Washington DC - Cherry Blossom Festival

The plans were made and they looked great: we go to North Carolina for the Methodist Orphanage Reunion and then for a visit with the family in Johnston County, NC. From there we (sisters Shirley, Joan, Frances and her husband Jan, their grandson Michael and Jenny & I) would go to Washington, DC primarily to see the Cherry Blossoms, but of course also to see many of the other sites. Except Michael, who recorded many “firsts” on the trip, we had all been to DC before (although it had been a very long time since we were there). Our brother Billie and his wife Patsy, who lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia decided to meet us there, even though they have been to see the sites many, many times. It was planned as a mini-family reunion!

We stayed in the Hampton Inn at National Harbor, MD, a new community on the Potomac just outside of DC that opened in 2008; so new that my GPS system didn’t even show it, therefore of course I got lost! The community includes the Gaylor National Resort and Convention Center, said to be the largest hotel on the east coast without a casino.

BUT the bottom line is that we were a couple of days late for the Cherry Blossoms. We had a great time together anyway. The crowds were so large that we couldn’t even get into some of the sites; we did do the obligatory walk down to the Tidal Basin to check out the “trees” without “blossoms”. We all had different itineraries so on most days we went to different sites. Jan took Michael to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and to couple of the great Smithsonian Museums. Jenny and I went to the Library of Congress and the US Botanic Gardens on one day and National Gallery of Art another day.

Shirley, Joan, Frances, Jenny and I drove to the National Cathedral on the last day, since it was on all of our list of “things to see”.

The Family: Jan, Frances, Shirley, Bobby, Joan, Michael, Billie & Patsy (Jenny took the picture), enjoying a little refreshment.

Did I say there were no trees in bloom? Well maybe on or two!

Shirley, Joan, Jenny & Michael ready for a big day sightseeing!

Jenny at the US Botanic Gardens just off the Mall and southeast of the Capitol.

Jenny in the East Building of the National Gallery

Bobby, Frances, Joan & Shirley in front of the National Cathedral.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

As indicated in my previously posting, we stopover in Philadelphia to visit the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art on our trip south to North Carolina. It rained most of the three days we were there, but not to worry in the museums it didn’t brother us!

The Philadelphia Museum was featuring "Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris" Exhibition. I’m beginning to appreciate modern art more; I guess the more I learn the more I can appreciate all art. We plan to be in NYC in May and we just might take in the Metropolitan’s exhibition of Picasso, which will feature over 300 works of the Museum’s collection of Picasso’s paintings. Should be really interesting.

Thomas Eakins, The Agnew Clinic, 1889.

As I indicated in my previously posting, we were unable to see The Gross Clinic painted by Eakins in 1875, but this one is great also.

One of the galleries that Jenny like a lot. Beautiful tapestries.

Philadelphia Museum with the tourists in the foreground!

Pennslyvania Academy of Fine Art (PAFA) - March 2010

Jenny and I just returned from North Carolina for a MO/MHFC Reunion (see previous posting dated April 13, 2010) and for a visit with family in Johnston County, NC. We normally drive down, but we try to visit other cities on our way down and on our return. This trip we made a stopover in Philadelphia for three days, primarily to visit the PAFA and the Philadelphia Museum. We had visited the Philadelphia Museum before but not the Academy.

Since we had visited Philadelphia several years ago, we didn’t do the “history” tours, although as usual our first day we did hit the streets and walked around the city. The second day was spent in the Academy. We had heard there were many of Thomas Eakins’ paintings there, but as it turned out there are more of his paintings in the Philadelphia Museum. We miss The Gross Clinic, but we did see The Agnew Clinic at the Philadelphia Museum. The Academy’s staff said The Gross Clinic was at the Philadelphia Museum and the staff at the Philadelphia Museum said it was at the Academy! I think that it just wasn’t on display or traveling!

The Academy, founded in 1805, is the oldest art school and museum in the country. Some of the artists trained at the PAFA: Thomas Eakins, Robert Henri, Charles Demuth and Charles Harnett. The current building opened in 1876 was designed by Furness and Hewitt and has been designated as a National Historical Landmark.

The building in the center is the PAFA.

Inside the Museum. It is a beautiful building!

Jenny soaking it up!

Of course we had time to eat! This is The Fish restaurant; the food was very good.

Check it out! Looks good doesn't it?

Methodist Orphanage Reunion - 2010

Just a little background for anyone reading this blog for the first time: I spent ten years in the Methodist Orphanage in Raleigh, NC when I was a kid (Second Grade through graduation from high school). It was unfortunate that my two sisters, a brother and I had to go, but from my perspective my experiences there were nothing but good. I learned so much about being responsible and to give back to others who are less fortunately than you. And yes, as my Mother always said, “Look around and you will always find someone worse off than you”.

Anyway the Orphanage, now call the Methodist Home for Children, has a reunion in Raleigh,NC each year at Easter. It is something that has been going on for as many years as I can remember. When I was a kid, fifty plus years ago, I remember the events well and always looked forward to the reunion see our big brothers and sisters, although then we use to call it “Homecoming”.

The Orphanage as I knew it doesn’t exist today. It has transitioned into the Methodist Home For Children with a mission much different than when I was a kid. Today the Home’s mission is more to the family and temporary care of children when possible and then adoption as the last result. Check out their web site to see more on their mission.

Early this year, through the efforts for many, a historical site marker was erected where the Orphanage was located on Glenwood Avenue. It commemorates over 100 years of service to needed children and families in Central and Eastern North Carolina.

This was the entrance to the Orphanage and the site were the marker is located; the road was called, "The Long Hill" by us but today it is Washington Street.

The building in the back is the administrative building for the MHFC. The bell in the marker is the bell that was rung while I was at the Orphanage to call us to meals, school and other activities.

This is the Borden Building and is one of only two buildings standing from the Orphanage. The Borden Building has been completely renovated and is part of the Fred Fletcher Park and is owned by Raleigh Parks and Recreation. The Garish Building is the only other building standing from the Orphanage but it hasn't been restored. The Borden Building was the first building built in 1900 and the Garish Building the last, I think built in 1951.

So this is enough, Maybe a few pictures from our reunion (Homecoming):

Some of the happy "orphans" enjoying the reunion.

Re-hashing and embellishing old memories!

Happy Orphans! They don't look like "orphans" do they?