Photo Essay for the Holidays

Whatever holiday you celebrate during this winter season, I hope your days are happy and that 2015 roars in with better health, better weather, and a better outlook for a safe and happy new year. (I suspect I'm not the only one happy to boot 2014 out the door!)

This week, Mosaic Moments is presenting a double photo essay for the holidays: the launch of Orion, our hope for the next great step in space exploration, and holiday photos from the Festival of Trees at the Orlando Museum of Art. 

I'd also like to mention that although Scrooge still lives in some hearts, this year there seems to be a rise in the number of Secret Angels roaming our land. More tales of people paying for other people's meals in restaurants and drive-thrus. And most recently, an amazing surge of anonymous donors paying off huge sums for people who bought Christmas presents on Lay-away. The amounts reported on the TV news range from $10,000 to $65,000, the incidents occurring all over the country. (And the TV reporters seeming to love every moment of filming moms with tears rolling down their cheeks.) And then there are all those people who rushed out and bought extra toys to make up for a shortfall this week in our local Toys for Tots program. (The demand was higher this year & the shelves already empty.)

So take heart - the world has not yet imploded, the spirit of Christmas still lives. (Though I fear we've all had our doubts, this year more than most.) 

THE LAUNCH OF ORION

ORION - the first baby step in the road of manned flight to Mars. All photos are screen shots from Orlando's Channel 9 live presentation of the lift-off. No "live" from my driveway this time, as there was heavy cloud cover between here and the coast.

Comparison of rockets - Orion piggy-backed on a Delta IV

Orion & gantries at 7:00 a.m.

Ready . . .

Set . . .

GO!

The test appeared to be a success, with the unmanned Orion circling the earth four times, as planned, before splashing down in the Pacific right where our ships hovered, waiting to pick it up. Launch was Dec. 5, 2014, at 7:05 a.m. Orion returned to the Kennedy Space Center this Thursday, after being trucked back across the country.

FESTIVAL OF TREES - The Orlando Museum of Art

The grandchildren's favorites - Gingerbread Creations 

Classic Gingerbread House

 

The family favorite - a pirate ship

Florida Gingerbread?

I didn't ask that darling to pose. Really!

One of several gorgeous tablesettings being raffled for this annual fundraising event

How about a wreath that's a bit different?

Or maybe this one? I believe that price tag reads a mere $425!

Trimmed with Toys

Christmas Tree Re-think

Do you think the bulldozer migrated from the Toy Tree? I suspect a practical joker somewhere about.

Soloists with the Citrus Singers, who were performing at the Museum

Carolers at the Museum

Three remarkable Menorahs

Hmm - a tree wearing a headdress

Merry Christmas!

And farewell to another wonderful afternoon at the Festival of Trees at the Orlando Museum of Art. 

~ * ~

Thanks for stopping by.

Grace
 

For Grace's website, listing all books as Blair Bancroft, click here.

For a brochure for Grace's editing service, Best Foot Forward, click here.