Lesson 210: Did You Ever Notice.....?

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Readers!

That means a 3 Day weekend for Eloise!

I decided to take advantage of the extra time to catch up on a few overdue items left from the holiday.

My Christmas cards finally went out this morning.  If you recall, in December I decided to dump my grinchy attitude and I sent out a big batch of cards, despite the fact that not everyone reciprocates.  I just forgot one little thing........the stamps!  Just think of how excited you'll be to get a card in the mail from Eloise in January!

I'm also finishing up some holiday Coca Cola.  I'm saving the bottles to make vases. 

I think they will intermix well with these next Christmas for a beautiful mantle display.

I had to switch to the light version for my Friday night wind down after the holiday indulging.  They are only 80 calories!

The wind is howling and it is a cold January night in northwestern Pennsylvania.  I'm still going to lace up my sneakers and meet my team Saturday morning for another challenge.  Last week Doc had us hauling rocks. 

Still curious? 

 Contact me and Eloise will tell you more about this fantastic workout for your mind and body.

Other than my Saturday morning workout, and maybe a couple of dog walks, Eloise is stuck inside most of the weekend with the kids.  What's a mother to do?

Natalie practices her cheers.

Ellen draws and sketches.

and Sam........sigh.......he's a little harder to keep entertained.

This is the end result of leaving him with a roll of Scotch tape for ten minutes.

He even taped one of the books I'm reading shut!

GRRRRRR!

I read a lot in the wintertime.  If you noticed, I wrote ONE of the books I am reading.  I usually have about four going at once.  Yes, I am one of THOSE people.  In my experience, there seems to be two classifications of people who call themselves "Readers."  There are those who start a book and plow through it cover to cover.  Northern and Kenyan didn't do laundry for a week when they got engrossed in the Hunger Games series.  I am one of the "Others."  I have many going at once and I pick up whatever I am in the mood for.  My reading style fits with my scattered brain.  

Here is an overview of what Eloise has stacked on her bedside table:  

This is a challenging read.  It was a gift from my friend Patty and her son Jacob, who is my student.   It is set in England in the 1800's and deals with magicians.  It's different, and I like different.

When I am in the mood for non fiction, I pick make a cup of tea and pick up this book, Three Cups of Tea.  It was a gift from my friend Kori and her daughter Madeline, who is my student.  This story amazes me about what great lengths a person will go to, to try to make the world a better place.



I got forced into reading this one by my friends Northern and Wags.  The movie is coming out soon, and they said I couldn't go with them unless I read the book.  I hate romance novels, but I am not one to miss out on a good time, so I read the damn thing.  I can't stand romances.  I like books where things explode in the first two chapters and I have to figure out who did it.  If there isn't cross hairs on a President, then forget it.  This story did have a few redeeming qualities in the end--a very touching letter that made me cry, and something burned down.




This is a creepy tale from Stephenie Meyer.  My friend Southern guilted me into reading the Twilight series.  I enjoyed the books, but became more fascinated with the author Stephenie Meyer, than I did with the main character Bella Swan.  The Host was Stephenie's first stab at another story after she completed her Twilight series.  I am hellbent on figuring out if her theme of forbidden love will continue on in this book.  It is a slow go because aliens creep me out.  What's creeping me out even more is that the eye on the cover almost resembles the one that Ellen was sketching this week (scroll up).  Got to go check Ellen for an implant chip.  Be right back..................tick tock, tick tock, tick tock...

Whew!  Ellen's good, albeit a bit annoyed. I checked over pretty thoroughly and she's free from any alien tracking devices.

By the way, if anyone wants to get me something for my birthday, you can get me that "clock".  It is really a purse sized mirror from the Sephora Cinderella collection.  I went to get one for myself and they were out of stock.


My student Kate recommended this one today.

This smart fifth grader who knows me well said it is "kind of a romance but it is has more action."  I can tell I am going to like it more than Safe Haven because it has a flame on the cover.  Good girl, Kate.  I have taught you well.

