A Halloween Tribute: the Mutter Museum

In 1787, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia was established.

Teaching physicians, then as now, was a hands-on proposition.

It required many specimens to demonstrate stuff.

Some of them real pieces of real people, and some of them wax, or plastic, or drawings.

Of course normal people aren't what physicians treat.  So the ill, the maimed, the injured, and the deformed specimens were sought.  And are now on display.  

By the way, organs in formaldehyde could actually be anything at all--a worn out tennis shoe, for example--and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference from the real thing.

No photos were allowed, but I have a few observations:  

 The human body is very complex.

A LOT can go wrong with the body.

Many of the conditions we don't see so much anymore.  Example: syphilitic caries: syphillus literally eats bones (like the skull) and tissue (like the brain) away.

People have endured an awfully lot of medical treatments.  But many of the conditions on display can be cured today, probably because of the knowledge gained by those experiments. 

The Civil War era was a really sucky time to get sick--or shot--due to the crudeness of surgery and medical knowledge.

It got better.

Happy Halloween to all my physician family and friends, who endured way more than the Mutter Museum to become doctors.

Oh yes, and there was one display too spooky for me to even look at:  kidney stones....

Philadelphia Troop 871

“I think the character that you learn in Scouting—working together, being honest with each other, being close knit … and depending on one another, on our camping trips and doing things—all these things build character in a young man that he takes with him into adulthood and makes him a much better citizen. And that’s why Scouting to me has always been an organization I’ve always wanted to help. I think it’s one of the best youth organizations that we … have in this country.”
James A. Lovell Jr., Mission Astronaut, Apollo 13

“The sport in Scouting is to find the good in every
boy and develop it.”  Baden-Powell

Michael, Senior Patrol Leader

 

Courage, Star Scout 

Garry earned several merit badges at camp.

 Daniel explains a favorite merit badge.

Henry describes earning badges at camp.

Four boys participated in an accelerated advancement program at camp.

Justin receives a badge and congratulations from the Scoutmaster and his Dad.

Jeremy mugs for the camera.

Demointree went to camp for the first time this year.

"Breezy" obviously loves to have his picture taken...

Ahmed likes scouting activities.

It takes some pretty dedicated and loving leaders to make any troop a success.

“When a boy finds someone who takes an interest in
him, he responds and follows.” Baden-Powell

Scoutmaster Greg takes an interest in the young men in Troop 871.

They do, indeed, follow.

Ronald is an experienced and able Assistant Scoutmaster.

Nate invested his vacation in scout camp.
“A week of camp life is worth six months of
 theoretical teaching in the meeting room.”  Baden-Powell

Luis helps out wherever he is needed, and that's a lot of places.

Philadelphia Troop 871, in the Cradle of Liberty Council:
“It’s the spirit within, not the veneer without, that
makes a man.” Baden-Powell

Granddaughters and Balloons

Got to Albuquerque on  a Friday.  By Saturday we l'arned a thing or two,  (apologies to Mssrs. Rodgers and Hammerstein) and got in on the last days of the Balloon Fiesta. 

Normally ABQ is warm-ish, but three days of rain had cooled things off.  

In fact, we scraped windshield ice. 

So here we are, bundled up.

Paul found us a great spot overlooking the valley, and when the sun came up, the temperature went up and so did 200 balloons.

Some of them got up close and personal.  

A bunch landed in the park we were in, so we got to touch some, too.

Paul and Bethany used the grandparent time to go on an adventure (Sandia Peak tram), and we got some granddaughter time.   

We went to the aquarium.  Yes, in Albuquerque. Don't laugh.  It was pretty nice and big.  

Grace just parked herself in front of each big tank (frequently in a grandparent's lap) and watched.

Alice parked in a different orbit.

 Having not seen the girls for months, we took lots of pictures.  

Princess Grace, the prettiest flower in the garden! 

The bees liked her, too, but the sting didn't last very long.

Dinner (and shopping) in Old Town.

Although Grace has her own cowgirl boots, she had to try on her Dad's for size. 

Grandma Terisa has some too. 

Is this a good-looking family, or what?

 Grace hugging a tree.  It didn't turn out as artsy as we planned, but still cute.

Alice is much happier on the grass than in the sun.

And even happier in Mom's lap.

 

The real reason we came, the main event, was Alice's first (technically second, counting the first literal one) birthday.

Grace gets silly with the hat. 

Pirate-y.  Arr, me matey!

She has a bad example to follow.

Out comes the cake.  Alice is underwhelmed.  At first.

She soon overcomes her shyness.

"Look Grandpa!  Have you ever seen so much chocolate?"

Using all tools at her disposal (no sink pun intended),

she becomes one with the cake.  Actually one and three-eighths, counting the foot...

Mom shows her the satisfying "bury your face in it" method of cake-ology.  

A success all around!

All of our tech-ees gather for a final photo.

 We're always sad to leave this bunch, but I guess that just means we had a good time.  

And another good time coming in December!