Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above
There’ve been a lot of directions in the challenges.
Up, down. Round. Forward. No inside out. Yet
this week it’s FROM ABOVE.
I stand over garbage, see a lone glove on the road-
take a shot. A single baby shoe in the gutter.
Weddings from a church balcony, the mezzanine.
Not often, though. Directly above is rare, more likely above from an angled side.
Have they done sideways? I like that movie.
Here’s my From Above Gallery, though not celestial.
Laura and James at Marjorie and Dan’s Wedding Reception. Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
Seventh (Andy Warhol) and Ninth Street Bridges taken from the Renaissance Hotel.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Shadows at the entrance of school
John and Angie’s Wedding
Franklin Park Conservatory Columbus OH
Anna, Baby Jack and Michael March 2007
Roberto Clemente Bridge and PNC Park from the Renaissance Hotel
Last Year’s Rose
French Fries on Carson Street
Porsche Engine
Batteries from a week in digital photo class.
Dunkin Donut apron in the school parking lot.
Murphy the Airedale- A Family’s Best Friend
Murphy Joseph McGrath. Murphy passed today. He just turned 11. He was patient, loving, loyal, humorous and adored by everyone. What a personality!
It is a very sad day for the family.
If you’ve been following the blog you’ve seen his photograph many times. I swear he smiled for the camera.
He was one of the first posts on the blog, Murphy Waits for Michael.
So many of you expressed sympathy recently on the passing of Erika’s parents Italian Greyhound, Cleo. It’s been a hard month.
Today’s tribute is for Mark and Erika’s, Anna, Michael, Jack and Maura’s dear sweet boy- Murphy!
When Mark and Erika brought each of the babies home from the hospital, Murphy was there to welcome them into the family. Murphy was a pup before M & E got married. He was a loving and well loved member of the family. ( Erika would get mad at me if I called him “dog”)
There are no words to describe the sadness, the missing. You may remember the photos from his Tenth Birthday post last year.
Anna is nine now but here she is just home from Mercy Hospital
Murphy’s favorite tree in Virginia. He represented for the Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful. 
Photographed by Erika
In Hardy Virginia
Rest in Peace Murphy
Watching the Box in a Box*
Here are two views of the grandchildren watching”the box” while sitting in a box. A portion of one was in the Lost in the Details yesterday.
Thanks to a wonderful fellow blogger, S - Another Day in Paradise - who wrote this comment on yesterday’s Weekly Photo Challenge and inspired today’s post. ( she is originally from England, now South Africa and Florida)
*“Wonderful selection of photos, Ruth. I absolutely love the “Watching TV in a box.” In England, the TV is often called “The box,” so you could have titled it “Watching the box in a box.”
Michael, 7, Master LEGO® Builder
Sunday afternoon, Michael, 7, asked me if I would photograph his LEGO® vehicle and put it on the blog.
Now how can any grandma resist that invitation? Michael loves to create, construct and play with LEGO®. We just don’t like stepping on them.
(I pronounced him the “master” LEGO® builder although there might be an official designation with a credential he’d have to earn from LEGO® U)
The close-up of the vehicle. In the background? When I looked at the photo on the computer screen I noticed my father’s rocking chair in my son Mark’s office.
Here is the first photo, when Michael called down to me and asked me if I would photograph his STAR WARS LEGO® vehicle and put it on the blog.
I said, sure.
Then he came down the stairs and put on the finishing touches so I could shoot it. It tickles me how the grandchildren know all about the blog.
Friday night, four year old Maura told me I could bring my computer to her room and blog before bed. (That’s Maura on the bottom right with a hockey stick, climbing up the stairs.)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Love
Love, love, love.
All you need is love.
Love is all you need.
I liked the Paris bridge photo with all the locks on it posted on WordPress’ Daily Post that tells what the weekly challenge is. LOVE!
My thought was some wedding couples. Went to the archives.
As I looked for the pics to post I saw a series I put up last Father’s Day and since it is Murphy’s 11th birthday I decided that he would be the one to best illustrate the definition of love.
I know Max and Mingus and Coltrane
and Rumpy Dog will agree I made the right choice for today’s challenge. Not sure how Isobelandcat feel about Murphy.
Happy Birthday Murphy. With much love from your family. You exemplify love! Pure and unconditional love.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Thankful
Thankful for Family. There is much to be thankful for but I feel this sums it up for me.
If you are a follower of the blog you’ve seen this photograph from last August when Matthew was back from Croatia.
Just one photo in response to this challenge.
We aren’t in the same geographic location this Thanksgiving so I am reposting the summer family shot when could be together!
