Buildings of Philadelphia

In any city with history, you have wonderful architecture from major craftsmen and artists. This beauty can not be reproduced for several reasons, such as cost, but mostly because of the lost craftsmanship of a gone-by era. While modern-day architecture is a marvel to look at, there are no longer amazing artisans who make imbedded statues within the walls of a building.

Philadelphia has many beautiful older buildings and I will share a few of those with you today. This is the front and side of City Hall.

Check out the closeup of this amazing artwork that I presume to be stone.

We expect churches to be amazing on the inside but some wonderful structures from the early 19th century and later are striking on the outside.

The Masonic Temple entrance had intricate arched layers as it came down to its arched door.

Along with churches, the Christ Church Cemetery had monuments of artesian flair.

You have to be of a certain age to get a chuckle and be amazed by this building’s stained glass masterpiece. I chuckled with fond memories of the TV commercials when I was a kid.

If the window does not ring a bell, it is the RCA music mascot, Nipper. Since I have always been an animal lover, of course, I would remember Nipper. This building is now apartments and shops.

A must-see if you go to Philadelphia is Elfreth Ally. It’s the oldest neighborhood in the entire country still being used as it was first built. They are still homes plus a museum giving history information of the ally.

A photo contrasting the buildings of 1700 and today…

I close with a smattering of photos taken at random as we walked the streets of Philadelphia. The last day was misty rain but the beauty of this place could still be seen.

One last string of photos – if you go to Philly, you have to visit Reading Terminal. Shop after shop of amazing food.

Well, the Philly trip is done, I hope you had fun looking through my picture fun. Don’t forget that wherever you may travel, always be kind. When you are kind, kindness will be returned.

Thursday Doors & Tour

The architecture tour from Tuesday through the older buildings of Davenport, Iowa, had many amazing doors, but I think my favorite one was once the First National Bank building which now houses the US Bank Center. It very much fits with the Thursday Doors prompt.

The bank was built in 1924, this year marks its 100th birthday. Smith and Childs, an architectural firm from Chicago, and architect O.H. Breidert, designed this beautiful building. While it is still a full use bank, it also displays a section of the history of the area with photographs and historical information. But its brass door…

Inside the archway of the door are raised sculptures reflecting the Renaissance Revival period.

Here is a closeup of one of the figures. Amazing detail.

When you first enter the entrance alcove of the bank, there is a wall display on marble slabs of important people from the area, from Chief Blackhawk to Bix Beiderbecke.

When you go into the main lobby of the bank, the ceiling may make you forget what century we now live in.

Check out these closeup details of the ceiling.

I find it heart breaking that this era of design is no longer affordable to build plus not having the artistic skill with stone they had back then. So enjoy your older buildings while they are still around and appreciate the talent it took to create them. Don’t get me wrong, the architectural talent we have today is just as amazing, it just doesn’t have that artistic flare that I love.

In closing, I remind you of the value of kindness in all that you do. Your gentle smile may be just the thing that a hurting person needs to carry on with the day.

Amazing Stonework, Craftsmanship

A couple of years ago, I was amazed by the architecture of the surrounding area where I currently live. So, I created a series of post called Amazing Stonework featuring some of those buildings.

This morning I went on an architectural history tour put on by the public library. And it was amazing. We must never take for granted that these beautiful buildings will be here forever and enjoy them while we have them.

For me the most amazing building in this area was once a prominent bank building. Today it is apartments but in its day, wow.

In 1927, Walsh & Kahl Construction Company, with the designs of Weary and Alfred of Chicago, built the tallest building in the area. The lower section of the building is black marble and the doors and windows have intricate metal details surrounding them.

The second floor shows the Roman style columns with detailed capitals and recessed arched windows.

As cool as I have always thought the outside was, on this tour, we got to go inside. The bank lobby is no longer used but coming into the side entrance where people access their apartments, we got to see the lobby from its back window. I would have never thought this architectural beauty existed in Davenport, Iowa. Amazing.

