Lesson 733: Unforgiving

Hello, Readers.
It's been an unforgiving weather week.

We're down to the single digits

while piling on the snow.

Winter mornings sure are pretty.

Nights aren't bad either.

I love this shot of the side yard.

The red house is my parents' house

and the top two windows were my old bedroom.

My old bedroom windows look across at my newer ones.

The weather was so unforgiving that the trucks

had trouble getting up Depot Road,

blocking the entrances to my school.

We braved the slippery roads 

and headed out to Corry tonight,

for a battle of the orange and black.

Basketball games are exciting.

Teen watching is just as funny.

Here is Harbor Creek in the visitor section

of Fairview as they announced their starting 5.

This fan club from Corry welcomed us on Western night.

10 degrees and cut offs.

Brave kids.

That was the message on the inside of my Aerie bag.

We've been killing it on the online whites sales.

Here's what's on my bedside book stack:

Sam is reading this for English.

I had forgotten what a piece of quality literature this is.

Did you know S.E. Hinton stands for Susan Eloise Hinton?

She was in high school when she wrote the novel in the 1960/s.

I've heard great things about these two.

They are waiting in the wings until I finish this one.

It's a new release recommended to me by a student.

I love it when a student recommends a book!

I gave it to her in class,

with a pack of post it notes and a pen.

I told her to go through and flag it 

and leave me notes at the good parts.

The most exciting thing that really happened

during this unforgiving weather week 

was finding this carrot in my Bolthouse carrot bag.

I was reading up on some studies on human emotions this week.

There are 6 basic types.

With 4 out of the 6 being negative,

and one that could go either way,

it makes the search for happiness all the more important.

I listened to this podcast today,

and I got to thinking that this would be a really good 

lesson for the week.

Normally SYSK runs 30 minute podcast episodes.

Josh and Chuck devoted double the time to this one

because it's an important one to listen to.

I think this gnome is on a search for happiness,

while skating on this pond,

during an unforgiving winter.

Stay warm,

Eloise

Lesson 732: Snug

Hello there, Readers.

Welcome to the Lamp Post. 

I hope you find yourself snugged in under a blanket tonight.

It's been a week of snow and cold.

Penny has spent more time with her head in the snow

than above it.

The snow is piled high thanks to the neighbors 

with their plows and tractors.

The belt decided to break on the snow blower this week.

With temps this cold,

we've been staying snug.

We venture out for basketball games.

Slam, Dunk, and the rest of the hoopsters have been 

giving it their best.

They even snuck in some varsity time.

Call the yearbook photographer!

And ESPN!

What's more legendary than Sam scoring his first varsity points?
Ice.

Ice is legendary.

Doesn't everyone have a story to tell about wiping out on ice?

If not,

come to the Lamp Post and try to cross my driveway.

It should be an Olympic event.

I saw this downy woodpecker.

And this beauty of a moon.

                                                                       I also read this book.
                                                                            It was dumb.

Most of the characters get it in the end,

which I was glad for because I wanted to drown them myself.

I'm finishing this well written piece this weekend.

Very good so far.

My fireplace needs a log

and my electric blankey is calling me.

Heading for bed to rest up for another day of basketball.

We are actually looking forward to the ride to Oil City.

Enjoy your snuggly weekend.
Eloise

Lesson 731: Cozy Cards

It's January, Readers,

and it's certainly about to feel like it outside.

Brrr!

Erie is heading into a cold one.

But nothing is too cold for the little neighbor kids.

They love to sled ride.

When the weather is cold outside,

I try to make the inside as cozy as possible.

I put up some winter decorations

to remind us that even though I'm cold,

I'm still blessed with a nice warm home.

I enjoy these Christmas inspired artworks

that they stay up all year.

Go tell it on the mountain!

Sing the good news from every street corner.

I found this cozy church that lights up.

My little bird friends are lining up to go inside

and pray for their friend who got his face eaten off

by two ferocious beasts.

These cozy deer,

and this cozy little bird sit near my reading chair.

Yes, that's how I have to wear my ring for this photo set.

I still can't get in on my finger from the damage I did to it

about a month ago.

I had the tiniest of cuts on the edge that got infected

and my pointer swelled to the size of a fat sausage.

I was minutes away from cutting the ring off 

to save my finger and its never been the same since.

I might have to find one in a larger size.

My favorite snowman photo frame smiles at me.

Ellen thought this was her for well over a decade.

It was just the kid who came with the frame.

I never found the right photo to fit in there.

She told us she had been living a lie.

I finished this book this week.

Boy, was it different and I loved it--

kept me guessing until the very end.

I like to put my photo cards on my kitchen cabinets 

to look at throughout the winter.

I love to see your smiling faces!

I have a contest for my traditional cards without photos.

I choose my favorites and set them along the windowsill by the sink.

Lord knows I spend enough time on the dishes!

Still waiting for mine to arrive?
My goal is to have them out before Valentine's Day.

Here are the ones I picked for this year.

This sparkly manger scene 

from the good folks at South Harborcreek United Methodist Church.

This Peanuts card from my parents,

who like to cover all the bases.

This nature scene with woodland animals

from the Z's.

I love this one from my mom.

She sent me this one special--

just for me.

I loved this from my sister and brother in law.

This perfect reminder from Cousin Polly.

This one came to Penny and Hazel.

I love the trio of snow people

from an unnamed sender--

she forgot to sign the card.

The unsigned card was not the only mystery.

So was the identity of the sender of this card.

I must have opened it and tossed the envelope.

It reminds me of Sam retrieving Penny 

when she runs to the park in pursuit of a feral cat.

It was signed this:

We are trying to figure of if that's a J or an L

I would have thought I had mistakenly received

the neighbor's mail and opened it,

but my name was at the top.

My real first name,

not my penname.

In the chance of offending a parent of a student,

or a casual acquaintance,

I do rightfully apologize.

It is completely bothering me that "Mr. Ray"

is not triggering any sort of recall.

His he a husband?

A boyfriend?
A pet?

We spent a cozy night in a gym

quite a winter's hike from home.

Due to an absence on the varsity squad,

Sam got in his first varsity game

in the final minutes of game play.

It was fun for watching him play.

He played in a gym that displayed an honor 

of his coach:

I had much more fun watching the bleacher bums

of the opposing team.

They were a spirited bunch that I remembered

from the football season.
They cheered their hearts out.

They brought with them some cozy cards of their own

to Hawaiian night.

Clever little buggers, aren't they?

We won,

in more ways than one.

Stay warm,

Eloise