Gems Don't Fill An Empty Belly

I like this unusual view of the Taj Mahal. The typical view is straight on, showing the lovely symmetry and architecture. I will feature a postcard with that view later in the summer.

This card was adopted by Colleen, who lived in India as a child. She writes that seeing so much poverty made her ask why the gemstones in the Taj Mahal couldn't be removed and sold and then the money used for food. Now that she is a grown woman she is glad no one ever did such a thing.

It's hard when you are a child, and even as an adult, to understand why people are hungry when there are jewels and other riches that could feed the poor. A very hard thing to explain to a child, and I fear I probably used the "that's the way things are" sort of explanation when my children were young. I guess I really don't understand.

Do You Remember ...

One of the things I love about this project is how so many of us are connected to places in similar ways. Sometimes it is a place that we call home and no matter where in the world that place might be, home is something most of us can find common bond. And sometimes we are connected to a place because of a particular memory.

Nicola's memory of Hadrians Wall in Scotland is from a school trip years ago. So often the "orphaned" cards are adopted because there is a school trip memory attached. We remember the bus ride and hearing about the history, and perhaps even the lunch we brought, or even forgot. I remember sharing my lunch with classmates who left theirs on the kitchen counter. I bet there could be a blog containing just school trip memories. Perhaps there already is ...

First the Model, Then the Real Thing

To the left is a model of Canterbury Cathedral, built in 1975 to show how the Cathedral was built. Sheila writes that she wonders if our modern technology will stand the test of time, like this building.

I think today's architecture is often "disposable," but there are many buildings that seem to have as much care and consideration in their design and construction as some of the ancient buildings. One that comes to my mind is the Phipps Conservatory here in Pittsburgh. It is only a bit over 100 years old, but in recent years it has undergone dramatic improvements which will lead to it becoming a Living Building. A Living Building is a building that exceeds US building codes for "green" construction and produces all of its own energy from renewable resources on site and treats all of its own water.

Well, enough of that and back to the orphaned postcards! This post has two orphans because Sheila was kind enough to help me with lots of Canterbury views. The view on the right features Saint Augustine's Chair. I decided to include this postcard with the model postcard because it seems like this view is the actual representation of the cutaway view in the model.

Sheila writes that paper cannot possible bring the beauty of this stain glass to the viewer. I agree. These must be seen. The brilliance is amazing.

No Fireworks, But Some Lovely Postage

Today is Independence Day in the US so I thought I'd feature a mapcard of the 50 US states. This mapcard is neat because it shows all the capital cities. I used to be able to whip through all the capitals, in alphabetical order, but that minor talent is long gone. There's only so much room for details in my head.

Mary adopted this card and she writes that she has seen every episode of the television show Friends about twenty times. And that she has recently found someone who will battle her in trivia. Mary won by two points. She could probably whip off the state capitols in alphabetical order, too. I guess I should be happy I still remember what capitol goes with which state.

The postage on this card features American writers Robert Frost, Mark Twain (he wrote Tom Sawyer), and Henry David Thoreau. I read all these authors in school, and then again as an adult. These represent the rare "required reading" that didn't make me hate the author. In fact, I think I should pull out some Twain for summer reading.

New Jersey Debut!

When Jennifer offered to adopt an orphaned postcard, she didn't pick one. So, since she lives in New Jersey, I picked this one to send her. Turns out that Jennifer's grandfather attended Princeton University, which is right across the street from these charming shops on Nassau Street. I love it when chance brings back fond memories!

Colorado Calling

This spectacular view is Pawnee Buttes in northeastern Colorado. Karen writes that this region is beautiful in the spring, with wildflowers covering the land and hawks and falcons swooping from their nests in the cliffs. This view looks to be summer, and perhaps at sunset. I would love to be on that top of that nearest butte, listening to the hawks call to each other.

A Clock Tower and Revelation

The Chautauqua Institute in New York is one of many "Chautauqua" organizations in the US. Chautauqua was a late 19th adult educational movement, mostly in the rural areas of the US. It was to bring entertainment and culture to those isolated from the cities. It also has its root in religious teachings, which is still a part of this organization is New York, but not all Chautauqua organizations. The movement lost momentum in the mid-20th century because rural areas gained access to automobiles and mass media like radio and television to provide entertainment and culture.

Every summer the Chautauqua Institute in New York has a Public Radio Day and the public radio station I work at offers a trip to supporters (for a pledge of support, of course) to the resort. I have never taken the bus trip up, and don't have plans to ever do so. Not only do I dislike bus trips with a bunch of strangers who pretend to be friends, I am not fond of prepackaged trips in general.

However, Anna, who is probably one of the most spontaneous people I've come to know through Orphaned Postcard Project, really enjoyed her visit to Chautauqua Institute. When she requested this card with the lovely clock tower, I fully expected it to return with a comment about the false pretenses of the ultra-rich who call this place home in the summer, but instead she reflects on the arts and the beauty of the quiet lake. Expect the unexpected with Anna.