Lesson 117: A Pinteresting Weekend

The above video is something I think many of you will find pinteresting (no that is not a misspelling).  Watch the video for a dose of inspiration and then read on to find more things of pinterest.  (Thanks, Terri).

Happy weekend, Readers.  It's the middle of January and if you are an Erieite like Eloise, you may be getting itchy for something to do.  I get restless in the wintertime.  Eloise can only brave the elements so long and hauling three kids and a dog around with mittens and boots is exhausting.  I am a teacher, not CEO of a Fortune 500 company, therefore weekend beach getaways are not within my budget.  My finances and the weather leave old Eloise grounded, but luckily I found a pinteresting new pastime thanks to our school's tech teacher's suggestion (Thanks, Amy).  If you haven't heard about www.pinterest.com, read on.  It's my new Favorite Thing.



Pinterest is an online pinboard, a virtual bulletin board for images.  It is referred to as a social networking site for images.  Don't have a heart attack like I did.  Immediately I thought of every bad thing that could be on there, so I launched a full investigation.  For once, I liked what I found.  Pinterest began in March of 2010, and by the fall of 2011 it already climbed to the top ten list of social networking sites.

Social networking is a term that I am growing to accept.  It used to run shivers down the spines of me and my fellow teachers, after hearing presentations from the school's resource officers about the dangers of My Space.  Facebook accounts were frowned upon, but now they are almost accepted, but there is an unstated but very understood use with caution clause for any teacher, or anyone for that matter.  As with anything, when used with integrity, social networking is a good thing.  Misuse equals abuse.  Period.


A pinterest page kind of looks like this.  It is almost like a columned facebook newsfeed.  People from all over are posting images of things they love.  There is room for a few comments underneath--just short little posts that say "love this" or "my dream shoes."  There is everything of interest on there, from recipes to photography, to workout tips, to books you want to read, to places you want to visit before you die.  There is a huge section for easy to do crafts---the simplest ideas you can make out of some paint and an oatmeal canister.  The cleverness of people never ceases to amaze me.

Ellen came home from her friends house with this cool art project---just some crayons, hot glued to a $2 canvas from Walmart, then hit with a blow dryer.  "Where did you find this idea?" I asked.  "Pinterest" was the reply.  I've been hooked ever since.

You will need to apply for a pinboard.  That freaked me out for some reason.  To what criteria must I meet to have a pinboard?  Was the Great and Powerful Oz himself determining if I was worthy enough for one?  Was there some sort of fee?  I never got clear answers to the first two questions, but I did confirm there is no fee for a pinterest account.  It links directly to facebook and twitter.  You log in that way.  I feared that perhaps everything I "pinned" to my virtual pinboard would be made public to the world, as in "Eloise likes crock pot apple pie."  Seemingly a harmless thing to let the world know, but PRIVACY is important and we as citizens must never forget that.  I've been testing the site for about two weeks and you can "like on facebook" as an option, or pin to your pinboards privately.

How about kid use?  I've been looking into that, too.  All of the posts are appropriate for my fifth grade daughter.  There is nothing that would really interest Sam or Natalie, but nothing that I would not let them look at.  The site must be policed somehow--by it's own users or perhaps a larger governing body, I don't know, but inappropriate images have been absent since my involvement.

You can make as many pinboards as you like once you get your account.  I of course, separated mine into categories and gave them cool names instead of just the general THINGS I LIKE and PLACES I WANT TO GO.  I called my recipe board NOURISH.  I called by exercise board STRIVE.  I called my craft board CREATE and my Bible quote one INSPIRATION.  I even made Ellen her own and named it ELLEN LOUISE.  She can pin anything she wants to on it, but it is under my account so I can always see what she's pinning.

This is a braid I pinned to my beauty board which I named HELLO, BEAUTIFUL!  You save the image on your pinboard, and when you want to try it yourself, the image takes you directly to the how-to link--usually on someones blog like this one, with a youtube video with how to do it.  I used Tracy Northern as my guinea pig on this one.  She has nice, long wavy hair, and lives with all men so she was more than willing to comply.

This is another craft idea I pinned to my CREATE board.  There was a similar Button Tree on pinterest and I showed Ellen.  We busted out the buttons and used her canvas and some paints she got for Christmas.  It's not exactly the same as the original--as a recreation never should be.  In fact, it's better, because it's Ellen's.  If you go on pinterestPinterest makes this ever so simple.  
This is the final product.  I love it.