And then there is always this one,

That is War and Peace.  I have renamed it The Eternal Flame.  I've been reading it for fifteen years and I am still stuck on page 51.  I just can't get past Princess Ellen with the moss dress.  There are so many characters, I can't keep them all straight.  I figured if I read a page a day, I could finish by the year 2026.  I'm more into fitness goals right now than reading goals.  Carrying logs and rocks up hills with Doc is more fun than delving into Russian history, so by my bedside War and Peace will still sit.  Probably forever.

This one is always there.  

I've read it a few times and I pick it up whenever I am in need of a good story.

It's a really neat tale that teaches you things indirectly, like the importance of reading biographies.  It is chock full of things I like to quote, like this:

I like the book, because in some ways, I am like Jones, one of the main characters in the story.  He notices things and has a way of putting things into perspective.  I am a noticer, too.

For example, I noticed when you sent me Christmas cards with Lamp Posts on them.

I also noticed that you used a black Labrador retriever for the stamp.

I also noticed some of my students are on to my secret identity.

Teachers are good handwriting analysts.  

Eloise noticed.  Eloise is appreciative of the time you took to think of me.  A tiny bit of effort goes a long way in this world.  Remember that.

The book The Noticer is so good, that it does need a blog post all to itself.  So I did today what I do best---make you curious.  Stimulate thought.  Make you think.  That is what Lessons From the Lamp Post is all about, after all.

I'll give you some time to get the book if you want to read it.  In page length it's a short read of about 150 pages.  It is good for almost everyone--adults, teens, men, women.  Anyone would like it and take with them many of the intended messages from the author Andy Andrews.

Join Eloise's Book Club and pick up a paper copy or download one one your Kindle.  It's fun to read a book and see what someone else thinks about it.  I'll check back with you in about a month to give you my perspective.

To entice you a little further, check out the video about the book I posted below.  It gives a overview of Andy Andrews.  The story is based on his life that was full of personal struggles, leaving him living under a bridge for a time in his life.  Because of the intervention of a curious stranger named Jones, Andy Andrews changed his life.

Andrews was so moved by this person, he wrote a book about him.  The Noticer was rejected 51 times in 3 years.  Still, because of his persistence and positive attitude, The Noticer and a slew of other books by Andy  Andrews were published and made the Best Seller List.

I hope this post today gives you some encouragement to pick up a good book, get outside for a workout, or get some post holiday tasks tackled and out of the way.  No matter what you choose to do this weekend, make it good.

Yours Truly,
Eloise

Lesson 209: Stuck in Colder Weather

Happy weekend, Readers!

We got a break in the weather here at The Lamp Post.  I'll tell you about what us northerners do when we get a break from the snow and cold.

It's almost too warm this morning to wear my new hat as I head outside to workout.  No, it's not a pink Elmer Fudd hat.  It's a Stormy Kromer cap and it's awesome.  Here's there little advertising blurb from the company:

The hats are made in Michigan.  The hat factory is attached to the retail store and they offer tours to customers.  Eloise just added the Stormy Kromer Hat Factory in Ironwood, Michigan to The List of Places I Need to Visit.

The weather usually makes the front page news in Erie a few times each season.  

Erie had a nice amount of snow last week,

but the January thaw came this week and it's melting away.

It will be back, without a doubt, Sam.

You'll be able to make another snowman.

I promise.

In honor of the 51 degree temperature I'm about to go out into this morning, I picked myself up a six pack of this last night.

It's no Rolling Rock, but it was good!  The cap is on its way to your collection soon, Mikey.

One of my resolutions this year was to continue my workouts outdoors despite the weather.  This fall I learned all about the benefits of outdoor exercise through the Resolution Program with Dr. Krauza.  It's hard to go back to the treadmill after spending three days a week in all kinds of weather with Doc and Sean.  So that is what we are doing this weekend.  Getting outside a bit and letting our bodies breathe.

Natalie listened.

She loves to be outside.  This is Natalie enjoying the hot tub last week.

She's had that toy boat since she's been a baby.  I can't ever see her giving it up.

These two buffoons I call my dogs will enjoy a break in the weather.

