Today marked the anniversary, the 30th, of when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. At the time of this event, we lived in our 'big house' in Manty, with floor to ceiling windows in the dining room. The day the drapes were installed, Leon, the shop owner who made them, was the man on site. He described them as being theater drapes. It was quite the job to get them hung.
Our office was in the basement in this home, a very nice room designed to serve as our office, complete with wall heater to help warm it/me. I had a tiny TV on my desk and was watching this historic launch. A grade school teacher was going into space, imagine that! Her students were watching as she boarded the shuttle with the astronauts. They were also watching when those infamous words were spoken: "Go with throttle up". The Challenger exploded, most not sure of what they were seeing.
I flew up the stairs and called to Leon to come watch on the family room TV. Together we watched, along with the nation, the horror of the shuttle blowing to bits. Mission Control was just that, controlled, finding out later that the shuttle had exploded. They had no TVs or screens in their room other than the ones they used to monitor the equipment, being in Houston. It took a bit before they determined that there had been a 'major malfunction'. Quite the understatement, but, again, understandable, given they had no visual of the explosion. Still makes me feel sick thinking about it. Can it be 30 years already???
Here is Billy modeling my new coat in 2007, holding a fancy cane, much like Kramer's (Seinfeld) in "The Wig Master". Behind him you can see some of his gold records.
This is a day of nostalgia for another reason. 7 years ago today my neighbor, Bill Powell, passed away at home. Somehow I missed all the excitement during the night when the rescue squad came, having been called by Billy before he passed away. Ellen was at their beach place but a niece was staying with them, and heard the EMTs pounding on the door, finding Billy was already gone. I still can't believe this-he was so young-in his early 50's. The Lynyrd Skynyrd folks have sure had a rough time of it. Billy was a survivor of the plane crash in 1977 that took out their lead singer, a guitarist and his sister who sang back up, plus the pilot.
Billy had a love of life and knew his Savior, which is a great comfort to me. There used to be a plaque in the elevator with a quote from Billy, but it has disappeared, and no one knows what became of it. Such a shame what folks will do.