In fact, I loved it so much I put it up in the Lamp Post so I can look at it when I write.  Creative people are supposed to surround themselves in things that they love when they embark on creative projects.  I love my daughter's artwork and you can see a couple of examples just from this shot.  At only 11, she is showing some great talent already.

This watercolor art is Natalie's which I think is equally beautiful.  Natalie follows her sister's every move.  When Ellen reads, Natalie reads.  When Ellen puts in a pony tail, Natalie goes searching for a hair tie.  And when Ellen does her artwork, Natalie is right next to her.  Ellen even let her sister use her good paper and new watercolors from Christmas without blinking an eye.  When I say that my daughter Ellen is a selfless soul, I mean that.

That's why I believe God gave Ellen some artistic talent to balance the stress of an autistic sister who follows you like a shadow.

Take for example the other morning.  This was the sky.  I took this shot at sunrise off of my front porch.

This one, too.  I loved how the colors turned out.  After school last week I showed Ellen.  "I think we should pin THIS to pinterest," I said.  I would, but I don't know how about doing that.  Plus I am not into sharing really, I'm into seeing what other creative people are out there doing.  I'm not out to one up anyone.

"Paint me this," I said to her.  Ellen went up in her room and came down twenty minutes later with this:

Pretty awesome.  I don't have this one on display though.  I mailed it to Tracy Southern.  It's her birthday on Saturday.  Ellen and I named the picture Twilight, in honor of her and mailed it down to her.  It represents the story she got us both sucked into (literally, it's about vampires).  Art isn't meant to be hoarded, it's meant to be shared, (Thanks, Jan) hence the idea of pinterest.

 But the most pinteresting thing about my weekend is this:  Sam got sent home from preschool today with the pukes.  "My tummy hurts and I am NOT happy," he told his Momma.  I'm in for a long weekend.

It's nice to know that I have a lap top and can surf pinterest while sitting on the other end of the couch, watching Toy Story with Sam.  Perhaps I'll find something inspiring---or a good concoction to remove vomit stains from the carpeting.  Eloise has ridden through many a January stomach flu.

Enjoy your new pinterest, Pinheads.  And don't forget to say a prayer for that beautiful boy in the opening video clip.  God really does give us all gifts and talents.  That is your lesson for today.

Happy Pinning!
Eloise

Lesson 116: Ice Baby

Winter has finally made its very late arrival here at the Lamp Post.  Sure, we've had some snow covering a few times (and I mean a very few), but really no significant and lasting accumulations.  It's been a very unusual beginning of winter.  To remind those of you who have forgotten what snow and ice exactly look like, I created this picture movie as a reminder.  It is set to Vanilla Ice's tune, Ice, Ice, Baby.

My babies are going to be like three little ice pops this weekend.  When snow covers the ground the trio is outdoors.  Everyone around here needs a dose of vitamin D, so I'll probably strap on my new fur ear flap hat, a Christmas gift from my parents, and take a romp in the snow, too.  Eloise lives next door to her parents, it is often in the winter time that one of them will spot me outside playing with my kids.  "You better put a hat on," they holler from the kitchen window, "it's cold out."  It's nice to be 40 years old and still so well taken care of.    Hence, I opened the box to find a hat something like this:
 Hey, if it's on the cover of Vogue, it must be cool, right?  If you drive by the Lamp Post you'll know which one I am if you see me outside.

Natalie and Sam love to sled ride on the neighbor's hill.  I love looking out the window in the morning at the Burns's cozy home (everyone needs a next door neighbor with the last name of Burns--sounds very American suburban).  It's big and white and they have candles in their windows.  The new fallen snow looks so pretty on their sloping lawn.  It's like a Hallmark card moment with Winter Wonderland playing in the background.  .......record scratch.............  Peace interrupted.  New fallen snow now flattened and brown with size one boot prints.  Out runs Sam, screaming at the top of his lungs, ready to attack that hill.  "No STANDING on the sled, Sam!" I yell out the window.  Sometimes he listens.  Ellen is usually nearby building a snow sculpture of some sort.  You'll see her on the video with a heart tromped into the snow.

