Kate Collins's Blog, page 300

Last Space Shuttle Launch

by Maggie Sefton




I've mentioned before that daughter Serena is a NASA Astronaut Candidate, Class of 2009. She and her fellow team members, nine of them, will be finishing their two-year training period by the end of the summer and will officially become full-fledged NASA Astronauts. (See www.nasa.gov and insert Astronaut Class 2009 in the Search Box). Of course, they've already been totally involved and included from the get-go in all things NASA and most importantly, the International Space Station.



Their training has included studies and testing on all the space station systems and operations, extensive underwater training and maneuvers in pressurized suits which provide the closest thing to a weightless experience, intensive Russian language instruction and testing until fluency was attained, myriad hours of training on all sorts of scientific procedures and data, tons and tons of hours of flight training---first in prop planes then building to proficiency in jets and hours and hours of practice flying (hence the photos a couple of months ago). Not to mention all the travels to foreign countries to collaborate with NASA space station partners and/or other space-related businesss, such as Space-X, which is developing rockets to take cargo up to the International Space Station in the future. In fact, their latest rocket, the Falcon, sucessfully launched a couple of months ago. I think it's their third rocket launch. Plus numerous scientific surveys and missions, like Serena's two-month stint in the South Pole last December and January.


But they also have some perks.



Since the last space shuttle launch was scheduled for this year, I had asked Serena months and months ago if she could find tickets so I could attend the launch. Well, bless her heart. . .she found enough tickets for me and her three sisters and sister Christine's entire family. I'll be flying to Orlando to meet up with Serena and other family members, and we'll be sitting in the special seating area for NASA folk, so this will be pretty cool. I am SO excited. I'll be sure to get photos from someone who will be compelled to shoot pix while that beautiful bird is taking off. (These photos are stock photos of previous launches).


Me. . .I want to watch every second of the launch. Feel the roar of the engines. Watch that beautiful bird rise up, up, up in the sky until it disappears. Serena says the roar is so loud, you feel it throughout your whole body. Wow. I can't wait. :) I'll tell you guys all about it next week.

Is Cursive Writing Unnecessary?

By Kate Collins

Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be from Indiana. Take, for instance, our Supreme Court's decision to ignore the Constitutional amendment that says citizens have the right to peaceably resist forceful police entry into their homes. Seriously!

Now the brilliant minds at the Indiana Department of Education have decided that cursive writing can be dispensed with. They said it's a big waste of time when teachers need to devote their days to teaching to the tests, i.e., the ISTEPS.

Wait. What? Teach TO the tests? Isn't that bass ackwards?

Keyboarding skills are more important anyway, the Powers That Be said.

I used to teach third grade and remember how eager my students were to learn how to "write like an adult." It was a right of passage. Shouldn't there be room for both cursive instruction and keyboarding skills, which most kids have learned way before third grade anyway? What first grader doesn't know how to use a laptop or text?

Many historical documents are written in lovely script writing. Will they now have to be transferred into print so the next generation can read them? What's next? Dispensing with math tables? I mean, why learn how to multiply when any number of computer devices can do it for you? Why learn history? If you need to know something that happened in, say, 1776, on July 4th, Google it.

Do you agree? Or do you think cursive should go?

Happy Fourth!

Parades, Anyone?

by Leann

My husband and I have lived in our small suburban Texas town for 32 years. One notable event is the 4th of July Parade. We have the distinction of having the longest running (uninterrupted) Independence Day parade in the United States. Seems many cities and towns suspended their parades during the world wars, but not our home town. It's a very proud day and we even had ABC news here one year. The pictures below are floats passing our library.

There's a truck raffle, a fair with plenty of food in the park after the parade ends. Then there's a spectacular fireworks display in the evening. We have floats (and of course awards for the best) bands and fire engines from all over, local dance teams, gymnasts, and more. Plus a whole town sitting along the main street to watch the festivities. Celebrations like ours go on all over America and we all probably believe ours is the best. We never missed a parade while our children were growing up, mostly because they were always IN the parade. But the last few years, we haven't gone the three blocks down our street to watch.

Problem is, July 4th is hotter than a depot stove around here. I remember one year my sister and her kids visited from Seattle on that day. They nearly melted in the heat. Not a fun experience when you're used to 60's and 70's and most likely rain on the 4th. They never came back to visit in the summer again, that I can remember. Then there was the year my daughter's gymnastics's group decided to do cartwheels down the street during the parade. I was waiting at the end of the route to pick her up and she was as red as a strawberry. Her temperature, it turned out, was 104! She didn't do another parade where cartwheels were involved.

In later years, my son and daughter participated as band and dance team members. Do you know what it's like to wear a band uniform or Lycra while marching in 100 degree weather? They grew to dislike the 4th of July parade just a bit. But to this day, I know they are proud they celebrated such an important holiday and created so many memories. If they are home on the 4th these days, they never miss the fireworks, even if they watch from the roof of our garage. Despite our drought, the city plans on still having fireworks even though other towns have banned them this year. I think the city wants to keep that record intact, too. Happy independence, everyone! What's your celebration going to look like?

