Greetings and Merry Christmas from the Blaney Family!
It’s been an adventurous year for the younger Blaneys of the family and a pleasant and contented year for Cathy and me.
Last winter, Kathleen traveled to Nairobi, Kenya with a group
from Marquette University. The group met with government personnel as well as Non-government aid workers and immersed themselves in a culture radically different from anything they had ever experienced.
Highlights included meeting with members of parliament, shadowing social workers and going on safari. Kathleen returned just in time to resume her final months at Marquette as Executive Vice President of the student body and live the good life with her roommates.
Now a junior at Marquette, Erin spent her third spring break traveling with a group of students to Canton, Mississippi where the group remodeled and worked repairs on habitat for humanity – type homes. Madison County in Mississippi is the poorest county in the state. An “aba
ndoned” dog provided a teachable moment. In brief, the group of 12 students befriended a mis-cared for, abused and neglected dog that lived near their work site. During their last night, two of the student leaders decided that the dog would be better off with a Milwaukee address. The story comes to an abrupt end when university officials discovered what had happened and summoned the Canton students for a three hour meeting lead by the folks from the Restorative Justice Dept. The theme was: “service to others without judgment”. The dog, however, stayed in Milwaukee.
Kathleen completed her college career in May. We were proud to hear her deliver the commencement add
ress at the Baccalaureate Mass. Days after graduation, Kathleen left for Piura, Peru where she completed a community health clinical rotating between an entirely Spanish speaking ER, a rural hospice and frequent home visits.
During all these travels, Cathy and I never left the state. Our enjoyment has come in simpler forms. We enjoyed sharing fun times with our extended Early and Kolb families at the cottage. Some of the Blaney cousins have been getting together for regular lunches this year, which has been a wonderful treat as well.
Recently Kathleen took and passed her nursing boards. She is looking for a job and has been accepted into graduate school to earn her Masters in Public Health. Erin is excitedly preparing for a semester at the John Felice Rome Center in Ital
y. She leaves in the middle of January and returns the first week of May.
Now a junior at Marquette, Erin spent her third spring break traveling with a group of students to Canton, Mississippi where the group remodeled and worked repairs on habitat for humanity – type homes. Madison County in Mississippi is the poorest county in the state. An “aba
ndoned” dog provided a teachable moment. In brief, the group of 12 students befriended a mis-cared for, abused and neglected dog that lived near their work site. During their last night, two of the student leaders decided that the dog would be better off with a Milwaukee address. The story comes to an abrupt end when university officials discovered what had happened and summoned the Canton students for a three hour meeting lead by the folks from the Restorative Justice Dept. The theme was: “service to others without judgment”. The dog, however, stayed in Milwaukee.Kathleen completed her college career in May. We were proud to hear her deliver the commencement add
ress at the Baccalaureate Mass. Days after graduation, Kathleen left for Piura, Peru where she completed a community health clinical rotating between an entirely Spanish speaking ER, a rural hospice and frequent home visits.During all these travels, Cathy and I never left the state. Our enjoyment has come in simpler forms. We enjoyed sharing fun times with our extended Early and Kolb families at the cottage. Some of the Blaney cousins have been getting together for regular lunches this year, which has been a wonderful treat as well.
Recently Kathleen took and passed her nursing boards. She is looking for a job and has been accepted into graduate school to earn her Masters in Public Health. Erin is excitedly preparing for a semester at the John Felice Rome Center in Ital
y. She leaves in the middle of January and returns the first week of May. As I run out of room, we want to wish you a wonderful holiday season. As always, if you have time, we’d love to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Ken, Cathy, Kathleen and Erin
Best wishes,
Ken, Cathy, Kathleen and Erin
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