Cebu Philippines: 1914 Historic Photographs re Judge Lyman Carlock

Here are two more antique historic pictures from the great-grandson of Judge Lyman Carlock, the first American judge in Cebu, Philippines.  

The top picture shows the name of the street on the house: Carlock Street. According to a Freeman April 23, 2014 article, "It is the street where the San Nicolas Elementary School is located within the jurisdiction of Barangay San Nicolas. It intersects at Tres de April St."

Guest Blogger: Tesla the Cat "Cecilia Brainard Expose No. 1"

My name is Tesla. I'm today's Guest Blogger because the Woman Who Opens Cans is jet-lagged. 

Before I begin, let me tell you something about myself. My brother and I are owners of the Woman Who Opens Cans, otherwise known as Cecilia Brainard or Cecilia Manguerra Brainard. She likes to say she owns me and my brother, but that is false. We own her and her husband. This is evident in how they are the ones who serve us: they feed us, clean us, keep our box clean, and so on. 

Travel France: Paris Picasso Museum, Louvre, Love Locks on Bridges

Today we visited the Picasso Museum in Paris (in the Marais District), which was reopened last October 2014. The museum is a renovated 17th century building, which in itself is a pleasure to visit. (The vaulted ceilings with wood rafters in the top floor are quite handsome!)

Travel France: Some Pictures that Make Me Smile

Here are some pictures taken in France that make me smile. 

The top photo shows the Eiffel Tower at sunset. the next two show the youngest member of our travel group posing for me.

France Travel: Paris, Sainte-Chapelle and Musee d'Orsay

To avoid the crowd of tourists, we went early to Sainte-Chapelle. Even at 9:30, there was already a line although the wait to get in wasn't that bad. People entered in batches. We went through a metal detector and security check, after which we bought our tickets and entered the royal medieval chapel built by St. Louis (King Louis IX) in the 13th century. The Gothic chapel was intended to house Jesus' crown of thorns and other relics.

Travel France: Impressionist Painter Claude Monet's Giverny

We left Brittany and made our way to Giverny where the artist Claude Monet had lived. Monet was one of the founders of Impressionism. From Wikipedia, I quote:

"From 1883 Monet lived in Giverny, where he purchased a house and property, and began a vast landscaping project which included lily ponds that would become the subjects of his best-known works. In 1899 he began painting the water lilies, first in vertical views with a Japanese bridge as a central feature, and later in the series of large-scale paintings that was to occupy him continuously for the next 20 years of his life."

Claude Monet, picture courtesy of Wikipedia

The top pictures were taken at Giverny. It was a sunny day and relatively warm, and the flowers at Giverny were blooming. Unfortunately, Giverny was crowded, which minimized the pleasure of the visit, but it was still a great opportunity to see the artist's house and pond. We also saw a Degas exhibit at Giverny.


One of the things I have enjoyed in our trip is seeing the sites, such as Honfleur, Pont-Aven, and Giverny, that had inspired famous artists.

The other night we stayed in a house that featured in one of Monet's paintings (titled On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt), the original of which is exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago. (Look at the house on the top right of the painting. See that window? That's the window of the room we occupied!)

France Brittany: St. Vincent Ferrer in Cathedral of Vannes

Remains of St. Vincent Ferrer in the Cathedral of Vannes, Brittany

This is about St. Vincent Ferrer, Spanish saint who died and is buried in Vannes, Brittany.

I grew up hearing about St. Vicente Ferrer but knew little about him. Some friends who learned I was touring Brittany told me to be sure and visit his burial site in Vannes, which I did.

SOME OLD BRAINARD PICTURES

Husband Lauren was given a bunch of old pictures and I've posted some of them. I never met Grandpa Mac (McKay), the father of Lauren's Mom. What I know about him was that he had a band and played several musical instruments. The musical gene carried through to Lauren's mother (Merwyn) who sings beautifully. The baby below is the baby picture of General Robert Francis Brainard, Lauren's father - interesting isn't it? - a general's baby picture. He was the only baby in his generation so he not only had doting parents (George Francis Brainard and Ella May Fuller) but aunts (Ines and Mary) and uncle (Jerry). Except for Merwyn, they're all gone. I knew the General, Grandma Dina (Ella May), Aunt Mary, Uncle Jerry and wife Tillie Robson - but didn't know Ines nor Grandpa Mac.

Time moves on - and as full as our lives seem to be, we're sometimes reduced to black and white pictures and only a handful of people will have some memories of us.


Here are some old photos of Lauren and his family!


Lauren and Larrie Brainard with Grandpa McKay

Robert Francis Brainard, as baby