A few shots of the lovely yard where we stayed…
Philadelphia 2015: Our Yard
May 6th, 2015 by leigharev2
Philadelphia 2015: Eastern State Penitentiary
May 6th, 2015 by leigharev2
The oldest prison in America, this is a fun, unique, and kind of creepy tour that you can visit in Philadelphia. Eastern State Penitentiary’s website is full of information and worth reading if you have time.
The original prison was created to have solitary cells for prisoners to fully spend time alone, and with God, to come to penitence. They never saw, or interacted, with other prisoners. Each prisoner had their own interior cell, and a small outside space that was used once an hour for their exercise.
The prison was created with a center hall, then wings that went out like the spokes of the wheel. Over time, with the increase of prisoners, they created two story wings, as well as doubling up the cells.
In the 1900’s, this space was used for football and baseball. In the 60’s, it was discovered that baseballs would be hit out of the park, then returned over the same fence containing drugs or a weapon in it.
As the boys and I were going down one wing that has art exhibits within the cells, ‘R’ noticed the picture of one of the artists in the corner of the informational board. He said, “mom, doesn’t this look like the lady we saw yesterday who owned that boutique you liked?” I responded, “yes, that looks a lot like her.”. Then, I looked up and saw the artist talking with someone else. I asked if she was the person on the board and she said yes. She overheard our conversation and wondered if we would realize she was there. We had a little chuckle. Here is a picture I took of her, alongside with the informational board of her and her piece of work. Another funny side note: I ran into her at the TSA line in Philly. She recognized me, but could not recall the context.
This is the door to a very “special” cell…Al Capone’s cell. Obviously, he was given some favor.
Philadelphia 2015: Chestnut Hill
May 6th, 2015 by leigharev2
While David was visiting a client, the boys and I walked along the lovely main street (germantown Ave.) of the neighborhood Chestnut Hill. Full of gift stores, boutiques, little markets, and eateries, we were not able to see it all before having to head back. It’s the kind of neighborhood one dreams of, with everything you’d ever want on one charming street.
This was taken at the Iron Hill Brewery. Good food. We ate there twice in one week.
Philadelphia 2015: A Walk Through Town
May 6th, 2015 by leigharev2
The weather could not have been any better. Philadelphia is a lovely and easy city to walk around. Here’s a snippet of one of our walks….
Love Park, with City Hall in the background…
Across the street from Love Park is a public art installation, with large game pieces from various games scattered around…
Talking strategy about running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, AKA “Rocky’s Steps”. We all watched ‘Rocky’ a couple of days before flying to Philly. It had to be done…
So proud of the boys. They ran the steps three times!
Philadelphia 2015: Franklin Institute
May 6th, 2015 by leigharev2
Talking with friends, this was a “must see”. So glad we did. We spent more time than expected because the boys were so into it. The exhibits are very interesting and right up a tween boys alley. We were completely floored to discover the special exhibit, “The Art of the Brick”, a display of art sculptures by Nathan Sawaya, all done in Legos. This was a huge highlight for the boys.
The realism of the art pieces all in LEGOS is outstanding!!
This is the artist’s most famous piece. Titled, “Yellow”. The boys knew about this piece and squealed when they saw it…
Yes, this T-Rex is in LEGOS! 80,000+ pieces!
At a different exhibit, having fun interacting with their shadow/skeleton…
Mr. Franklin’s statue in the entry. This guy was doing a cool demonstration on various gases…
The noblest question in the world is, “what good may I do in it?” Benjamin Franklin
Getting ready to go into an interactive flight simulator…
One of the Wright brothers original planes…
A picture of Orville Wright and Amelia Earhart together…
An exhibit on the brain. This is a huge area where the kids climb along the brain’s neuro pathways. There was a school field trip in the room and it was LOUD!
‘A’ feeling what a real brain feels like…
‘R’ standing next ro an actual preserved brain and spinal column…
The boys recording their own weather segment…
Inside a huge heart…
Philadelphia 2015: Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
May 5th, 2015 by leigharev2
David has a good number of clients in the Philadelphia area. He wanted to meet with them and decided to make it a business/family trip! It was the first time for the boys and I, and we were excited to share this adventure.
