The Trip to Florida: Part II

*
Tuesday was warmer with the high in the mid seventies. I went to the Ringling Circus Museum in the morning, and spent two hours going through the many varied exhibits. I understand that they change on a regular basis, so you may not be able to see my favorite, a recreation of the huge dining tent in which all the employees of the circus are eating a full five course dinner on china with silver that actually is silver, and linen table cloths and napkins.

The Circus Museum is part of a much larger complex that exists on John Ringling’s estate, and it includes the Art Museum, and the Ca’ d’ Zan (House of John), Ringling’s Venetian Palace. An open air cart / bus picks you up wherever you are on the 31acre estate and carries you to any other part you wish to visit. I moved on to the restaurant at the center of the estate and had a marvelous quiche, Greek salad, and glass of the white house wine. After lunch, I caught the bus to the Ringling mansion. It has recently been refurbished and looks much as it did when John and Mable Ringling completed it in 1927. I was most impressed with the marvelous marble baths. I guess I was so impressed at least in part because I’m a senior citizen with some of the associated bodily function difficulties. Be that as it may, everything in the Ringling’s bathrooms is made of marble; floors, walls, tub, sink, even the toilet, toilet seat, and cover.



The Ringling Mansion or Ca d’ Zan (House of John)

I had completely fatigued my poor old body, so I cut the visit short, leaving the wonderful gift shop at the Ca’ d’zan and the Art Museum housing the Ringling’s marvelous art collection for another day>

Wednesday was still warmer with a high of 77, so I drove back to the Ringling complex and spent several hours in the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

* “Museum of the Circus,” The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, The State Museum of Florida, Florida State University, “http://www.ringling.org/pages/a_main_frame.html,” Tuesday, January 4, 2005, 6:17 AM EST.


Tsunami

The loss of life in Southeast Asia is staggering, 80,000 and counting. I will contact the American Friends Service Committee to see what they are planning on doing to help. As I am so concerned about Christian values and moral values nationally - I find the Quaker values serve to represent the best as opposed to the evangelical values at the worst end of the spectrum - I will give to the Friends organization for distribution to tsunami victims. I can’t afford to give more than a couple of hundred dollars, but it’s necessary to do whatever I can. The Friends Society is located at 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19192.


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