Lesson 273: My Favorite Things

Raindrops on noses and fingerless mittens, 

bright colored sweatshirts and a girl with five kittens,

silver white winters that melt into springs,

 these are a few of my favorite things!

Eloise was celebrating her Germanic heritage last night.  I wrote the twist on My Favorite Things about my workout Thursday night.  (Yes, a girl who attends has 5 cats!)

  

I was getting geared up for the live TV event, The Sound of Music, starring Carrie Underwood.   Just the thought of my FAVORITE musical with my FAVORITE female country music star as the lead, left me waltzing the living room in anticipation.

Mother Eloise got all her chores done early, just so I could watch one of my favorite musicals uninterrupted.  I even did my hair up nice like my German, storytelling kin.  My hair was styled in traditional German molded braids, like this.

I was not trying to copy Princess Leia.  

She had coils sans the brains---and a gun.

Final report card on the production:  Just can't give one.  

I've never been a big fan of overall grades.  I like to evaluate based on criteria, and I much prefer the rubric method of scoring.  Each skill or part of a project is looked at in isolation, and rated.  Therefore one could have a low mark for acting, but a high mark for singing.  People and projects and productions are all the same---we have our strengths and weaknesses, our good and our not so good.

It was quite the water cooler talk today at work.   My friend Brenda said that The Sound of Music is her Benchmark Assessment for all musicals.  Sound of Music sets the high bar, and all others are measured against it.  I agree.

Here are the ups and downs of the Sound of Music from Eloise's perspective:

Highs:  

• Carrie's singing
• the two littlest Von Trapp children
• Mother Superior's song 

Lows:

• The Captain
• The long, boring scenes with the girlfriend
• Singing the puppet song on the bed during the storm
• New songs?!?!?!
• Overall acting

When you roll it all together, it was an enjoyable evening, chore free, with my family.  Ellen has determined that she never wants to be a stage actress.  Sam wanted to shoot the bad guys.  Natalie just smiled and ate popcorn.  Louie fell asleep.

In keeping with the theme, Eloise will tell you about some of her favorite things for the season.  It is my favorite time of year--the week prior to Thanksgiving through New Years Day.  I try not to lose sight of the joy in it all, while I'm most often up to my blue eyeballs in all the preparation the season entails.

My favorite kid-friendly party game:

Fibber

I picked up Fibber at K-mart for $15.  Kenyan cooks for Thanksgiving.  I bring the beer, rolls on a potty seat, and a board game.  We had lots of fun with it at Thanksgiving.

Cousin Bonnie (left) never got to finish her game.

We had to make room for the turkey, darn it all!

So she sent Sam this:

And this, to keep Sam busy while he is waiting for his rematch:

We always look to promote academics here at the Lamp Post.

Thanks, Cousin Bonnie.

My Winter Run Series started.

Group runs in one direction are my FAVORITE!

The start.

The finish.

The next one is in January, whenever the mood strikes me.

Contact Eloise if you are interested in joining in on the fun.

Some babies came to visit Aunt Eloise.

Babies are Aunt Eloise's FAVORITE!

I got to see a movie!

Movies based on books are one of my FAVORITE THINGS!

It's candy cane season!

Candy Canes are one of Eloise's favorite Christmastime treats.

Back in my heavy coffee drinking days, I'd have one hooked to my coffee mug at all times.

Now, because of Ellen's sweatshirt, I half wondered how one would taste dunked in a glass of 6 Mile Cellars wine.

The Erie Bayfront is one of my FAVORITE places to take photographs.

The city lights up the tower at Christmastime.

My FAVORITE Christmas decorations are my nativity sets.  I have several.

This one is from my parents.

This one was from my in-laws.

This one my sister just gave me.

And this one has seen its day.  

I got it 15 years ago for baby Natalie.

Since then we lost Mary and Joseph.  

The wise men have been happy to babysit.

And we all know Tim McGraw is my FAVORITE singer.

How opportune Handsome released a holiday song titled Mary and Joseph.

(I think he did it just for me).

Thanks for the gift, Handsome!  

You can view some more photos from the week on the video below, set to Tim McGraw's Christmas song, Mary and Joseph.  Vocally, he's at his best.  Listen and I hope you agree.

