Lesson 360: Egad, an Adage!

Mrs. Eloise is giving you an old-fashioned,

English class, refresher this week, Readers.

I heard you through my screen:

Catchy blog title, Mrs. Eloise, but

what's an adage?
It's been a long time since Junior High.

Here is your answer, Avid Learners:

Adage Definition

An adage is a short, pointed and memorable saying based on facts, and is considered a veritable truth by the majority of people. Famous adages become popular due to their usage over a long period of time. In fact, an adage expresses a general fact or truth about life. As it becomes popular, it is then accepted as a universal truth. For instance, “God helps those who help themselves” is now considered a universal truth because of its usage throughout the human history. Often repeated sayings and quotes become adages that pass on to many generations. However, some adages are metaphoric, having hidden meanings, and embody common observations. Sometimes, proverbs are also referred as adages, but there is a slight difference.

My favorite adage comes from the story Tortoise and the Hare:

That phrase is Eloise's approach to fitness:

I keep at things.

I'm slow and steady.

I don't win many races,

but in the end, I feel like I am going to finish first--

like when I beat Heather Cass in a 5K in the 80 and over category

in the year 2051.

Summer is fast approaching, and I have a challenge planned for my family

so we remain fit and focused on good health this summer.

Perhaps you locals will like to join in.

Only the locals would be interested,

but Eloise is wondering if I could find 7 more people

 to purchase my Lamp Post Training Shirt.

I found a new, really great guy that makes t-shirts locally:

Phantom Signs and Graphics

CLICK HERE for their website

They can print my shirts, but I need to order 12 at the minimum.

I pulled out my handy calculator and figured:

12 needed

minus five Lamp Post Dwellers

Equals

7 more needed to run a print batch

The shirt is athletic, light weight, water-wicking material.

I chose a sunny yellow to represent Summer 2015.

Here is my sketch I'm sending to the artists:\

My Summer Training Challenge is titled

What the Hill?

I've come to learn that hill training is great for anyone,

no matter what your goal.

Kenyan (Avid diva*), my speedy-fast sister who is running ANOTHER marathon this weekend

uses hills to improve her speed time.

Doc, friend and my Team Adrenaline leader

uses hills to prepare for 24 hour bike rides and journeys across our entire state.

Leslie, my friend and Fitness Motivator loves hills.

Over two and a half years of knowing her,

she's taught me to embrace them, as well.

The cool part is that I've chosen 11 area hills to tackle,

jogging,

biking,

running,

or walking.

The cryptic listing appears on the back of the shirt.

If you sign up for the challenge and the shirt,

you get access to a facebook page

and a Sharpie Marker to X off or date the hills as you complete them,

in the best way that you are able to:

run them

jog them 

jog them when cars go by and walk when no one is looking

bike them

or

steadily climb them.

My facebook page will contain a detailed list of the hill locations.

It also will allow you to motivational photos of you atop your high hill,

as you conquer each one.

Of course a prize will be involved for completion of the challenge.

Who is in?

I need seven of you.

Who will be the Lucky 7?

Please message me if you are interested.

Thanks in advance to all those who take part in my summertime fun.

You'll love me for a moment,

but IN the moment

this may be your mantra.

Hills are HARD!

I got big other news, Readers!

BIG.

A slut nixes sex in Tulsa

And bigger yet---

A Santa dog lived as a devil God at NASA.

Fox News update?

Nope.

Sorry to disappoint.

Both sentences are palindromes--

 defined as:  

a word, phrase, or sequence read the same backwards and forwards.

And for those who are really, really, REALLY sharp,

you caught that the title of this blog was an adage itself!

Friend and Klein Colleague Amy informed me that this week was *Palindrome Week.

Looky here!

If you want to see some very interesting

(and quite funny) palindromes, 

click the link below.

For an interesting palindrome list CLICK HERE

For added fun, 

I'll insert them into my blog tonight,

but will denote them in BOLD RED,

so I don't confuse my mother.

She lives next door to me, you know.

Grandma is not one to tick off.

Kenyan isn't really an *avid diva (that often).

After clicking my link above,

I know you tried to call

Dial laid

and it rang busy---

so stay here,

under the Lamp Post light, instead.

