Lesson 712: The Big Picture

 Hello, Readers.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

The weather has been just about perfect here in Erie.

The late summer humidity has given way

to cooler breezes and cloudy skies.

The grapes are ripening,

and within a week,

my town will smell like morning toast and jelly.

Eloise has been attacking the week

with a full-on charge.

School started,

and that's the big picture story of the week.

Eloise and Company really go at it

to get the year started off right.

Sam hits the books after he hits at football practice.

Natalie takes on the meal prep.

Healthy eating makes for a happy family.

The Lamp Post glow turns on pretty early.

I'm a huge proponent of letting the body awaken slowly.

It takes an hour or more for Sam to get through the morning processes.

We always, always, always hug goodbye.

I think the dogs will miss Sam most of all.

We build the idea of a team

within our family,

in school,

and on the field.

Sam got in a varsity game last week.

This was his very first varsity play.

Building solid habits is the most important thing

you can do for your student

or for yourself.

Eloise will argue it is the habit

that holds more importance than the goal.

I'll be writing about this book next week

if you want to grab yourself a copy.

Books are my favorite things!

Which is why I fell in love with this cup

found in my friend's Etsy shop

JPL Republic.

It had to be mine.

You can't see it well on the photo,

but it sparkles!

The reverse side has this wonderful quote about books and life.

Did you catch it, keen eyed Readers?

There was a typo in the text.

I never noticed it,

nor did the cup artist.

A few sharp eyed friends pointed out the omitted "i".

Obviously the artist looked back at all the other cups she had sold,

fearing the same mistake had appeared on all of them.

It had not.

My type, 

when being transferred,

must have hit a mysterious bump.

A unintended glitch that makes my cup all the more unique.

The shop owner offered to replace the cup,

and Eloise would not hear of it!

It is perfectly imperfect, 

just like all of us.

This proves all the more something I've always known about myself.

I don't notice the little things,

I'm a big picture kinda gal.

Not noticing the spelling of words is actually a trait

of really solid and fast readers.

They read by grabbing several words at a time,

not word

by word

by word.

I know lots of my students who read a lot,

don't particularly pay attention to spelling or grammar.

Ask them about the mood of a story,

or to link something from that story to another one--

and oh, yes! 

They see the big picture.

So, yes,

there are instances when the details are important 

in reading and writing.

It's amazing the power of a tiny comma or apostrophe.

Know that if I really like you,

there is probably something different about you

that might annoy others,

and that I'd never notice.

Do you really care the Happy People 

have five legs?

More Happy Gear coming in September.

I'll let you know when the Etsy shop is restocked.

Speaking of imperfections, 

we have ourselves an unsolved mystery!

Who committed this heinous crime?
The beheading of Grandma's statue?

I called a squad car 

and these two showed up for a sniff.

See you next week!

Eloise