Lesson 884: Winter Walks

 Hello there, Readers.

After one too many close losses

on the basketball court this season,

let's start with a winner!

The one on the right.

She's the winner of another 50-50 drawing.

Natalie has won six of them

since Sam has been in high school.

She also won the huge raffle basket

at the bocce match a couple of years ago.

Natalie is a lucky lady!

We are gaining daylight --

this taken and 5:30 pm,

and through the darkest part of the winter,

which gives me more time to get outside after school

for walks

with my camera.

It won't take much to track me.

I apparently drag my feet.

I snuck up on this guy.

I didn't slip on the ice,

I admired it.

Pinecones are nice to photograph in the winter.

Reader advice needed.

Should I stain my greenhouse

a dark brown 

to match the feral cat hotel

(repurposed chicken coop)

and the barn?

Or leave it alone?
I really like the greenhouse as it is,

but Mr. Lamp Post thinks otherwise,

as it always is 

with the two of us.

I started all kinds of seeds

in my winter sowing containers

now that I have a greenhouse to put them in

after they sprout.

The snow melted a bit this week

so Grandma, Erik and I

went for a ride to see the ice fishing on the bay.

Erie is such a cool town!

Even Mr. Lamp Post agrees.

I started a really good book this morning

and I'm anxious to get to it

before my eyes cross 

and sleep comes hard and fast.

It even has a hand drawn map

in the front of the book,

which is my favorite!

I'm still on Eragon's journey

to become a dragon rider--

which also has a map!

There are so many things that disgust me

about the world around me lately,

I've been escaping into books,

especially fantasy writing,

all the more.

Prejudice,

hatred,

arrogance,

and lunacy

exist in those lands, too.

But I learn from the heroes

and the good people 

always put up a good fight.

They don't always win every battle,

but they will win the war.

I'm getting myself a sword

and looking for a dragon hatchling 

on my walks this weekend.

I know exactly where I'm headed

when I find it.

Who's riding with me?

Eloise

Lesson 883: Journaler

 Hello, Readers.

The winter marches on,

but the birds don't seem to mind.

I've grown to enjoy winter,

especially the sunrises.

Some a golden glow,

others a blue hue.

Winter sunsets,

although early,

also demand their own kind of

special attention.

Weather-- you love her 

or hate her.

In regard to this winter,

we are through the long part.

I swiped this from a few facebook friends

I saw posted this very smart visual.

These smart Huskie fans 

knew they were in my  lens

at the basketball game.

Basketball makes the long part of winter

fun.

I noted the cold temperatures

as well as the basketball scores 

in my journals.

The snapshots above are from my 5 Year diary.

I'll be finished with it this December.

It's fun to look back to see what we were doing

on this date in years prior.

It's also good to know that 
January 22nd is Hot Sauce Day.

I never care about when I start a journal.

As you can see I also don't care about rotating 

these photos tonight.

I'm tired.

I'm tired,

but I'm also a journaler.

Spellcheck doesn't like the word journaler--

I'm getting a red squiggly line beneath it,

indicating it's spelled wrong.

Maybe journaler isn't a word.

Maybe I just made up a unique word.

I almost didn't use the word for the blog title tonight.

Journaler.

It sounds like Yodeler.

I don't like Yodeling.

It's annoying.

Nevertheless,

I have lots of journals.

I love writing,

therefore one can never have

too much paper.

Each has a function--

and if later I think of a better use for it,

I'll rip the pages out 

and start something new.

This one is for note taking for any

Gardening classes I take.

This one is helping me keep track of

curious things,

because my 2025 Word of the Year 

is curiosity.

My favorite days are when I come across

a Happy Person,

randomly drawn

in Natalie's scratchy hand.

I have a special pen case for my

favorite pens, markers, 

and beloved book tabs.

Note how the book light I got for Christmas

looks like Hazel!

Journaling,

no matter how one goes about it,

is very good for you.

If you'd like a different perspective on 

journaling,

check out this video 

by my fave,

Ryan Holiday.

CLICK HERE for the longer detailed one

CLICK HERE for a shorter one

Curious about it?
Take Ryan Holiday's advice:
Start now.

Goodnight, Readers.

Got to make note of this day

in my journal

before the clock strikes midnight.

Eloise