The black lab is Josie, named after Joe Paterno.  The yellow lab is Sadie. She's a stray who has had five different homes in our area before setting up a permanent settlement on the Lamp Post compound.  Grandma and Grandpa next door now hold the vet records, so we can call her "ours."  She's a free spirit of a dog and really belongs to everyone.  Legend has it that Sadie showed up a the home of one of our neighbors several years ago, dirty and looking for a meal.  She was about a year or two old at the time and had a black number 8 spray painted on her side.  That is going to show up in one of my books someday.  It's just too good of a mystery not to wonder about.

Ellen and Sam will help me take them for a run this weekend.

Don't say we don't care about New Jersey here at the Lamp Post.  I bought a t-shirt to help with the rebuilding of its shoreline.  Fix up your boardwalk, New Jersey because I want a second crack at a vacation there.  The last time I visited the state, I was trapped in a large beach crowd with an autistic child, a painfully shy elementary schooler,  a 30 pound 18 month old who refused to walk, and a hubby in a leg cast.  It was far from a relaxing trip.  Since then I've deemed New Jersey the dumbest state in the nation because of the bad vacation and the fact that Snooki lives there.

Beach vacations are a long way off for Eloise though.  Meanwhile I'm going to be stuck colder weather here at the Lamp Post.

Rather than complain about something I can't change like the weather; I'll focus on what I can change-- my thinking.  I will remind myself that I enjoy the change of seasons.  The winter sure does make for some pretty skies.

You can't truly enjoy the warmth of a nice day until you've been through a season's worth of cold ones.

Enjoy some of my winter pictures set to the tune Colder Weather by the Zac Brown Band.  The lesson for today is don't get stuck in colder weather, as my burly favorite Zac sings.  Get unstuck.  The best way to do that is to change your thinking and you and only you have the power to do that.

Eloise

Lesson 208: Pick Your Team

It's a snowy and cold January weekend here at the Lamp Post.

I am glad you stopped by!

This lamp post was a gift from my parents for Christmas.  The bulb is orange and it welcomes me when I come inside from the cold.  I placed it in my entry way.

Former classmates--look at the picture below.  Do you recognize the Clark School hill?  The kids got to go outside and play on it on Friday afternoon.  I wish all my readers could have heard the giggles, shouts, and laughter resonating from that playground.  The kindergartners here were full of joy and played hard.  

I was out in our 29 degree weather a couple of times today.  I started this morning at 7:30 am with a Team Adrenaline hilly workout.  Kenyan and Tracy Northern joined Jean and I.  They loved it.  Eloise is happy.  Misery loves company, I told them.

For what Eloise lacks for in athletic prowess, I make up for with infectious enthusiasm.  I had so much fun with my Resolution Challenge that I wanted others to share in my joy---just like the Clark School kindergartners.  Leanne, Jen, Cindy, and Renee also signed on the dotted line along with Kenyan and Tracy Northern.  Ladies, Eloise picked you for her team.  How does that feel?  If you dove into my high school history, you probably wouldn't feel so special, though.

Ever the cheerleader was Eloise, never the player.  I love sports and athletics but never participated on a team before Team Adrenaline.  In gym class I used to beg to be line judge.  I also got my way with this one:  "Mr. Humphreys, can I be team captain?  Can I pleeeeeease?"  Mr. Humphreys usually let me because he was onto my game.  I'm sorry to say this two and a half decades late, but Eloise speaks the truth:  If I picked you for my gym class team, you sucked.  

Hey, we all can't be Kenyan.  Maybe you were smart, or really nice, or where just too shy to dive for a ball. I noticed and I felt for you, because I was just like you.  Can you think back to gym class readers?  Remember those jerks who treated every gym class wiffle ball game like it was the world series?  You'd mess up a serve in volleyball and you'd hear it for the rest of the day?  I hated that, and I hated THEM for it.  

Any time I got my way with Mr. Humphreys, I picked the kids who were always picked last for the team, FIRST.  I can remember the day clearly when I first thought to do it.  I remember the exact student I called first to be on my team.  I remember his expression, what he was wearing, and how he slowly moved to my side of the gym.  And he remembered it, too.

