Philadelphia

Every couple needs the healthy diversion of experiencing new things, and Dave and I chose to visit America’s birthplace of freedom, Philadelphia, October 7 – 9.  I’ll include a number of pictures with this post to give you a taste of what it was like.

Inside the visitor's center, a man dressed as George Washington's Secretary of War, Henry Knox

Another man in period dress - I forget his title

We met John Lionarons who played the hammered dulcimer, a cousin of the autoharp.  After our conversation, we turned to go, and I thought I heard him say, "Praise the Lord."  So I asked him if I'd heard correctly, and he replied, "No, but maybe you heard me thinking it!"  I said, "You're a Christian, aren't you?"  And so began a pleasant conversation about God's goodness.  We bought three of his CD's: The Dulcimer in Old Philadelphia (also featuring the tinwhistle, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and bodhran); Going Home (Hymns on Hammered Dulcimer); and Christmas Is Coming (Traditional Christian Carols on Hammered Dulcimer).

As we walked several blocks to Ben Franklin's Museum, we passed a man playing a saxophone on the sidewalk.

My humorous comment: The first Facebook "Timeline":  Benjamin Franklin's

Popular for writing Poor Richard’s Almanack, Ben Franklin was an extraordinary man! One of seventeen children, he only had three years of formal education.  But through much reading and life experiences, he was given an honorary degree from Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Besides being a writer and publisher, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, founded the first fire department, lending library, post office, and hospital. Ben formed Junto, a special group for young men.  He had many inventions, including the kite, fins for swimming, lightning rod, bifocals, electricity, the Franklin stove, and musical instruments. 

Franklin's musical instrument, the Armonica, that sounds like the edge of a crystal glass when rubbed with your finger moistened with vinegar and water.  There is a handle that turns the cylinder as your finger touches the glass bowl of your choice to produce bell tones.

We got to try the Armonica with color-coded notes.  That was fun!

Ben invented a soup bowl to use on ships, so when the ship listed to one side, the soup would slosh into those little receptacles around the edge.

An electricity invention by Benjamin Franklin

Ben was elected to represent Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention.  He was a statesman, and diplomat to help reach a peace treaty with Great Britain   He was president of an organization to abolish slavery, wrote many tracts against it, and petitioned Congress for the abolition of slavery in 1790, the same year he died.

He was not without faults, to be sure, and had reverses in life.  Not all his inventions worked, and he fathered a child out of wedlock.  But America owes much to the life and times of Benjamin Franklin.  And for that, I am thankful.  He indeed left his mark, not only on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but on all these United States of America.  I'm glad I went to visit the birthplace of democracy.

 

Copyright © 2015 Elaine Beachy