Freeform Friday

More On The Moon

The response to my Neil Armstrong post keeps coming. I love that so many of us remember it. It's good for us to talk about it and rememnicse so that those who don't remember it know just what a monumental moment in our history it was.

My father sent me this story (source Urban Legends and my father's memory) this morning and it was too funny not to share.  Apparently Mr. Armstrong had a pretty good sense of humor in addition to everything else he had going for him. 

"When Apollo Mission Astronaut Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, he not only gave his famous "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" statement but followed it by several remarks, usual communication traffic between him, the other astronauts and Mission Control. Just before he re-entered the lander, however, he made this remark 'Good luck Mr.Gorsky'. 

Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs. Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good luck Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.

On July 5, 1995 in Tampa Bay FL, while answering questions following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26 year old question to Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had finally died and so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.

When he was a kid, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard.His friend hit a fly ball, which landed in the front of his neighbor's bedroom windows. His neighbors were Mr. & Mrs. Gorsky.

As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs.Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex! You want sex?! You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"

It's just too much, that amidst everything else that Armstrong had to remember that day to land safely, he remembered this moment in time from his childhood and gave Mr. Gorsky a nod. 

Speaking of the moon again...did you catch sight of the Blue Moon?  It's big and full and bright.

Work at the desk today. I'm designing and email campaign and working on a brochure design. Then of course the obligatory pool time with our Dublin visitors. Oh how I wish I'd had a camera in my hand for the moment my brother in law plopped my godson in the pool water yesterday. The expression on his face was priceless.  Tonight we'll probably be out at the campfire. Maybe we'll even roast a marshmallow or two.

Freeform Friday

Well, this was an easy pick given what we've been talking about this week on the Muse and what's happening.  Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba Dang, dang, dang, dang Dang, da, ding, dong Blue moon blue blue moon.

Make it a good one,

Write On This

Such A Tease

Hi gang. Happy Wednesday. Today is the day our next Dublin visitors arrive. In fact, they are currently at Dublin airport waiting for their plane. There will be lots of hugs later.  As many as when our most recent visitors from Dublin left last Friday.  Before my brother in law and nieces left, Ali and Caroline were itching to get at the new chalkboard wall.

It was a practice in patience you see. First I had to prep the wall with a good wipe down. This is always one of the most important steps. This wall being in the kitchen made it even more important.

Then it was a blank slate.....

...just asking for some chalkboard paint.

I was pretty happy with the way the stuff went on. It wasn't messy or drippy. Coverage was pretty good, though I still went with two coats.  *Fuzzy focus alert.*  The only thing that took any amount of time was cutting in along the ceiling and around the bathroom door. I know, the bathroom door is UGly. Please ignore. (Another project on the to do list. We would have replaced it by now, but nothing in this house is easy. It's a completely different size at the top than the bottom. Oh yeah, somebody needed a lesson in plumb when they built this place.)

Back to the wall. Remember that patience thing I was telling you about. Well, we needed it. Once I finished painting, you had to wait THREE days before you could write on it.  Between myself and my nieces, were were chomping at the bit to try it.

I gave them the honor of 'chalking' the wall first. The three day wait was up just as they were leaving for the airport. Perfect timing.

I finally picked up some chalk Saturday morning and left my mark.  Since they'd added a little Dublin touch, I thought it was my duty to remind us of Rome (which we're still dreaming of returning to 5 years later).

 

I'm pretty pleased with the way the wall turned out all in all. It did make that area of the kitchen darker, but of course that is to be expected since it's BLACKboard paint.

Can't wait to see the little ones have at this when they get here later. I mean most of the time kids are told not to write on the wall.

Man on The Moon

Upon hearing of the passing of Astronaut Neil Armstrong this weekend, I added a quote of his to the wall.

"There are places to go beyond belief."

Isn't that the truth? Can you imagine what it felt like to fly through space? Speed through the stars?  To view the Earth from outer space? To be able to block out the earth with your thumb, as he did looking out the window of the Eagle?  To be the first man to walk on the moon? To have the guts to be such an adventurer that you're willing to sit on a can of rocket fuel, be sent into space and land where nobody has ever been before?

To be able to say you where up there?

Way above the Earth looking down?

Standing on the Moon looking at the Earth?

I was little. I was only 4.  You'd think I wouldn't remember any of it, but I do.  I can't say for sure I remember the first moon landing, or subsequent landings. My dad was involved in the space program for a time and maybe that's why I was in tune to the event at such a young age.  I can see the black and white pictures on TV, watching these images on the porch at my parent's house.  I also remember as I grew older and missions continued, the feeling of pride that our country was doing extraordinary things. We were explorers. I know we still have a sort of space program, but nothing like it was. No more space shuttle.  The excitement of the first missions waned.  Disasters happened. Priorities changed. I find it sad. One of the most important things in our history, one that defined our strength and ingenuity, that looked beyond our own boundaries and broke them, that dreamed of what could be, is no more. I for one, long for the time when our country and our world came together in the excitement of the possibilities of what our universe might hold.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind…”

Goodbye to a true pioneer. Goodbye Neil Armstrong.

Make it a great day,