For some reason I am enthralled with old architecture.  One of these days I need to make a road trip (or series thereof) to some cool old places and just take more pictures.  Downtown Cincinnati is a veritable treasure trove of old German architecture and interesting landscapes but I’ve not bothered to go down there and just take pics.   Cemeteries- especially the Marion Cemetery- with the old elaborate monuments are also way cool.   Maybe its macabre to get interested in cemetery markers, but you gotta admit nobody did the death and mourning thing like the Victorians.  (3-23-10) Here’s a link to some pics I took in the Marion Cemetery, for those who are into old gravestones and such.

 The Veterans’ Chapel (WWI) at Marion Cemetery.  I’d love to see the inside but I don’t think it’s open to the public.

The Harding Memorial (right across from Marion Cemetery) which is one of the most elaborate presidential gravesites.  Ironically Harding was not highly regarded after his death due to scandals, infidelity, etc. but we’ve had a lot worse presidents since!!!

The Maranatha Baptist Church in Marion (originally a German Lutheran church…can’t you tell) which is classic German Gothic but is in a sorry state of disrepair.

Harding Home- which has been restored (but you can’t take pics inside) and is close to being like it was in the 1920’s. 

“He Giveth His Beloved Sleep”-  I find this monument in the Marion Cemetery to be beautiful although I see the irony here too.  I’ll have time to sleep too, when I’m dead.

I should have taken a picture of it last time I was in Marion Cemetery.  Some of the first names from the 19th century would be hilarious today.  Especially when I suggested to Steve-o that he should name his first daughter “Assenath.”  That was an actual name on one of the tombstones.  *As an aside, “Assenath” is actually a Biblical name, although its origin is rather obscure.  Assenath was the Egyptian wife Pharaoh gave to Joseph.- (Genesis 41:45)*  Even so, in the English language, I could see that name morphing into “ass-and-a-half” with the quickness, especially should the poor girl end up being on the heavy side.  With a name like Assenath, it would behoove one to remain anorexic-thin.

Anyway, I did score some fantastic pics on Dad’s Birthday cruise, such as this pic of a pic of the Old County Jail:

Now there’s a place that looks like the Muenster Family residence.

Another pic of a pic- the old Courthouse.  Note the sign on the front.  Some things never change:

All the government wants is your money.  This is true throughout history.

Cracker Jack prizes have changed over the years.  I can imagine a kid getting the “Queer Town” prize today.  Probably not a good one.

I cannot attest to an attention span long enough to complete this cross-stitch sampler at age 9. I love cross-stitch but even at age 41 this would be a challenge for me to get it done.  However, in 1850 when Beirtha was 9, she didn’t have TV or a DS, or a high maintenance old man, or too much else to prove distracting.

I could only hope to be this good at cross-stitch.

This guy- Prince Imperial- was a prized Percheron horse.  I have to say he’s in a great state of preservation which says much for the art of taxidermy.  I believe he was mounted in the late 1890’s.  I could only hope to look this good after 110+ years.

I think this was my favorite exhibit in the museums- deep in the basement of Stengel-True was this skull with an arrowhead embedded in it.  Indians 1, this particular whitey, 0.

Hell of a way to go.  Notice how many teeth the poor guy was missing.  That would have to have sucked.-