“Spreading your wings in a perplexing world”
February, 2017                   James Hurd      

Contents

• New blog article: First Solo
• Writer’s Corner
• Book and Film reviews
• E-zine subscription information
• How to purchase Wingspread: Of Faith and Flying

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New article: First Solo

 I’d washed out of Moody’s flight school, but remained at the Institute’s downtown Chicago campus to take courses in Bible and missions.

All of us students ate in the vast dining hall in Crowell Hall basement. I would look across at the flyboys who ate with us groundlings but sat at a separate table. They trained out at Moody-Wooddale Airport two days a week, but they lived here. Most of them wore immaculate, black flying boots. I don’t know how anyone could be a good pilot without black flying boots. Dave explained to me how he would smell burnt leather when he spent two hours burning off the old polish and applying the new. And their aviation glasses—gray-shaded and expensive. I didn’t feel worthy to wear flight boots or aviation glasses….     Read more here:   https://jimhurd.com/2017/02/18/first-solo/

(*Request: Please share with others. Thanks.)

 

Writers’ Corner

Writer of the Month: Ellis Peters, the pen name of Edith Pargeter. She writes readable novels about live and death in medieval Shrewsbury, England. The wonderful Brother Cadfael series features a Benedictine monk, who also is an amateur detective living in the 12^th century at the Abbey in Shrewsbury.

Word of the Month:   slatternly (of a woman—dirty and untidy)

Quiz of the Month: What is Mark Twain’s real name?

(Answer to last month’s quiz: Who is considered to have invented modern German? Answer: Martin Luther)

Tip of the Month: Try taking the most interesting sentence of your story or essay and putting it at the beginning. It’s easier than you think.

 Fun with words:

 You think English is easy? (Jottings from a retired English teacher)

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

 Book and Film Reviews

Greg Boyd, The Cosmic Dance. 2016. ReKnew Pub. A “Dick and Jane” graphic book (pictures with speech-balloons) about serious topics: quantum theory, relativity, the speed of light, how chaos can generate order, how God can be in control and people still have freedom of choice. Did I mention it’s a serious book? Even if you don’t understand it all (I certainly didn’t), it’s an amazing book about the cosmos and an amazing book about God.

Ellis Peters, The Heretic’s Apprentice. A “Brother Cadfael” novel, set in 12^th century England. Will the young apprentice Elave be pronounced a heretic, or will common sense and compassion prevail? Cadfael, the Benedictine monk, herbalist, and amateur detective will get to the bottom of this.

Monk’s Hood. A movie of Brother Cadfael. Who poisoned the landowner? Murder, false accusation, and mercy in 12^th century England.

 

Subscribe free to this E-zine

Click here https://jimhurd.com/home/  to subscribe to Wingspread  E-zine sent direct to your email inbox, every month. You will receive a free article for subscribing. Please share this URL with interested friends, “like” it on Facebook, retweet on Twitter, etc.

 

Buy James Hurd’s Wingspread: A Memoir of Faith and Flying.  

How childhood (Fundamentalist) faith led to mission bush-piloting in South America—and Barbara. Buy it here:  https://jimhurd.com/home/  (or at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.)
See pics here related to Wingspread: Of Faith and Flying: http://www.pinterest.com/hurd1149/wingspread-of-faith-and-flying/

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