When a friend asked last week if anyone was interested in a little field trip during the day while our kids were in school, I said "Count me in." I have always wanted a quick jaunt to England. But since time and money don't allow for that trip right now, we did the next best thing. We spent the afternoon at the Salisbury House here in Des Moines. It's an old English estate right here in the middle of Iowa. Thanks to the rags-to-riches life of a couple here in town in the early part of the twentieth century who had this place built as a step up from their story and half bungalow, we got to explore a fun hidden treasure straight from the old county. Who knew there was such a thing.
We spent a delightful couple hours with (for a time) the curator and a docent, hearing fun stories about how materials were brought over from Salisbury England, among sundry other locations around the world, to build and decorate this home. Among the finds were 1830 and 1874 editions of the Book of Mormon, other rare books in the extensive library, rare pieces of art, including signed prints by Renoir and Matisse, and a one-of-a-kind Steinway grand piano with detailed panels around its exterior.
What a fun idea. Now I'm looking forward to our next outing--whatever it is.
1 comment:
Jealous! What a fun outing.
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