Little Italy Days Bocce Tournament

Thursday evening. Steve’s first Guest blog.

Steve photographed Franco Harris* at the Little Italy Days Bocce tournament in the neighborhood of Bloomfield. * (Former Steeler. Known for the “immaculate Reception “ play and a member of four Steelers Super Bowl Championship teams) Mr. Harris threw out the first ball of the Bocce tournament.

In 2017 Steve photographed me with Mr.Harris at the same event.

Little Italy Days 2017
Remembering Jimmy Cvetic RIP- photographed with Franco Harris by me in 2017

*Cvetic, a gregarious and gravelly-voiced Pittsburgh native, was a Vietnam veteran, Allegheny County narcotics detective, boxing coach and poet. He also organized annual holiday toy drives for needy children.

To see the famous play of The Immaculate Reception click here

From a blog post in 2013 when Steve and I went to. Steelers game in the snow https://rutheh.com/2013/12/09/steelers-game-in-the-snow/

Birthday T-Shirt Quilt a Hit!

Happy Birthday Mark

Thanks to FedEx, the Pittsburgh themed T-shirt quilt arrived this afternoon. Right in time to celebrate my son Mark’s birthday on the 26th. Happy Birthday Mark.

I knew you’d love it! I was excited when you FaceTimed me as you opened it up. And of course your second call, showing me how Henry the Airedale was sniffing the quilt, looking for grandma.

My granddaughter Maura took the photo of her Dad with his birthday gift. Thanks for sending it Maura.

I took the shirts Mark gave to me and added a few so it was a row longer, scouting a thrift-shop, the closet here in my home, and ebay for the vintage Gateway Clipper T-shirt, where Mark worked when he was in high school.

Henry getting a scent from the new quilt.
Airedale approved.

I learned how to back the shirts with interfacing so they were flat and stable when they were sewed together. Thanks to Lisa S of Storm Sew for her tutorial and for her professional long-arm quilting services. Lisa can create a t-shirt quilt from start to finish, or complete your own sewing efforts like she did for mine. The quilting pattern was called Broken Glass. As soon as I finished handstitching the binding, I boxed it and drove to the main FedEx shipping center. He received it less than 24 hours later.

It looks gray in the light but it’s actually black flannel 108” wide backing with gold stitching

Go in and out the window- or through!

It’s the Weekly Photo Challenge by Michelle Weber at WordPress- Windows!

She asks What do you see though yours? I went back a few years and looked through the archives and there are lots of window images.  Car windshields, curio cabinets, subway and train windows, house and downtown office windows, refrigerator and store window displays.

MOMAMOMA windows NYC

 

 

murray aveSquirrel Hill Pittsburgh PA

 

watchng traffic through window

Through a window- Watching the NYC traffic below

 

curio cabinet windowBarbara S doll collection

anna school bus windopw

Grid Gallery

Grid gallery.  From the archives.  Once you start looking, it’s surprising to see how many grids present themselves. Seems I lean to shooting through chain link fencing.

ball field Arlington

City through a chain link fence.  Arlington Ball Field.


Felix de la Concha

Felix de la Concha Cathedral of Learning Paintings University of Pittsburgh Alumni Hall

 

MOMA grid

Man on cell phone with statue at MOMA  NYC

 

warhol museum

Andy Warhol Museum from the AGH Parking Lot

murray ave grid

looking to Murray Avenue from the Suzanne, Linda and Pat’s Art Show

mary apartment grid

From my sister’s apartment window. You can see Freedom Tower under construction.

 

steelers door

Steelers Garage in Arlington neighborhood.

madonna and chainlinkUrban Madonna Bloomfield neighborhood

The Wilds windows

 

Grandchildren at  The Wilds in Ohio
murphyDear Murphy in the snow

Presidents’ Day Party Supplies in the Strip District- Pittsburgh PA

After Christmas I was in the Strip District with Matthew and Natalya. We had coffee at La Prima and lunch at Sunseri’s.  A little window shopping, popped into the kitchen store and then Wholey’s to see the fish.

One “must-see” store is Mike Feinberg’s on Penn Ave.  Right now you can stock up on Leprauchan supplies.  Or Mardi Gras masks and beads.

You name it- they have it.  Postcards and old school candy, too.

This is what we saw up front. Presidents’ Day supplies. There were tons of New Year’s hats and horns, pre-packaged party supplies for any number of guests.

Presidents

Who Do You Root For? For Whom Do You Root?

Is it whom or who?

 

Graduation on Saturday.  Everything going without a hitch. Supposed to be a solemn occasion.  Serious business.

I was standing with my camera, photographing the seniors as they filed in and found their rows.

Mr. Milinski, Health and Phys Ed teacher, Cross Country and Tennis Coach, was at the end of the first row.

Be seated after the National Anthem.

I hear a soft voice, “Ms. Hendricks, Ms. Hendricks.”

Mr. Milinski lifted his robe to reveal some crazy Green Bay Argyles.  Of course, I photographed them.

In fact, I think he wanted me to get the shot.   He seemed pleased that I captured his individuality.

This morning at school I ran into him in the main office and I asked him if it would be okay to blog his socks.

He said I could even use his name.  And I asked him why he was a Green Bay Fan in the middle of Pittsburgh? and his response was

“Because I’m smart!”

It Can’t Be Easy Being a Cheesehead Green Bay Fan (it’s not derogatory anymore) in a Sea of Steelers Fans!

was my original title.  

Mr. Milinski and I  had a chuckle and here’s the photo of his Cheesehead socks.  Everyone has their team allegiance, often due to place of residence or where one was born or hails from….can’t end a sentence with “from” either. Yikes.

I think he’s from the South Side of Pittsburgh, nowhere near Lake Michigan but I’ll check on that.

Green Bay Argyles

Steelers Garden Gnome

Steelers Garden Gnome Stands Guard

As I was leaving B & B’s home in the slopes, this little guy caught my eye. He is standing guard.  I hadn’t seen a Steelers Garden Gnome before. B’s mom bought it.  My DIL is always promising to get me a garden gnome for my yard but I bet she hasn’t seen this model.

And just a bit ago, V texted me-  Hines Ward won the Dancing With the Stars competition.  Earlier in the week she’d seen something on TV about Pittsburghers all watching and voting for Hines as the “Steeler Nation felt it was their civic duty”.  With her instruction and encouragement, I was able to go online and vote for him, too! That was fun! Not sure if other regions have garden gnomes(click for origin of garden gnomes) sporting their team’s colors, but wanted to share this one wearing the Black and Gold.

Bloomfield Fan’s Display Sums it Up

I was driving back into the city from Columbus OH, early Monday morning.  Trying to get to work. BUT I had to pull over on Liberty Avenue to capture this fan’s feelings. It was a gray day. Mostly rainy with a chance of the blues.

Driving back to the Burgh I
forgot about traffic at the tunnel.
Everyone trying to get to work.
Including me.
We’re all tired. But this sign tells the story
of our city.

Steelers Fans- Loyal to the Black and Gold!

(Don’t forget to vote on the Keep or Pitch blog today.)