Lesson 915: Listen

Hello, Readers!

It's Friday night in the Great Lakes Region

and the September skies have not disappointed us.

If you listen while you gaze upward in wonder

you will hear the wind.

The sound of the invisible power

that blows one season into the next.

If you listen you will also hear

the soft drone of the bumble bee

as it moves sunflower to sunflower.

Mother nature gives us autumn golds and purples

side by side.

If my ears do not pick up the flutter of a butterfly,

my heart does.

Sometimes out in nature

one must listen with her heart.

Our hearts were broken

and restored again

after spending time with family

at my Uncle's funeral last weekend.

Here is my dad remembering

his brother-in-law and friend

along Neshannock Creek 

at The Griper's Club in New Castle,

which was my uncle's favorite spot to hang out.

Spending time in a spot so beloved by my uncle

helped to understand his life.

We shared stories

and admired his artwork,

and made pre-season projections about his beloved

Pittsburgh Steelers.

My cousins and mom shared stories strange happenings

shortly after his passing--

wind chimes chiming,

gusts of wind snatching a written remembrance,

radios that came on suddenly with no one in the room.

I was almost jealous that I never got a sign.

Nothing of the sort happened to me.  

However, if you know old Eloise,

I tend to miss a thing or two.

Admittedly, I never noticed 

the big, yellow, Walmart pole

that I drove directly into.

I listened for chimes,

or cheers,

or even a fish jumping--

nothing.

As I do in most new places I visit,

I decided to listen with my lens.

I poked along the edge of Neshannock Creek 

with my camera,

where Uncle Bill liked to fish.

I found it peaceful and calm.

From a distance I spotted some pretty flowers.

I had to climb down the bank a bit to get them 

into focus.

Forget Me Nots!

Picture This! Plant App confirmed!

Symbolism Across Cultures

Forget-me-nots have been treasured for their symbolism of remembrance and undying love. In medieval times, knights would wear these flowers as a symbol of devotion to their ladies. In German folklore, a tale exists where a knight, picking these flowers for his beloved, fell into a river and, before drowning, threw them to her and exclaimed 'vergiss mein nicht!' ('forget me not!'). Over time, this story turned the flower into a global symbol of love and remembrance.

Memorial Services

One of the most prominent occasions for using forget-me-nots is during memorial services. These flowers are an emblem of remembrance, making them a fitting tribute to loved ones who have passed away. Their delicate appearance juxtaposed with their heavy symbolic weight provides a comforting presence in moments of mourning.

I listened with my lens again

and caught this--

actually I listened to Mr. Lamp Post

yelling from the yard,

Come with your camera, NOW!

What's Eloise reading this week?

This, of course!

It's actually my second whirl through the book.

It is recommended in its audio format.

In keeping with me missing things...

I got to the end and didn't hear the lie.

So now Eloise is working on

READ for the Lie.

There are a couple of cool things

that Word Nerds would like about the word listen.

If you write it like this

lisTEN

That represents the number of times

Miss Natalie has won the 50-50.

She won again at tonight's away football game

in North East.

Here's another:

Weekend homework:

If you haven't discovered Jefferson Fisher yet,

look him up on YouTube,

TikTok,

or your favorite podcast app.

I recommend his YouTube shorts.

They are all about bettering your communication.

How to Clear Up a Misunderstanding

and 

How to Stay Calm in an Argument

are good ones to start with.

And listen,

if anyone sees this,

I need a copy!

Have a great weekend!

Eloise

 

 

 

Lesson 914: King Rodeo

Hello, Readers.

The Lamp Posters celebrated back to school week.

We knew it to be true by nature's clues. 

Cue the clouds

the moon

and the sunsets.

The whole week had a back-to-school feel.

Here is Big Man on Campus headed off to his first college class.

Here he is in his first college class.

Sam thought he had the wrong room,

but quickly learned college kids 

don't arrive at a 9:00 am class

a half an hour early.

I have hardly seen the resident puppeteer.

She's been a bit wiped out.

The first few weeks is overwhelming for a new teacher.

I said to Dear Daughter

It will get better......

in October.

Nephew Jack is headed out to help kids learn

and stay healthy

in the D.C. Public Schools.

He has a new placement this year

and he just had a birthday!

First day of school mornings are hectic.

We were searching the house for something

minutes before we had to leave.

The Mad School Rush had begun.