You'll find me attempting to cross country ski, AGAIN.  My sister's Wisconsin in-laws gave me a set of skis a number of years ago.  The Lamp Post property borders a beautiful community park and I have a Labrador retriever who loves to play in the snow.  A perfect set up for cross country skiing.  Record scratch.......Eloise is not athletic, and you need a fair amount of athletic ability to be able to ski.  I am awkward and clumsy and flat out not that strong despite all the working out I do.  A weekend distance runner does not an athlete make.    I get those skis on and my ankles tip.  I wobble.  I try to slide my feet forward and instead I fall over sideways.  It's an ugly scene.  And without fail, every year my neighbor Fitzgerald drives by at the very worst moment, honks and waves, usually as I have my hind end up in the air trying to right myself.  I'll admit on this blog that I gave him an angry gesture, but he didn't see it because I was wearing mittens.  But Eloise is stubborn and flat out unwilling to give up.  We've got a nice covering this morning--a good six inches I'd say, so I'll be out for another attempt.  If you don't see another blog post for awhile, assume that I am in traction.

A safer winter time activity for me is my photography.  I love the contrasts of the darks of nature with the white snow.  My favorite days to photograph are the ones with the blanket of crisp white snow against a bright blue and sunny sky, but that literally happens maybe once or twice a winter around here.  The sun is always behind a thick layer of cloud cover and is a colorless gray.

 Rather than feel more depressed at the lack of sunlight, I went out at night last week.  The moon was beautiful and I got some really cool shots of it.  My favorite though, was the one of the ice crystals on a mirror in my dad's barn.  The mirror is on an old medicine cabinet that he just couldn't get rid of.  It hangs inside the man door and he keeps things inside of there.  The barn is heated only by a burner that was crafted out of a and old, heavy metal gas tank, which I have named The Incinerator.  The uneven heating and cooling made these super cool ice crystals and I was trying to get a close up.  When I went back through my shots, I was stunned to see that my daughter's husky hat that I shoved on my head was showing in the mirror.  If you look closely, you can even see my gloved hands holding the camera. I wasn't planning on the shot to turn out that way, but it ended up being my favorite of the batch.

Sometimes things surprise you.  They don't turn out as you plan them to.  Like winters.  You know winter always comes, but you are always waiting to see what it will bring.  Today, despite its very late arrival, we'll see what the day brings.

Time to strap on my skis.  Wish me luck, Readers.
Eloise Vonn Dang--my parents got me the wrong hat.  If they bought me this one, this is what I'd look like.  Note to self:  Be more specific when adding "hat" to Christmas wish list.

Lesson 115: My Heroes Part 1

You get a two part blog post this weekend, Readers!  I thought about giving the following title to these tandem pieces:  It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It.  Instead, I broke the post in two, one for Sam and one for My Girls.  Featured are two versions of Holding Out for a Hero, first made popular by Bonnie Tyler in the 80's.  It was from the first Footloose movie.  It's upbeat and sassy with a hint of angry, so that worked well for Sam's movie.  The same song was included in the remake, but it is so different you can hardly believe it's the same song.  I love that one too.  It's moody and broody and feels girlish so that one went to my ladies.  Make sure you scroll down to the post beyond this one to check out both songs and think about which is your preference.  That's what this blog is about after all.  It's purpose is nothing more than to give you something to think about.

...........or something to laugh about.  The photo movie above stars my little Hero, Sam along with some of his male cousins.  Sam has the quick temper of his Italian heritage, blended with a good dose of stubborn German.  The two have made for a lethal combination that I am trying very hard to shape into the positive.  Sam's fuse is about an inch long and is quick on the draw.  Rather than trying squelch and internal fire that seems more like the eternal flame, I've tried to teach him to use his quick fists for a purpose.  I tell him that he is my Hero.

Heroes in Mother Eloise's Handbook fight to protect the innocent, save the helpless, and lend a hand to the needy.  The good guys are never afraid to battle the bad guys and the good guys always win at The Lamp Post.  I tell Sam that he has to behave and learn and do well in school so that he can grow up to be a Police Officer, a Fire Fighter, or a Soldier.  Sam likes all of those ideas and as far as he knows, you need to earn straight A's, use good manners at all times, and keep your teeth brushed in order to be one.

