Four years ago this week, Hiram’s workplace sent him to a training conference in Philadelphia. I tagged along, and after the conference was over, we stayed in the city a few extra days. As today’s recycled post shows, we had a wonderful time.
Just Around the Corner – Recycled
The time has come to leave Philadelphia behind. But I have to share one more story. This will be the last one, I promise.
We stayed at a B & B called The Mosaic. The literature said it was named after the Mosaic Gardens, just around the corner from our B & B. The gardens were created by famous South Philadelphia artist Isaiah Zager. It took a while for us to believe that just around the corner meant what it said – just around the corner. We thought it was advertising hype.
We discovered that Isaiah lived across the street from us when he stood at his front door and dickered with a junk peddler one morning. The scene prompted us to go around the corner to the Mosaic Garden and pay our $3 admission fee and enter a different world.
The garden covers the area of three row houses, with one building and two outdoor lots. Every inch – floors, ceilings, interior and exterior walls, steps, garden paths – is covered with mosaics made of junk. Broken bits of mirrors, crockery and china. Rows of colored glass bottles. Layers of ceramic tiles. Bicycle wheels embedded in mortar. The colors and textures overwhelmed our senses. The amount of time required to create it boggled our minds. Our sense of wonder grew as we walked around the city and found many other buildings, alleys and retaining walls covered with Isaiah’s junk art. Bits of garbage, which in the hands of a creator, became things of intricate beauty.
From now on, when I feel broken and worthless, I’m going to look at my pictures of the Mosaic Garden. And I’m going to think about my Creator and step out in faith. I don’t know His plans, but I do know His ways. I know that just around the corner, He’s prepared something beautiful.
