

We celebrate the history of Christopher Columbus this next Monday, remembering him not for opening the seas to trade with Asia, but rather for his four trips to the Western continents in an unsuccessful effort to find China.
A little known commodity of the travelers along the Silk Road was Bubonic Plague. The rats with their fleas accompanied the traders and were responsible for wiping out more than a quarter of the European population in the Middle Ages.
One of the nice things about the Bower Museum is the fact that you can see the exhibits in a relatively short time. The night we visited 250 people were assembled in four shifts to view the items on display at their own pace. There was music, entertainment and wine for purchase to occupy one’s time until their group was allowed in.
We belong to other museums, some large and some small, including the Orange County Museum of Art (small) and the LACMA and LA Natural History Museum (large). While we do not go to all on a regular basis, we mostly find at least one exhibit a year to make our membership worthwhile.
In my book “Harnessing a Heritage” I devote one chapter to museums and call for parents and grandparents to expose their children and grandchildren to the experience from an early age. I repeat that in this post and hope that some of you will take it to heart. There are few things near to us that provide a greater value for a short period of time.
In my next post I intend to share with you why Mary has a fondness for Bill O’Reilly. Her reasons may surprise you.
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