A wealthy philanthropist needs to restore this beauty and use it again. It’s a shame this architectural beauty is not seen. The detail in the ceiling shows a riverboat, since that is what brought wealth to the region.

The hall going up to the apartments also has amazing wooden inlaid ceilings.

Because of my art background, I tend to look at architecture from a different perspective than historical. A perspective that we have lost due to it’s cost and the available skill of these amazing craftsmen. I love the artistic view and understand the amount of work this beautiful form of architecture has. And yes, the only place we see this now is in our older buildings. So we must make every effort to preserve this so that later generation can see it. We don’t want to go all the way over to the “pond” to see this amazing artwork.

Below are other picture of this building including a side view showing the stone statues that are on top. I assume they are eagles but they could be winged dragons as well. I will have to do more research.

Remember in all things, always be kind. This morning a young robin was trying to learn to fly and mistakenly landed in the street. One of the ladies in the group instantly went out into the street to make sure the fledgling did not get run over. He hopped under a car and hopefully figured out what to safely do. His mama was very upset.

Playing in the Dirt

Now that I am of a ‘certain age’ the idea of a large yard is highly overrated. Who wants to cut all that grass. While I am not fond of the noisy teenagers in close proximity, I do enjoy being to pant lots of flowers in all of my yard. Last year I planted some perennials along my fence which makes less work along the fence line.

I am especially fond of the golden yarrow. I know that it can take over, but right now, I see no issue with that. Less work for beautiful flowers.

I thought I would send out to other flower enthusiast, the colors in my yard.

Petunia are always fun with so many different color options plus they can handle warmer weather. Perineal flowers are always a fun option to see if they can survive the interesting winters here in Iowa. I got a new one this year, an Ice Plant. We will see it I can keep it alive.

Other long standing perennials that are still surviving are Coreopsis, Balloon Flower and Bee Balm.

A little later in the summer, I will start putting out the mums. I love the colors of mums in the fall. That is pretty much the gist of my small yard, hope you enjoyed. Have a great summer and always remember to be kind.

FOTD, Purple

We had a decent day today and when I got home from work I was able to spend some time in my swing. As I surveyed my spring flowers, I noticed I sure do have lots of purple. No that that is a bad thing, it just shows I like purple. So I thought I would share some of my pictures with you. Its getting that time of year where my phone is more of a camera than a phone. 😊

I did not realize that all the tulips were purple. I could have sworn they were a mixed bag of bulbs, guess the purple won out. But they are varieties of flowers – some are single with green stripes and some are doubled that look more like a rose than a tulip.

One section near the house is now filled in with periwinkle that dropped from a potted plant over 5 years ago.

A new plant for me this year is Nemesia, they come in pink, white, and purple. Of course, I bought all three.

The Wind Flowers has always been a favorite but I had not see this color before.

Well, I guess that is all the Flowers of the Day for today. Cee, I hope the pollen lets up soon for you. It would be a shame to miss Spring’s beauty. I found that the face mask helps with the pollen as well.

Enjoy the colors of spring or fall wherever you may be and try to always be kind.

In the Midst of a Storm

Yesterday for the Midwest, it was a turbulent day of rain, hail, wind, and tornadoes. Fortunately, we survived the madness but others did not fare as well. I don’t think anyone was injured but trees, powerlines and some buildings did get damaged. I got some interesting pictures I thought I would share of the ominous clouds as they passed over my house.

There were two lines of the storm and I thought (foolishly) that I could zip between them to the McDonald’s down the street for a quick burger. As I drove into the parking lot, the sun looked like a glowing ball in dark gray sky, making the area look like a black and white photo.

Then while in the drive-through line, the deluge started. Fortunately, it was a short-lived line. As I was leaving the glowing ball made the sky look it was on fire surrounded by eerie luminous clouds.

