This February my mom turned 80. I struggled with how to honor such a milestone and eventually came up with the idea of offering myself to her for whatever she needed. Since the weather in February both here and there was still cold and snowy we waited until our school let out for spring break. So on the first day of spring CJ and I headed to Philly.
We made a pit stop in Harrisburg to see the Civil War museum. The museum was impressive with rooms of interactive scenes. As we walked through the museum we walked through time, beginning with a slave market. CJ was pretty quiet in the first couple of rooms. It was eye opening even for me. Learning about slavery in school and watching Roots did not bring slavery to life like this museum did. From there we learned why slaves were so important to the southern economy and way of life and why it had to be ended. Moving through the rooms we saw the weapons used, re-enactments of battles, operating 'rooms', and much more. We both highly recommend the museum to anyone passing through the Harrisburg area.
CJ is listening to a narration by one of the soldiers in a Union Army encampment.
On Monday Bunny took us on a tour of all the beautiful magnolia trees and tulip gardens in Society Hill. Normally they would have been blooming at the end of March. This was not a normal March and they weren't even thinking of blooming. Still it was fun to wander through all the streets and alleys that Bunny speaks of. We saw beautifully restored Revolutionary era homes, amazing window boxes, a couple of wonderful old churches, a heart wrenching Irish monument, and much much more. We visited the new bike path and very nearly got run over by a car!
Soon we were back at Bun's house enjoying a warming bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Who would have though Philly would be so cold and dreary at the end of March.
After some playtime we headed back to Dan & Swati's for more playtime. This is Rufus, the most amazing cat. He catches cat treats mid air in his paws and then tosses them in his mouth. He could be on TV!
We had a great dinner at the seafood restaurant just up the street. literaly no more than 6 house away! CJ had the clams and was thrilled to be close to fresh seafood.
Wednesday brought a day of organizing. My mother is an amazingly organized person and yet her basement is not. So using the skills that she taught me so long ago we organized the basement. Fortunately it is a little house with little basement and very little clutter so we were done in time to run some errands and have fun learning about gas pumps, tire gauges, and little air compressors.
CJ and I then headed to Roxborough for a quick visit with PopPop and dinner with Mark & MaryKate.
On Thursday we watched Bunny workout. Wow, she is one strong lady!
Then it was off to Fabric Row and South St.
Fabric Row is just as it sounds a block of stores that sell everything from buttons to custom made wedding veils. South St. is just as it had been, a party spot if there ever was one!
Wow, CJ really is taller than Bunny!!!
That night we had a wonderful meal that Swati had lovingly created for us. We played some more with Rufus and watched the outside cats frolic.
Friday morning had us heading home. Spring Break was over and we hadn't yet seen any signs of spring.
We did accomplish our goal of celebrating Bunny's birthday by doing whatever she wanted so it well worth the trip. Here's hoping I have half the energy of Bunny when I am 80!
