A Perfect Birthday Eve

Today is my birthday.

I believe that it is as important to say adieu to the old year in a positive manner as it is to start the new year off on the right foot.

Last year’s birthday eve was an utter disaster. Since I have no interest in reliving it, I’ll let you just click this link and read about it here.

I usually like to reflect on accomplishments and lessons learned during the last year. Honestly, I don’t know what I learned this year other than how to adapt, make do and survive. Changes at work and a major hiccup in my physical well being have dominated these last several months.

I’m tired and I’m tired of feeling like I’m living in a fog while fighting to figure out my new life. The issues that come with hypothyroidism are surprisingly difficult to shake.

It’s not all bad though. My health has improved and things have settled down at work. I’m hopeful that I’m headed in the right direction because survival mode is no place to dwell for too long. Once it becomes a way of life, it’s hard to get back to something better.

But I did get to travel some and explored a good bit in my own area this last year. Sunflower fields, a real life haunted house, fall in Denver, a trip down the river and a whirlwind trip through our nation’s Capitol are among my favorite memories. I even saw Old Glory and the only DaVinci in America during that DC trip. Of course, most of those things occurred before my thyroid diagnosis.

So there was a lot of good amidst the sad, the frustrating and the exhausting. It wasn’t all bad but it was still vital that the last day of my 44th trip around the sun be a good one.

And so I made it that way.

First up, I met a friend for a biplane ride at the James A. Rhodes Airport in Jackson County. My friend Dewey had brought his biplane Ace – a 1929 Travel Air – for some good old fashioned Barnstorming. I never pass up an opportunity to ride with him and it was a bucket list item for my friend too!

I had actually met Dewey at this airport a few years ago. You can also read about that experience – still one of my favorite memories. Learn more about him and his planes at his website.

The airport was hosting a fly-in so there were other aircraft including an incredible B-25 Mitchell Bomber from the Tri State Warbirds Museum.

And this nice Stearman which I believe was a World War II era training plane.

It was a gorgeous day. At eighty degrees, it was much cooler than we’ve seen lately and the sky was a brilliant blue. So after the airport event, I swung by Lake Katherine Nature Preserve for a peaceful hike.

It was wonderful having a moment in the woods to reflect, move and simply breathe. Sometimes you need to just breathe and do nothing else.

All told, this was a perfect day. Planes and nature. What more can a gal want?

Deep Thoughts In Flight

When you ride in a biplane, the pilot sits behind the passengers rather than in front like you might expect. On Saturday, I got to sit alone in the front seat and enjoyed the most magical moment.

It’s noisy up there. Between the roar of a 90 year old plane engine and the wind, you need protection for your ears and eyes so they give you goggles and head sets.

Being in front meant that I couldn’t see another living soul without turning around in my seat. It was just me and the earth below as we soared over farms, small communities and rural roads in western Ohio.

It’s the closest thing to being as free as a bird that I’ve ever experienced.

It was oddly peaceful and calming. It was kind of invigoration. Most of all, studying the world below was an inspiring reminder that problems that seem so large on the ground are pretty small in the grand scheme of things.

For some reason, the experience was also the kick in the pants I needed to start exercising again and to start using some good sense where my own health is concerned.

I’ve been trying to walk at my favorite local park every day (that’s three whole days in a row. Someone throw me a parade!) and to focus on getting more vegetables in my diet. Small changes can be powerful, especially where our health is concerned.

These are things I have long known. Unfortunately, possessing a fact and putting it into practice are two drastically different activities. For months I’ve been struggling to bridge that gap and failing miserably. It is a source of tremendous gratitude that the fresh perspective provided by a ride in an antique aircraft could have such a significant impact on my mindset.

I’ve written about Dewey Davenport’s biplane rides a few times. I’m especially fond of this account of my first biplane experience! You can also click here for information about how his passion as a modern day barnstormer has evolved into a business that brings great joy to many.

Whether it be a cool plane or just a change of scenery with your feet planted firmly on the ground, I am a big fan of fresh perspective. Go find you some and see how it changes your attitude!

Here’s one more photo for today. You wouldn’t guess this was out there if you were just driving by! That’s another reason to seek out fresh perspective- even when we’re confident of what we’ll find. There could be a surprise waiting!

Have a great day, friends!

Just Plane Art

I’ve been too busy to write these last few days but wanted to share a fun photo from my trip through the National Air Force Museum. I like planes but also enjoy art so it’s especially rewarding when the two intersect.

The one pictured above is just cute! Here’s another one for your viewing pleasure. Imagine seeing this fun artwork streaming through the sky!

Let’s not leave this day to a coin toss. Let’s all just try to enjoy it, shall we?

Road Trip: National Air Force Museum

Our governor has been encouraging Ohioans to live well and safely in the age of Covid. We cannot all stay home forever but, with no vaccine in sight and cases spiking in some communities, it is difficult to know how to do this

My July travel plans were scrapped (I promise to stop whining about this) but I did take off a couple days to do some socially distanced wandering. One day, I drove some backroads a couple of hours from here. Another day I spent with my dad visiting the National Air Force Museum in Dayton.

Like everything else, it had been closed since March and just recently reopened with a lot of changes including a new traffic flow, cleaning procedures, sanitizing stations and a mask requirement. It wasn’t at all crowded and the place is cavernous so it is very easy to walk around without coming close to anyone else. I felt safer here than I do at the grocery.

This museum is spectacular. It is several buildings packed full of aircraft as well as some photos and artifacts to help tell their stories. We had visited together a couple of years ago when they dedicated the Memphis Belle and had a such a good time we wanted to return on a less populated day.