Mother nature doing her thing. Even in the wrath of a storm, there is beauty that she creates if you look hard enough. May we also show beauty in all that we do. I think if we are always kind, then beauty will always be seen, therefore…we should always be kind.

Interesting Buildings

I enjoyed the post from woollymuses about interesting buildings. When my daughter and I went to New York City in February, we saw many interesting buildings. I have shared some of them off and on but not together so I thought I would do that even if sharing some pictures more than once.

It was amazing to me the mixture of very old buildings along with new modern buildings all throughout the city.

Besides the amazing churches we saw, there were two building in particular that made me do a double look. One was the Oculus Building that was built at the World Trade Center after 9/11 disaster.

The inside is just as amazing.

Another building that I have no clue what its name is or what it is used for we saw from a distance but it made me stop for a picture.

It looks like the game of Jenga. But you can see in this picture a mixture of old and new. New York City, ever-changing. The Chrysler building is an amazing building and to me more interesting that the Empire State Building, which we did not get a chance to see. The new 1 World Trade Center is impressive and thought provoking as well for why it was built because of the unneeded disaster. Over 2000 lives lost.

But we need to remember that buildings don’t last forever but love and kindness do. They get carried with us to our eternal home. So make an extra effort to always be kind. Kindness opens many doors to many situations.

9/11 Never Forget

Will We Ever…

Will we ever be able to stand by one another in unity and peace?

It would be like fresh cool water from a spring being poured over our heads to cool the unrelenting heat of anger that we don’t even understand.

Will we ever be able to support one another in unity and peace?

It would be like adding a soothing ointment that softens the wounds of war and heals the ugly scars we cause on one another.

Will we ever be able to love one another in unity and peace?

It would be like the valleys of heaven descended upon us to show us the beauty and kindness of life that we all were supposed to enjoy.

Will we ever be able?

This poem was first published in Reflections & Revelations, The Short of It, Volume 2, 2022.

It was based on Psalm 133 of the Bible, NIV version. So many of the Psalms are prayer songs that tried to understand the meanness of the world while hoping for better days.

We will never understand the meanness, hurt, and desolation of war. Our inner nature is to love…as he first loved, so war makes no sense.

When we visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, the immensity of that place was hallowed. No loud sounds could be heard from other onlookers. Even the sounds of the city seemed muted. Soft cries from people were heard as they placed their hands on the memorial wall that surrounded the massive holes in the ground. The walls surrounding the fountain was filled with the names of loved ones who were killed in the towers or rescue workers who were killed trying their best to save at least one person. Memories of that day still fill my mind, as I was in the Atlanta airport getting ready to board a plane when the airport was shut down. Knives and box cutters were later found in the trashcans around the airport proving another plane was scheduled to be used. How could that much hate be filtered into people against other people? In my mind and heart, I know why but I still ask the questions of why. Below are pictures I took while we were at the memorial. While we don’t want to dwell on this particular travesty, we need to pray for the hatred and unrest filling our planet in so many locations. And we lift our arms to God above to come quickly before we fully implode in anger.

The massive holes in the ground from the destruction of these two building were turned into fountains. In the background is the new 1 Tower World Trade Center building.

More than 2,000 lives were taken that day.

This is a bronze memorial for this horrific day and the many rescue workers that tried to make a difference. They did.

The Oculus Transportation Hub of the World Trade center.

Around the Oculus are wonderful statues by Gillie and Marc proving the beauty of wildlife and animals. Their whimsical art statues of animals doing things humans do gives you a light smile for a very sad place because people are not the only creatures on this planet that are purposely attacked.

Rabbit and Elephant share a book and a coffee

The entire gang is out for a ride in the big city leaving an open seat for anyone to join.

We should always remember that if we try, truly try, we can find goodness in each of us and can work together to find and maintain happiness. It starts with being kind.

