Ad astra, per aspera

I walked into our Monday morning sales meeting today and asked to turn the t.v. on so we could watch Endeavour's final launch. No one else seemed terribly interested in it, but having grown up near KSC, I am a bit invested in the goings on of the space program.

Our old house in Oviedo provided great views for numerous liftoffs. You could walk out into the middle of the cul-de-sac and watch the shuttle come up behind the house at the end of the street. Our windows would rattle when the shuttle would re-enter the atmosphere and you could hear the sonic boom. I remember where I was when I found out Columbia exploded (Century Tower - working the Newbie Cicerone scavenger hunt), and where I was when Discovery - the first shuttle to go up after Columbia - safely landed (in our cabin at Kanuga getting ready for breakfast).

We watched this morning's launch on Headline News, which cut straight to commercial after launch. I commented that I was disappointed we weren't going to get to see the separation of the solid rocket boosters - which quickly earned me the title of 'nerd' for the day. I may be a nerd - maybe it had something to do with growing up in Central Florida; maybe it had something to do with Dr. Carol Denicole (my space-obsessed 6th grade math teacher); maybe it's because I think that space exploration (even though it never appealed to me) is a really cool thing. But, whatever the reason, I pray that those on Endeavour have a successful mission and return safely to solid ground. Godspeed, Endeavour.

Royal Wedding Redux...

{people.com}

...about three weeks late, but better late than never. Yes, I did get up at 4:45 a.m. to watch the Royal Wedding. Yes, I did get up and bake scones at 5 a.m. to have with the entire pot of coffee that was consumed - necessary to make it through a full work day. And while I was excited to see the hats, pageantry, and Kate's dress (verdict: gorgeous, but the Madonna business in the chest was a bit much), I was more excited about the actual wedding itself. I'm of the belief, however biased, that Anglicans (and Episcopalians in the US) do weddings the best - and this wedding was no different. 

I loved that the opening hymn, Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, was a tribute to Diana (it was the hymn sung as the closing processional at her funeral). It is sung to the Welsh tune Cwm Rhondda - homage to the Prince's 'territorial designation'. I loved that they sung Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - on my list of wedding hymns - even if it was sung to a different tune. John Rutter, one of my favorite composers, composed a lovely anthem as a gift to the couple.

And, I loved the liturgy. I loved that, as the Archbishop pronounced them husband and wife, he wrapped his stole over their hands (the Anglican version of the unity candle). I loved that they said the traditional vows written in the Prayer Book. I found it rather incredulous that a People.com article before the wedding seemed disappointed - even a bit let down - that Will and Kate weren't writing their own vows. But, most of all, I loved the Bishop of London's sermon. It was the quintessential wedding sermon - including a charge to all who witnessed their vows to support and uphold them in their new life together. For all the wonderful music, liturgy, pomp and circumstance, the wedding was, at its core, a wonderful celebration of two people's love of one another.