Sharing my life and love of cross stitch. Thoughts about this and that.

Monday, September 24, 2012

New Freebie Links Added

See Freebie Page

Also added: Strawberry Tea Campaign - (the UK's breast cancer care campaign) with small charts

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Videos of Endeavor Landing at LAX - with Music!

NASA TV's edited video:


The 24-piece brass/percussion ensemble, in which my brother plays trombone,  sounded the first trumpet note exactly when the 747's wheels hit the runway. They timed Copland's "Fanfare to the Common Man" to end as the 747 and Shuttle came to a stop directly behind them. The video and sound are excellent!

Vocalist's unedited video of landing and taxi with full version of Fanfare, wind, cheering and jet noises - also excellent! Like and leave a comment for Steve.


FOX News video of the event.

Commentary over "Fanfare," then you can hear the stirring version of "America the Beautiful" sung by Steve Amerson, who captured the above on his IPad, accompanied by the ensemble starting at 4:15. Very moving. All of it.

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As for my volunteering at Cowboys Stadium: I had to leave home just before the Shuttle landed in LA, sat around and did NOTHING for the next 2 hours, then folded over the tops of hot dogs in sleeve and stacked them on a tray. (I have a post grad so it was relatively simple to learn and do.) Thursday I volunteered with a different group preparing 3,000 sacks with chips, condiments and napkins for the Staff Rally on Friday - only about 1/3 to 1/2 of which were necessary/used. A LARGE group of 20-something stadium employees (I assume being paid) dropped hot dogs into a sacks just before handing them out as other employees walked past. I sat around and did little or nothing for another hour or two, then helped take the 120 or so left over dogs down to the field. I was pretty sure I'd get lost trying to find my way back to the freight elevator, so I was told I could climb what turned out to be more than a couple of flights of stairs through the lower section of seats to where I could exit out and find an elevator to take me back to street level. Instead I had to climb yet another 3 extra long flights, by which time my legs were rubber. To my surprise, I didn't drop dead before I got to the car.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Brother to Play at LAX Space Shuttle Endeavour Landing!

Endeavour Space Shuttle is scheduled to land about 12:45 PT (2:45 CT) at LAX, and should be broadcast LIVE on some stations. The brass and percussion ensemble Jim will be playing with will perform "Fanfare to the Common Man" by Aaron Copland with the first note at "wheels down" and "America the Beautiful" as dignitaries disembark at the hanger. Aaron Copeland's classic "Fanfare" is recognizable and  very moving. It was featured in "Saving Private Ryan," and other films and on TV. You can hear the Marine Band version here: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib /ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.100010429/default.html

 
I'd already volunteered to assist at a Cowboys Stadium Staff Kick-Off Rally today from 2:50 to 10pm and won't be home. Given my druthers, I'd be in LA with Jim!  SO WISH I COULD BE THERE (or at least see it on TV! - maybe the landing WITH MUSIC will be repeated later on the news.)

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Still sad news & Exciting News re Brother

Sad: I have not found Brulee and am trying to accept I will never see him again. I still call when I'm outside or driving down the street and check the Strays list at Animal Services daily. I just keep really expecting him to show up.

Exciting: My brother, Jim, did some or all of the arrangements and will be part of the brass ensemble that is to play at the official welcome at LAX when Space Shuttle Endeavour lands in LA on Friday!! Way to go, Jim!!

Disappointing: But unless it lands before 10am there, I won't be able to see it as I'm scheduled to volunteer at Cowboy Stadium for some sort of Cowboy Stadium Staff Kick-Off Rally. I hope someone records the Shuttle Landing and Welcome!! That's soooo much more exciting! Maybe I can talk Jerry into showing it on the JumboTron?

Thursday, September 13, 2012

New Halloween Freebie

Happy Halloween 2012 - by Kit & Bixby, courtesy of Hoffman Distributing, probably of very limited availability so D/L now!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Brûlée has been missing for a week




Brûlée is 16 or 17 years old. He is tall, very long and very lean. I adopted him in 1999. The vet said he was around 4 at the time. He'd been found wandering around a super market parking lot. He kept Maahing and reaching through the cage door trying to snag anyone who walked by to love and pet him. An Animal Services volunteer kept changing the euthanasia date hoping someone would adopt him, and persuaded me to take him. He's been an interesting and wonderful cat. Neurotic and needy, quirky and I would call him God's way of teaching me patience. He'd Maaah so loudly and so often that I converted a classical tune that I would sing and his MAAHS would fit in as part of. Until recently, he wanted / had lay between my knees if I was sitting in bed, on my shoulder and sometimes on my face if I was asleep. I thought his recently less dramatic behavior was him giving up after I forced him to stay inside when he desperately wanted out combined with all the chaos next door with new owners, new roof, city tree trimmers in our yards for 4 days, renovations with lots of people he didn't know. But I realized he might be ill. I'd planned to take him to the vet last Tuesday. I last saw him Sunday night. I had to go looking, but not necessarily unusual. He appeared from the bushes up the street, not unusual, but rather than let me get near to herd him toward home he ambled into the neighbor's back yard. I figured he'd be home in a few minutes. Hour at most. I thought I'd let the window open enough for him to push it open if he showed up while I was gone on Monday. I got home after dark and discovered I'd closed it too tight. I called and called and walked up and down the street. My neighbor insists he saw Brulee Monday headed home after I'd been out. Somehow he disappeared in that 50 or 75'. Did the possum I discovered eating the food I'd put on the window sill for Brulee frighten him off. Did someone manage to catch him? (I find that hard to believe). Did another wild animal get him? Was he scared so far away he can't find his way home? Did he wander away to die? I don't know. I've walked up and down the street dozens of times calling. Driving the neighborhood. Talked to anyone who was out, but no one has seen him. My neighbors, who all know him, can't figure it out either. I've been watching the Animals Services Strays list. I've listed him on their Lost & Found. I've called or dropped flyers to nearby vets. I have new flyers to put in mail boxes. I don't know what else to do. I feel so guilty not realizing he might have been ill and needed to see a vet sooner than I realized. I should have tried to get in Saturday morning rather than think it could wait until Tuesday. Have I done enough to try to find him? I just know IF he could come home he would have before now. Now he's gone. I don't know where. I don't know why.

My heart is breaking.
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