After a full day flight, dinner, and one night at an airport hotel, we drove to Glenside, PA, and checked into the property we would be staying at for the week. The property is located on what was once an estate. There are three buildings: the mansion, the barn, and the caretakers home. All three of these are now private residences. Attached to the caretaker’s home is a little two bedroom apartment that was the chauffeur’s apartment. This is where we stayed. You can see it here on VRBO. It is as charming as it looks and aside for the minor electrical issues of being in an older house, it was ideal for us.
We drove up to Doylestown for lunch at the Hickory Kitchen, then drove to check out the Foothill Castle and Moravian Pottery and Tile Works Factory. They are both located on the same grounds. Unfortunately, we only had time to attend one and I picked the Moravian factory. Follow the link to learn about it. Pretty neat.
The Moravian factory exterior…
‘A’ posing in his “urban swag”…(BTW, “swag” is his current favorite word…)
Here is ‘R’, trying to be a good sport, when what he really wanted to do was go to the castle instead. He ended up rallying and enjoying the tour, but it took a while 🙂
Amazing Story
Apr 28th, 2015 by leigharev2
OK, I already know in advance I won’t do this justice, so just bear with me and let’s see what I can do…
There are actually two stories here that line up together. Which to tell first….
OK, I have a lifelong friend named Julie, (I call her Juj, pron. ‘Jooj’.) We have been close friends since we were in 7th grade together. Julie’s sister sadly passed away from a blood clot. The memorial service had been held in Denver, but Julie wanted an additional service for the friends and family in WA state. As the date drew closer, I felt I needed to be up there to support my friend and made plans to visit Seattle.
I decided to make it super short, just one overnighter. I thought about contacting friends and family, but decided otherwise because I wanted to be present and available for Julie.
When I arrived to the memorial service (called the Celebration of Life), I was relieved to see the Julie was covered with support from many friends. I had planned to join her later that evening with her and her other friends, but I ended up throwing my lower back out, with pain radiating down my left leg. I wanted to rest for the flight back the next day since it hurt to sit. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures with her. Oh, well, next time.
OK, story two…
DH and I sponsor children through Compassion International. One of the children recently graduated out of the program. While under sponsorship, we could only communicate through Compassion, but once she graduated, we were able to communicate directly. She lives in Indonesia. She tracked me down via Facebook, and we have been able to communicate regularly. Her name is Agustina, and she is currently in school to obtain a double degree in teaching AND counseling.
Agustina has 4 other siblings. She told me that one of her sisters (Oni), was awarded a scholarship to come to America for a full year tuition, room and board, at…EDMONDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE in WA state! I always thought that if the opportunity presented itself, I would love to meet her. We also became friends on Facebook and I would answer her questions about Washington, etc.
Well, the opportunity did present itself, and I asked if I could meet her Sunday morning. We would attend church together, then I would take her to brunch. She was so excited, and offered to attend the memorial service with me, and even offered to put me up in her dorm room that night! I stuck with meeting her Sunday morning.
I picked her up and we drove to church. Even though Agustina, Oni, and I had communicated quite a bit via Facebook, it still isn’t the same as face to face. When we communicate, they call me mama Leigh or mom Leigh.
I asked her if she also had had a sponsor, and if her other siblings did as well. She said, no, Agustina was the only one that had a sponsor. When I gave a sad face and said I’m sorry, she said that is turned out all good and shared with me her family’s testimony…
In the USA, public education is free, but in many other countries that’s not the case. All education comes at a price. The funds provided through sponsorship paid for Agustina’s tuition, books, a weekly mentor, and Wednesday evening Christian youth group. Although the whole family attended church, it was more for cultural expectations, and not for relationship with Jesus.
The parents were raised on a small island where the poverty level was high. They committed to making sure their kids would all be educated and break the generations of poverty in their family. They moved to the capital city of Indonesia where the father worked as a fisherman. The mom stayed home, but took in laundry and other odd jobs to have all five kids in school. They would joke that Agustina was special because they did not have to pay for her.
Every week, Agustina would come home to share with her siblings what she was learning about Jesus through the Compassion program. She became a follower of Jesus, and one by one, her siblings did as well. They started to have fellowship at their home, and within two years, both the parents came to Christ as well.
