December 1, 2016

A Fun, Day after Thanksgiving, Visit to the National Air and Space Museum

Up close and personal  with “Neil Armstrong’s space suit”.

Have you seen the Christmas comedy Jingle All the Way (1996)? Dad and husband
Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) spends the entire movie in a humorous and constant state of chaos, all in an effort to buy the perfect Christmas gift for his son. 

Although, my December to-do list is long, as I am sure yours is, I am determined not to become like harried Howard Langston, and, instead, enjoy the Christmas season. So,
on this first day of December, I will take a moment to chat with you.  :o)

Funny Christmas film, Jingle All the Way

The Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum

Following a day of enjoyable Thanksgiving festivities that included extended family visiting from Ohio, we made the hour+ trek to Virginia to see the Smithsonian’s
National Air and Space Museum. Please join me on a photo tour of some of the highlights of our fun visit.

Thanks to this entrance, we knew that we had found the right place.  :o)

Entering the museum, there was aircraft displayed in every direction of the large
two hangar area.

Having a Hollywood connection, this plane, The Excalibur III, peaked my interest. :o)  Captain Charles Blair, in his Excalibur III, made the first solo flight across the Arctic in 1951. Blair was married to Irish-born actress Maureen O’Hara from 1968 until his death
in 1978.
To read more about Captain Charles Blair, read here, here, and here.

Seeing the Enola Gay, the plane responsible for dropping the first atomic bomb (in 1945/ WWII) on Hiroshima, Japan was sobering.   

I loved the classic lines of this beautifully shining Boeing 307 Stratoliner
“Clipper Flying Cloud”.

The concept of this 1950’s Hiller Flying Platform was intriguing.
Unfortunately, the idea was not feasible, and the idea was dropped.

I found myself daydreaming about what a flight on the Concord must have been like.
Flying from 1976-2003, it had a top speed over twice the speed of sound.

I loved seeing this model used for the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
Read more about this display, here.

I remembered seeing this Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) on TV when the astronauts returned from their moon flights. It isolated astronauts in the event that they had contracted some contagious disease on the moon.

Check out this 2007 R2D2 Star Wars mailbox!
Commemorating the movie, it was one of 400 used throughout the country.

One of my favorite pieces in the museum was this kitchy space capsule pay phone booth from the late 1960’s. It was once in use at Kennedy Space Center in
Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Any other Disney fans see a “Hidden Mickey” in this Apollo 11 capsule? :o)

The Space Shuttle Discovery was the star of the museum, and with our group.  :o)

You can read more about the National Air and Space Museum, here.

Got Turkey Leftovers?

Do you need a tasty recipe to finish up that Thanksgiving turkey now stowed in your freezer? Look no further than my tried and true turkey casserole. It has become a tradition in my family to make this casserole the week after Thanksgiving.  French’s Crispy Fried Onions, added at the very end, give this recipe added flavor.

French’s Crispy Fried Onions, added at the very end, give this turkey casserole recipe added flavor.

Annette’s Turkey Casserole

Ingredients
12 ounce package egg noodles, cooked
1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
2/3 cups evaporated milk
1+1/2 cup Velveeta cheese, grated
12 ounce frozen peas, cooked (optional, but suggested)
2 cups diced, cooked turkey (chicken may also be used)
PAM for greasing dish
French’s Crispy Fried Onions

Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Combine cooked noodles, soup, evaporated milk, cheese, cooked peas, and cooked turkey in a large bowl.

Pour into greased glass dish.  I use a 2.75 quart, as pictured above.

Place in oven for about 25 minutes, or until hot.

Top with French Fried Onions (you determine the amount), and heat in oven for another
5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading,
Annette

Here is a list of past Christmas blogs to peruse at your leisure, filled with movie suggestions and recipes. Click on the blog titles below.

Counting the Days till Christmas
Christmas in Black and White
Procrastination and Merry Christmas

Why not grab a cup of tea/coffee and take a few minutes for yourself, to enjoy these and more past blogs and photos? Click here, or go to imannette.net.

I usually post every other Thursday. Think of Thursday as I’m Annette days. :o)
I plan to post next on December 22.

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It is your encouragement that keeps me writing! :o)
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While at the museum, I saw several little guys sporting this orange attire.
When leaving, I discovered that this astronaut suit is sold in the museum gift shop,
even in adult sizes!  :o)
You can get your own, here.