Spend a minute thinking about your favorite things this season, and more importantly, take more than a minute to savor them.

Blessings,
Eloise

Lesson 272: No $h!t!

We've got ourselves an early winter at the Lamp Post.

Some parts of my region got over a foot of snow!

No $h!t!

Good thing the birds flew south. 

There would be no room for them in the Inn.

The puffy clouds on Thanksgiving morning brought snow.

Some parts of my region got over a foot!

No $h!t!

It didn't deter the group of guys who play football in the park.

They held their Thanksgiving morning game anyway.

How did I know they were there?

I was out there, too.

Thanksgiving morning I began a little fitness challenge to stay motivated and reap the benefits of outdoor exercise.   My friend Bri told me about it.  From Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve I will run one mile outside each day, snow or shine.  For Eloise, this takes about ten minutes.  I plan for eleven minutes due to frequent photo ops and the fact that I don't like even numbers.  

I laced up my sneakers and threw on some polar fleece.  With my ear buds in my ears and camera strapped around my midsection, I took off for a little back and forth down my road.  

Here are my tracks from Thanksgiving morning.

I trotted past 6 Mile Cellars, a great winery across the street from the Lamp Post.  

Eloise was glad she was out, or I would have missed the chance to take this cool picture.

After eleven refreshing minutes, I came inside and completed a stretch series I learned on my recent 58 Day Challenge.  In about twenty minutes time (well, 21....the even numbers thing...), I felt like a new person.  Refreshed, relaxed, and ready to meet the demands of the season.

The challenge is 33 days long, which happens to be my favorite number.  Try it with me!  If you do, Eloise will give you a prize when it's over.  I also have something special planned for the last night, which is New Year's Eve.  You won't want to miss it.

33 was the magic number on Thanksgiving, too.

Kenyan, my speedy fast sister, hosted a dinner for 33, plus me!

No Sh!t!

We all fit!

Kenyan and Steve are fabulous cooks.  They put on the entire feast.

I always have the important job of bringing the rolls.

Did you notice my roll platter?

It's the toilet seat lid from my bathroom remodel.

No $h!t!

That was it!

We had to get rid of our potty.

(Don't ever say he's not a good sport.  Can you imagine living with me?)

  

The flusher would no longer work, and couldn't be fixed,

 much to the dismay of my father.  He lives next door to me.

 It pains the man to see anything go out to the trash.

Dad's a fixer and an inventor and a saver.

Mom just calls him cheap.

Before the trash man came for the pick up, I stripped the lid off.

Made a handy little roll platter, it did!

No $h!t!

A perfect fit!

(for 33 dinner rolls)

So what did you eat for Thanksgiving dinner, Eloise?  Did you stay true to your new habits formed out of 58 days of clean eating?  I can hear you asking through my computer screen.  

Nope. 

 I ate whatever I wanted at Kenyan's for Thanksgiving. 

 I didn't pass up a single dish.  

Then I ate some more later that night

at the Lamp Post Poker Party.

The cream cheese on crackers with red pepper jelly

was my favorite!

I got to experience all those foods again in the wee hours of the night.

Eloise could have filmed a Pepto-Bismol commercial.

My stomach did not handle all the sugar,

all the caffeine,

all the alcohol,

 and all the dairy.

Even my own rolls revolted!

I guess you could say I was a gluten for punishment.

After flipping and flopping,

and moaning and groaning most of the night,

I got up at 4:00 am and did what most people do awake in the middle of the night:

Post my intestinal drama on facebook.

No $h!t!

Here was my post:

Eloise Hawking

58 Day'ers: Anyone else's intestines in a twist from a day of feasting? OMG. My body is revolting.

Like ·  · 

• 
  
• 

  Eloise Hawking Forgive me doctor, for I have sinned.

  18 hours ago · Like
• 

  Eloise Hawking Says Day 60 Self to Day 58 Self: I am so, so sorry.

  18 hours ago · Like · 4
• 

  Eloise Hawking Blah.

  18 hours ago · Like

I managed to get back to sleep in an upright position.  

If I lay flat, the acid pooled and gurgled in the dip at the bottom of my throat. 

No $h!t!