Do you DIY?

by Lorna Barrett / Lorraine Bartlett / L.L. Bartlett

When did DIY become rocket science?

Honestly, all I want to do is paint some paneling.  My friend Mary Jane Maffini and her daughter painted every piece of paneling in their summer cottage, and she sent me a picture of one of the bedrooms and it looks lovely, so I know it can be done. 

In order to get the job done, I figured I should pick MJ's brain, which I've been doing for the past two years now.  She told me the kind of primer and paint they used, and the final color.  It's great.  Except for one thing.  They're in Canada and so are the brands of paint they used.  I'm across the lake (diagonally) and I've ended up at Home Depot and Sherwin Williams.

I was all prepared to paint the room, even put painter's tape up last weekend (the green kind that lasts 21 days--just in case you get sidetracked in the middle of the job) and then I thought . . . hmm . . . maybe I should see what HGTV.com has to say about painting paneling.  Holy smoke!  I need to De-GLOSS the paneling first.  So I jumped in the car to get some de-Gloss.  Only they didn't carry it.  Go to Sherwin Williams.  So I went there.  They were out!  Come back in a few days after they restock.  So the room has been in an absolute state of chaos for a week now, with the furniture all bunched into one corner.

They finally had the de-glosser in yesterday.  But I got dire warnings with it.  Make SURE you follow ALL the directions.  Make SURE you paint during the VERY SHORT WINDOW OF TIME the de-glosser works.  MAKE SURE your primer will stick to ANY surface because the de-glosser MAY NOT WORK ON YOUR PANELING NO MATTER WHAT HGTV SAYS.

Okay, so now I'm living in dire fear.  What if it doesn't actually de-gloss?  What if the primer won't stick?  If it doesn't stick, neither will the paint.  Will I be ripping down paneling and hiring someone to fix the drywall?  And why did people ever put up paneling anyway?

Okay.  I'm trying not to have a meltdown here ... especially since it's supposed to be at least 90 out with 90% humidity today.

Will someone PLEASE reassure me that DIY projects REALLY work and that my office will turn out beautifully -- because I'm about to spaz out.

Thank you.
  

Summer Supper

by Lucy Arlington

I've set up my new website. Check it out and let me know what you think: www.lucyarlington.com

Today is July 1st! It's amazing how the time passes when my head is buried in a book—whether it's reading one or writing one. I've been very busy with writing projects, but with the summer here I've also been taking advantage of my favorite season. The summer, for me, is all about being outdoors—soaking up sun, being in the water, having drinks on the patio, and eating meals outside.

When it comes to preparing meals, I try to avoid the stove and oven as much as possible. In Bermuda, outdoor temperatures hover around 90F and humidity gets up to 75% (and this is only in June!), so the kitchen gets HOT. I try to prepare foods that require cooking in the early morning, before the sun toasts our island, and then serve cold dishes for supper.

One of my favorites is Salade Niçoise. What I love about that dish (in addition to the flavor) is that it's a form of artistic expression, both in the fact that the ingredients can vary depending on the 'artist,' and with its presentation. I derive such pleasure from arranging the ingredients on the serving dish as if it were a work of art. Usually I use canned tuna, but at the fish counter in the grocery store one day, they had fresh tuna caught that morning. I coated it in sesame seeds, seared it and sliced it on my salad instead of the usual. Wow! It was the best Salade Niçoise I'd ever made.

The recipe is so easy, and you can substitute anything to accommodate what you might have on hand. It's so beautiful that you can serve it to company. Enjoy!

Oh, by the way, happy Canada Day today to my Canadian friends and family, and happy Independence Day on Monday to my American friends. And happy summer!

Salade Niçoise

Chunk white tuna (or fresh, if you have it, seared and sliced)

Cherry tomatoes cut in half

Blanched green beans

Black olives

Boiled potatoes, sliced

Boiled eggs, cut in wedges

Artichoke hearts or hearts of palm

Lettuce leaves

Dressing:

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 tsp good quality Dijon mustard

2 to 3 tbsp highest-quality wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1. Mix all dressing ingredients except oil together, then whisk in oil.

2. Toss the potatoes with half of the dressing.

3. Line a serving plate with lettuces leaves, and arrange salad ingredients on top—draw on your artistic side!

4. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the rest of the salad.

To-Die-For S'mores Bars!

By Ellery Adams

Now you don't need a campfire to make s'mores! My little one, Sophie, took a cooking class last week and came home with this recipe. After making it for our family, I knew I had to share it with you. So easy, so delicious, so tempting that you can serve it at your July 4th cookout or next camping venture.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter1 cup graham cracker crumbs3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk1 cup milk-chocolate chips2 cups mini marshmallows
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter in 8-inch-square baking pan and let melt. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over the melted butter. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumbs. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the milk and marshmallows over the chips. Use your fingers to gently press down the marshmallows. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Cool, cut into squares, and devour!
What recipe do you remember making with your mom or grandmother?

