From the Earth to the Moon

A man threw a rubber ball against a brick wall at a factory in New York state, day after day, week after week, year after year.  This factory worker would prove to be one of the most important people in the United States Space Program.  His name was Thomas J. Kelly.

Years ago Rob and I watched the television series "From the Earth to the Moon" by Tom Hanks.  We have watched it several times since then and still learn details we did not know before about the moon race between the Soviets and the Americans.  Tom Hanks and his writers do an excellent job of tracing the history of the program starting with President John F. Kennedy's declaration in 1961 that the Americans would put a man on the moon, culminating with Apollo 11's successful lunar landing in 1969 and finishing with the anti-climactic final Apollo mission in 1972.

Back in New York State, Tom Kelly and the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Company were selected to build a lunar module that would enable the astronauts to rendezvous on the moon.  Not only did Mr. Kelly have the awesome task of making this happen, but he had limited time to do it.  Episode 5 of From the Earth to the Moon, "Spider", describes how the lunar module came into being.  Tom Kelly had many obstacles in his way.  First they had to find someone with a logical plan to make a lunar orbit rendezvous possible.  They interviewed several scientists, but most of their ideas were rejected, including the theory that they later chose. 

Once Tom and his team found a workable idea, they had to design and build a lunar excursion module or LEM.  Each 12-hour plus day was filled with building, broken up by Tom's short breaks where he would throw his rubber ball against the brick wall outside to help relieve his frustrations.  At one point, they discovered an error and one of the workers confessed that it was his mistake.  Rather than firing him, Tom commended him for coming forward, explaining that if he had said nothing, the problem would have been expounded.  Once he started to see the finished product, he experienced more satisfaction.  However, the time constraint was always on his mind. 

In the meantime, the astronauts experienced their own trials and tribulations.  They were training to orbit the moon in Apollo 1 when tragedy struck:  a fire broke out in the capsule and all three astronauts died.  Apollo missions 2 to 7 were successful, but they did not land on the moon as they did not yet have the lunar module built.  Apollo 8, captained by Jim Lovell, orbitted the moon.  Apollo 9 and 10 were also successful.

By 1969, Tom Kelly and his team were putting the finishing touches on the lunar module and testing it for space.  Like a proud Papa watching his baby take his first steps, Tom had to relinquish control and hand over the LEM to the astronauts.

And what a mission it was.  The Apollo 11 moon landing of course was the mission that the world watched on their black and white televisions.  Captain Neil Armstrong stepped down on the rocky surface and proclaimed "One small step for man.  One giant leap for mankind."  The world saw Buzz Aldrin follow Armstrong down the ladder and set his foot in the dust.

No one saw Tom Kelly.  He is the behind the scenes guy without whom the program wouldn't have got off the ground.  Yes, Mr. Kelly had to juggle a lot of balls to make the moon landing happen.  And most of them landed on the roof of the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Company.  But he had the privilege of seeing his baby land on the moon.



Photo courtesy http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov

Jesus Christ Superstar

As we made our way along Downie Street to the Avon Theatre in Stratford, the relentless sun beat down on us and a warm wind blew the bottom of my dress up.  A little girl played the violin, the theme from Ken Burns' American Civil War series, her violin case open with coins and a couple of bills sitting in it.  My heart went out to her, especially since she looked no more than 9 years old, and I put some money in the case.  Into the air conditioned Avon, a former movie theatre, we went and I rested my weary feet, sore from the heels I'd been wearing all day.

Rob has had the "Jesus Christ Superstar" soundtrack for many years.  We did not intend on seeing the musical, however, because it was my turn to choose a play and I picked John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath".  But on the way home from London a week ago Rob heard a rave review of "Jesus Christ Superstar" on the radio.  Then he downloaded some of the music and he was blown away.  "It's even better than the original," he claimed.

Rob and I made our way up to the second floor and then climbed the stairs to the top of the balcony.  My six-foot-four-inch husband attempted to squeeze into a seat beside a young man, but it wasn't working.  I offered to trade spots with him so that he would have at least a little bit of leg room.  We settled into our seats, shoulder to shoulder, in a sold out theatre, something rare for the present day Festival.  The air was heavy with heat and anticipation.

