Lesson 391: gOLDen

Weekend greetings from the Lamp Post.

Here's a question for you from Natalie

(minus the question mark).

That would be golden, wouldn't it?

If I could fly like a bird,

 I'd land on every treetop,

and sit at the very tippy top--

the part I could never reach as a tree-climbing child.

I'd visit the leaves that remained--

the ones that still cling tight, despite the winds of the fall--

and ask them to whisper their secret of strength.

How do they keep their hold?

Just like there's always one bad apple in every basket,

there's one strong apple that holds tightly into its ripe old age.

I found the last apple on the tree behind my dad's garage this week.

I look for it every year.

It got its chance to fully ripen.

There is no doubt it extra sweet.

I wouldn't know, because it was too high for me to reach

with my arm--but never with this lens.

Grandma turned the ripe old age of 97 today!

That is a photo from this evening!

Grandma, you've found the way to turn old into GOLD.

Happy birthday. Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday. Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.

Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.

Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.Happy birthday.

Happy birthday.

That's 97 Happy Birthdays.

I hi-lighted the 44th one in gold.

That's how many years I am old.

According to Grandma's scale, 

I have a lot of living left to do,

and make old into GOLD.

November and December can be a challenge for the outdoorsy Erie shutterbug.

The landscape is bleakly beautiful in Erie this time of year,

bones of the trees against the colorless sky.

Look for the beauty.

Find ways to turn old into GOLD.

Color abounds.

Color surrounds.

Erie experienced some beautiful days last weekend.

The unseasonable warmth confused the dandelions.

\\

To me,

there is nothing more beautiful than a clear, blue sky.

This photo reminded me of the movie my family saw on the big screen this weekend.

I thought the movie would have more of a Christmas theme

due to the release time,

But the movie plot took us through all our favorite Peanuts seasons.

Charlie brown fell for Lucy's ploy again,

and somehow still sought her psychiatric help.

Snoopy and the Red Baron made their appearance,

as did the entire Peanuts gang.

They had a softer, rounder, more modernized look,

and the voices were very, very close to the original ones.

Snoopy is 65 years old.

Here is some golden advice from our favorite beagle:

Golden oddity of the week:

Justin Bieber races around New York City in a vehicle made out of an Erie cab!

Golden moments of my week:
Natalie's friend who moved away is back for a visit!

We can't wait to see you, Ryan!

Ellen is done with her live performance of Romeo and Juliet, Act 2.

She ran out of costume ideas for Benvolio,

so he was represented with this t-shirt.

Sam made Christmas ornaments for everyone in the house.

We get to eat our candy cane on a specified date.

My boy has a heart of gold.

This was a keeper--

Sam's classroom Hero Quilt square.

It was displayed on a hallway bulletin board outside his classroom.

One happy daddy at the Lamp Post.

Teachers pride themselves on their bulletin boards.

Here's a clever one from Klein School.

The hallway display outside of the classroom is covered with little golden post it notes.

Each one has a positive or inspirational quote on them, 

free for the taking.

Eloise picked this one!

We've had some terrible happenings in this country,

and I don't believe we've seen the end of them.

Perhaps it is time for a reminder of The Golden Rule--

in some form, it can be found just about everywhere.

If you desire some deeper weekend reading on this topic,

here are 4 articles I read. 

Dalai Lama on World Peace

Kindness Core of 12 Religions

Billy Graham on Prayers for Peace

Pope Francis on World Peace

Check back tomorrow for a photo video of the pictures from our Charity Run for the Erie City Mission.  For tonight, here is a good video, sure to choke you up and remind you about what is most important.  Love displayed in an embrace.  

Golden.

PEACE,

ELOISE