Rebekah Lyn

An Experience I Never Imagined

As part of the Apollo 11 celebrations I had the opportunity to attend an event with several of the children of Apollo era astronauts. Having a chance to spend time listening to many children of the Apollo astronauts was an experience I never imagined and I want to thank the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation for arranging the event.

The moderator had a number of good questions prepared and a few questions were taken from the audience. It was interesting to hear stories of how they grew up, how friendships grew between the kids that lived in the same neighborhood or who spent hours playing as their parents tried to manage the demands of work and family life, having work sessions at home over the weekends.

Learning about some of the staged photos for LIFE magazine was also entertaining. Rick Armstrong mentioned a picture of him in the swimming pool with a scuba tank and how they had never owned scuba equipment, it had been a prop basically. One of the other kids laughed and said it was probably the same they had used at one point.

The question about whether they are now appreciative of all the media attention documenting their childhood brought responses I hadn’t anticipated. Overwhelmingly, they said they do appreciate being able to look back and see so many experiences captured. Susan Lovell (I believe), told a story of searching online for a photo she remembered being taken but no one seemed to have a copy of. When she found it, she was offered the chance to purchase it! The audience laughed heartily at this.

Living in Houston, surrounding by families who worked for or supported the space program in some manner, made their status as an astronaut’s child less impressive, so they didn’t grow up with the impression their dads were any different than other dads. Logically, that makes sense, when one lives in a bubble, they don’t typically recognize the exceptionality until they spend time outside of it.

Close to the end of the panel, the moderator asked if any of the children had considered following in their father’s footsteps. Rosemary Roosa said she had submitted an application a number of years ago but been turned down due to her age, and Jan Aldrin’s brother, Alan, worked for United Launch Alliance (ULA) and now serves as the director of the Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Institute of Technology. None of the others expressed having any desire to become astronauts, but a few had children who work in support capacities.

I’d love to have a similar panel with some of the Shuttle era children to see how things changed over the years. With a growing astronaut core, I imagine the hours became a little more balanced when not training for a specific mission, but I may be wrong. In all of the biographies I’ve read, the family balance isn’t typically mentioned.

I believe this interview was videoed so it may be posted, at least in clips on the Astronaut Scholarship Foundations’s website at some point. I would highly recommend watching it if you are a fan of the early space program.

3-2-1 Apollo 11 Celebrations and Giveaway

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, the first mission to land men on the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins launched from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969 at 9:32 am, and landed on the moon July 20, 1969 at 4:17 pm. A little more than six hours later, at 10:39 pm, Neil Armstrong opened the hatch of the lunar lander, taking his first step onto the moon at 10:56 pm. These events became the culmination of my novel, Undaunted, and since researching for that book I have remained fascinated with everything surrounding this mission.

Last week the National Geographic Channel had Space Week, airing multiple shows about the mission and the others leading up to this moment, including some never seen before footage. Silly me thought these shows would run during the week of the anniversary, but I did manage to record a few episodes, and I’m sure there will be a DVD to add to my growing collection of space research.

Here on the Space Coast, this weekend was filled with celebratory events, a few of which I had the pleasure of attending. Friday, there was a “Noon to the moon” street party.

One of the boutique owners commissioned an artist to create a print to honor this anniversary, which was also made into shirts and fleece blankets.

Pam had gifted me one of the shirts, and when we stopped in during the street party I picked up another shirt with a different design commemorating the launch.

Saturday, I woke up early and drove to Cocoa Beach for an astronaut parade.

Early arrivals for the parade.

There was 1 Apollo astronaut, Al Worden, 11 Space Shuttle astronauts and 10 of the children of Apollo astronauts in attendance. Of course, most of them rode in Corvettes but there were some Mustangs as well.

I loved the excitement in the air and seeing a large number of children. Listening to conversations around me, a number of the folks had been around for the original Apollo 11 parade in 1969.

