436: Believe it!

I'm headed to a high school football game tonight.

I can't believe it!

I've read and heard the phrase I can't believe it! a lot this past week.

With the start of school comes reflection about time and how it flies.

Even Eloise, controller of time at the Lamp Post Dharma station

has trouble grasping the concept of the passing of moments.

Perhaps that is why I feel compelled to record so many.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned life is that

the only real time is now.

So whatever it is you can't seem to grasp,

Believe it!

It's real,

it's here,

and it's now.

The now for the night is football

instead of baseball.

The first high school games began tonight.

Despite my Huskies hard work all summer,

I'll be paying bridge tolls again for a year.

We lost this year's battle for ownership of the Nagle Road bridge

to our backyard rivals at Iroquois High School.

Eloise is paying in pennies.

Still a lot of football to look forward to, though.

Growth mindset is where it's at.

You'll get 'em next week, Huskies!

Sam strapped on his helmet

and walked past his familiar home at first base

onto the gridiron.

He had lots of fun with baseball,

but it's time to close up shop for game play for the year.

Sam subbed for at team at the end of this season.

They celebrated a pretty big win.

They defeated a really good team they never beat before.

Believe it, boys!

You did it!

Before Sam hangs up his hat completely,

he's already thinking about next season.

His baseball team is selling these books

and YOU have a chance to get a limited edition for yourself!

They are known in my parts as the $ave Around Town books--

chock full of coupons and good deals.

Eloise renamed it

The Bitched Up Big Book of Coupons.

If you've followed this blog for awhile, 

you know that I like to read.

What I do is kind of beyond reading--

I interact with the page.

I much prefer pages to screens,

and always read with a pen in hand.

The book gets annotated, 

doodled in,

cried on,

wrinkled,

and usually wet.

Eloise isn't easy on the page,

but by the time I'm done with a book,

it knows it's been loved---

or hated.

Purchasers of these limited edition books,

are autographed by none other than

Sam LaFuria--Future MLB Superstar!

They will be personally tailored to your interests and likes,

with post-it's notes springing from edges reminding you about coupons

that are simply to good to forget.

There are plenty from local Erie businesses

local attractions,

our favorites--

bowling

and local sports teams.

I think the Dick's coupons alone make the book worth it.

You can shop for almost everyone at Dick's Sporting Goods.

Just the use of one $20 coupon pays for the book!

If you act fast, 

and are one of the first 10 requesting your 

one of a kind,

personalized, 

autographed copy--

you also receive a pair of safety scissors for easy coupon clipping

AND

a surprise gift inside the envelope.

Believe it!

Contact Eloise and Sam if you would like to add this to your home collection.

Sam says Fank You!

He's hissing a bit through his new braces.

With all these sports Sam plays,

I've been loading up on the deodorant.

What I find hard to believe are the resurgence in the dry sprays.

I thought that the aerosol sprays were deemed bad for the ozone

and they stopped making them 30 years ago.

???

Ellen finished her rain barrel,

believe it or not.

She chose Grow in Grace--

a verse from 2 Peter.

I've been so inspired by her work,

I thought of a plan for my own.

Now I just have to find a rain barrel.

I'll keep you posted.

Natalie has been a happy camper since she unearthed 

an old doll from a bin of Barbies.

The singing Zac Effron from still works.

Believe it!

I never thought I'd see the day that the Happy People 

made their way onto a Tough Mudder team t-shirt.

Believe it!

They did !

These Happy Tees are a one-of-a-kind, limited edition.

Only 13 were sold to my friends taking part in the Buffalo Tough Mudder

on Sunday, August 28th.

And before you even ask, the answer is-- no.

They are not for sale.

Buy Sam's coupon book instead.

Believe it or not,

Hubby with his keen eye spied an eagle on the lake shore.

This is how far away we were sitting when he spied it in the tree line.

Here it is with the zoom of my new Canon SX60!

For the type of pictures I take--

candids and spur of the moment shots,

this surely does the job.

As luck would have it,

an immature eagle was sitting in the next tree.

The talons are amazing.

Have a great week, Readers!

Believe you will,

and you will.

ELOISE

XOXO

Lesson 435: Sparked

Hello, Readers!

Summer is coming to an unofficial close next week,

with the looming start of school.  

Teachers, must be feeling it because

 I saw this vehicle at the Lamp Post!

I'm all smiles this week as part of my shots are brought to you by my new camera.

Cameras bring such joy to my life!

They give me the spark to get up and moving.

Eloise got the Canon SX60--the new model, as a surprise thank you gift

from a Person Who Shall Remain Nameless.

It has more zoom and clarity than my last model, the SX50,

who now rests in my camera graveyard next to my writing station.

I've been using my Person Who Shall Remain Nameless's camera on loan all summer.

The camera loan was a nice exchange for Eloise.

I organized and sorted Nameless's house

(somewhat against her will),

while the camera was in my possession.

The newer version is Wifi enabled.

It's a mighty big gift, for which I am thankful,

but I completed a Herculean task

of weeding out and reorganizing a mighty large home.

The job took over a month to complete as we left no stone unturned.

Because Nameless is so popular and social,

word spread quickly about the task and the book I used for a guide.

I've had so many inquiries about the book,

I'll comment a little more about it here on this blog,

before I close up the Organizing Shop for the summer.

You can read about my own success with the book in the blog archives.

I employed the method on the Lamp Post last summer

and my house has stayed clean and orderly for over a year.

