This urban madonna is in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. I was dropping off a People at Work Show invitation to one of the men whose portrait will be exhibited. I had to park on a side street as there was a huge Road Closed sign on Butler Street. I parked, crossed the street and saw the white angels and Mary statue right in front of me. This city yard so tidy and green with lots of blessings from all the holy statues, indoors and out.
Neighborhood.
Steve and I were walking around Bloomfield Monday night. We grabbed a bite at Lot 17.
Bus on Friendship Ave in front of West Penn Hospital
Once I photographed this duo in the snow.
A little Christmas tree with lights.
Did you ever play ItalyOpoly?
Merante’s Store on Liberty Ave
Unretouched Photo of formerly St. Joseph Church now St. Maria Goretti . How about that pink?
Wooden bear outside Green Market carved by George. A Vietnam Vet.
Graceful. The Weekly Photo Challenge
If you’ve followed me you might recognize this image from a 2011 blog post of almost six years ago. Mother Mary- Springtime NYC
Mother Mary- Springtime NYC
Someone placed a bouquet in the crook of her arm. Today’s post remembers friend and poet Christina Murdock who passed one year ago today, a week short of her thirtieth birthday.
from Let it Be by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness She is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
Once you start looking for photographs in your archives that say “serenity”
-you think of more and you’re seeking the ones that make you feel calm and peaceful inside, just to look at them.
So you just go with it, like a raft on a gentle ocean wave.
Last Spring my sister and I went with Erika’s parents, Donald and Marlene as they were shopping around for a camper or trailer for their retirement.
Here is what we found at one of the RV Sales Lots.
I can’t add it to my “Urban Madonna” collection as it is just north of Columbus, Ohio so more like
“Country or Rural Madonna”
Safe journeys.
2013 Word of the Year- Selfie. WordPress’ Cheri Lucas Rowlands posted the challenge with the example of herself reflected in an art work/sculpture.
Selfies are the thing for high schoolers. It’s really their favorite subject to shoot. Themselves!
And I have a few of myself on file. Here is an article written by Dan Zak in the Washington Post about Selfies
Just Ducky Tour Reflection in Side View Mirror
Having lunch alone at Sunseri’s in the Strip District. Tuna Balsamic with onion on baguette ad a ginger ale.
Me in my lawn ball in the snow
me at work (school) in sweater Erika gave me
My hand knit socks( by self) on my big feet.
A few years ago this Mary statue was a curbside alert through the neighborhood listserve so I walked up to Winterton St. to save her from the trash.
She was peeling paint and looking a bit worn. Somehow it didn’t seem right to have her picked up by the garbage truck. So I put her in my side “garden” and called her Our Lady of the Weeds (due to my lack of gardening effort)
About the same time I hired a friend of a friend to come and do some master gardening, get rid of the weeds, plant something decent. And the skilled gardener took the Mary statue home with her and she was gone a couple of months. The gardener is an excellent puppeteer and brightened up the statue with new paint. In fact, when she was returned it took awhile to get used to her brightness and revitalization.
Then my neighbor restored the bird bath bowl my father gave me when I bought the house.
One day I came home and the Mary statue was perched in the now repaired bird bath.
It’s been a team effort to get me spiffed up around here.
Before
This Spring I’ll take a new photo with the plantings and green surrounding her.
Working on a different computer today- I saw a few more unexpected themed photographs although I already posted for the weekly photo challenge. If I dipped into the hard drives I could go all week I am sure.
I skipped the “couch on the front lawn” shots. Those are almost expected these days.
Some deja vu for longtime followers, thanks for looking again.
Stuffed Fox on a Roof
Maura and her reflection
Bras on the Hot Metal Bridge for Breast Cancer Awareness
Book bench on High Street Clintonville, Ohio
American Girl Hair Salon Fifth Avenue New York City- my sister was showing it to me- no kids or dolls with us.
Museum of Modern Art Courtyard New York City
Mona Lisa mural in Columbus
Juxtaposition
Looks like a tear has rolled down her left cheek.
You might remember a winter post of another Urban Madonna from January 2011 (complete with Beatles lyrics0
Our Lady Queen of Peace– not sure if the church building is occupied as they have combined parishes due to population decline.
(I’m sure a Pittsburgher who reads this can straighten this out and I will edit the post. Bill? )
Taken Tuesday late afternoon after a Gallery Walk at the Mattress Factory- Art Teacher Professional Development.
Directly across from Max’s Allegheny Tavern where we discussed the Gallery Walk.
Taken the week before Easter, on Spring Break vacation in New York City. Found the second window picture with the nativity scenes tonight and the pizza man reappearing which I’d missed the first time.
The little girls’ mom is pointing out the Mary riding on the donkey with a hand on her expectant figure. 