Sunday was the crowning jewel in the weekend for me. Pam had heard about the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation events, which included a brunch and panel interview with children of the Apollo astronauts. Tickets were available to the public and Pam scored us a pair right away.

The children that participated in the panel were: Jan Aldrin, Rick Armstrong, Amy Bean, Tracy Cernan Woolie, Peter Conrad, Barbara Lovell Harrison, Jeff Lovell, Susan Lovell, Alan Roosa, Rosemary Roosa, Rusty Schweickart, Glen Anders, and Julie Shepard Jenkins. I plan to write a blog solely about this panel in the coming days. I want to listen to the recording again to choose the items that resonated with me the most.

After this panel was complete, we were cleared out of the room to allow the hotel to reset for the second group, Women of Space. I was particularly looking forward to this one since it will tie into my current work-in-progress. The female astronauts in attendance were Anna Fischer, one of the first women astronauts, class of 1978, Ellen Ochoa, and Eileen Collins. The hour allotted for this seminar flew by and before I knew it we were outside again waiting for the room to be reset for the final presentation of the day, the Future of Space.

Since my new book will be going into the future of space, I was eager to hear what this panel would have to say. While it was a good panel with presentations from Bob Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center; Chris Ferguson, with Boeing’s Starliner program; Kelly Defazio, with Lockheed Martin’s Orion program; and Andy Allen, General Manager of Jacobs Space Operations Group,I already knew much of what they shared. Again, I will detail more about this and the Women of Space seminars in future blogs.

More than 400,000 workers were involved in getting Apollo to the moon. Contractors all over the country created parts, workers at Kennedy Space Center put them together and managed the launch, then Mission Control in Houston took over to monitor progress, and around the world, satellite listening stations provided contact with the capsule as the earth rotated.

A large portion of that workforce was laid off after the Apollo program. Some were brought back for the Space Shuttle and then layoffs began again when that program ended.

My dad is the one in the blue striped shirt. Photo credit NASA website

I’ve had times when I’ve despaired that America has lost interest in space exploration, but looking around the room during these panels, I was encouraged. The room was filled for each seminar with eager faces, even some from other countries who had traveled here for these events.

To help celebrate this momentous accomplishment in our nation’s history, I am giving away a matted copy of the print mentioned above and a signed edition of Undaunted, the fictional story of one boys fascination with the space race and how it changed his life.

The Rafflecopter is super easy to enter. Good Luck!

Shares appreciated.

Enter to win the this amazing Print and my novel, Undaunted, about Jessie, a young boy growing up in the shadow of rockets

I’m sorry but this giveaway is available in the US only but a digital copy of Undaunted and Destiny’s Call can be substituted for our overseas friends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Side of the Road?

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

Friday was our 4th full day in Ireland and it was time to pick-up our rental car. Deciding where to get the car consumed more than a few hours of my pre-trip planning. The idea of learning to drive from the opposite side of the car on the opposite side of the road inside the city terrified me but the next rental location was Cork. The train to Cork was an option, but there was so much to see along the way. What if we missed something?

After studying Google maps of the area around the car rental office, referencing train schedules, and reading about sites along our potential driving routes, I decided to risk it and get the car in Dublin…as close to the highway out of town as possible.

We got an early start hoping to miss any rush hour traffic. Picking up the car was a breeze and I took the first shift driving. I settled in, learning where all the controls were and taking lots of deep breaths to help calm my anxious nerves. Thankfully I’d been able to reserve an automatic transmission. Learning to shift and clutch with the wrong hand and foot was too much for my brain.

The plan was to get breakfast at the edge of the city, but we found ourselves on the Motorway before we knew it. Tricia used the car’s GPS, which we named Siobhan, to locate a nearby restaurant. I dutifully followed Siobhan’s prompts, exited the Motorway, went in a large loop and ended up back on the Motorway with the restaurant never coming into sight.

