Sweet Sweet Etta

A little mini-tribute

to my sweet old neighbor Etta..

Dear Sweet Etta was my neighbor who was my

welcome mat to Manayunk in 1994.

She LOVED Kenya!

and as she cared for her cranky old friend Joe until his dying day,

they both enjoyed sweet Kenya

and even taught him to sing. 

She watched my home,

she got my mail,

she enjoyed my family and friends,

she brought me stuffed-pepper dinners and homemade baked goods,

and was just always so simply kind...

and LOVED - LOVED my boys...

The best neighbor EVER..

not a mean bone in her body.

When she later moved away

(just up the street)

she was always ready with dog treats when we came to visit.

And even tried just this past August  

 to teach Freddie how to sing like Kenya...

and always cuddle with ole Ollie on her lap
(just a few months ago)

Luckily,

 last night,

I was able to leave work early at 7-pm

and head to Bryn Mawr hospital

where I was able to say good bye to Etta.

At 92, she died hours later.

 ~ Etta ~ 

the kindest, sweetest, dog lovin' neighbor and friend - 

a kind, loving constant in my life in Manayunk. 

Dogs the world over will mourn her passing,

and so will I.  

 

~ Etta Groener ~ 

May she rest in Peace!     

Memorial Day in a Busy ER

The Holidays in a busy city ER
can be unpredictable -

exhausting or quiet,

funny or tragic

 - unpredictable.

Memorial Day is a day to celebrate heroes

who fought for "what is right"

and some days in a busy city ER you just don't see
alot of "what is right".

But just as the census was picking up

and the pace was quickening,

our wonderful Jonathan brought

 in a homemade cake to celebrate the day!

Love Him!!

It made my day!

Cinco De Mayo

6 years ago my beloved first dog Kenya died. 

At 12 years old perhaps it should have been expected but the goodbye was excruciatingly painful.  Deservedly, I mourned my dear sweet dog Kenya for days when my friend
(and a dear friend of Kenya's also)
called and suggested we head downtown to Artist's Row on Cherry Street

 for a juried exhibition of a mutual friend. 

 I rallied from my state of mourning.

We cocktailed with marqueritas and caught a train downtown. 

What a memorable night it was - good art, good food, good people. 

 As we snuck out for my friend to catch a smoke,

by the dumpster was a white plaster replica statue of Kenya.

We could hardly believe our found treasure.  

 My friend said, "You carried him up your steps.  We can carry him home."

And so we began our trek through Philly with a 7 foot long plaster statue of Angel Kenya. 

We laughed.  We cried. We literally stopped traffic and after a long journey home,

Angel Kenya came to rest in my back yard garden.

 Cinco De Mayo is now forever indelibly planted in my mind as

a joyous, loving holiday and a memorial to my dear sweet dog Kenya. 

Laughs and friends can get you through any heartache. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo to you!

Introducing the Class of 2012

With the support and suggestion of my sister, I was asked to photograph a grand old historical estate for the purpose of making fundraising notecards.  As I consider changing vocations from a 30+ year career in nursing to following a passion for photography, this opportunity could not have come at a better time.  Off I went to snap away at this magestic property.   This fantasy like property is now used to home orphaned children.  What an irony a property of such magesty for the most unadorned and forgotten.

Then with another upcoming event I was asked to make a calendar for fundraising purposes.  Now I could further practice and polish skills, define with editing a theme to the calendar, capture the grandness. 

 I jumped out of bed each day with the thought of doing what I love - the snapping, the editing, the organizing. 

When I thought the job couldn't get any better,
 I was asked to photograph the Class of 2012 who were soon to graduate
and head out in the world solo. 
All three of these requests were heaven sent,
But this request best defined why I love photography -  

A Yearbook for a Class of 5!

They dressed up in their finest.

They hammed it up. 

They laughed and joked. 

One said, "it was dumb", 

(but I don't think he really meant it) 

They enjoyed being made a fuss over.

Without suggestion, as they sat at the piano for the class shot,

hands were rested on shoulders and they spontaneously huddled in a group,

a family of sorts.

And in the end, a yearbook was made -

 elegant and bound in leather -  

A yearbook that this amazing group of strong, brave, young graduates well deserve -

A keepsake for the hardships, the travails, the joys of adolescence.

Ladies and Gentlemen -

The Class of 2012

Emma Lily Violet Ryan

Sad Goodbyes and New Beginnings...
Despite cancer  and treatments and fear of loss and endless appointments and issues to be addressed - Eileen Ryan survived her mother's diagnosis and treatment of aggressive terminal cancer to deliver a beautiful baby girl - Emma Lily Violet - and as if the Gods conferred - her mother, although failing rapidly and time running out - with Eileen's "Project Grandmom on Wheels"  and the help of medical emergency personel and an ambulance and Irish relatives bedecking and grooming her - Grandma came to meet her grandbabe.  She came to the room and held little Emma and kissed her on the cheek. Not a dry eye in the place.  Eileen made memories for a lifetime and gave her babe some history.  What a wonderful birthing of a baby it was.  

"Emma Lily Violet, born at 12:12 pm, 4/16/12...8lbs 6oz...beautiful and healthy...and met her grandmother this afternoon."

Eileen Freda Ryan passed away at 6pm 4/18/12 - 30 years to the day and time of her beloved husband Thomas.

The Circle of Life  

    Happy Birthday Beautiful Emma!!

IN ALL IT'S GLORY!

Woke up on a glorious spring day after

2 days of grueling 12 hour shifts in the ER.

Birds were chirping and light was pouring in all over!

I treated myself to a housecleaning by Anna
 and a dog grooming for the boys.  

Spring Cleaning All Over!

After freeing them from the groomers we "romped"

and took time to appreciate

- SPRING -

In all it's Glory! 

A day off can't be more reinvigorating than that!!!

SPRING - BUSTIN' OUT ALL OVER

In some places, it is slow to be sprung..

But Mostly, It was Bustin' Out All Over...

 “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”

                                                                                   ~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson