Throwback Thursday: Ellen McConnell Blakeman Passed Away 3 Yrs + 1 Wk Ago

The text-based image atop this entry may look familar to you dear reader, as it is a copy of the dedication page for volume two of my book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

As you may have noted, volume two is dedicated to the memory of the dearly departed Ellen McConnell Blakemann, who died three years and one week ago on 2-11-2018. 

My book's dedication page indicates she was one of Cam's first fans and biggest suporters. Cam, a female Northern cardinal, is the narrator of these books in which she recounts her experiences of spending time in my rooftop garden, where the stories are set.

Remembering Ellen McConnell Blakeman (Friend and Supporter of "Words In Our Beak")

DEDICATION PAGE FOR V-2OF MY BOOK SERIES

Today marks what would've been the "in life" birthday of my childhood friend, Ellen McConnell Blakeman had she not passed away a little over two years ago on February 2018.

Regular readers of this blog may recall her name from previous entries here on Blogger and those who have purchased copies of volume two of my book series, Words In Our Beak might have seen that it has been dedicated to her memory as seen in the image directly above.

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BIRD BOOK SERIES

Moreover, for those of you who follow my personal Facebook Page you may recall that I posted the picture directly below of her (from the 1970's) when she served as one of the first three female senate pages.

Honoring Ellen 8/3/1954-2/11/2018 (Tuesday's Truths WK 163)

DEDICATION PAGE FOR V-2OF MY BOOK SERIES

Today marks the second anniversary of the passing of my childhood friend, Ellen McConnell Blakeman.

Friday's Fact: It's Book Lover's Day!

According to many sources (including Wiki) "Book Lovers Day (aka National Book Lovers Day in the US) is celebrated on August 9 every year. This is an unofficial holiday observed to encourage bibliophiles celebrate reading and literature. People are advised to put away their smartphones and every possible technological distraction and pick up a book to read. Book Lovers Day is widely recognized on global scale yet its origin and creator remains unknown to date."

While I'm glad to know there is a holiday dedicate to book lovers, which I certainly am, and have been since childhood as evidenced by the photograph of yours truly that is atop this posting...

In Honor of Ellen McConnell Blakemann

As I mentioned in a post I published one year ago today, "Normally on this day of August 3rd, I would be calling Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman to wish her a happy birthday. However, she died earlier this year and is missed very much by Cam and yours truly.

As some of you may know, volume two of the Words In Our Beak book series is dedicated to her.

I think of Ellen [who can be seen in the photograph atop this entry] often, but especially today and my thoughts are also with her family (including her mother, her sister Martha, Douglas McConnell, Susan McConnell and Bennett Paul) as well as her friends, especially Loris Damerow, whom Ellen often spoke about whenever we discussed various topics."

The last time she and I spoke by phone was late January or maybe early February 2018.

In Memory of Ellen

Today marks the one year anniversary of the passing of Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman who I met when we were both in the third grade, she can be seen in the image directly above which was taken several years ago.

The last time she and I spoke by phone was late January or maybe early February 2018. While we were talking I heard a lot crash and so did she. The noise was from gutters falling off of the building where I live and to this day they are still in the "yard" of a fellow tenant (as seen in the next picture).

I can certainly imagine what Ellen would say re that! I miss her very much, but I guess going forward, it is far better for me to focus on how Ellen lived her life than on the date of her passing.

But on this day, my thoughts are certainly with her mother (Bonnie); her sister (Martha), her sister in law (Susan McConnell); her brother (Douglas McConnell); as well as her son Bennett Paul, who she spoke about in our last convo.
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P.S. Some of you may recall that volume two of my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak, is dedicated to her.

Remembering Ellen's birthdate...

READ ABOUT THIS BOOK

Normally on this day of August 3rd, I would be calling Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman to wish her a happy birthday. However, she died earlier this year and is missed very much by Cam and yours truly.

As some of you may know, volume two of the Words In Our Beak book series is dedicated to her.

I think of Ellen often, but especially today and my thoughts are also with her family (including her mother, her sister Martha, Douglas McConnell, Susan McConnell and Bennett Paul) as well as her friends, especially Loris Damerow, whom Ellen often spoke about whenever we discussed various topics.

Saturday's Surprise!

Bonnie McConnell Reading Volume Two

Earlier today, here on Blogger, I published an entry re my Internet angst.