Several years after high school I ran into that classmate--really only a familiar face to me, not someone I would call a friend.  He didn't run in my social circle, nor had any classes with me.  I didn't know much about him other than he went to Clark Elementary School with me and got in trouble a lot.  This boy was now a man and he was sitting at the end of the bar where I was ordering myself a Rolling Rock.

"Hey......." he slurred.  "I remember you."  His glazed eyes tried to focus on my face and he looked me up and down like most drinking men do in bars.  

That made Eloise a bit pissy and I took a defensive stance.  I knew he had been drinking and from the way his pupils looked, had dabbled in some other things, too.  I smiled quickly and turned my attention back to the bartender who was getting me my beer.  

"Hey!  Don't ignore me!  I know who you are!  You're ....um.....gosh.....what is your name!  You had Mr. Miller!  You sat right next to me in fourth grade!"  

By this time, Eloise was even more irritated.  He couldn't even remember my name!  What a jerk!  No wonder he got in trouble all the time.  Loser, I thought to myself, trying to lose him and the conversation I didn't want to be in.

"Ahhhhh, I got it now!" my former classmate said, reaching over to slap my shoulder.  "You're the chick who picked me first in gym class!"

Eloise was stunned.  In his drunken and probably higher than a kite state, he couldn't recall my name, but he did remember that I picked him first for gym class.  A memory of being chosen first, above Mike, Chris, Pete, Jason, Bruce, and Phil.  I picked him first and he remembered that.

I think about that young man often.  He will always remain that young man in my heart.  That boy, hardened by drugs and alcohol, will never grow old because he never got a chance to.  He died a few years later in his early twenties.  I never knew the circumstances of his death and he was living out of state at the time. I don't know what happened to him, but I do know that I had an impact on his life--I picked him first.

For my newly initiated teammates, who worked out Thursday in 30 mile per hour wind gusts, and this morning in 29 degree weather, you don't suck, but I did pick you first.  And in Eloise's Play Book, that is a lot to own up to.  Don't come to the workouts for your own self gain.  Bring someone else along to try it, too.  Look at Sam's class in that sled riding picture.  None of them care about who lives in what house or if you have new or used snow pants.  They just want you to come play and have fun.  That is what Eloise wants from you, too.  

Like myself, millions of you probably have resolved to get healthy this year.  It's a good goal to have, but as the calendar pages flip, we can experience a mountain challenges; illness, deaths in the family, financial problems, job stress, trouble with your kids.  Any of these things can make a person trip, and abandon your health goal altogether.  

We all fall, but we need to learn how to get back up.  Watch this video of an inspirational runner. When you feel like you've lost the race, don't give up.  Watch this gal's get up and go.  It will surely keep you inspired all year long.  Awesomeness at its maximum.

Stay inspired, Readers.  

Eloise

Lesson 207: Rock in the New Year

  Happy New Year, Readers!

We stayed up to watch the ball drop.  For some reason, Sam ran away from the TV and hid with a few seconds left on the countdown clock.  When I questioned my son about his odd reaction, he screamed, "I don't want the big ball to hit our planet!"  Somehow he caught wind of the prophecy of the ancient Maya and confused new years with the end of the world.  This morning as I write this, Sam has calmed down and is sleeping soundly, awaiting the tooth fairy.  He lost yet another tooth yesterday.

We got some snow yesterday, making for some slick travel last night.  We had three events to attend and made it to all of them.

This one is for Lisa M.  Thanks for inviting us to your party.  One of my resolutions for 2013 is never to buy this beer again.  Maybe for fun today you and John can dare each other to try a sip out of the five bottles I left behind as a "gift".  You like Pinterest and are a crafty, clever woman.  Maybe you'll recycle them into something spectacular.  I'll admit I got had by the pretty packaging when I purchased the six pack.  Mikey, you are about to get a cap for your collection from the world's worst beer.  I resolve to stick with Rolling Rock for 2013.

In 2013 Eloise also resolves to pay closer attention to details.  I'm a "big picture" kind of gal.  I don't sweat the small stuff.  I never have the right ingredients for recipes, my bed sheets do not have tight, military corners, and I don't care if you are late.  The food always tastes fine, I sleep just fine in rumpled sheets, and if I'm still waiting for you, that's okay because I don't wear a watch.  You get to me when you get to me.

