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.
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
