Lesson 968: Long Term Goals

It's September, Readers!

Cue the skies!

How about this juicy peach?

The abundant zucchini

keeps the resident chopper busy

this time of year.

Growing a Garden

is such a wonderful Long Term Goal.

Entering fall

with all the cozy back-to-school vibes

have led me to announce

my next

Book Club That Isn't a Book Club--

Sunday, September 13th,

3:00-5:00

at The Lamp Post.

Bring with you a list of your favorite books

to share Show and Tell style with others.

I have plenty of chairs we will circle up

in the driveway.

We'll take turns talking about our recent reads.

You'll not only receive book inspiration,

but you will leave with some flowers, too!

Natalie has lots to share.

Sneak peek at the end of the blog.

I set my Long Term Reading Goal

that I'll share with my students in a few weeks.

A surprising fact about Eloise

is that I'm not a series reader.

I usually read the first one or two,

but taper off after that.

My favorite type of fiction is a stand alone story

that leaves you wondering about something in the end.

I prefer my stories not to be wrapped up neatly.

I have never read the full Harry Potter series!

Cue the gasps from my students.

I read the first two or three

in real time

as they were released.

 
I set my Long Term Goal to read the series

in a chapter-a-day format.

There are 199 chapters in the Harry Potter series,

so that puts me finishing in March!

I wanted to experience the stories 

along with some of my students.

Many are reading the series in preparation 

for the HBO reboot in December.

HP fans have mixed thoughts 

as if a reboot is necessary.

I say if you can inspire another generation

with creativity--that's a magic of its own--

so I'm in.

Anyone care to read along with me.

Grandma is not.

She told me there are too many dumb names to keep track of.

LOL.

Check out this trailer and see if it inspires you.

HBO new Harry Potter trailer

Improving my food offerings

has been a Long Term Goal of Mine.

Here's another way to cook chicken

in honor of Dear Departed Dolly.

It sounds good if you don't mind your food touching.

I never looked up how to bake it,

but if you start with already cooked chicken

it can't be that long.

Eloise guesses an hour-ish.

Sam has a Long Term Goal 

of visiting every Disc Golf course on his app.

We went out to Seneca High School this week

the day after the heavy rain.

We were ankle deep in water

but neck deep in fun!

She Who Shall Not Be Named

is chugging along with her Long Term Goal.

She's putting miles on her shoes

and Charlie miles on the scooter during training.

We stopped at the Warren County Visitors Bureau

on the way to camp last weekend.

I went in and looked around

(we need this sign on the front doors of our schools)

while the dogs played in the Dog Park.

I thought it would be a great idea

to make a Long Term Goal

to visit all the places on this sign!

I also thought a really fun trip sometime

would be 

Baby Arch in Warren, PA

to 

Gateway Arch in St .Louis.

Isn't that interesting?

Even more interesting are the varieties of 

zinnias and sunflowers Natalie has grown

part of her own Long Term Goal we set

in the Fall of 2025.

We saved seeds from her plants that season

and regrew them all this year!

Enjoy a photo walk through the beauty.

Enjoy your weekend, Readers.

Hope to see you at the Lamp Post

on September 13th.

If you can't make it,

message me

and I'll send you a link to the book suggestions.

Eloise

Lesson 967: A Cup of Ambition

 

Happy weekend, Readers!

The kids are back to school

and everything feels like it should again.

Cooler nights.

Strained teacher voice.

Fridays that feel like Friday.

There is even a football game tonight.

I realized that I had my 50th

First Day of School!

Here I am at the start of the teacher in-service days.

Here I am after the first week 

of scheduling meetings,

checking in with the kids

and collaborating with teachers.

TIRED!

Teachers get called out for short work days

and summers off.

But believe me, 

we don't work 9 to 5--

it's more like 5 to 9.

After school activities,

coaching,

communicating,

and planning, planning, planning!

I do like Dolly

at my 5 am alarm:

pour myself a cup of ambition!

This is school success in a nutshell.

Ambition.

Find it,

and pour yourself a giant mug.

I told a colleague I can teach 

anybody

anything.

I mean it.

Show me what you need to know

and I'll help you get it through your head.

But you need to be motivated to learn.

Teaching the unmotivated child

is the hardest thing in 2026.

Dolly was motivated.

I listened to this audiobook

a few years ago and LOVED it.

Ambitious people write over 3,000 songs.

I'm a huge fan of her Imagination Library.

Ambitious people give books to children.

Ambitious people write cookbooks with their sister.

I bought this one for MY sister.

This was really good--

a nice, pleasant read.

This is one I want to read!

Does anyone have it.

A dog with a guitar!

Ambitious people write letters to Natalie.

Thank you for all those who have sent mail.

Our fall schedule has started,

so Miss Ambitous is back at the 

Wednesday evening YMCA pool class.

Ambitious people build dressers.

Some assembly required

had a very broad interpretation.

Ambitious people get out for a run in the evening

and stop to photograph the sunset.

Ambitious mothers watch it all unfold

and capture the lamp post, too.

Ambitious people help their eldery neighbors.

This guy weeded for 5 hours over two days.

Unbeknownst to the weeder

he was extracting poison ivy.

The Caladryl that is slathered all over his body

matches his white tee shirt nicely.

Ambitious people learn to grow delicate dahlias!

They are tricky 

and it took us two years.

Here is our first one.

This variety is named Sunset.

It's hard to see here,

but the center of this one is yellow,

and the petals look like orange rays.

This is the clematis I saved 

from the Walmart clearance rack.

This ambitious person found the Penn State Behrend

disc golf course

and is trying learn a new activity

with his wife.

Here I am carrying my bag 

and my cup of ambition into work!

Speaking of bags...

this beautiful leather bag was found

at Whitford Park and went unclaimed for over a week.

There was no identifying information in the bag

that the park attendants could find.

No wallet.

No phone.

It was such a beautiful and unusual bag

I took it from the park

and gave it to the most ambitious person I know--

my mother.

She too, loved the bag

and knew its owner must be missing it.

Grandma found a dentist appointment card

for an upcoming appointment.

A few calls later and a connection was made!

The bag,

which was actually purchased in Greece

was reunited with its owner.

Good job, Grandma!

I realized this week

that I've had 50 First Days of School!

Here is what mine looked like:

Getting off the bus is scary on the first day!

Take the first step in faith

(with the help of your kind Principal).

As Martin Luther King Jr once said,

You don't have to see the whole staircase,

just take the first step.

I'll do like Dolly 

once again,

and won't speak specifically

about the ridiculous things of the week.

Instead I'll do what I do best

and share some images,

and work on my crafts.

Have a great weekend,

Readers.

Eloise