A awoke a few hours later, belching, but optimistic.

My next post was this:

Eloise Hawking Eloise has lived! Stupid workout photos will continue. Live and learn sums up that experience. The night was long. I couldn't lay flat. When I did, there was an acidic gurgling in that dip at the bottom of my throat. A day of mass food reintroduction following directly after 58 days of clean, healthy, sensible eating, was far tougher on my system than I imagined. I crave the way I felt two days ago. With no effort, I will go back to doing what Doc encouraged us to. If I do have treats this season, it will be in moderation--just a bite or two will suffice. No need to try every single delight either. Just pick my favorites and have a little.

15 hours ago · Like · 2

Eloise Hawking It was yucky, by as the sun comes up today, I am thankful for the experience. I learned a lot. You are a good teacher, Doc. Coming from me, that is the best compliment I can ever give.

15 hours ago · Like · 1

And then I decided to do this:

Eloise Hawking Now, to sweat some of this out, and on to a little shopping.

15 hours ago · Like · 1

Holiday Streak Day 2:

No $h!t!

I shouldn't have fed Josie all those turkey scraps.

When I returned home from my eleven minute, fresh air recharge, 

I felt fantastic.

It was very short lived though.

Hmmm,  peculiar.

Strange pattern + guilty look.

Sam to Mother Eloise:  I was trying to write my name in the snow with pee.  You didn't get back fast enough.  It all melted together.

No $h!t!

Sigh.

I suppose you'd like to see the Lamp Post bathroom remodel.

Let's have a look.

Ellen Louise chose the red color on the wall.

That is my lamp post in the front yard of the Lamp Post.

The best part is the frame.

It is my old bedroom window.

If you are a good reader of detail and were paying attention,  you will remember that earlier in this piece I mentioned:

• My parents live next door
• My dad likes to save things

Therefore to take your learning a notch higher:

• You inferred that my old bedroom is in the house next door
• And my dad had my old window (just in case.....you never know when a person may need something)

You must be gifted!

I'll add you to the Quest class roster.

There are my old bedroom windows--top floor of the red house.

Cool shot because I am looking out of my current bedroom window.

Quite surreal.

My potty sits back in a nook.

I have a handy hubby.  He made me this wooden wall.

Eloise was inspired by this pinterest pin.

That's what I do with pinterest--find inspiration,

then make my own, but even better.

The thing to the right of my potty in the picture is a scrabble board.

I thought that would be fun!!!

I found a way to include my photos.

Handsome made the Wall of Fame,

as well as some of my other favorites.

My friend Lauren loved the top one of the men in the boat.

Yes, I see that it is crooked, Mother.

I'll fix it after I post this.

Lamp Post doors are locked for the night.

Go to bed, Grandma.

I got a new light.  

And found a display for some of my key collection.

Thanks for the board, Bart Towell.  I swiped that from your horse corral when you were taking down part of it to make the parking lot for Six Mile Cellars.  

No $h!t!

Can't let a good board go to waste.

Or a horseshoe.

My dad saved a bunch he found over the years.  Their house was actually the old Firman Farm.  My house was built on a horse pasture.  We unearthed several when we dug the foundation for the Lamp Post sixteen years ago.  I've kept the ends face up, and so far my luck hasn't run out.

Behind the door we made a spot for bathroom graffiti.

Maybe my luck is about to run out now.

With teenagers in the house, that is an invitation for trouble.

Sam insisted on making the first picture.

Hubby got the first phrase.

(Sam can't read cursive yet).

I'd say it was a job well done.

No $h!t!

For a peek at how Eloise spent her Thanksgiving, click on the video below.  It is set to Best Song Ever by Alex & Sierra, contestants on the X-Factor.  The modern day Sonny and Cher have made it to the finals.  They, along with Jeff Gutt, are my favorites this season.  

Alex & Sierra have a knack for making something old, new again.  The song is actually a remake of the One Direction song, Best Song Ever.  No $h!t!  If you don't believe me, CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE ORIGINAL.  You almost won't recognize it as the same song.

Have a great weekend, Readers.  Enjoy your left overs!  Remake them into something new and wonderful.  Turkey soup sounds good, doesn't it?

Eloise