Lesson 901: Ongoing

 Hello, Readers!

Eloise has returned home from

the first of a long list of grad parties

we've been invited to.

They are so fun

and top the list of my favorite

celebrations to attend.

The parties will be ongoing throughout the summer.

The word ongoing

was popping up all week at school

as I was drafting goals for next year.

The state of PA wants to know 

what exactly,

and how exactly,

and when exactly,

the content will be taught and assessed.

"...ongoing throughout the school year..."

I had to look it up to see if it was hyphenated or not.

ongoing 

it just didn't look right.

It looked like the word gong.

Who likes a gong?

Nobody.

So I tried the on-going version

and that looked worse.

When I got past the look of the word,

I thought about the meaning.

We are all ongoing,

until we aren't.

Then maybe a gong is struck 

somewhere in the heavens,

and that's it--

time is up.

I hope my sound signal from the heavens 

calling me home

is a recess whistle,

because I've spent most of my life in education.

My education is always ongoing.

I continue to learn from Mr. Lamp Post,

my parents and sis,

my children,

from my pets and my plants.

I learn more from my students 

than I can ever teach them.

Learning is always ongoing.

I'm overjoyed that mine will continue

with my free Harvard classes!

CLICK HERE for FREE Harvard Course Catalog

Sam and the Clark Schoolers

got to see their elementary school one last time.

They took their walk through the hallways,

loud with claps and cheers of congratulations,

and elementary-spelled words

wishing them well.

The baseball season has ended for the Huskies,

but the love of the game continues.

Sam and the Slammers will be playing Legion Ball this summer

for Wesleyville Post 571.

If you know baseball,

it is the most fun baseball to play

and so enjoyable to watch.

Two lessons for the week,

one kind of boring

and 

one not.

I found this neat visual--

two words I never thought about that deeply.

Good to know!

My ongoing love for candid photography is continuous--

but is it continually or continuously?

I spotted these two little boys

outside the cabin window last weekend.

Glad Miss Natalie had learned 

to navigate around them.

Enjoy the weekend!

Eloise

Lesson 900: Closer Than They Appear

Hello, Readers.

Memorial Day Weekend 

has arrived.

Summer is close!

The shadow shots of kids 

fishing at the pond this week,

certainly gives that impression.

But if you spent any time outside

at today's playoff baseball game,

summer is closer 

than it actually appears.

Brrrr!

The boys left the frigid field

with a win for the Huskies,

and a Memorial Day Title Game

to look forward to.

The team made their triumphant return

in time for the Senior Send Off.

The confetti was tossed,

with hugs around.

Advice to the parents of young children--

these days are closer than they appear.

My first born 

who I still picture in her

antenna-like tiny pigtails,

turned 27 on Monday.

The old saying is Don't Blink.

Really, you can blink.

Not blinking makes your eyes dry.

Eloise and the Mom Squad

recommend balancing 

the forward thinking

with the 

back-looking.

Scroll through the preschool photos,

while making your future plans.

Raising kids is like driving.

You keep moving forward,

but still need to check your rearview mirrors.

As I drove down Firman Road after school,

I stopped to admire the horses,

the wildflowers,

and the sky.

It had my favorite kind of clouds today--

puffy white,

lined with silver at the bottom.

Looking forward,

I admired this spectacular sky.

Once in a while you get 

a much needed

break in the clouds.

reminding you that there is sunshine

and warm days ahead.

The rearview mirror 

didn't let me forget the 

heavy clouds we all move though

in order to get there.

Enjoy the weekend, Readers.

Eloise

Lesson 899: Prefix

 Hello, Readers!

I've been waiting to get to Lesson 899!

It was the prefix to my home phone number

when I was growing up.

My parents still have the number!

Most of Harborcreek was 899 or 898.

I remember when a few 897 numbers

had to be added,

shortly before cell phones,

and I thought it so weird!

Here is your phone number prefix lesson for the week.

I'll give it to you early in the post--

the rest will be fun,

I promise.

In the United States, phone numbers are fixed-length, with a total of 10 digits. That dates back to the late 1940s when AT&T developed the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to simplify dialing calls, mostly long-distance. The plan went into effect in 1951. NANP numbers include 10 digits: a three-digit area code and a seven-digit local number. The format is usually represented as NXX-NXX-XXXX.

• Area code: Regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), area codes designate specific geographic regions, such as a city or part of a state. There are 86 original area codes that date back to 1947.
• Prefix: The prefix originally referred to the specific switch that a phone line connected to. Each switch at a phone carrier's central office had a unique three-digit number. With the arrival of computerized switches, systems now allow local number portability (LNP). Today the prefix designates a customer's location, down to the city.
• Line number: This is the number of the phone line that you are calling. These numbers are assigned to the line and not to the phone itself, which is why you can easily change phones or add more phones to the same line.

Think of the three parts like a street address, where the area code is the city, the prefix is the street and the line number is the house.

No quiz this week!

A good teacher doesn't give homework 

on Prom (picture walk) Weekend!

Everyone comes to see Sam

not in a sports uniform.

(UNI-prefix: one, single)

Me and my posse of moms armed with lenses

circumnavigated the grounds of Mercyhurst University

attempting to photograph excited teens.

(Prefix CIRCUM--around, about)

We said so long to Paul Foust Field this week.

Sam and his teammates played their last home game.

As they walked to the outfield 

after their win

I thought about what I would truly miss

about this team.

They have co-existed with one another,

(Prefix CO--with, together)

in dugouts,

on school busses,

and the field.

They have bonds like brothers.

The camaraderie will be be missed.

Their playoff game is against Hickory,

played at Allegheny College on Tuesday.

Good luck, Huskies!

Sam wrote about his experiences with his team

on several scholarship essays.

It paid off for this one.

Ten athletes were chosen,

and three of the ten represented Harbor Creek!

Good job, Huskies!

I predict these teens will go far!

(Prefix PRE--before, forward)

It was fun to get dressed up to celebrate Sam

and honor the life of a wonderful man.

Have a wonderful weekend, Readers.

Eloise