Lesson 406: Piece by Piece

Night after Friday Night we meet at the Lamp Post.
Glad to see you under the soft glow of the winter moon.

Friday nights are always followed by Saturday mornings,

no matter where you live.

This his how I roll into mine.

A Sun-Up Workout sets the tone for a sunshine day.

Step by Step 

is the approach I take to health and fitness.

This is my new fitness challenge.

Aside from the fact that the shoe in the advertisement is not red and sparking,

it's a clever little design.

Simply log in 26.2 miles by walking,

jogging,

or running with any fitness trainer device or app

(or you can log in your miles manually if you don't have one).

The totals are cumulative,

so take as much time or as little as you need to complete the challenge.

Brick by Brick down the Yellow Brick Road you'll go!

When your journey through Oz is complete,

you will receive this cool participant medal.

If you are interested in accompanying me to see the Wizard,

here is the link:

Race to Oz link CLICK HERE

Sip by Sip

I'm trying a new beer tonight

(thanks, Mom and Dad!).

The beer was very fitting

as Erie is back down to typical February temperatures.

Snow blankets the Lamp Post lawn once again.

Flake by Flake

Some days in Erie are just all white.
Looking out of the window is almost like looking at a black and white photo.
I didn't color adjust this one at all.
You can see the touch of brown on 6 Mile Cellars on the right edge of the photo.

Eloise loves the change of seasons,
but by this time of the year,
my eyes long for a 

splash of color.

I took a couple of our talented art students 

on a field trip to see our local t-shirt printer

Creative Imprints.

Mrs. Elosie was very impressed with the operations at the facility.

We learned the dyes for the shirts are actually thick like mayonnaise,

and they are layered on the t-shirts 

Bit by Bit

through a complex process.

Our school district gives them so much business,

we even have our own orange dye!

We enjoyed a warm day last Saturday

and went tubing at Peek-n-Peak Ski Resort.

We climbed that hill

Step by Step.

(OK, we rode the escalator).

Grain by Grain

Help make Erie's freshwater beaches #1 in the nation!

You read this ad free blog for free--

so as a thank you for your mindless entertainment,

please vote!

Vote for Erie's beautiful beaches! CLICK HERE

Page by Page 

is how I'm reading a fantastic story.

This is the cover I prefer because it has a lamppost on it.

I really didn't feel like reading a WW2 France book.

I really didn't.

I read the Nightingale this summer and cried for a full day after completion.

How can humans be so cruel?
So heartless?

Anthony Doerr has mastered the craft of storytelling.

He weaves a story,

Word by Beautiful World.

I'm only 1/3 of the way through the book and I'm

already recommending it.
That's how good it is.

If you have never viewed a Book Trailer--check it out.

For the Book Trailer, CLICK HERE

Day by Day 

is how my friend (left of photo) made a baby,

in one of the healthiest pregnancies on record.

She worked out with my fitness leader

(right of photo)

three days a week during her entire pregnancy!

Congratulations!

Congratulations are in order for my Penn State Cousin, Erin!

She found the missing piece to her 1,000 piece puzzle.

Erin was born without hearing,
but God blessed her with very keen eyes.
She can put a puzzle of this magnitude together in no time.

Piece by Piece
is how my teammate Jordan builds his puzzles, too!

Jordan does not have spoken language,
but he communicates just fine through nods, gestures,
and facial expressions.

Jordan can put a 1,000 piece puzzle in just a few hours time
if he sets his mind to it.
Amazing!



God always balances things out, doesn't He?

Day by Day
people with disabilities are gaining more acceptance.
This cheerleader gave a boy with autism a Prom-posal!



Click the link below to see the actual video,
and the boy's reaction.
Thanks, Marcie for sending me this link.
It made my day.

Cheerleader asks boy with Autism to Prom. CLICK HERE

Note by Note

is how a song is made.

Truly, Kelly Clarkson's American Idol performance

was my favorite of all time.

Check out her heartfelt song

she wrote for her daughter

Piece by Piece.

That is how we build the jigsaw puzzle of our lives--

step by step

piece by piece

and

day by day

(unless, of course, your name is Erin or Jordan...

then it's just a matter of hours).

Here is a piece of my peace tonight.
Enjoy the song

and enjoy your weekend.

ELOISE

Lesson 405: Mind Your Own Biscuits

Hi, everyone!

Huh?  

What did you say?
Yeah, I heard you.

I know.

My Friday night liquid personality doesn't come from water.

Got to pass the time somehow while I wait for the snow to stop.

It's one of those weather weeks at the Lamp Post 

that leaves Erieites shaking their heads.

There will be a 51 degree difference between last weekend and this one.

It was cold last Saturday.

Really cold.

But, that didn't stop me and my team.

We worked out anyway.

We bundled up and got in about 45 minutes

in 4 degree temps

with a -17 wind chill.

We did it again Tuesday, too,

but it wasn't quite as cold.

Huh?

What did you say?
Yeah, I heard you.

Thanks for your concern, 

but we won't freeze.

If you look closely,

I was wearing my Dalmatian onesie pj's

 over my standard winter workout garb.

My onesie is not figure flattering,

nor runway worthy,

but that darn thing is handy during outdoor activity 

in the heart of an Erie, PA winter.

I wore it on a walk last weekend.

I had to walk down the road a bit to get a shot of my favorite horses,

and my favorite vineyards.

A couple of cars went by.

I saw one person point, 

laugh,

and mouth the word

Pa-ja-maaaasss!!!

Salt and sugar are both white,

but neither as as bright as freshly fallen snow.

I don't mind the comments and occasional teasing though.

After all, 

I do volunteer my circus of a life to you every Friday night.

The Lamp Post has almost reached 200,000 visits.

Not bad for a once a week writer.

I always compare this blog to Lynn Johnson's 

For Better or For Worse comic strip

1979-2008.

Eloise reminds me a little of Elly Patterson,

a Canadian wife and mother whose life is chronicled through the comic strip.

Elly is real

and dependable

and always there.

Elly knows the deal with raising kids.

Like Elly, 

Eloise is always there offering up a slice of life 

served with a cup of joy,

 a sprinkle of snark,

and a pinch of crazy.

I thought a lot about perception this week

and how we perceive one another.

We took the kids to a Lady Lions game.

It was a great game with a victory for the blue paw prints.

The half time performance by the dance team was fun.

The gals on the squad convinced some of their college boyfriends

to do a choreographed dance number with them.

The guys were funny.

(not to mention brave)

A few in the crowd were shaking their heads,

but most laughed.

Those boys didn't care a bit.
They owned their own crazy.

On a serious note before I close,

everyone always wants to know what I'm reading.

I always have 3 or 4 books going at a time.
This winter weekend,

I'll be continuing the book I started Monday.

It's a WOW.

Truly deserving of all of its praise.

I'll end tonight's post with a song from one of my country music favorites,

Kacey Musgraves.

She has some of the best lyrics in all of country music.

When I first hear a song, 

it's the lyrics that are the most meaningful to me.

The tune comes to me later.

I listen to the story of the song more than the music,

if that makes any sense.

Watch Kacey's video Biscuits, posted below.

You'll get a kick out of it for sure,

whether you like the banjo in the background or not.

The message is very, very true.

Grow my own daisies?
I already have.

Here are some of mine from a summer post.

This photo makes me think of the warm days to come.

Enjoy the clever video from Kacey Musgraves. 

It will make you smile.

ELOISE