Look Up: The Garfield Monument

Posted: May 28, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Adventures in art, Adventures in Life, Local Tourists, NaBloPoMo, Photography, Spring, travel | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

One of the famous (and dead) residents at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland is the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield.  Garfield and his wife, Lucretia, are entombed in bronze caskets in the crypt located below the Memorial Hall.

(Statue of Garfield looking up in Memorial Hall.)

James A. Garfield was born in 1831 in a log cabin in what is now Moreland Hills, Ohio.  Garfield, elected in 1880, served 200 days as President of the United States, dying in office from the infection which started with wounds from an assassin’s bullets.  It is generally thought by today’s historians and medical experts that Garfield would have survived if his doctors had been more capable.  Several of his physicians inserted their dirty fingers into his wounds which is likely the cause of the infection that led to blood poisoning which ultimately helped lead to his death.

(Looking up in Memorial Hall.)

The Garfield Monument is a prominent and ornate feature in Lake View Cemetery.  The Memorial Hall contains the marble statue of Garfield, stained glass, and bas relief decorations.  In addition to Garfield and his wife, you will also find historical relics from Garfield’s life.

The monument has an observation deck where you can view the city of Cleveland and catch a glimpse of Lake Erie.

(Hazy day view from the observation deck.)

(Stairs to/from the observation deck.)

(Another view of the monument.)

(Looking up at the monument from the bottom of the hill.)

Look Up: Monuments in the trees

Posted: May 9, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Adventures in art, Adventures in Life, Art, Earth, garden, gardening, home, Local Tourists, NaBloPoMo, nature, Photography, Spring, Walking, wandering | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

One of the things I found interesting about Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland (see previous posts here and here for a little more information about the cemetery and our visit) was the way some of the taller monuments had grown into the trees.  Or perhaps it would be better put as “the way the trees had grown up around and over the monuments” as that appears to be more accurate.

I’m glad we went for our visit in the early spring.  Had the trees been leafed out, I might have missed some of the statues up above.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!  Mother’s Day is a little sad for me this year.  The lead up to it was worse than the day itself, though, with all those adverts for cards, flowers, and gifts.  They were reminders to me that I won’t be giving my mother a card, flowers, or gifts.  I am thinking of her and imagine my brothers and sister are doing the same.  Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

But I’m a mom too, and received some lovely (and surprise) gifts this morning from M, along with cards from my sons.  And, as I type, breakfast is being prepared for me.  Later on M will be making dinner as well (fish tacos…yum!).

Garden notes: Picked aspargus today (about a dozen or so spears), some of which could have grown a few more days but we have a freeze warning tonight so it seemed best to get them picked and indoors.  The lettuces are looking like miniature lettuces.  I’m not sure about the spinach.  It looks like grass, but I doubt the grass would be coming up in a straight row where I planted the spinach.  Having never grown it before, I’ll just have to wait and see.

The asparagus bed could do with some weeding and I’d like to get the weed fabric stuff I bought put down (so I can avoid all of that weeding).

Discussed canning pickles with a friend today and that got me to thinking about planting some dill.  Will pick up seeds the next time I’m out and about shopping.