However, there are some benefits that behoove a person if they do pay attention to what is in front of them.  For example, my Christmas present.  This was my new bird feeder from my parents.  I already ran it over with the truck.  Grandpa promised he could fix it.

In 2013 I am going to work on getting my book The Key published. 

I thought I stood a pretty chance of doing so in 2012, as I entered a contest that I had a good vibe about.  It was through Random House, my favorite children's book publisher.  I met all of the requirements (first novel, no agent, middle grades level, inspirational and humorous content).  Eloise wrote a kick @$$ synopsis and sent it off with a kiss and a prayer.  Months went by and I never heard anything.  I was disappointed, but not defeated.  I knew that if I didn't get my chance this time, I eventually would---I'd just have to find another avenue and wait a bit.  Eloise kept the faith.  

Still something was nagging at me. One day months after the submission, I pulled out a copy of the packet of information I sent to New York City.  When I looked through it, I realized I never put my name on it!   A teacher's biggest pet peeve:  THE NO NAME PAPER!!!  I did put Eloise Hawking on the byline, but that is only my pen name, not my birth name.   There was no address to link Eloise to this story either.  Perhaps someone in New York City is searching for Eloise now, with a copy worn from repeated rereads sitting on the corner of his desk.  That, My Friends, is a story in the making, don't you think?

No worries, though Readers.  My two friends Tracy, TNorthern who lives in Pennsylvania with me, and TSouthern from South Carolina, promised to help me with the process.  Friends help you along in life and fill in the gaps where you are weak.

I wanted to make sure everyone knew they were often thought of and appreciated this year.  I changed my grinchy attitude and re-added everyone I X'ed off my Christmas card list.  Eloise had determined it was simply too much work to send so many cards hardly receive any back, but I changed my thinking.  

I stayed up extra late one night and got them done. Everyone was getting a card again.   I was in a good mood, knowing that I would wish my friends and family a happy holiday season through the way I know best---words and pictures.  Eloise reminded herself that the true joy is in the giving.  Whether I received a card in return didn't matter as much anymore.  The next morning I skipped to the mailbox and inserted a big, rubber-banded stack.  Eloise felt happy.

And then I received a large part of the stack back on December 27th.......

Whoops.  Forgot the stamps.

Running over bird feeders, not putting my name on papers, and failing to add postage to holiday cards makes me appear a bit dingy.  I suppose I am. 20 years ago somebody called me "dumber than a box of rocks" and I'm still pissed about it.  Dingy does not equal unintelligent.  The guy didn't know me that well, so I suppose I should forgive him; maybe send him a letter (with the stamp) about how he wronged me.  Yet, a family member once said that if you typed the word "airhead" into the google search box, my picture would come up.  Ha, ha.  Funny joke. .........and then I got to thinking........................so I checked......................but Eloise is good.  This is what came up instead.

Part of making resolutions for change in the upcoming year is owning up to your weaknesses.  You need to recognize them first, before you can make improvements in your life.  Eloise is a bit dingy, absent minded, twitchy distracted.  What I need is focus.  And I have a plan.  Maybe you can help me with it.

One of the best remedies for my busy brain is outdoor exercise.  Being outside in the fresh air and sunshine (well, I do live in Erie, so cloud cover) clears my mind.  

I would like to continue to do that this winter, even with all the snow my city gets.  After participating in the Team Adrenaline Resolution Challenge, I view exercise in new ways.  There is hardly a white parking lot line that I don't have the urge to jump over,

or curb that I want to do step ups on.

So when I saw this sign, 

I thought of a great fitness challenge for the cold winter and wet spring.  The mileage is already figured out!

This sign is in the parking lot  for 6 Mile Cellars, the new winery across the street from The Lamp Post. That's my house in the background of this snapshot.

I am going to make some of these longer runs in less than perfect conditions.  I'll start with the five milers and work up to the tens.  When I do them over the course of the next few months, assuredly the weather will not be idyllic.  If we waited for perfect conditions for everything we attempted, we'd never get anything accomplished in Erie.