Lesson 372: Does This Spark Joy? check it out

Here's the book--

There is a kindle version and it's in hard copy.

Nameless has a copy I'm making her keep on display in her kitchen,

as this book is one of the things that sparks joy in her home.

I swiped it because I am making her a test.

She must pass it to continue my Up Keep services.

(She's receiving quarterly home inspections to make sure she doesn't backslide).

Weight Watchers--

think of it this way--

it's just like the monthly weigh ins Weight Watchers has in place

to ensure you don't regain your body weight 

that you worked so hard to lose.

Eloise will not let Nameless slide back into old habits!

The treat of tests and pop quizzes work wonderfully.

The final exam is next week--

I'll let you know how Nameless does.

I'm not the only one who has found success.

The author also claims that in Japan,

where she has a business for her professional organizing services,

she has a 100% success rate.

It's always good to have a peek inside the book before you purchase it,

so here is your sneak peek:

Marie Kondo discusses some of the psychology behind clutter.

Her writing is like her organizing style--

quick and to the point.

It's an easy read--

not too heavy on words or philosophies--

she gets right to the point and gets the message across.

If I could summarize the book in any way--

the center of all of it can be found on page 33--

It's all about discarding first,

although the thought process is different.

It's not about throwing out what you don't want--

it's about keeping what you love--

what sparks joy?

The discarding process is the most overwhelming and takes the longest.

It's truly an event, 

and emotional one at that.

Looking at the stuff you've accumulated in one huge pile is difficult.

I felt the pain myself a year ago,

and watched Nameless go through the same thing.

The unearthing process is very cathartic.

After all of your stuff is put out into the open,

and your spaces are empty,

you experience a relief, 

then an emotional freedom when the process is over.

Ask Nameless--

she'll agree that many facets of her life are better as a result.

After you have sorted and surrounded yourself with what brings you joy,

you move onto the next step which is storing your things.

The author is not a fan of baskets and bins and fancy storage containers.

Kondo feels they are clutter collectors and should be avoided at all costs.

The putting away process is actually fun.

You want to care for the things you saved--

the stuff you really love and has meaning to you--

and find special homes for all of it.

Marie Kondo gives detailed descriptions on how exactly to store things.

She gives even greater detail in her newest book,

Spark Joy.

I read it this summer as a refresher.

It is very good.

It has many illustrations to help you.

You can probably get away with reading this blog,

and surfing pinterest for information like the following:

You can find checklists,

and motivational quotes, 

all for free.

But as a teacher, I strongly encourage you to get the book and read it.

It's a great $10 investment in yourself.

Cliff Notes get you only the basic understanding.

Outlined versions of anything aren't as good.

If you want to change your life for real,

buy her book,

and don't be afraid to pick up a Bible in the process.

There is merit in methodology.

Don't pick Kondo's suggestions apart 

and waste time on thinking of ways as to why this system won't work for you.

Take advice from Nike:

One thing we had to just do,

which I felt bad about,

was calling an exterminator.

It's the year of the bees at the Lamp Post.

With all of us highly allergic,

the nest found in the wall of my basement had to go.

I had nightmares of poisoned bees wobbling out of

air vents and wall crack for three days.

Some time chipping and putting eased the stress of the bee situation.

Ellen Louise made the HC golf team!

I made her pose for some creative shots

which she was none too thrilled with.

Come on kids!

Bite the club like it's an Olympic medal!

Sam and his team have one final tournament this weekend

before he straps on his football gear.

They trampled the toadstools growing in the outfield.

The late summer skies certainly bring me joy.

They are drastically different every day this time of year.

This may be the spark to get you motivated--

join my team as we train for the Barber Beast on the Bay 

on September 10th.

Plan on your sneakers getting dirty.

The race benefits the Barber National Institute,

a special place for special kids like Natalie.

She got a great start to her education there many years ago,

and has found great success because of their top notch programs.

We train in all kinds of places,

in all kinds of conditions.

Last Tuesday it rained,

but it made the sand volleyball courts exceptional for practice.

Come join the fun,

and bring your kids, too!

Kids under 17 are free with a parent in attendance!

I made these kids play Olympic games in my yard last week,

as Mrs. Eloise squeezed out every last drop of fun of the Rio Games.

Free throw contest

Target shoot the air conditioner

Golf drives into the outfield

And everyone's favorite,

Olympic Home Run Derby

We did the Color Run when it came to Erie last weekend.

Eloise believes it is something everyone has to do once.

It's a great event for kids and teens.

The timeliness of the event was nice.

The kids chattered on about school and sports

 and the upcoming Homecoming dance.

Here is a dress for sale directly from the Lamp Post,

by way of China.

It is a really pretty,

size 6,

two piece homecoming dress.

It does not fit Ellen,

and the cost to ship it back wouldn't be worth it.

Come and try it on.

If it fits, hand me $33,

preferably all in ones and the dress is yours!

These are my new favorite Olympians,

a married couple from the USA and Canada.

Ashton Eaton-decathlon gold

Brianne Theisen-Eaton -heptathlon bronze

This was my favorite Olympic moment of the week.

Goodness and kindness prevail!

My favorite story of the week is posted below.

It is about a man who rescues old film.

He was give canisters of film from WW2 to develop.

Check it out. 

Beautiful!

Rescued Film CLICK HERE

Find you spark and ignite your spirit readers!

Click off of your computers and go do something.

I suggest starting with your clothes.....

ELOISE