Lesson 808: Fresh Mind

Hello, Readers!

Happy football season

to the fans reading this blog!

It's a new season

and a fresh storyline.

We had the kick off spaghetti dinner at the Lamp Post tonight.

We carbed up the boys real good, Hickory Hornets.

We'll be ready to outrun your stingers. tomorrow.

To the Lamp Post each young man arrived

welcomed by my lens,

and escorted by the pups.

Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed the parade of players!

I hope the team approaches this season with a fresh mind.

We learned this term on our opening day in-service

from our guest speaker.

School is a good place,

and my wish is for all students and teachers

to approach the 23-24 school year with an

attitude of openness and eagerness.

Although we are eager to begin another school year,

it is bittersweet to see the summer come to an end.

For the last several years we've been attending

the Crawford County Fair 

on our last day of summer vacation.

We brought our fresh minds

out into the fresh country air.

It is one of my very favorite places to visit.

Eloise loves farm animals.

I love moo cows--

only the dairy ones--

I can't face the rest.

I pretend every pig is Wilbur 

and will be in a forever home,

raised by Fern.

I really enjoy watching the fancy, prancy horses.

I love the community exhibit.

There you will find Lego displays.

Bee education.

The locals sure are talented.

This booth was of particular interest to Eloise this year!

Look who got accepted into the next class!

The dynamic duo known around the Lamp Post 

as Samanna,

won big at the cup game.

Don't have two athletes pitching dimes into cups.

Nine of the highest quality glasses east of the Mississippi.

Country life one day,

City life another.

We couldn't hack the wait long enough

to see Flo Rida

but the chalk drawings on the city street

were sure something to see.

Here is some great advice for the fresh minded folks

as you begin your school year:

School is in session,

so here is your weekend homework.

No complaining.

It's a video.

This was shared to the Clark teachers at our meeting today.

Even if you've read the book,

spend the 6 minutes on this review.

Make Your Bed--don't miss this one

I must end with the quote of the week,

from Cousin Alexis.

I have been chuckling all day about this.

After an unfair encounter with an angry old man,

she responded, in part,

Hell hath no fury like a woman fighting the toxic patriarchy.

Sit your ass down and get out of the way.

We’ve got real shit to worry about.

Say it again, Dear Cousin!

Eloise

Lesson 807: Looking Up

 Hello, Readers.

I feel a change in the air.

Do you?

You can tell by the sky.

Look up.

There are more clouds,

and they get a heavy gray on the bottom.

These are just like the clouds I painted 

on Ellen's dormered bedroom wall when she was 2.

 I must say,

it was some of my best work,

and I would never let her paint over my handiwork.

The skies are very unique to transitional August.

Look up, and you'll see.

But don't forget to look down, as well.

The wildflowers of August are really extraordinary.

Other Looking Ups of this week:

Natalie caught a calm lake

and got one more float in the lake

with her favorite watermelon innertube.

We all toasted to a good report 

on Grandma's eye!

After seven days of looking down,

her macular hole healed.

Grandma is now looking up

and forward to clearer eyesight 

within the next few weeks.

Head out to the Lamp Post barn

and look up!

See the dollhouse built by my Father in Law?

Our newfound friend Gus has moved in.

More on the Story of Gus next week.

Ellen is heading back to the Boro

for her long-awaited Grad School placement

in the SLP Program.

Her siblings helped her settle in.

She and her puppets will be at work soon.

Moving during college is not fun,

but things started looking up when Cousin Chris showed up.

He assembled her lamp

and made fast friends with the internet guy.

As a very petite mom and daughter duo

were trying to figure out how to move

a couch to the second floor.

Sam, #51 for the Huskies O and D Lines

walked by.

Need some help? 

he asked.

Things were looking up

for the New Yorkers

as Sam grabbed the other end.

Seems like just yesterday

he was excited to don his first helmet and pads

at AGE 8!

(Rules have since changed,

the young 'uns in HC play flag football)

As we look toward the end of this blog for tonight,

I usually try to end of a positive,

thoughtful,

or funny note.

But tonight,

I must end on a serious one.

The following homework is assigned to ALL Readers,

and REQUIRED READING/LISTENING.

I need to give adequate blog space

to Maui and its devastating fires.

As a Pennsylvanian,

I have admired the Hawaiian Islands from afar.

Although I have no personal connection to the people,

my heart goes out to them.

Especially after listening to this:

How Paradise Became a Death Trap CLICK HERE

The account from the survivor was well told,

and the interviewer did an excellent job guiding 

him through the retelling of his story.

If you have not helped yet,

and the story did not motivate you to do so,

then find another ad-free blog to read on Friday nights.

Here is a link to how you can help--

there are many agencies--

pick one.

How to help Maui CLICK HERE

I chose this one:

I figured the Hawaiians know their needs 

the best.

What stays with me

after I listened to this podcast twice today,

once with myself,

and once with my family,

was what the survivor saw as he looked up.

(paraphrasing)

The sky was black and there were no stars.

The fire was the stars.

It looked like Hell.

The survivor looked to the Heavens

which he believed were beyond the black smoke

and red-raining embers.

Help me God.

I don't want to die today.

How many of the 100+ confirmed dead

and the 1,000+ still missing

pleaded the same.

Would this be my plea?

And all of the death and devastation people have experienced,

and I'm still wondering what happened to the dog.

Eloise