New York Public Library

Someone asked us before we left for New York City, what did we plan to do. One of the main things we wanted to see was the Public Library. This person could not understand why a library. Besides there being a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the library is also a museum of printed works. Plus the building was fabulous. During my early career, I was a drafting designer, before we had computers to do that for us. We drew with pencils while standing up to a huge drawing board. How technology has changed but the beauty of the buildings in NYC from the 1800s is still something to see. So, if you never get a chance to see this library, I hope you enjoy this long post of things that I marveled at in a building of books. I took over 50 pictures in this one building but I promise I won’t post them all.

The Library has been guarded on either side by massive lion statues, named Patience and Fortitude since the library dedication on May 23, 1911.

On either side of the entrance are fountains. It is February so they are not running but still beautiful.

Once we got inside I was amazed at the ceilings of marble, mosaics, and inlayed wood.

And the marble columns with their beautiful patterns were striking, but then again I am a design nerd.

Now for some printed inspiration. Having a quasi interesting in writing myself, these ancient works give you quiet pause.

I tried to figure out where in the bible this was but couldn’t. But regardless, the very first printing of a book as we know it today, in 1455, was a Bible.

There is a book of Shakespeare’s works and a score of Mozart’s Music.

Then coming to a more modern era and closer to home, there are copies of the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and letters of Washington’s Farewell address, and the book showing the beauty of birds by John Audubon.

And on a softer whimsical note, there is a constant audio playing of the reading of Winnie the Pooh.

Winnie is a good place to stop and remind us of the power and beauty of kindness that should always be displayed to man and beast alike. Where in the world would we be without kindness. May we never find out.

A few other pictures taken are below.

Go There at Least Once

Two years ago my daughter finally started listening to me, a rarity right, after 40-plus years of me bending her ear. She was living to work instead of living life. So now, she has grabbed me it tow as her travel buddy.

She started planning trips of places she wanted to see and the top of her list was San Francisco, not because it is a cool place to visit, because it is, but because of The Rock. Not really the prison itself but the history around it, as she is a huge history buff. So the traveling bug has hit and off we go.

If you have never been to San Francisco, you should go at least one time. My favorite part was Pier 39 with the shops, a merry-go-round, and the of course the famous seals.

In November, we headed to Las Vegas to see a show and to shop. Yeah, for me that is a city of one-and-done. I am not a gambler so once you see the sights, its done, but I did love the sphere, although we could not get very close. This was the view from our room. It is not just a picture but a video that constantly changed. My favorite while there was an ocean scene with whales. It was amazing. This picture is from the map of the earth.

Between San Francisco and Las Vegas, I took a side trip to go see my youngest child and his family down in Nashville, Tennessee. If you get down that way I highly recommend the Nashville Zoo. Not the zoo itself, which was fun, but you need to visit Dinosaur Land. They have over 25 life-sized dinosaur robots in their supposed vegetation. So, along beautiful paths of actual vegetation are these different dinosaurs peeking out at you and growling – and again they are life-size…

In Early December we went to Michigan to a place where people like me who love Christmas must go at least once, Frankenmuth. And during the Christmas season, it is thrown up with Christmas. The shops, the horse drawn carriages, and the Silent Night Chapel are all a must-see.

Last week my daughter and I finally got to see New York City. For a small-town girl, it was amazing. I was also amazed at the kindness of the people. Because I knew we would be walking a bunch, I took my cane to help stabilize me in crowds. (Still not willing yet to have knee replacement surgery.) Several times people went out of their way to make sure I could get where I was going. It is nice to know that kindness IS even in the big city. Some think New Yorkers can be mean, but we did not see that. What we did see I will share here once I get through the 280 pictures I took. New York City is definitely a place you should visit at least once but we are already planning on a second trip – a trip just to see the amazing churches built from the 1800s and on. For now, I leave you with a teaser, New York from the air at Sunset.

I close with a reminder that it matters not where you are, you can always be kind. It helps all of us smile.

Always Be Kind