The announcer spoke, reminding us of no flash photography or cell phone use during the performance.  The curtain rose and we heard the succinct riffs of the electric guitar.  Within seconds, Rob was hooked.  Judas Iscariot, clothed in a blue outfit, sang 'Heaven on TheirMinds" in a clear, powerful voice.  Later, Mary Magdalene, garbed in a gold dress, sang "I Don't Know How to Love Him".  When praying in the garden shortly before Judas betrays him to the Roman centurions, Paul Nolan who plays Jesus belts out the song "Gethsemane".  The acoustics were excellent.


Rob wondered if the play would indeed have a Christian message.  I felt that it was portrayed in a Christian light for several reasons.  Firstly, those who mocked Jesus were definitely portrayed in a negative light.  Secondly, Jesus drew a crowd wherever he went; people wanted to be in His presence.  Thirdly, in one scene, He is healing several sick individuals.  Above all, I remarked to Rob that the most triumphant song by far in the musical was "Jesus Christ Superstar".

As the production came to a close, every audience member rose to his feet and joined in the heartfelt applause.  Rob was smiling from ear to ear.  "Now that's how to make a hit", he said.  "You take a good play that's already been done, and you make it even better.  No tricks.  Not gimmicks.  Just stick to the script."  The winning formula has produced a musical that is on its way to San Diego after the Stratford Festival season comes to a close.  There is even talk of taking the production to Broadway.  Andrew Lloyd Webber, the creator of "Jesus Christ Superstar", slipped into the Avon Theatre one night to hear a performance and even he gave it high praise.

As we filed out of the theatre, our bodies were warm as well as our hearts.  We retraced our steps down Downie Street and looked up at the night sky dotted with stars.  Our Redeemer lives!



Photo courtesy http://media.thestar.topscms.com 

Little House in the Big Woods

This month I am reading my daughter Jacqueline the book Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  It is reassuring to read the same book to my little girl that I read when I was young.  While not published until the 1930's, Laura Ingalls Wilder's books have sold millions and are rarely if ever out of print. The author pays particular attention to detail as she describes life in 19th century America.  She sticks to the facts:  there is no shock value; there are no swear words; their are no gimmicks.  While there are a few pictures in the edition that we are reading, for the most part there is only text.  And yet Jacqueline listens attentively night after night.  The books are timeless and somehow hold the reader's attention.  They are very technical and give us amazing insight into the life of American pioneers.  We learn how to clean a long rifle; how to make maple syrup; how the pioneers held a square dance; and how they scared away a black bear.  Once we have read the first book in the series we will go on to Little House on the Prairie, the title of the television series in the 1970's that I watched as a little girl.  There are 9 books in all and I look forward to sharing every one with my "Half Pint".  What a treasure these stories are!



Photo courtesy http://covers.openlibrary.org

National Ice Cream Day

Yesterday, the third Sunday in July, was National Ice Cream Day in the United States.  I am particular about my ice cream.  I think it's because I worked at Baskin-Robbins for four summers in my teens.  They had 31 flavours of top quality ice cream.  The ice cream giant was ahead of its time:  all employees had to take a Tuberculosis test; there was no smoking on the premises; hands had to be washed between serving each customer; the tubs had to be scraped down; our scoops had to be weighed periodically (originally 2.5 ounces, later 4 ounces); counters had to be wiped off regularly; we could not touch the cones, but had to wrap them in tissue first; we could not touch the bananas when we made banana splits.  The list goes on. 

So when I go in to an ice cream shop, I expect to see the same rules.  I am shocked when I see tubs that have not been scraped down.  I am disappointed when the server touches the cone directly.  I am disgusted when I see ice cream that is melting and mushy.  Or when I see flavours that have been dropped into other tubs.  The ice cream has to be a certain consistency -- not too soft and not too hard.  When I get served, I always have the urge to walk through the gate to the other side of the counter and serve myself. 

