It's a good moment in life when you actually get a do-over.  In 1999, I spent the summer at the University of Florida at a science teacher program and one of our field trips was attending a shuttle launch.  It was a several hour drive away but we were at that closest place you can be and it was the first mission with a woman commander.  It was scheduled for ~12:30am, so exciting, the countdown is happening...and it aborted with 4 seconds to go.  Talk about your launchus interuptus! We drive back to UF and the next night a bunch of us drove back.  It was delayed a long time and finally scrubbed because of lightning.  We drive back to UF.  The next night a group goes back and I was just so exhausted by this point I didn't go.   Of course it launched and everyone talked about how amazing it was.  I know this sounds crazy but missing that launch has been an honest-to-god Regret in my life.  My husband is working in Florida at the moment so I am spending the summer here and we are 90 minutes from the launch site. It's been my only goal this summer, to see the last launch.  Well, I was there today and I saw it and I cried and cheered with the other million people there and I can strike that off my very short list of regrets.  The weather could have cooperated more but what the heck, it was spectacular.  I wish the pictures were better.


My husband who cannot stand crowds almost turned tail and ran at this point.





We got about a 30 second view and then it was lost in the clouds.  Many hours of driving and waiting for 30 seconds?  Hell yeah, it was worth it.

I am going to be spending the summer in Florida and will be driving 1600 miles from Texas to Florida, 3-4 days in the car (Honda CRV), myself, my husband and two dogs.  Lucy (avatar) will be asleep in ten minutes, but Emma (50 lbs, mixed breed) gets totally stressed in the car.  She shakes, drools and sheds, and can never rest.  I recently bought homeopathic drops, tablets and a DAP pheromone collar and spray.  I won't really get a chance to try them out before we leave but I'm willing to try anything.  

Does anyone have any other suggestions or stories about how well these pheromone products work?

Into the Wildewood by Gillian Summers.  This is the second book in the Faire Folk trilogy.

Donna

Years ago I cut this out of the paper on Christmas Eve and glued it to a piece of cardboard.  It has become part of the Christmas decorations I put up every year although it's showing its age.  I was looking at it today and realized that it must be available online.  I still think I will keep my beat up copy though, nice memories...  That's the biggest image size I could get.  I hope y'all can read it. 

I am trying to put a link to my monthly book counts in my signature line.  I can get the url to show up but how do I rename it, i.e., how do I make it say "April Book Count" instead of just showing the url?

Thanks!