscow, ID, we took time to stop at the headquarters of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Nampa, ID. We have been supporters of MAF for over 25 years, but my journey with this organization goes back much further. The Paternal […]
A Hidden Airport And The Remarkable Second Amendment
“Your connections to all the things around you literally define who you are.” – Aaron D. O’Connell “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 Both the Second Amendment and flight are precious to me. Over the years as […]
Hello Summer! Abundant Simplicity, Calm, and “Stories” To Delight
“If it could only be like this always – always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe and Aloysius in a good temper…” ―Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited When one is retired from working as an employee, one would think that the seasons, including summer, would all blend together. While my time is more flexible, it […]
The Value of Margins – Six lessons From Ladders and Air Traffic Control
I have come to appreciate the value of margins. This happened during a season when my husband took too a tumble from a ladder while trimming a tree. Yes, there was a running chainsaw involved. We are thankful the only damage from the incident was a broken left heel bone. Nonetheless, crutches in a three-story […]
When It feels AWKWARD: A Memorable First Flying Lesson
“Even when it feels awkward…” – Nancy Cullen “Anything worth doing well is worth doing badly in the beginning” – Marshall Thurber I do not like doing things badly. I want to do things well. The first time. I see others doing a thing well, with grace and ease, so I jump in and, well, […]
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday – When Things Go Really Wrong
“Mayday” is not a call you want to have to make, but sometimes things go wrong…. When it was time to relocate our airplanes closer to home, logistics were considerable. One had to be transported by truck, the other needed its annual inspection before the re-positioning. Once all the details and dates were known, a […]
How To Tap Into Your Unique Inner Legacy
I’ve always liked the idea of memoirs, going into someone else’s life, going through someone else’s day and getting out of your own head. – Isabel Gillies The decision to start this BLOG came from a desire to preserve stories. To capture those bits of memory that get lost as generations pass and years go […]
How Flying Is A Walk Of Faith
“Sometimes a pilot has to take a firm grip on emotions, forcing oneself to take a firm control of a nervous stomach or shaking hand.” Weather Flying, Robert N. Buck Aviation is a world seeped in perceptions of thrills and frightful emotions. In reality, it requires just the opposite. Being led by ones emotions […]