Ice cream is the only food that I can eat faster than my husband.  While I like flavours like mint chocolate chip, peanut butter and chocolate and moose tracks, Rob likes butter pecan, the flavour that all of the seniors would order at Baskin-Robbins.  I remember the time that my Grandma and Grandad visited us at our trailer in Grand Bend.  My brother and my Grandad went to an ice cream shop near the beach for cones.  The server asked Grandad what flavour he would like and he said vanilla.  Growing up on the farm, vanilla was the only flavour that they knew how to make.  Kids like fun flavours like Bubble Gum.  Some ice cream companies have really gone crazy and made unorthodox flavours like Foie Gras & Caviar, Candied Bacon and Curry Carrot.

Ice cream, which first appeared in England and America in the early 18th Century, is a timeless, tasty treat.  Happy Ice Cream Day!



Photo courtesy http://savingsscoop.com

Who Bought Corningware?

"Who bought Corningware?" asked my Grandma Tufts, waking up from a catnap in her gold Lazy Boy chair, her big blue eyes bulging out of her head.  We were gathered in my grandparents' rec room unwrapping our Christmas gifts.  Someone had received Corningware but Grandma had drifted off to sleep and missed the opening of the gift.  She had a knack for pretending not to know what was going on when she really did know.  I always knew she was much brighter than she let on.  It was her way to get everyone in the family laughing. 

Grandma often spoke her mind and I remember my Grandad occasionally tapping her ever so slightly on the shoulder and saying:  "Shh, Dorothy, Shh."  Her response?  "Don't you punch me!"  She had a gift for hyperbole.  Another example of this happened when my Mom bought our first microwave in 1986 and Grandma said:  "Won't it blow up?"

Sometimes, however, she did bite her tongue.  Anglo-Saxon Toronto slowly changed as my grandparents aged.  East York became home to a lot of Greeks and Italians, including some on my grandparents' street.  Their next-door neighbours would make home made wine and bring them a bottle.  Grandma and Grandad were teetotalers, but she was too polite to refuse a gift and so she took it and said "Thank you".  She promptly emptied the bottle's contents down the drain and returned it to the neighbour.  He thought that she drank it so fast that she must have loved it and he gave her another bottle.

Once my Dad and my brother Bill visited to clean out my grandparents' eavestrouphs.  Grandma, doing dishes at the kitchen sink and peeking out the window, warned:  "Look out, Norman.  That looks like number 2 from a raccoon." 

Later, she showed them the new cupboards she had built in her bedroom.  In the meantime, she had something cooking in the kitchen.  Normally Grandma was an excellent cook.  However, on this day she forgot to pour water into the bottom of the bunwarmer.  She raced into the kitchen, grabbed the kettle and poured water on to the buns.  Later, Grandma served hotdogs for lunch.  Grandad ate without complaining; my brother's eyes watered as he ate, but he didn't say a word; but my Dad asked:  "Mother, how come these hotdog buns are so soggy?"  Grandma replied:  "Oh don't you worry about that, dearie."  And no one left the table until all of the hotdogs were eaten.

Grandma, like most women of her generation, never learned how to drive a car.  When my grandparents would come to our house in Hamilton and Grandma was ready to go home, if my Grandad did not move quickly enough, she would often say:  "I guess I'll just walk home." 

Grandma had the sense of humour in our family.  She knew how to entertain us.  Unfortunately I did not inherit this wonderful trait; however, my brother Bill definitely got it.  He keeps Grandma's memory alive with his humorous comments.  My daughter Jacqueline also received some of that wit.  I can remember a few summers ago Jacqueline's favourite stuffie was a giant Dora Doll.  We brought it to my in-laws cottage and Rob accidentally dropped Dora in the sand.  Distraught, Jacqueline said:  "We might as well through it out now!"  I knew she was related to Grandma when I heard those words.  Thank you, Grandma, for making us all laugh.



GRANDMA
(Dedicated to Dorothy Tufts on October 25, 2006.)

Born in Brampton in mid-1909,
Her parents baptized her Dorothy May.
She moved to Toronto when she was nine.
Where they settled on Mortimer one day.

She married a man from a Kirkton Farm.
Their Toronto home was spotlessly cleaned.
Her husband showed such charisma and charm.
For sixty years on each other they leaned.

