E J Finneran

Gwen at 8 months E. J. and Ellie announced the coming baby months in advance but we were still excited when the event occurred. Gwen seems very happy most of the time. She is always smiling and nothing seems to bother her. Her big sister, Willa, tends to dominate with what appears to be jealousy combined with dismay at having lost the focus of Mom and Dad.

3 days after we moved in to Mirabella, we were told that the restaurants would be closed and meals would be delivered to us each night in our apartment. We had just spent two weeks in Los Angeles instead of our usual six weeks in Santa Monica because of the pending move from our old apartment at Park Avenue West. We had to downsize again! Not long after the restaurants closed, we had to wear masks when inside and there could be a maximum of two people on the elevator. Everything else was also closed: library, pool, exercise room etc. ...

Park Avenue West is in the center of this picture On March 11, 2020 we moved in to Mirabella Portland, a Life Plan Community in Portland, OR. We had moved from Chicago to Portland the prior June and were renting at Park Avenue West while we waited for an opening at Mirabella. We were not at the top of the list but we happened to be at Mirabella viewing a potential living space when a prior deal fell through and they needed a buyer quickly. The space, unit 2301 was more than we wanted but the view was exactly what we wanted so we took it. 4 weeks later we moved in. Three days later we were locked down for the Covid-19 virus. ...

We arrived in Portland on June 16, 2019. 11 days later we were joined by our first grand child Willa Ruth Finneran. We visited her and her parents the next day at the hospital. Everyone was happy but it had clearly been an all nighter for the parents. Willa at 6 months She is a very happy baby who likes to get into everything. She has adopted the cat Clark as her friend but seems to have a special regard for Mom and Dad. ...

Overview We had never spent much time in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. We did a fall cruise one year from NYC to Quebec City and back that stopped at Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia but had not seen Newfoundland or Labrador. So we chose a trip that started in Montreal and sailed up the St. Lawrence river to Trois Rivieres and then Quebec City. After a few more stops we crossed to Ireland and then stopped in Wales before finishing in England. We like the solitude provided by a crossing and so we signed up for this trip. ...

[caption id=“attachment_427” align=“alignleft” width=“224”] The main courtyard at Getty Villa.[/caption] J. Paul Getty once said the formula for success was: rise early, work hard and strike oil. Having done just that he proceeded to try and give much of his new found wealth away. One effort that stands out today is the Getty Villa in Malibu, CA. Built in the 1970’s to recreate a Roman villa, it is now used to house the Getty collection of antiquities. It is set back in the hills of the southern part of Malibu and enjoys the weather you would expect. We have visited it three or four times and always find something new to like. ...

This statue of St. Monica is right on the Pacific. Having lived in Chicago for more than 40 years, we had reached a point where the idea of escaping the cold for at least part of the winter had significant appeal. So some years ago we asked my sister-in-law where she thought we should spend the worst winter months. We have many friends who go to Arizona or Florida. After we admitted we did not play golf or sun bathe but did like the theater ...

Provence River Cruise - Avignon to Lyon Hotel entrance - Macon We took a Uniworld River Cruise that started in Avignon, France and ended in Paris after a TGV (Tres Grand Vitesse) train trip from Lyon. Thursday, August 24, 2017 - Chicago, IL Flight 86 to London from Chicago on American was above average because it was the new 787 Dreamliner which has very nice Business Class accommodations. It was a short flight so we ended up in Heathrow at 6:30 AM with our next flight at 1 PM. Arriving in Marseille, we had to find the bus to the train so we could get to Avignon. It was in the high 80’s but not too humid so we survived although the train was not designed for people with luggage since you had to up or down to get a seat and regardless of which way you went, there was no place for luggage. ...

On April 8, 1967 Mary and I were married at Sacred Heart Basilica on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The wedding party - Then My twin brother Tim was the Best Man and Mary’s cousin Sue was the Maid of Honor. The pictures prove I was there but it is just a fog in my memory. Someone once asked me the secret of a long and happy marriage. I said it pays to pick the right person. I am very lucky. ...

Driehaus Museum On the corner of Erie and Wabash in Chicago there is a mansion that was built by Samuel Mayo Nickerson in 1879. It is currently owned by Richard Driehaus who uses it as a museum to house some of the 30,000 items he has collected over the years. During the year, they have several different exhibitions and the one we saw recently was about the age of the French Art Posters which the museum calls L’Affichomania: The Passion for French Posters ...