She wanted me to know that it may not seem a big deal for me to send the monthly payment for the sponsorship, but that it makes a huge difference in the homes of the recipients. And not just the individual, but the positive ripple effect through the family.
Their father now owns three pool tables and rents time on them in his front yard. Anyone can rent them any time, 24 hours a day. All of the kids either have a college degree or are working on getting one. Oni has her Bachelors in Education and is working on her Masters. She is also studying Project Management, the program in WA state. Oni and another sister are looking to establish a school on the island were their parents were raised, providing a Christian education where the religion focuses on the ancestors being deities.
This is a picture of Oni and I at church. During the church announcements, the pastor mentioned the the next Sunday was to be Compassion Sunday, and some information about Compassion International was to be shared, along with the opportunity to sponsor. After service, I suggested to Oni that she share with her pastor her unique perspective regarding Compassion and to see if she could give her testimony to the congregation. He wholeheartedly agreed. I have not followed up to see how it went.
After church, I took her to Arnie’s for brunch. I ordered a virgin Bloody Mary and when it arrived, her eyes got all big and she said the name was intense! I asked her if she’d like to try it. She did and said it tasted like she was drinking ketchup.
She ordered the quiche with salad, and asked for a side of rice. She said that a meal without rice is just a snack! So cute!
We walked along the pier in Edmonds for a bit, then I had to take her back so I could fly home.
As we were saying goodbye, she said that Agustina knew my birthday was coming up and wanted to give me a gift. This beautiful woven grass purse. I used to have one almost exactly like it, but it was green. David gave it to me years ago. I used it so much, I wore the bottom out of it and it could not be saved. So incredibly thoughtful and sweet. The she said that in her country, instead of saying goodbye with a hug or a kiss on the cheek, you give a nose kiss (a single swipe of noses). It’s a way of saying your family. So, on behalf of Agustina, she nose-kissed me.. This was a very special weekend on many different levels. I am so grateful.
Palm Desert 2015
Apr 25th, 2015 by leigharev2
My aunt and uncle purchased a house in Palm Desert about five years ago. We just have not been coordinated enough to get down to visit them while they are there (they winter bird there, and spend the other half of the year in WA state). Finally, we made the trip! Unfortunately, we made the mistake of driving down at the same time as the Coachella festival. Because of this, we ended up having to add three hours EACH WAY of our drive.
First stop was to pick up the world famous split pea soup at Andersen’s. They are one of those legendary places that people have on their bucket list. We wanted to keep on the road, so we took it to go and drank the soup while driving. It was a treat and we all enjoyed it.
When we got to Pasadena, we stopped at a Trader Joe’s to pick up a healthy lunch, yet stay on the road. On the way out, we discovered that we were in the original Trader Joe’s! Here is a picture with my gang in front of the sign…
From Pasadena to La Quinta, what should have been a 45 minute drive, turned into 3 hours! This Coachella festival is apparently huge and draws many L.A. peeps. We made it to my aunt and uncle’s early evening. The boys took a plunge in the pool, and my aunt treated us to an amazing dinner, (she always does…)
After a good and early night sleep, we took off the next day to take a tram ride in Palm Springs. It goes up 8500 feet! There are only two trams like this in the whole world. It has a rotating floor so everyone has an equal opportunity for ascending/descending views…gorgeous!!! We hiked at the top for 1.5 miles, then had lunch at the nicer restaurant up there.
After a full day there, we headed for home, then enjoyed another wonderful meal by Annie.
Sunday, we went to service with them, then relaxed at home a little, then went and saw the movie, “McFarland, USA”. This is an incredible film. One worth watching over and over. My uncle said he was going to buy it, and he does not buy movies! Dinner at Red Robin after, then some more pool time. We left early the next day. Too short, but soon sweet!
Six Pack Abs
Apr 25th, 2015 by leigharev2
Now that ‘A’ is 12, he is allowed to use the gym equipment at our gym. We are having him work with a personal trainer for a little while to ensure proper form. He is loving it and says that one of his goals is to have “six pack abs”. The trainer pushes him hard, but he says he wants it to be hard. He wants to be pushed to his limits. (This does not come from me…) So proud of him and his determination.
Easter Table
Apr 25th, 2015 by leigharev2
Baskets? We don’ need no stinking’ baskets!!! (highlight…they each got their first deodorant stick…)