By this time we were both desperate for coffee and were overjoyed at the site of a gas station right on the Motorway. We rolled into the parking lot and went inside to find a large selections of pastries and coffee. Ahh, that’s better. Now we were ready to start our adventure, knowing only that our end point for the night would be in Killarney.

We passed a sign for Kilkenny Castle and debated exiting. Tricia went online to see how far away it was and the internet said only 30 minutes. We missed the exit but decided if there was anything else less than an hour off the highway, we would go explore. A few miles down the road there was another exist for the castle so off we went.

The large and comfortable Motorway soon gave way to a TINY, how do two cars drive down this, lane. (videos to come later) When I was learning to drive, my mother always worried I would hit the mailboxes on the side of the road (on the passenger side of the road), while I felt like I was driving down the middle of the road. Well, in Ireland, I also felt like I was driving down the middle of the road, but Tricia assured me I was clinging to the her side of the road and their wasn’t any shoulder, but rather stone walls or thick hedges of bushes.

We made it into Kilkenny without crashing the car or killing each other, then the task of finding a car park sent us around in a bit of a circle. Finally, we parked and I was able to catch my breath. Kilkenny is a charming town, I wish we’d had more time to spend in the shops and just walking around soaking up the atmosphere. The opening lines of the “Belle” song from Beauty & the Beast kept running through both of our minds and this quickly became our theme as we entered another precious village.

The castle was a short walk from the car park and when we entered the courtyard, we were awed by everything, including the snow flurries that were floating around. Staff members were on hand in a couple of the rooms and we learned one of the wall coverings had been recreated from an original scrap that had been found in nearly perfect condition behind one of the baseboards.

Killkeney Castle

After dreaming about living in the castle, we wandered back to the car, stopping at The Sweater Shop, where a huge sale was going on and Tricia purchased more woolen goods than anyone within a hundred mile radius of the Florida border could ever need. The lovely shopkeeper even arranged to have it shipped home, for free! This could make our trip a lot more expensive than anticipated.

Back on the road, Tricia took the wheel, and as a left-hander, she found it more natural to be on the opposite side. Our next stop was the Rock of Cashel, a place I read about years ago in the Lion of Ireland. The sun was sinking toward the western horizon, silhouetting the church in the distance ahead of us. The car park was rather empty when we arrived at 4:25 pm. The website listed 4:30 pm as the closing time, but I held out hope that we could pop in for at least a few minutes.

The walk up to the entrance was steep, but a strong wind sweeping downhill against us made it grueling work. A couple reached the door a minute before us and I saw them try to enter, only to find it locked. My heart sank but we marched on. Upon reaching the top of the hill, we learned the church had closed early due to the high winds. We wandered around the exterior, looking down on the town below and up to the spires rising above the wall surrounding the church yard.

Rock of Cashel

When we returned to the car, Tricia checked her email to get the address for the Bed & Breakfast we were staying in for the next two days, only to learn we had been relocated. The owner of the original B & B, a quaint place we’d been looking forward to, had emailed to say they had a water leak and one of the neighbors had agreed to take us in. The new address was provided and we entered it into the GPS.

We’d hoped to make it to Killarney before dark, but the sun seemed intent on hiding for the night and scattered clouds grew more dense as we pushed south. Shortly after 6:00 pm we rolled into Killarney and began searching for the new B & B. Fortunately, it was located on the outskirts of town so we didn’t have to navigate too much and we found it with less trouble than I’d anticipated. We even managed to get into the tiny parking area without hitting anything. The owner provided some dining recommendations and we set off on foot after we dropped off our bags.

Kayne’s Bar and Brasserie was the first place we reached and with the temperature dropping and a misty rain beginning, we ducked inside. I don’t remember what Tricia ate, but my salmon with orzo was amazing.

We had survived our first day driving and Tricia was feeling pretty confident behind the wheel. I was looking forward to the morning when we would have an experience I’d been looking forward to for months.