A couple of hours ago, I received a Facebook notification which was a nice surprise and made me realize that one of the reasons I'm grateful to have my Internet back up is to be able to receive good news!

The notification informed me that Susan McConnell, the sister in law of my dearly departed friend, Ellen McConnell Blakeman, had posted photos.

Two of Susan's images can be seen in the image atop this entry. They are of of her mother-in-law, Bonnie McConnell (who is the mother of Ellen). Mrs. McConnell is seemingly enjoying her copy of volume two in my Words In Our Beak book series.

VOLUMES ONE AND TWO

Volume Two is dedicated to Ellen and I'm thrilled if it brings joy to Mrs. McConnell, who must miss her wonderful daughter.

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

Hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can be found wherever books are sold.

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BIRD BOOK SERIES

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books. Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

Ellen's passing was one month ago.

Today marks the one month anniversary of the passing of Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman, who I met when we were both in the third grade. The image atop this blog post is of a page that she read from An Inside Story, my book length piece about the inner experience of growing up with the medical condition known Neurofibromatosis (NF).

Within the page seen in this text-based image, I tell about an incident that took place at the time when Ellen and I first met.

I've put a red square around Ellen's comment to highlight her wit and insight re the situation. I miss her very much, but I guess going forward, it is far better for me to focus on how Ellen lived her life than on the date of her passing.

Saturday's Sequel: My last convo with Ellen.

The woman seen in the image atop this entry was taken in bygone years and features my dearly departed friend, Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman, whom I've known since the third grade.

Ellen passed from this life on February 11, 2018, which is something I discussed in this past Saturday's blog entry, the same day a memorial service was being held for Ellen in her home state, Illinois.

I think the last time she and I spoke may have been exactly a month before her death, and I say this because I recall telling Ellen that the gutters on the rental apartment building where I live had burst and fallen off the building. This accident was probably caused from the heavy snow falls that we'd been having in NYC, starting with January's "bomb cyclone."

A photo of the gutters that crashed off the building where I live and landed in the backyard of a neighbor can be seen in the next image, which was taken from the vantage point of my rooftop garden.

The EXIF info associated with this picture indicates I took it on on January 11, 2018, which was (as I've been saying), one month before Ellen died.

At the time when I heard the loud crash when the gutters fell, I thought chunks of ice and heavy snow had fallen from buildings across the courtyard, as this has been the case for many years.

However, when I ventured out on to my rooftop garden, to see what had caused the unusually loud noise, I saw the fallen gutters in my neighbor's backyard. Over the years Ms. S (the tenant who lives there), her young daughter, their cat, and their friends, have spent a lot of time out in the yard — no matter what the weather conditions are occurring. Therefore, it was more than a lucky thing that nobody had been there at the time.

The orange arrow that I've affixed to the image indicates a frequently used hula hoop in Ms. S's yard.

The smaller orange arrow directly across from it is pointing over the fence that separate the building where she lives from the one where I live; and the "stocky" arrow is pointing towards where one of the gutters had been prior to falling.

For Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman (Ellen)

It's hard to believe that it's only been six days since I received this notification on Facebook:

"SUN 3:14PM
Douglas McConnell
Patricia - give me a call when you get the chance. Hope all is well."

I phoned Douglas McConnell immediately, and he gave me the heart breaking news that his sister, Ellen had died. She can be seen in the image above in a photo that was taken many years ago.

I've known Ellen since childhood and I'm heart broken.

Doug also informed me of an event taking place in her honor (today) and extended an invitation, but I'm not in a position to travel to Illinois.

In any event, I initially met Ellen in the third grade and we went through elementary school, as well as high school, together.

We reconnected in the late 1980's or early 1990's and we stayed in touch touch via handwritten cards, as well as letters, and phone convos ever since.

The last time that I spoke with her was not so long ago and she was thrilled to be having a "date" with her son, Bennett.

She continued to be enthused about my book, Words In Our Beak Volume One, and was, as she's always been, convinced that it makes a great gift.

It's safe to say that Ellen was one of Cam's (the cardinal who is the protagonist and narrator of the story) biggest fans.

Therefore, Cam and I are dedicating volume two to Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman.

I already miss Ellen so much and feel blessed to have had her as a friend for so many years, for as it has been written, "a faithful friend is a sturdy shelter... whomever finds one, finds a treasure..."