Lesson 785: Ink Drinker

Spring greetings from the Lamp Post.

This little round robin is expressing my sentiments

about the snow we received this week.

It makes for the most unusually pretty photos,

but we are ready for warmer days.

Meanwhile,

grab something warm to drink,

and let's have a meeting at the Lamp Post.

My youngest

 blew out

sixteen flames this week.

It's such a milestone.

Kids do grow up fast.

Parents of youngsters,

slow down,

take a breath,

and drink it all in.

CLICK HERE for a peek of Sam's year!

As the last of his pals to drive,

Sam wasted no time 

taking his permit test.

He's on the road!

Look for my Honda Odyssey van

among the million other ones 

traveling the school-to-home-to-practice loop.

Mine will be identifiable now.

Look for this magnet near my license plate!

We just got in some nighttime hours,

so I'm tired and going relax a bit--

which for me,

means escaping into a book.

I think I prefer Ink Drinker.

The Blind Date with a Book

wound up being a dud.

I had to put down the Sally Rooney book

for a bit.  I always give a book a rest 

before I abandon it altogether.

I started this one.

Anyone read it?

Here are two keepers!

We wish them a Happy Anniversary!

56 years!

I'll be sure to make sure the ink I drink is blue.

If you are reading this on April 1st,

it's Autism Awareness Month,

and get ready for World Autism Day.
Wear blue!

See you next week!

Love,
The Ink Drinker

Lesson 784: Sweet Sixteen

It's the Sweet Sixteen

 at the Lamp Post this weekend.

Crowd noise.

swishes,

and 

sneaker squeaks 

blasting from the television.

And sixteen candles for Sam!

It's quite fitting that the current talk

is tournament brackets,

because every day is Game Day 

when Sam is involved.

Sport of any kind is his favorite pastime.

He's a good player,

and even a better teammate.

There is nothing more my son loves

than a come-from-behind win.

When did this rough and tumble boy

who wore his sister's pink blanket around his shoulders on the daily

grow up so fast?

And so big?

Sam is a helpful, animal lover,

and by far the most animated of my children.

Especially when he made good on his word

and ate 2 ghost pepper wings

from White Buffalo

for coming in last place

in Fantasy Football.

Sam lives big 

and loves large.

He fiercely loves his family.

His tender heart is experiencing 

a teen romance.

Not to compete with his many  and ongoing Bromances.

Sam is an excellent student and displays his Huskie pride.

We were never sure if that was a given

after reading a note written to us as a preschooler,

laden with dollar signs and the word boob.

As far as my assessment of raising Sam,

he was a very good baby,

a tumultuous toddler,

and a

a rambunctious grade schooler.

In the teen years, 

he's been very chill and given us no big problems.

Just a few bumps along the way--

namely this one from a scooter fall

while coasting in our driveway last summer.

No matter where he is,

Sam has fans in the stands,

in the gym,

and on the field.

We're cheering for you, Sam,

wherever life takes you during your sixteenth year.

It is sure to be a sweet one!

Love,

Mom

Lesson 783: The Kinkeeper

 Happy St. Patrick's Day Readers!

With only a wee bit 'a Irish in old Eloise,

I don't go all out for this holiday 

as  I do for most of the others.

But I did try my hand at some Irish coffee

and soda bread this year.

So tasty!

It was a snowy St. Patrick's Day.

Unless you live in the north,

in March.

It's the time of year the snow goes

from pretty

to dirty.

The only one sorry to see the snow go

will be Penny.

Snow is great for burying bones.

We said goodbye to high school basketball.

This photo was taken from a 

buzzer beater last weekend.

The Lady Huskies had an excellent season.

We welcomed ice.

And our friend Robin!

I always loved the name Robin for a little girl.

I have a cousin out west named Robin.

Had Sam been a girl,

the name would have been a contender.

I got to name two daughters though,

and choosing names was a 

long

and 

thoughtful

process.

Does this name sound nice with our last name?

Do I know anyone of this name?
Is it too popular?

Too unusual?

Will it be mispronounced?

Does it sound feminine?

Does it sound strong?

The world is full of 

strong women.

We honor women on March 8th each year.

and devote the entire month to Women's history.

Every Friday night I write a blog

to make a record for my family.

It's my motivation for writing--

a weekly scrapbook of my photos and thoughts

since August of 2010.

Preserving memories 

is one way that I can contribute to my family.

But it's also a way I can look back

at my efforts as a

mother

wife

daughter

sister

teacher

friend

and

neighbor.

Sometimes a woman's efforts that involve

making things special,

or the motion of a family moving smoothly,

go unrecognized.

I learned, recently,

that this has a name.

It is called kinkeeping.

This makes me The Kinkeeper 

of the Lamp Post.

I see this definition was worded

by a Homesteader with ADHD,

(probably why the paragraph chunks are crooked....).

According to what I've read on kinkeeping

the term was coined back in 1985.

It went viral in January of this year

when a young girl defined it in a Tik Tok,

which can be found in the article linked below.

Be sure to open the link

and scroll down just beyond the first advertisement.

You'll find Molly West's now-famous TikTok

explaining kinkeeping.

Kinkeeping CLICK HE

The best thing women can do is to seek education.
This does not have to be formal education beyond high school.

It begins by learning how to read

and getting a library card.

How far you want to run with it, 

dear lass,

is up to you.

Good night.

Snug up for a few more weeks!

The Kinkeeper