Her hands baked cookies and casseroles, too.
Her sweet voice made the church choir sublime.
Her house had space for each item, it's true.
Save her son's motor oil and neighbour's wine.

Her sense of humour brought joy to my life.
She was a great grandma, mother and wife.



Photo courtesy http://i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com

In the Palm of His Hand

What do Isaac Newton, Winston Churchill, Anna Pavlova and my nephew Cody all have in common?  They were all born several weeks premature and yet you wouldn't know it.  Isaac Newton was so tiny at birth that he fit into a quart mug;  Anna Pavlova arrived at 7 months gestation as did Winston Churchill.  My nephew arrived 3 months early and weighed a mere 2.2 pounds at birth.  You could have held him in the palm of your hand. 

At first Cody stayed in the hospital until he reached the weight of a full term baby.  Then, he went home but made regular trips back to the hospital for check ups.  I remember the doctor suggesting that he get a swing to help with his balance.  Bit by bit, Cody started to catch up.  Although it took him a little bit longer to walk, once he did, he was running in no time.  Although he was always thin, his look was always healthy; even when he got sick, he bounced back quickly. 

Cody was always a quiet boy.  As my Mom said, he would sit back and observe what others were doing.  You might have thought that he wasn't paying attention; but then he would do what someone else had done flawlessly.  I remember when my son Thomas, who was born the same year as his cousin, would sit in his playpen.  Cody didn't like his playpen, but he wouldn't hesitate to climb into Thomas' playpen to play with his cousin.  At one time he had a tutor for Math; and yet he just completed Grade 7 and received an "A" on every Math test.  One time, he was doing something very quietly in his bedroom and his Mom went to see what he was up to.  She discovered his new lamp hanging from the ceiling and Cody, being the son of an electrician, explained that he had just completed "a small electrical job".  Yes, Cody is observant and he doesn't miss a beat. 

We enjoyed a 3-night visit with my nephew this week.  On July 14, we dined on juicy porkchops and cottage cheese pasta.  Then we sang "Happy Birthday" and my nephew blew out candle number 13 on a devil's food cake.  Later, Cody weighed himself; the scale registered 96.2 pounds.  While we can't hold him in the palm of our hand anymore, God will always hold him in the palm of His hand.  Happy Birthday, Cody!



Photo courtesy www.blogcdn.com

Wax On, Wax Off

"Was on, wax off.  Wax on, wax off."  When Mr. Miagi, the sensei in the movie "The Karate Kid", had his student Daniel wax cars to prepare him for karate matches, he not only was giving him a physical exercise, but also a mental one.  When competing, a karate student must be completely focused on the task at hand.  Furthermore, as Julia Cameron says, losing yourself in a task can be a rewarding experience , enhancing the "artist brain".  When you do something like wax the car, you become so absorbed in it, you almost go into a trance-like state.  You forget about your surroundings, your forget about the past, you forget about the future, and you focus completely on the present.  Julia Cameron says that because your mind is so focussed, it is at this point that your creativity peaks. 

The same could be said of activities like gardening, knitting, drawing, writing, playing an instrument or putting together a puzzle.  When immersed in an activity that requires our complete focus and that we enjoy, we create something that one psychologist called "flow".  Activities that promote "flow" can not only raise our creativity level, but lower our stress level.  Immersed in these activities, it's almost as if we are meditating.  It is no wonder that people who actively pursue a passion are often happier than those who do not cultivate a hobby.

Of course, the new hobby that you take up must be positive and healthy to reap the benefits.  Sitting at a slot machine pulling a lever all day is a repetitive exercise that puts you in a trance-like state where you lose track of time; however, you also lose your shirt in the process and possibly your job or your family.  Chain smoking or heavy drinking are also destructive repetitive activities.

When you immerse yourself in a constructive hobby for an hour or two or three, you come back to your problems with a renewed energy.  Stepping back and taking a break from your problems gives you a new perspective on life.  So the next time you feel stressed, go outside and wax the car.  It worked for the Karate Kid.



Photo courtesy www.cinematex.ro/poster