Where I Get My Ideas

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

Readers always ask where we get our ideas. Some of us say we get them from reading newspapers, finding real life stories and crafting them into new stories. Some of us don't have a clue. That was me for a long time. I couldn't answer the question. Then it happened. I knew!

Where do I get my ideas?

In the shower, that's where.
And driving in the car.
And first thing in the morning before I get up.

I thought it was only me, until I attended a romance panel and one of the panelists said the exact same thing. All three same things. Not one place, or two, but all three.

Wow! You mean it isn't only me?

I've been know to run through the house dripping well and, yes, naked, searching for pen and paper to write down my thoughts before I lose them.

You might see me pulled over to the side of the road, scribbling in a notebook. My husband bought me a recorder, but it never seems to be next to me when I need it. Caution: do NOT write while driving.

The bed muse is new. That's because I was a get-up-and-make-breakfast mom for a long time. I didn't have the luxury of a few extra minutes in bed. Now I do, and, oh boy, do the ideas flow.

So give it a try. Slowly wake up, let your mind roam. Take a longer shower, see what happens. And in the car, leave the music off. You might be surprised at what happens.

Home Again

by Maggie Sefton


Back home in Colorado at last! I love traveling and meeting new people, seeing new places. But I have to admit, I also love coming home to Colorado. Just stepping off the airplane and smelling that clean, crisp Colorado air makes me feel good. This trip was a fast-paced fifteen day s filled with book events for my latest release, UNRAVELED, guest speaker appearances, and several days of family gatherings and celebrations. Lots of fun, but relaxing, it wasn't. So, I plan to slow down a little these next few days.


Of course, all of us have to continue to work, no matter what our occupation. Writers are no different. However, I did take time to "smell the roses." My roses. When I left June 12th, all my rose bushes were filled with buds, waiting to burst into bloom. Normally, my roses would have already bloomed by now. But this last spring was cooler than usual and rainy, which slowed the blooms' arrival. However, when I drove into my driveway on the evening of my return, all my bushes were filled with their beautiful colorful blossoms---greeting me. What a treat.



I also plan to treat myself by driving into the Cache La Poudre Canyon on the northwest edge of the city and check on the river. Our snowpack from last winter was measured at 364% of normal, so the Cache La Poudre River is running high and fast. White water. I've been checking on the river since I returned as it rushes through Fort Collins. But I want some quiet time alone with the river. So, I'm going to drive up into the canyon in a couple of days and sit on a rock beneath the trees beside the river---just sit and watch the river as it splashes over rocks and rushes past. Peaceful. Relaxing.

It's good to be home. How do you relax when you return home?

Silence Isn't Always Golden

by Kate Collins

I was raised in a home where relationship problems were dealt with – I mean NOT dealt with – by going silent. When my mom was hurt by or angry at my dad, she stopped talking. For days, most often. My dad responded by ignoring the silence. Eventually, Mom would have to ask Dad something, and gradually they'd start talking again. The unfortunate thing is that those problems were never resolved, so they came back again and again, causing my mother to have a lot of bitterness and a host of physical ailments. Simmering silently, it seems, isn't good for the insides. That anger has to come out somewhere. Eventually, my parents divorced.

But Mom was my role model, so that's how I dealt with issues in my first marriage. And like Mom and Dad, my issues never got resolved and led to growing resentment on my part, a bout with fibromyalgia, and finally divorce. Not so with my second marriage. My Greek taught me how to deal with troubles openly and honestly. His advice was to come from the heart. Make "I" statements, as in, "I felt hurt when you…."

It took me years to master it, but after I got over the fear of making him angry by telling him how I felt, I was amazed at how successfully it worked. I only wish I'd learned it much sooner.

How do you handle problems at home? Are you the silent simmerer or do you let it out? If you let it out, does your temper get the best of you, or are you able to keep it in check? If you keep it bottled up, do you suffer physical ailments from it? Do you feel you learned this behavior from your parents?

The Dog Days Are NOT Over

by Leann

I keep hearing that song by Florence and the Machine, "The Dog Days Are Over" and have been trying to reconcile the words with what I know about "dog days." So far, I don't understand Florence, though I still enjoy the song. What I know is that the dog days of summer are usually in July and August, when the weather is worse than awful in Texas. Here we include September as probably the worst dog days of all. From what I recall, this term has to do with the dog star and its position in the sky. Could be wrong.

The thing I remember well about the dog days is swimming! I grew up in western NY and not until July was it really warm enough to swim. We had an above ground pool and spent many many hours outdoors. No sunscreen, of course. Just hours and hours outdoors that left me with plenty of freckles. I never enjoyed the sun that much, but I loved swimming, even though when I learned at the Y, the instructor wouldn't pass me because I couldn't swim the length of the pool as fast as the other kids. "Hey," I wanted to say. "I'm not planning on trying out for the Olympics."

Now it's my granddaughter's turn to learn to swim and I wish I could be there to watch. No one came with me for the swim lessons. I just walked to the Y by myself. It was free. There was plenty of free stuff in those days. But I did get a treat today--some pictures of her learning how not to drown. What about you? What's your favorite part of the "dog days" that are about to start?