And what does Mr. Lamp Post decide would be helpful?
To help look while wearing a kilt.

We made it to school and had a great first day.

I even won the Last Teacher Standing game.

With all the beginning of the year introductions,

we often had to state our name,

subject area,

and years of teaching.

It is year

for me.

With this knowledge,

many asked if I had plans to retire soon.

Not really,

I said,

but I do have a request...

March 1st of every year,

a teacher can submit to the school district

a letter of interest

in a particular job.

A position doesn't have to become available that year,

but is a way of letting administrators know

of your willingness to try a new grade level,

subject area,

or school.

I'd like all 154 of my fellow teachers

to begin submitting March 1st Letters

for my job.

I want the admin office to look like this:

CLICK HERE

A hot tip from Teacher Amy

led Miss Natalie Jeanne

to Pop Luck

for Natalie Day!

She also had a banner weekend 

as a first timer at the Polish Festival.
She snagged this tee shirt

and a pierogi ornament.

It's getting cooler in the evening

and I crave an extra cup of coffee.

It's time to try new coffee!

Here is this week's selection.

It is whole bean

and very good!

Speaking of kicking horses kicking ass...

We went to the rodeo

at the Erie County Fair in Wattsburg

this week.

Farm animals are my favorite!

We have to finish this blog

with my new favorite song:

Required Homework: CLICK HERE

Godspeed, Uncle Bill.

Your paintings were wonderful.

You earned an A+.

Eloise

Lesson 913: A New Era

Hello, Readers!

Its Eloise, 

reporting in at the start of the

2025-26 school year.

It's the dawn of A New Era.

I knew at dawn's early light

that today was going to be a good day.

I found a shoe.

I haven't found many interesting things this summer

while out on my walks.

Just this shoe

and this tiny owl,

that is now found a home in the Lamp Post.

No more college classes for Ellen.

She has joined the ranks 

at her old alma mater.

She will be working with students who have

speech and language needs.

She's already made her therapy room

a happy place for kids to learn.

Reminding them that they have

important things to say.

As promised, 

here is the giant carnival prize

Charlie won for her.

It's a giant chinchilla,

All set up in the CHILL zone.

This is the first Friday night 

I have not been to a football game

in too many to remember.

Slam and Truck,

the force on the line,

on the court,

and on the diamond,

are now college roommates!

I see they are working on some really important skills

prior to the start of classes on Monday.

They get to see Natalie at work every day.

You are guaranteed to have a spotless table to eat from

if you dine at Dobbins between 10:30-2:30!

The era of Depot Road potholes 

is coming to an end.

The construction of the portion

near Clark school is starting to take shape.

I promise you,

Clark School still stands.

I was there this afternoon.

I always get supercharged at the start of the school year.

I love school

and can't wait to go back 

at the end of every summer.

This is a great idea.

And we have Parent Pick-Up Lanes!

The only bad thing--

this is the view of my favorite tree to photograph.

I went to the scrimmage last weekend

and looked at the new #51.

I hope he works hard

and wears the jersey with pride.

I don't miss the worry at the sound of every crunch!

When I come home from school,

there is no hungry, post-practice teen to feed.

Dobbins Dining Hall is taking care of that for me.

Still,

Penny and Hazel lie watching 

for my happy return.

Time passes,

and while it does,

we find things to do locally.

Erie is a great place to live.

Grandma, Erik, Natalie, and Ellen

walked the chalk murals last Sunday.

Friend Jen and I did yoga in the middle of a flower field

at Port Farms.

Time passes,

and so do loved ones.

I lost an Uncle this week.

He was the closest in age to my mother,

just a little over a year apart.

They were always the best of friends

who shared a corny sense of humor.

We will miss Uncle Bill's jokes most of all.

Obituary here

I was touched by the relationship of my mother

and her surviving brother.

He rode out to Harborcreek to see my mother.

They sat on the swing,

held hands,

and cried, then laughed.

We were all comforted by the stories

and fond memories.

My Aunt brought with her a copy of a lovely collection of words

that bring comfort to the grieving.

Maria Shriver read this at the funeral of her colleague, Tim Russert.

Isn't that just a lovely visualization?

Almost as lovely as the planets visible

in the early morning sky.

As a new day dawns,

so do new beginnings.

Cheers to remembering bygone days

and moving forward into something new.

Eloise