Girls Get Together

FUN, FUN, FUN

It was time for our annual girls weekend and we had a delightful time!  LOTS of talking, laughing and trying to solve some of the worlds problems (not really).   It goes by so fast!

  I gave Teresa and Sherri some honey and honey butter from a local beekeeping company (we love exchanging small gifts).  Teresa brought Sherri and I books, mine was on quilt history and Sherri's was about primitive furniture making.  Sherri gave each of us an adorable fairy.  

 I named mine Buttercup.  

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We took a trip to St. Joseph, Missouri and below is our adventure.  (The battery in my camera went dead so I had to take pictures with my phone so I apologize for the poor quality.) 

GLORE PSYCHIATRIC MUSEUM

What an interesting time Teresa, Sherri and I had visiting the museum on the campus of the State Lunatic Asylum.  There were lots of detailed information on all the past "treatments" that were used on mentally ill patients.
   
HISTORY:   The State Lunatic Asylum #2 was a fully functional mental hospital built in 1874 in St Joseph, MO.  In the early years the patients worked on farms to grew their own food and had livestock, making the institute completely self-sufficient.  They also did their own sewing and laundry.  The population eventually reached up to 3000 patients in the 1950's, causing overpopulation, with patients who suffered from depression, all the way up to the criminally insane.  Treatments included lobotomy, ice baths, electroshock therapy, to name a few.  By the 1990's most of the patients were provided with counseling/rehab and medication and released into society.  The hospital campus continues to provide psychiatric rehab and also has a state prison, along with the museum and a few other buildings. 

There were exhibits from treatment devices from 1600's - 1800's, up to modern times, along with the history and photos of the asylum and art work from patients.

 

The morgue was a cold, eerie place, housed in the basement of the building. 

 
This is a display of various items that a patient swallowed.  You can kind of make out the beads, nails and pins.  Good heavens!  

This straight jacket has multiple sewing areas to make it strong, with no give to it, so the patients remained restricted in their movements.



Colonic Irrigation table, need I say more!!!

 

Apparently I was not able to behave myself and was placed in the stocks until I could maintain control.  

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Also in the museum building there were three other collections...


AMERICAN INDIAN COLLECTION

This collection contains many arrowheads, pottery, baskets, clothing, moccasins, bead work and much more.  



I wish this picture showed you the exquisite bead work that was done.  The blue pants are ALL beads!  Amazing!

 
 
There were portraits of many American Indians.

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BLACK ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Also at the museum was a collection of portraits, photographs and history of local affluent people of St. Joseph.  

 I loved this saxophone display on Coleman Hawkins who was born in St. Joe and played swing music, big band and bebop.

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DOLL COLLECTION




There were many different types of dolls, from porcelain to papier mache, Barbie to GI Joe, from small to large.  I really liked the apron on this one.

 
 
This beauty looked so sophisticated standing there.  I would wear that dress!



And here are some small whimsical wire/pipe cleaner dolls.

We took our time and casually strolled thru all the collections and would recommend it as a fun day trip.

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BARBOSA'S

Check out the unique restaurant we ate at.  Their avocado dip is to die for!!!  I did not get the history of this old home, but it was fun to walk around and explore some of the nooks and crannies.  There are photos on the walls from the original owners.

A motley crew if I ever saw one.  By the way, my gray hair is now netting me senior discounts.  Rock on granny!
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We've had fun watching a pair of Killdeer protect their eggs.  The eggs blend so well with the rocks in our driveway.  Driving to the house was a delicate balance of not stressing the mother out and stay to the left side.  Whew, glad they are hatched.

Hope your spring is going well.
Thanks for visiting,

Cinder