Starting at the Six Mile Cellars, we can run to each of those wineries.  If we go on Saturdays, you can stop in for a sampling of wine or buy bottle as a souvenir for making the trek.  If you are entertaining the thought of running some longer miles, come with me.  I'm the perfect person to go with.  I'll chatter at you like the squirrel that I am, and you won't even have time to think about your tired legs.  Friends help each other along, remember?  They fill in the gaps where you are weak.  You don't care for distances and I don't like to be cold, wet, and muddy.  We can help each other along.  So let's do this:

Focus is a good word, especially for a distracted person like myself.  I learned that important lesson during my Team Adrenaline Resolution Challenge as well.  Clearing your mind of all the crap, and focusing on something important is good for your brain.  Focusing your eyes, even on something as simple as a moving red dot across a computer screen is good for the nervous system.  So while we are out running through the countryside, we could look for this little guy.  He'd be a moving purple dot.

This is the purple squirrel someone found in the Pennsylvania wild  this year.

\

Eloise was intrigued with the story.  Because of my love of squirrels, I tried to figure out if it was a hoax or not.  However, Percy and Connie Emert who found the squirrel in their yard seemed believable in any interview I read or watched.  They know squirrels like Eloise does and trapped it with shelled peanuts.  The Pennsylvania Game Commission verified the existence of the purple squirrel and speculated reasons for its unique color.  Poke berries, fracking fluid, and port a potties were all theories, but none was concluded before releasing it back into the wild.  

Did you pay close attention to the end of that last sentence, Readers?  Eloise did.  ......releasing it back into the wild.  It's out there.  And I am going to find it.

First I had to see where in Pennsylvania this squirrel was found.  After a quick search for Mr. and Mrs. Emert, I found they lived here:

I then concluded it was a dumb squirrel if it was living in a town called Jersey Shore.  The name of the town alone was polluting my state.  For those of you just tuning in, Eloise is not a fan of the TV show The Jersey Shore.  Perhaps the Mayans did get it right---the world ended for the simple minded on December 21st, as the last episode of that gross show aired.  Yahoo!

Maybe the poor, purple-hued creature has some smarts and is migrating north to the Lake Erie region.  Squirrels talk and the word is out about Eloise.  I feed my squirrels the best shelled peanuts money can buy.  The food is out all winter long, My Furry Friends.  Come to the Lamp Post if you miscalculated your winter stash and I'll keep you fed.  

Long runs looking for purple squirrels are good for endurance, but don't forget about your strength.  Team Adrenaline taught me that a combination approach to fitness is best.  You need stamina, strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility in order to maintain good health for 2013.  So Eloise offers you up this little fun challenge.

Come to the Harborcreek Community Park and use my logs as mentioned in blog post Lesson 205:  Test Your Resolve.

Run up and down the hill on the northwest corner of the park.

You'll feel just like Rocky Balboa if you do, and your confidence will soar.

After you run up and down that hill carrying those logs a bunch of times, look for this:

It's a tin that once contained my favorite mints.  I hid it near the logs somewhere.

Now it's up to you to find it.

If you find it, you can keep one of these as a souvenir for all of your hard work, focus, and determination.  Pick your favorite out of Eloise's Box of Rocks and set it somewhere you see it often.  It will remind you of your commitment to health and fitness for the coming year.

You may want to make your own box, because I'll hide some others, and you'll have yourself a nice Lake Erie Shore Rock Collection by the end of the year.  How cool is that?

While you are out there running to a winery or carrying logs up and down a muddy hill, stop a moment and admire the miracles in nature.  They surround us. 

For your viewing enjoyment, I compiled the Best of Eloise's Nature Shots in the video below.  I set the song to Miracle by the Christian Rock Band, Third Day.  This album is great and you'll be hearing this song, as well as a few others from their new album in the upcoming months.  

Get outside, go for a run, and talk to God in 2013.  Together you can make a miracle happen in your life.  He answers in the most beautiful ways. Sometimes He shows you a flower or a bird.  He may connect you to a new person or hobby.  The perfect song can come along at just the right time.  God whispers sometimes.  Make a resolution this year to listen.

Make a miracle happen today, Readers.
Eloise