We spent Mother's Day weekend at the family camp.

I could go on and on forever about how much I love that place,

but

In words, alas, drown I.

It was 88 degrees and sunny last weekend!

I traded my Erie Sea Wolves baseball cap

for this pink one:

With his OWN money, may I add.

It sure is pretty in the Allegheny Forest.

When I'm vacationing there,

This is my gym.

The place is so beautiful

it's as if the

devil never even lived.

At camp, we relax on healthy living rules, just a bit.

Everyone gets to choose their favorite drink,

and we tote a whole cooler full, downstate.

Rum, rum, I murmur

(Not really, I'm a beer girl,

but it worked for this picture).

Someone even snuck in a two pound canister of Cheese Balls!

Dammit, I'm Mad!

The ride downstate was gorgeous.

Sir, I eye, iris

Not really, they are dandelions.

Mr Owl ate my metal worm

while I drank out of this metal can.

Thank you Coca Cola for another fun summer of

the Share a Coke advertising campaign!

Eloise managed to throw a baseball into her own Mom Van windshield this week!

To idiot:

dumb move!

The shape of the shatter reminded me somewhat

 of this photo that I snapped 

on the little league field while the sun was setting.

Oh cameras are macho

A snapshot such as this shows the delicacy of our world.

Include God in your life on a daily basis, and you will see it, too.

If not, you are in for a sad, sad fate.

Swap God for a janitor, rot in a jar of dog paws.

I caught another couple of prize moments this week:

This one surely makes me think

What the hi11?

When I come up with the best captions,

I'll repost this one.

For this week, 

we'll have to settle for

you bozo boy!

Speaking of bozos,

my pesty, window pecking bird still won't go away,

even after we put the screens up!

This insane bird,

who has pecked every window at my parents house to my own,

has now started attacking his own image in the mirror in the Lamp Post garage.

We had to cover the mirror with a t-shirt to keep him out of there!

Yo banana boy,

that bird in the reflection is YOU!

In the nest on Sam's play set, Momma is nesting comfortably.

I'm awaiting her two eggs to hatch!

All this talk about birds

reminds me of a GREAT novel I am reading.

Add this to your summer reading list ASAP.

This novel is set in 1940 France,

right after the German army invaded Paris.

Evil, a sin, is alive.

I try to read a War War II book every year,

so I don't forget the sacrifices others made for my freedom.

Kristen Hannah is a remarkable storyteller.

Don't miss this one.

WWII always reminds me of my favorite musical,

The Sound of Music.

The song,

Sixteen Going on Seventeen

has been going through my head all week.

Natalie will turn 17 on Tuesday.

I've always loved that song and the famous movie scene.

For the full movie clip, scroll to the bottom of the blog.

I always wanted to dance in a gazebo during a thunderstorm like Liesl and Ralph did.

Too bad Ralph ended up getting brainwashed.

Still, it never stopped me from asking hubby to construct this in my backyard.

When I do my hill climbing this summer,

I plan on bursting into song as I reach each summit.

I am a tune nut, am I?

I tried to put my head onto this, but I don't have the right angle.

Maybe I'll pose for the cropping when I complete my 11 hill goal.

I found some great photos taken while filming on the set:

Who doesn't love Gretl?

This movie has had such an impact on my life.

Maybe it answers why I have such a love for

dancing,

hats,

guitars,

puppetry,

and picnics.

Climb the mountain with me this summer, Readers.

When you get to the top, spin a 360, and look around.

See where you've come from,

and look up,

to see where you are headed.

Even if you're struggling,

remember this famous line from the musical:

For more Sound of Music enjoyment,

here is the clip of Lady Gaga singing with Julie Andrews at this year's Oscars.

Oscars--with Lady Gaga CLICK HERE

I'm working on Natalie's photo video for her birthday on Tuesday,

so no photo video this week.

Instead I linked you up with Liesl and Idiot Ralph's gazebo dance.

16 going on 17 FOR NATALIE

Eloise's final advice:
Stop and smell the roses--
Egad, that's an adage!
(and also a palindrome!)

XOXOX
Which is also a palindrome
Eloise