Lesson 951: Out

Hello, Readers

and

Bye bye, Behrend.

LaFurias OUT!

Summer vacay begins today.

The Dobbins Dining hall chairs and tables won't be quite as shiny.

Natalie is Out of work for the summer,

which means Sam is moving back IN.

However, he's out to Whitford Park.

You'll find him most of the summer 

in his park booth passing out basketballs

and serving up snacks.

And warming up in the Outfield

for his last season of American Legion baseball.

This guy LOVES his new basketball

from his favorite Auntie.

Just look at that genuine smile.

It's Prom season,

so the teens are getting their turn

for a fun night Out.

I loved the photo on the front page of the Erie Times.

Doesn't she look like Cinderella?

The Gals had a night Out

looking inward.

Yoga on stage at the Warner,

a flow to the music of a cello and a Baby Grand piano

made me cry.

Natalie's Thursday night Out--
BINGO.

Her Bingo luck charms are growing....

Before we went Out,

we brought her plants in.

My goodness--

we still are having some cold,

wet nights!

I had to move the rabbit watchman to the sunflower section.

I shooed Out a chipmunk

who got inside and ate my seeds and baby plants!

The best news is we got the zinnia seeds we saved from last year

to grow!

Natalie loves taking care of her plants!

Our next challenge is trying to get the 

medicinal magical mullein to grow from its seed.

The bearded iris popped Out!

 

And these flowers from Mr. Lamp Post are IN.

Love flowers inside my home.

Onto more serious matters.

Where is the Outrage?

Let's just keep pretending we don't see this,

because free public education for all

is just too much to fight for.

I ran into an adult I know this week

and she told me,

in all honesty,

that people don't even need to learn how to read anymore.

Computers can read to us

and AI writes for us.....

Gus and Whitford do not approve.

Onto the most serious matter for our locals

that has a larger,

much wider scope.

If you were in our local Starbucks last Saturday morning,

I'm wondering if this story reached you somehow.

If it did---

and you took what the big mouthed man said as the truth--

there is another side to the story.

The tall, dark haired, middle aged man

 caused a scene at the counter

because he felt he didn't receive his coffee quickly enough.

He accused the lady managing the girls' soccer team order

of cutting in line.

I was with my A team,

practicing ordering a drink (Natalie)

and being patient in line (Erik),

and when things escalated,

my mind immediately scanned for a weapon

then looked for an exit and for cover.

Sad.

But true.

A shouting match ensued

between the loudmouth guy

and Team Mom--

with her husband eventually joining in.

The baristas were insulted,

the half a dozen teenaged girls were wide-eyed,

and anyone in the lobby 

was extremely uncomfortable.

After the man stormed out,

the team was ushered to the long table to sit

while Team Mom and Dad 

waited for the rest of the orders.

I walked up to retrieve our drinks

and said to Team Mom

You handled that well.

I was there.

I watched the whole thing.

She was not in the wrong.

I put the A Team in their favorite round chairs by the window--

the one with the little coffee table

that Erik keeps trying to put his feet up on.

I stood with my back to the team

while I manned 

the poor mannered foot-putting.

An uncomfortable hush fell over the table

as the girls sat silently.

Team Mom and Team Dad 

conversed in terse, hushed whispers

Terrible......this place is toxic.....

rude.....

who do people think they are....

never coming here again......

To which a teen girl overheard and started to protest--

but the good teams are here....

Her pleas were met with a strong shushing.

Drink up, Girls.

We have to go.

I debated trying to catch Team Moms eye

and offering up some eye contact

Mom-to-Mom,

to let her know I understood.

But, I thought the better of it to avoid further embarrassment.

I watched them walk out the door and get into two cars....

with ONTARIO license plates.

They were Canadian.

They weren't talking about our Starbucks.

They were talking about us.

Does the U.S. even have an us anymore?

I am going to join Gus

and try to dream of better days ahead.

Lamp Post, Out!

Eloise