“Spreading your wings in a perplexing world”
August 2022                                                                    James P. Hurd

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Contents

• New story
• This month’s puzzler
• Writer’s Corner (and my new novel)
• How to purchase Wingspread: A Memoir of Faith and Flying
• Wingspread E-zine subscription information

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 New story: “Full Circle”

Things happen we can’t explain. Sometimes God disappoints. This is one such story.

November 1941. When I was seven months old, my dad and mom contracted with Sudan Interior Mission, packed me into their black 1939 Ford fastback, and sped like an arrow three thousand miles across the U.S. to New York where they waited to sail to Africa. But before Christmas came, the Japanese savaged Pearl Harbor and America plunged into WWII. Hostile German submarines were sinking ships like stones, so the ship lines scratched all Atlantic passengers sailing with young children. . .

To read more, click here:   https://jimhurd.com/2022/08/11/full-circle-miracle/

(*Please rate the posting, or leave a comment on the website. Thanks.)

This month’s puzzler

(Thanks to “Click & Clack,” the Tappet Brothers):

On the back of the old-style $10 bill is a representation of the United States Treasury Building in our fair city of Washington, D.C.  In front of that building, there is a car. You can’t tell whether it’s parked or moving, but it is a car. The question is this: What year and make of car, is it?

And here is a hint. Anyone who is looking at the back of a new $10 bill right now, is not seeing a car. They removed it in the new design. But in the old design, there is a car in the street. And this car is way more than 50 years old. (This puzzler might entail a bit of research.)

Answer to last month’s puzzler: 

Recall that the Reds, the Grays, the Blues, and the Blacks have a round-robin tournament wherein each team plays each other team once, for a total of six games. The Blacks won more games than the Blues, and the Grays lost more games than the Blues. The Reds tied the Blacks, the only tie in the tournament. Who won the game of the Reds versus the Blues?

The Reds beat the Grays. The table lists the winners of each matchup:

	Red	Gray	Blue	black
Red	x	Red	Red	Tie
Gray	Red	x	Blue	Black
Blue	Red	Blue	x	Black
Black	Tie	Black	Black	x

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 order it 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/

Follow “james hurd” on Facebook, or “@hurdjp” on Twitter

Writers’ Corner

I asked, what’s the greatest short story you’ve ever read? Here are some good ones:

• Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Hollow of the Three Hills”: A horror story of a woman’s regret without redemption.
• Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”: Deception and death on the English moors. (A longish short story)
• Jack London, “To Build a Fire”: Tragic adventure of a traveler in the artic. He almost got the fire built . . .

Upcoming novel: Blessed Unbeliever (provisional title)

News! I contracted with Wipf & Stock to publish Blessed Believer! (Release date as early as summer, 2023.) I’ll let you know when and where it is available.
Sean loses his father, his best girlfriend, his life dream, and finally, his faith. But how can he be a good atheist, especially when he’s stuck at Torrey Bible Institute? He can’t see it, but grace is coming . . .

Tip of the month:

If you are using a poem or a paragraph from something published before 1925, don’t worry—it is in the public domain. Otherwise, you may need to track down the copyright holder and ask permission.

The way your story must unfold. The simplest plot arc is: Setup, Confrontation, Resolution.

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Wisdom:

Words women use and their meanings:

Disclaimer: This is a stereotype. And it is a biased, male point of view. But for many of us, it may have a familiar ring. Women undoubtedly would have a longer list of “male” words.

Fine                                       Not fine

Good                                    Bad

Nothing                               Something

Doesn’t matter               Matters

Whatever                           I don’t think so

Whatever you want      You’d better think about what I want

You decide                        You better already know what I want

Will you handle this?   You’d better not screw it up

You can do it                    But I reserve the right to offer suggestions

World’s worst puns. Please do not unsubscribe me!

• Dad, are we pyromaniacs? Yes, we arson.
• What do you call a pig with laryngitis? Disgruntled.  
• If you’re bad at haggling, you’ll end up paying the price. 
• Just so everyone’s clear, I’m going to put my glasses on. 
• I lost my job as a stage designer. I left without making a scene.  
• Never buy flowers from a monk. Only you can prevent florist friars.  
• How much did the pirate pay to get his ears pierced? A buccaneer.  
• I once worked at a cheap pizza shop to get by. I kneaded the dough. 
• I lost my girlfriend’s audiobook, and now I’ll never hear the end of it. 
• When I told my contractor I didn’t want carpeted steps, they gave me a blank stair. 
• Bono and The Edge walk into a Dublin bar and the bartender says, “Oh no, not U2 again.” 
• Prison is just one word to you, but for some people, it’s a whole sentence. 
• I’m trying to organize a hide and seek tournament, but good players are really hard to find. 
• I got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts. I won’t lie, it was a rocky road.  
• What do you say to comfort a friend who’s struggling with grammar? There, their, they’re.  
• I went to the toy store and asked the assistant where the Schwarzenegger dolls are and he replied, “Aisle B, back.” 
• What did the surgeon say to the patient who insisted on closing up their own incision? Suture self. 
• Finally, “I hate punsters! They should be drawn and quoted!”