Sock Monkey Welcoming Committee
When I got to Ohio this evening, the kids were in their pjs and had already eaten supper. As I entered the door there was a wagon load of sock monkeys and a handmade Welcome Froo Froo Ruthie sign. It was funny and exciting to arrive and be greeted so enthusiastically. They had run down to the car and helped haul the suitcase and school bag and I carried the one with the camera. Even Murphy was at attention in the driveway as I pulled up. He watched the monkey shot but did not get in it. A quick photo op and no belaboring trying to get everyone’s attention. The monkeys did well again, never moving or flinching! You don’t want to spoil the moment by insisting on multiple poses for a stellar shot. The grandkids all looked wonderful to me. Jack doesn’t like to sit still anyway,
Cool Pool and Walk Around the Neighborhood at Sunset
High 80s and no thunderstorms in sight. The pool was practically empty!
We got home for a late supper. Took a walk/ride around the neighborhood. You can see glimpses of the setting sun.
Bikers Greet Misty Across the Cul-de-sac
I wanted to use the word cul-de-sac on the blog ever since I’ve been visiting the family. Just don’t write or use that word in my daily life in the city. Nice for safe bike riding after supper.
Three out of four took a break to greet the neighbor’s lovely dog, Misty. We sat in the driveway and watched until the sun went down and it was time to come in and get ready for bed. Although it was a hot day, the evening temp dropped and it was a perfect summer evening.
Jack Runs to First Base AND Guest Blogs
This is Jack. You might remember him as Superman just a few months ago. The red cape is folded up and put away these days. He’s headed for Kindergarten in the fall. How quickly they grow up.
Photo one is Wednesday night T-Ball game between the Mets and the Yankees. Shooting into the sun.
And for the guest blog portion of today’s post………
Photo two- Jack set up the sock monkeys for a photo in his dad’s chair.
He took it with the iPhone with no help from me. He told me “they smiled real good”. The kids see me photographing and it is something they want to do. He took three shots.
For My Son on Father’s Day
Last year my Father’s Day post was honoring my father and this year I am honoring my son who is a wonderful father (along with Erika their wonderful mom) to the four children pictured- Anna, Michael, Jack (John) and Maura.
Murphy is an important part of clan so while I watched the kids tonight and we were playing in the back yard I tried to get a shot of each of them for the Father’s Day post, the 1000th post!
Happy Father’s Day Mark!. love, Mom
Slow Shutter and the Pink Sock Monkeys
When Anna was a baby I made her a sock monkey out of a pair of Rockford Red Heel Socks, just as I had done for her father when he was little. The sock monkey didn’t get much playtime and I didn’t make anymore for the other three grandchildren. At Christmas I noticed Anna using the sock monkey like a puppet with the other kids at breakfast. Everyone was laughing and she was enjoying playing with her(it is a girl and her name is Mrs. Sock Monkey) She asked me if I could make her a pink sock monkey. I said I didn’t know how I could because I didn’t know at the time you could buy PINK red heel socks.
Last weekend when I visited, the old sock monkey had not only a bed made from a Costco box, covered in blanket but there was a small basket added as a bunk with a junior sized sock monkey wrapped up in a hand knitted dishrag (the sock monkey was one of Murphy the Airedale’s former toys!- every dog needs a sock monkey).
And to Anna and Maura’s surprise, I showed up with two pairs of PINK red heel socks I found online. Laura brought over her portable sewing machine and I sat at the kitchen table stitching up the legs and arms. Anna helped stuff the limbs. The girls were really excited to watch the socks turn into monkeys. I embroidered the eyes and nostrils with some variegated cotton yarn I had as a knitting project.
The next morning as they were waiting to go to church, I had them open the front door to get some available light for a photo of them with their monkeys. Strawberry and Blueberry are their names. Blueberry has blue eyes like Maura and that’s how they can tell them apart. I used a 1/5 shutter speed -handheld -which is really not a good idea. Too much camera shake.
The snow in the night added some reflected light but the winter morning was fairly gray. Murphy decided to come and see what was happening outside and Anna thought he would make a good horse for the monkeys. Murphy didn’t even mind. He remained undisturbed even though Maura was squealing excitedly. Then Anna wrote sock monkey on the condensation inside the storm door glass. I love that all the fancy toys are ignored and the homemade bed out of box and a couple of pairs of socks, transformed into monkeys, delighted the girls. I told Anna how Aunt Mary and I went to the Sock Monkey Museum in Rockford, Illinois.
Murphy isn't even paying attention to a couple of riders!
Maura watches Anna make the sock monkey wave!
I remember writing on windows. The condensation invites it!
Watching a Movie
It was camp-out night in the living room. Watching the Smurf Movie.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Waiting
From the archives
Weekly Photo Challenge: Family
It’s a weekend of family and Friday we drove down(van and a car) the Blue Ridge Parkway to Peaks of Otter. Avoided ALL stores. When we got back and the sun was starting to drop, Erika dressed the kids in their red outfits and we thought we might get a photo for their family Christmas card. The sitting around, getting four grandchildren to look into the camera lens wasn’t going too well….so started the action shots by yelling ready, set. go and the fun began. Murphy barked at Bob the donkey and Heart the big horse. Froo Froo Marlene got out a huge bag of carrots. Forget the Christmas card- roll around in the leaves, feed the animals carrots,run and whoop and laugh. The grass began to get damp with evening dew and it was time to go in for our supper. I couldn’t believe the Weekly Photo Challenge email said FAMILY. Perfect timing! (And to check out other bloggers interpretations of Family click here )
Brother and Sister Waiting for Brother and Sister
Waiting for the school bus at the end of the day. You can hear it round the corner. My sister sat on the curb with Maura and Murphy- Super Jack was ready for action. November afternoon with the grandchildren. It is going to be hard to leave and return to normal life.