There are some specific stories I’ll want to focus on but, for today, here are a handful pictures.

Remember, this museum is free. Water fountains are turned off so be sure to take your own sealed clear plastic water bottle. They also have a cafe where you can grab lunch or snacks.

You can make a day of it or even a couple of days, depending on how much you wish to dwell over the exhibits. We arrived just after opening at 9 a.m. and it was close to 2 when we left.

A lot of the interactive stuff is closed right now but it’s still a great place to take kids who love aviation.

Want to visit? Here’s a link to their website. They also have a really fun presence on Facebook and Instagram.

The Jerrie Mock Story

On this day in 1964 an Ohio woman set out to make history. Her name was Jerrie Mock and her goal was to be the first woman to fly solo around the world.

You likely think this record was set by Amelia Earhart but you would be wrong. It was an Ohioan, a housewife who wanted to do something important who set this record.

She departed Columbus in a single engine Cessna 180 that she christened the “Spirit of Columbus.” It took 29 days to cover the nearly than 23,000 miles, besting a California woman who was simultaneously attempting the same feat.

I had heard Jerrie’s story before but recently read a book about her. In fact, it’s the only book about her in print today. The only other book I know of is something Jerrie wrote about the journey that has been out of print for decades.

This particular book is a biography for young readers and it’s well done but it’s a biography for young readers, for crying out loud.

There have been shelves of books written about male aviators. The only female aviator to get much attention at all is Amelia Earhart and most of what is written is centered on her disappearance and the conspiracy theories surrounding what happens.

Even Bessie Coleman who I told you about earlier this year has just a few volumes despite her trailblazing life and career.

Some documentaries about the women’s air races of the twenties and work done about the WASPs of World War II have shown a fresh light on womens’ contributions to aviation but it seems like we can do better.

Jerrie Mock sounds like a real character and like my kind of gal. She struggled mentally to keep her schedule because she wanted to sightsee in the exotic places where she stopped!

I would be the same way, likely deciding halfway through to sacrifice the record for cultural enrichment and photo ops.

She set several records during her aviation career and received countless honors but her accomplishments have very much been lost to time. Instead of being a household name like Amelia Earhart or Charles Lindbergh, she’s a novelty. A trivia question.

And that’s a darn shame.

If you’re interested, her plane is on display in the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. If you can’t make it there, I hope you’ll at least read the book and tell her story to others as a way to honor this woman.

Happy Birthday Bessie Coleman!

Do you know the name Bessie Coleman? She was born on this day 128 years ago and is an important figure in our history but most Americans don’t even know her name, much less recognize her importance.

This makes me incredibly sad because she’s the kind of woman that little girls everywhere should admire and respect.

Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman and first Native American woman to earn an international pilot’s license. That alone should be enough to give her a place in our history books but the road she traveled to get there is pretty incredible.

Bessie was born to Texas sharecroppers in 1892. After her father left the family, she was raised by a single mother in a house with a dirt floor. She picked cotton as a child and often missed school to care for younger siblings. But she finished the eighth grade and had a burning desire to do something more with her life.

All grown up, she took the train to Chicago where she joined older siblings who were somewhat established in the city. Here she became a manicurist and set to work using both her beauty and talent to network and build a client base.

This was important when she decided to fly.

You see, American flight schools at the time didn’t admit women or black people. But she persevered- she found a better job, saved all the money she could and used her connections to find financial backers.

She also spent this time learning French.

Then she sailed across the ocean to France where racism would not prevent her from pursuing her passion. She enrolled in a flight school where she learned the craft and went on to earn an international aviation license.

The year was 1921 and Bessie was a sensation in the African American press when she came home.

She worked as a barnstormer in this country, traveling all over as an ambassador for black women in aviation. It was her fondest dream to open a flight school for black women someday. She flew and frequently gave talks where she showed footage of her fearless flying.

I struggle to absorb the enormity of this.

The 19th amendment giving women the hard earned right to vote had only been ratified in 1920 so times were much different than we know today.

She was Cherokee, she was African American and she was a woman. Three strikes against her. Three.

And when she was denied the right to pursue her goals, she refused to take no for an answer.

Bessie raised the cash. She learned a second language. She traveled across the sea to a foreign land. She refused to be held back and she fought for her dreams.

What an incredible role model for us all!

Sadly, Bessie’s story does not have a happy ending. She died April 30, 1926 in Jacksonville, Florida during a test flight piloted by her mechanic. You see, she was planning a big show that included a parachute jump the following day. As she leaned out the open air cock pot, scoping the terrain for this jump, she was unable to wear a seat belt.

So when the pilot lost control of the plane and it flipped over mid air, Bessie plummeted to her death. A wrench used to service the plane had jammed the controls. She was just 34.

It makes me sad that her story isn’t celebrated and that hers isn’t a household name where I come from. She is known in the African American community and among aviation enthusiasts but I think her name should be as well known as Amelia Earhart or Charles Lindbergh.

The US Postal Service issued a stamp in Bessie’s honor in 1995 as part of their Black Heritage series. Some roads and schools have been named in her honor but she wasn’t even induct into the National Aviation Hall of Fame until 2006.

Not enough, friends. Not enough. I say we help keep her story alive by telling it to others. Share this story, tell your friends about her. Do what you can to make sure this brave woman, this trailblazer for African Americans and women everywhere is not forgotten.

Meanwhile, Happy Birthday to this brave woman who was taken from us too soon!