408: Looking Forward

Hello, Readers!

I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Are you?

Everyone here at the Lamp Post looks forward to Fridays.

The rules and routines relax a bit.

On Fridays everyone gets to enjoy their favorite things.

Sam gets some extra time for video games.

Natalie has been admiring her new haircut.

Ellen is watching her favorite TV show, 

Say Yes to the Dress!

A wedding is a bit far off yet,

but I'm still looking forward to it.

Boys,

if one of you plans on marrying my daughter,

she's walking down the aisle in this gown

if Mother Eloise has anything to do with it.

You'll have to choose a church with an extra wide aisle

or an outdoor venue.

No,Hubby.  

Outdoor venue does not mean "the camp."

It think Ellen would be a bit overdressed for Marienville.

We're looking forward to Ellen dressing in this get-up

this year!

She's officially a Lady Huskie!

Natalie's got her rally shirt all ready.

She is Ellen's #1 fan.

It felt like softball weather this week.

The girls got to have an unprecedented outdoor practice week in March.

We hosed the salt off of the van.

The "E" I painted on the bumper with 

American Eagle brand sparkly pink nail polish in the fall of 2013

is still clinging!

I had it on my toenails most of one summer because 

I simply could not remove it.

I did an experiment to see if it could withstand an Erie winter.

It survived the Polar Vortex of 2013-14

and the Siberian Express of 2014-15!

Impressive!

This winter of 2015-16, 

although an ERIE winter,

 was just a blip on the radar when compared to the two prior.

We still have over half a woodpile left!

The neighbors took advantage of the warm days

to walk Baby Grapelet in his snazzy, new stroller.

Heir to the wine grapes always draws an adoring crowd.

The Lamp Post Syrup Project is still underway.

When the thaw comes,

the sap runs.

Hubby worked 9 hours on the batch last weekend.

He cooked it over an open, outdoor fire,

which he tended all day long.

When he picked up the pot after the full day of work,
the handles had melted and broke off upon lifting.
He spilled the entire batch in the grass.
Sigh.
Amazingly it missed his skin.
Not a single burn.
He'll be back for another round this weekend.
We are looking forward to tasting the homemade syrup.

The up and downs of the temperature is really good for syrup making,
but stressful to the body,
and can be agonizing to the mind.

Last Sunday Findley Lake, NY was 17 degrees.
The next day, temperatures warmed to 60 on the Lake Erie shoreline.
(Photo snatched from friend Michele)

I know how cold it was in Findley Lake on Sunday.

I was out there with my friends running around the darn thing!

I skipped church to do it,

so they were my church that morning.

Nature was part of my worship.

(this photo snatched from friend Heather)

It was a great run.

I even spied an eagle!

(Rather, HE spied ME).

I'm looking forward to more group runs this spring and summer.

If you like to get out and move for exercise by walking, jogging, or running,

contact Eloise.  Anyone is welcome to come along.

Me and my friends and family..

we run for just about anything.

We've run for

wine,

beer,

coffee,

and ice cream.

I found this place and it looks like a good destination point!

They got just about everything to please the taste buds.

Doughnuts!

We haven't run for doughnuts yet.

Although, 

if we do a doughnut run series,

Eloise will have to do a doughnut roll,

as the roll around my middle will surely grow.

My body doesn't tolerate those sweet carbs too well anymore.

Maybe the donuts at this place,

minus the "ugh"

are as light in calories as they are on letters.

Eloise also wants to put the word out that

Challenge Erie 7 sign ups are going on right now.

I'm looking forward to participating in this great summer program 

for the fourth year in a row.

\

If you would like to find out more about this 

unique and comprehensive wellness opportunity

contact Eloise for details.

Teammate Cheri took Natalie's shirt to Las Vegas and sent me this photo.

I since have educated myself on the glass artists Chihuly!

Oh, my!

I am in love.

I am looking forward to seeing some of his work someday.

Friend Pam trekked to DC with the shirt this week.

I told her to scale the dome and take a selfie.

If she does,

she is getting a really big prize.

My favorite photo of the week was taken with a phone camera 

at Erie's Liberty Park on the Bayfront

by my Team Adrenaline Leader and friend, Leslie.

I'm looking forward to many things to come:

springtime

and 

softball

and

Challenge Erie

and 

big, fluffy dresses.

(Although...

If Cinderella wore the dress I picked out earlier in this post--

she'd never know she even lost a shoe underneath all of that dress).

Lesson for the week:

It's nice to revisit the past once in awhile,

but the past is no place to reside.

Keep looking forward, Readers.

Looking forward to next week's post.

Until next time,

ELOISE

XOXOX