There's my E, Readers!
Isn't she pretty?
Just as I have nicknames for everyone, some of my Readers have nicknames for me. Bonnie, an Ohio follower calls me E-Lo because of my hair resemblance (and hind end, too), to Jennifer Lopez. Another follower calls me El, which she justifies in several ways:
- short for Eloise,
- my real first name also has these first two letters
- my first name and last name initials are both E and L
Northern even found this shirt at the Chicago Marathon last weekend. If the shirt was really dedicated to me, it would say SLOW on the other sleeve.
I gave my students an assignment this week to make a monogram of their initials, as we are studying Dr. Seuss's book On Beyond Zebra which is filled with monograms. Slovenians, monograms are two letters put together to form one symbol. Here are some famous ones from the United States:
Who cares what they say about the French? We Americans like our fashion, too.
A good teacher always does her own homework. I am going to turn this in to my students on Monday. This is what I am using for monogram.
It's not mine though. I swiped it. I'm a thief. The beautiful E-L combination belongs to:
This is where Eloise received earned her college education. (I left my edit in there for my student readers). A college education is not "given." It is something that is obtained through hard work, focus, and discipline. A double four year degree with top honors can be earned in a forty-six month span, with no summers, and no "extra semesters."
I know this because I did it. I not only emerged from my plaid Alma mater a more mature and experienced person, but also debt free. To this I credit TEAMWORK. My parents and I worked together to get me through. That meant some sacrifice on all of our parts. I do not owe a bank any money, but I do owe my parents a huge debt of gratitude for the help.
I'd lie and say this was a picture that Tracy Southern snapped of me in our May 1992 graduation, but you'd know that wasn't my hair.
I was out to the University a couple of weeks ago for a teacher conference. The ride out was beautiful in October. I followed this beer truck down to the college the entire way.
It also reminded me of my other claim to fame. Eloise went the entire four years without setting foot in one single Edinboro bar. Parties, yes, I did some of those. But bars, no. Eloise does not like crowds. Eloise does not like overpriced beer. Eloise does not like crowds of drunk boys paying too much for overpriced beer. Therefore, Eloise did not belly up to the college bar scene.
During my lunch break at the teacher conference, I decided to go off on my own and take a walk down memory lane through the campus. I found a nice place to park, just for me:
A look a little further down the sign and you know in an instant it belongs in Edinboro. We get lots of snow, Slovenians!
Since the sign told me to park there, I illegally did and found my old dorm where I lived with Tracy Southern.
I never noticed before, but there is a lamp post right below our third floor window!
The lamp posts are all over the campus. I never noticed them before, and I half wonder if they are new since '92.
I walked around the campus lake and found the spot where the students must have celebrated The Highland Festival. I was there on a Monday so there were bits of weekend debris still scattered around. I found this sign and helped myself to it. I told you I was a thief. It's in my garage now if any of you weekend Clansmen want it back. Come and get it.
They hold the Highland Festival out in Edinboro every year. You can find bag pipers,
and cute guys wearing skirts. I have a thing for them, I guess.
Edinboro University's mascot is the Fighting Scot, a rough looking Scotsman donning a kilt. Looks like he's fighting for me. My initial is on his shield.
This Scotsman is kind of moody and mean like those of Scottish heritage are known to be. After all, look at this famous Scotsman from history.
This is actor Mel Gibson portraying Scottish warrior William Wallace in the 1995 film Braveheart.
Wallace leaves Scotland for a little while to become educated and when he returns he finds his childhood sweetheart. I love this picture, but I have to spoil your love story. It doesn't end well.
William Wallace gets pi$$ed off and begins his assault on Lonshanks to win back Scotland's independence.
Again, I hate to spoil the movie, but it doesn't end well for Wallace. He got caught by the English and was beheaded. The stubborn Scotsman that he was, refused to beg for mercy. His last word before the ax fell was __________________________? (Slovenians, ax and axe are both considered correct spellings for the sharp cutting tool in mention).
**NOTE: This is your homework readers. The long blank should remind you of your fill-in-the-blank history tests in high school. Stop screaming at the memory and use Mr. Google to look up the answer. It will appear at the bottom of today's post, right above the video. Happy thinking.
The main destination of my walk was to see this Scotsman. He is crouched outside of the Student Union.
In case you are a grad and haven't made time to stop to pay homage, here is a little further information.
I really like the face. The wavy hair, piercing eyes, and beard kind of remind me of Braveheart.
Because I am a teacher and always like to follow the rules, I took a picture of this sign......
....and then forgot about it.
If I hadn't had a memory lapse, I would not have been able to bring you these interesting shots.
His cool shoe,
his big bicep,
(couldn't help but think he needed one of these.....)
the back end of his shield (betcha there's an E on the other side),
and a few of his back end!
I just had to see what kind of undies a fighting Scotsman wore.
The panties were weird, but I did admire the strong thigh.
**NOTE: When I returned to my conference, a gentleman from a neighboring school district tapped my shoulder and said, "Excuse me, but did I just see you crawling underneath the statue with your camera?"
"Yes, that was me," I said blushing.
"Yes, that was me," I said blushing.
"What school district do you work for?" he asked.
"North East," I replied. (I thought he said DID).
The project was funded in part by some memorial bricks. I took some pictures of a few.
Some were simple:
others a bit more wordy,
Someone forked out enough money for a whole bench. Karen and Chuck must have met there. I hope they are still together, because that would completely suck if they weren't. It's not like you could tape over that one. Is anyone else wondering about the significance of the number 13? Eloise is.
This one gave me the heebeegeebees. I was there too--Yikes!
The day was a good one. Eloise learned new things and thought about the future. I also took some time to revisit the past. On the way home I followed a pop truck this time---all the way to my exit.
The girls will be happy because Coke is what they like to drink on weekends.
My sister Kenyan won't be drinking Coke this weekend though. She's going international with her running. Kenyan and her running partner Robb are competing in the Niagara Falls International Half Marathon on Sunday. I bought her this gift for her send off.
I had one with her on Friday night. It was good, but Rolling Rock is better.
Kick some asphalt, Kenyan, but remember diplomacy. We have to stay on good terms with the neighbors to the north. Mom and Dad's cottage is only 26 miles away. We'd be the first targets if things go bad.
And speaking of kicking @$$phalt---Sam lost his front teeth this week!
One came out in school on Thursday,
He got a tooth necklace from the nurse.
I hope it was not a sign of things to come---Sam was wearing his Everlast boxing t-shirt. He got blood all over it. Heck, maybe he'll go to Edinboro and participate in the Highland Festival someday.
Sam remembered the tooth fairy would come with money in exchange for his tooth. So, he did what any child obsessed with money would do---tried and tried to knock out the other one.
Success!
Eloise is hoping the space holds through Christmas. I love it when toothless school children sing All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.
Eloise ends this post happy, reminded of the wordy quote chipped into a granite block at the base of my Fighting Scot.
"The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved--
loved for ourselves,
or rather,
loved in spite of ourselves."
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
I hope the Scotsman knows the two things most worth fighting for in life. William Wallace did. One was LOVE. The other one is the answer to your weekend homework---FREEDOM!
Enjoy the video. The photos are set to a beautiful bagpipe version of my favorite song--Amazing Grace.
Have an amazing weekend,
Eloise
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