New Year's Eve Musings

I often get reflective on Dec. 31st. It's not necessarily about just the past year but about my thoughts and what I find is just important in my life. I never make New Year's resolutions because I can never keep them.

I find the greatest thing that happened to me personally in the last couple of months was to be named to the Youth Committee of the American Lowline Registry. Here is where I can give of myself to what I believe is the most important single activity I can be involved in. Guiding a child in a direction which allows them to be a wonderful contributing member of society. Combine that with Agriculture and I just love the whole process. Our current discussions of the committee is on the formation of the American Lowline Junior Assoc. and then the next item is the National Junior Show in June.

As I read my email this morning I clicked on Scrapbook Junkie, an LSS near my mother's. If your wondering where the store is, it's on the southwest corner of I-45 and NASA Rd. 1. (Ok, I know they now call it NASA Parkway....but I don't like the change). I had thought about submitting an entry for their design team but decide against it as I wasn't sure I could do the traveling. I love the store and I frequent it when traveling over to my Mom's.

A Scrapbook Junkie

This morning I decided to read the blogs of the design team and the owner, Beth. There on Beth's blog was a picture that bought back a flood of memories. Earlier this month Endeavor flew over the Clear Lake area of Houston, the home to NASA. Endeavor was piggy back aboard it's 747. It is an incredible site to see. I didn't get to see Endeavor but I remember a day way back when.....high school. I was either a senior and Columbia was due to fly over. We rarely had morning announcements. That morning of the fly over our principal would tell us when the shuttle was on it's way in. He would announce it and we were to file out of class as in a fire drill. I don't know about the rest of the school but I was in Drafting and when the announcement started the four classes in the shop wing hit their doors in an all out dash for the door. We had the very best view in the entire school for the fly over. This door emptied into the student parking lot. The entire school started to cheer with arms pointing. To grow up with astronaut families in the seventies was definitely an experience. That was when astronauts where on the same level as movie stars. I remember my Mom having to go outside and tell the press they had to stay off our lawn on Commander Conrad's return from Space Lab. I baby sat for Commander Lovell. Several astronauts who walked on the moon were members of our church. Commander McCandless' daughter and I were good friends. I was devastated with the Challenger and Columbia accidents. The Challenger accident was one of those moments in my life that I can relive the moment as it happened when I found out about the accident. I'd just gotten out of class and had gone to Schlotsky's in College Station for lunch before I went to my afternoon labs. There on the television after sitting down was the news and the story. Right there in the middle of the store I started to cry. I knew Mike Smith and his family, the pilot of Challenger, they lived down the street from my parents. So I reflect this day on my youth....my dreams, my friends, my family and the community from which I come.

Oh, then I couldn't resist to visit OLW, see October 17, 2008 post for link. I love the current word, "START." What a great word to start the New Year. I just have to think of a LO to do with the word. When I get it done I'll share it

One last item....I found this really cool little add on from another blog I visited this morning. I decided to ad it as a gadget to my blog. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page. There you will find a "Live Crude Oil" ticker. I loved it since our business is servicing the oilfield. Yes, I suppose I fit the true stereotype of a Texan....cattle, horses, and oil. I'm missing the tumbleweeds.

On this day as in year's past I am reflective.....