There were chores to accomplish today, debrief from the weekend celebration. Got J off to Omaha before breakfast. We returned the layer separators to the cake baker’s place. The lost engraved forks were found in the kitchen of the Athenauem where the reception was held. Tomorrow the wedding dress to the cleaners in the morning. Visiting with Matthew before he returns to Croatia. La and James are on their honeymoon! Thanks for all the wonderful comments and notes. It was nice to share the wedding excitement with my blog followers.
Hoping the Hot Air Balloon Lands in Their Yard
Aunt Mary carried Maura through the backyards while I followed and photographed.
Having received not one but two Versatile Blogger Awards in the last two days I know I should be writing seven things about myself and sending the invitation on to fellow bloggers…..but I am short on blog time as I am with the family in Ohio this weekend.
The pre-wedding festivities have begun. My sister made FIVE kinds of lasagne- Butternut Squash, 4 Cheese, Ground Sausage and Meat, Zucchini & Eggplant, and a Spinach Lasagne. The shower was fun. And Saturday night my sister and I watched the kids while the young women went out to dinner and then to the Big Bang Piano Bar for the bachelorette party. Bridesmaid Jenny in from Chicago had heart shaped measuring spoons for everyone to take home and Bridesmaid Celeste had bags of “sweet things”. Matron of Honor Erika hostessed at her home and it was a great celebration. My SIL2B picked up the cake at Cake Dot’s this morning. Everyone enjoyed Aunt Mary’s efforts in the kitchen. She flew in from NYC on Tuesday to begin preparations.
Kiddieland Whip at Kennywood
Anna and Michael on the Kiddieland Whip ride. Back to the archives. It’s important to honor how your body feels. So much for “real time” Thursday is a seven class teaching day. Moving back and forth between buildings. Real time showed up briefly.
It’ll be returning soon!
Kennywood Kiddieland Whip Ride- July 2007
Jumping Off the W at the Columbus Zoo
I was just about to shoot Jack standing on the top of the letter and WHOOSH........
Up and Down Game in the Pool
Maura's head bumps the top of the frame and a slice cut off but I liked the way the water ran off the lifejacket and Anna's ponytail. It was fun to watch them have so much fun. Big sister-little sister enjoying the refreshing pool- the temp outside was 88 degrees!
One thing I noticed this visit is that we no longer hang out at the baby pool. How quickly everything changes.
I used to sit there for hours while the kids painted the concrete with paintbrushes, poured one bucket of water into another and the filled the sprinkler cans with the handles and spouts- fill and dump, fill and dump, and do it a hundred times. They always loved those beach toys at the pool. Now the three oldest are on the swim team, the eldest two the dive team and Maura at 2.5 isn’t too far behind. Still sporting a life jacket, she wants to jump off the side of the pool repeatedly and she even makes a motorboat sound as the older two pull her around. So the pool game is up and down and she loves it!
Tomorrow is a big swim meet in New Albany and so tonight at the pool the kids had their hair spray painted green and received new green swim team shirts with ducks on them. The team mascot. A pep rally of sorts, to get everyone pumped up and excited for the effort.
Won’t be long and Maura will join her brothers and sisters on the swim team I’m sure!
How a Green Thumb Starts
Maura put on her mom’s gardening gloves, picked up a trowel, dug in the dirt and transferred a shovelful from one part of the flowerbed to another. I asked her, “What are you doing? and she held up the little spade to show me!
Two Right Feet
No wonder V had trouble getting Jack’s shoes on his feet as we were getting ready to go across the street to the playground. Turns out there are two identical pairs of sneakers that the boys were given last week by a friend. Back in Ohio, Jack put on the two right ones and V discovered it when he was visiting Pittsburgh! How he could manage to walk without falling was amazing.
Throwing Gravel in the Lake at Dusk
From the archives: two years ago After supper we drove to the lake and the dam in Lewis Center Ohio. The grandchildren picked up some of the gravel and tried to throw it into the lake. Endless fascination with the small stones. Just before sunset.
Stones Throw
Glass houses.
Sticks and stones.
How many stones
do you weigh?
Mick’s Band.
Bob’s, Like a Rolling Stone-
gather no moss.
Riverbed bottoms.
Chiseled in stone.
What you could be
turned into
by the Queen of Narnia.
Skip one across pond.
Carve a quarry.
I gave my love a cherry–
it had no stone.
The heart of a peach.
Just at the moment of release, Anna's left foot just off the ground. Assisted by Michael and Jack.
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