The Clouds of History

Reblogged July 8, 2019 from
REBEKAH LYN’S KITCHEN
Come have a cup of coffee

The Clouds Of History July 5, 2019

Filed under: Books,friends,travel — itsrebekahlyn @ 6:59 PM

A gray and weeping sky greeted us Thursday morning, which fit our exhausted spirits. We were thankful to have a slower day planned and dawdled over breakfast in the hotel restaurant before meeting our guide for a taxi tour of Belfast’s iconic murals.

As much as I’ve read about Belfast, it was still startling to see how close together Shankill and Falls Roads are. The physical divide between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods isn’t much at all. Our guide had a first-hand perspective of the “Troubles” as his grandfather had been a member of the IRA and served time in jail.

Much like we in the U.S. are working to rewrite history by tearing down monuments, some of the historical murals in Belfast have been painted over or modified to alter their meaning. We learned that any mural with a face on it couldn’t be painted over, but could be altered. History should be something that is objective rather than subjective, a statement of facts. If we don’t learn where we come from and the mistakes that were made, how can we learn and avoid repeating those mistakes? I wish now that I’d purchased a book on all the murals.

We had a chance to sign the peace wall that has been signed by presidents and all manner of other folks.

I’m fascinated with the whole Brexit situation, particularly how it will impact the people of Northern Ireland and if this shift will be what leads to the island being reunited. I asked the guide about this and he seemed to agree that reunification was likely, if only for economic reasons. Brexit will likely lead to a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, causing goods being transported from north to south to be subject to border checks. (Some roads cross the border numerous times within a few miles!)

Additionally, the Catholic population is growing; the demographic that has most wanted reunification all along. Where they once were a significant minority, they are forecast to be the majority within the next couple of years. If you live in the UK, particularly Northern Ireland, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Our guide dropped us off at Belfast City Hall so we could do a little more exploring. It’s the most impressive City Hall I’ve ever been in! The rain was only a light sprinkle by this time and we enjoyed our walk back to the hotel. The train ride back to Dublin went quickly and we were greeted by Tricia’s friend, Dan. He guided us to our hotel on the River Liffey to drop off our bags and we walked to Trinity College, just a few minutes away. Trinity is a beautiful campus.

Belfast City Hall

City Hall Lobby

An Astronaut in Belfast?

Trinity College

We had tickets to see the Book of Kells, a 9th century manuscript, created around 800 AD, that documents the four Gospels of the life of Jesus Christ. We reached the exhibit and flowed from one informational wall to another, learning about the art of illumination, until we reached the actual book in a glass case.

When we finally reached the Book, I experienced a feeling of deflation, much like I felt upon seeing the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. Both are much smaller than I expected and the colors of the Book weren’t as vibrant as I anticipated. It’s beautiful, for sure, and it’s obvious the work to create it must have been painstaking. I was so deflated I forgot to take a picture of the actual thing, but I did have a photo of a copy housed at the Dublin Writer’s Museum, which is a pretty good replication. Sometimes we build things up in our mind so much we are bound to be let down when we do finally experience them.

Copy of the Book of Kells

Dan was going to take us to a fish & chip shop, but after wandering for close to an hour, stumbling on icons such as Molly Malone, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, and Dublin Castle, we stopped at the Bull & Castle. Dan was brave and ordered an appetizer of bone marrow. It was strange in every way, but the taste wasn’t bad. The steak I ordered was one of the best I’ve ever had.

Molly Malone Statue

Dublin Castle

Architecture

I just love the architecture!

Dublin definitely comes alive at night. The streets were crowded as we walked back to our hotel and music poured out of many pubs we passed. We had a good chuckle at the line of American franchises- Kentucky Fried Chicken, Papa John Pizza, TGIFriday’s, Subway, Burger King, and McDonalds- practically on top of each other. I admit we did enter the McDonalds, but only so Tricia could use the facilities. Don’t worry, I purchased a coffee.

Come back next week as Tricia and I pick up our rental car and hit the road!