I read to my children every night.  Sam has now advanced beyond Dr. Seuss and Curious George.  He's a bit, well, um.........bored with happy endings.  The kid craves action and adventure.  After we read at least one book for practice, he snuggles down under his covers and says, "Now tell me a REAL story Mom."  It makes me smile as I type this.  It's my favorite part of my day with him when I get to tell him a story.  I start one, usually with a brave, nameless hero, and Sam helps me fill in the action and adventure parts as we go along.  There are rules, however.  No one can be killed, but they can be captured and sent to jail.  Sam prefers tying up the bad guys in ropes for some reason.  Look what he recently did to poor Woody.  Before you all start thinking things, Sam told me Woody was captured by the bad guys and Sam was saving him with his plastic sword.  That is Ellen's paint splatter duct tape he used.  She was not pleased as she was trying to make a purse out of it and he curtailed her plans.

I've been brushing up on my stories of heroes from the Greek myths (thanks to one of my Clark School 6th graders), Gary Paulson's outdoor adventure stuff, and Bible stories so I have some material to draw from.  Sam's favorite he begs for every night is the story of David and Goliath.  And every single night when I am done telling him that one he asks me for a sling shot.  I'll announce it on this blog when I finally do let him have one, and you will hear the pounding of a For Sale Sign into the front yard of my parents, who happen to live next door.  Heck, that complete set of new windows are a few years old now, right?

Enjoy your movie and seeing my real life heroes.  Don't forget to read part 2 to check out the Heroines.
Eloise

Lesson 115: My Heroines Part 2

This weekend's blog post cannot be complete without giving some cybertime to my gals, Natalie and Ellen.  They are my heroines.  Tonight was the first Sparkles cheerleading event.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Sparkles are the girls who add some sparkle to the high school basketball cheerleading squad a few times a season.  Our high school includes girls who are physically or mentally challenged into some of the games.  The cheerleaders stay late on Monday nights to teach the Sparkles cheers and chants so they can participate in the fun, too.  The girls who bravely stand before the hometown crowd are as much my heroines as the girls who give their time and patience to include them.

Below you will see a picture of Ellen and Natalie at last year's Dance Show.  Ellen attends dance class with her sister to help her out during class and practices the routines with her at home.  Come show time in June, Ellen waits backstage with Natalie and performs with the group as the leader.  Without Ellen's patience and kindness, this would be very difficult for Natalie.  You can see some snapshots from tonight below.

But the very coolest part of this Part 2 post is the song.  Did you listen to it?  It is the same song as the first posting--just slowed way down and it's sung in that manner that leaves the listener desperate to find a hero, too.  This version is from the 2011 Footloose.  It is performed by Ella Mae Bowen and I really enjoy it.  I have both the newer and older versions on my iPod and it depends on my mood which I want to go out for a run with.  When I'm mad at the world, Bonnie Tyler's version from the 80's is it.  It's a little sassy and angry and I play that one if I have to run uphill.  When I'm moody and thinking of Tim McGraw on the way to Australia with his beautiful, skinny, talented, and rich wife, I play this one.  No one got me tickets to the Melbourne show for Christmas, even though they were at the top of my list.  Bummer.

Hold out for your hero, girls.  Even if you have to wait forever to find him, he'll be worth the wait.
Always,
Eloise---pictures below

Lesson 114: Biggest News Stories of 2011

..........and one of them is, My Dad Turned 67!  ...........and this is my failed attempt at a Seuss-style rhyme.  We're about to shut out the lights on 2011, but before we do we must do two things:
#1--Wish my Dear Old Dad, Political Analyst, Mister Fix It, Soap Box Speaker, Tree Cutter, Inventor--Happy 67th Birthday!
#2--Take a minute (or four) to look back at the biggest news stories of the year.

I love these year end wrap ups and try to catch the Today Show one every year.  The people who put those clips together must have the most interesting of jobs--trying to choose stories that paint a picture of our world as it unfolded around us.   I think this one did a pretty good job.  It's been a year of political uprising and unrest all over the world.  Storms of great intensity tested our faith both here and abroad.  And we mourned the passing of Steve Jobs, the man that essentially made blogging from my living room possible.  Take a few minutes to enjoy a look back as well as a few snapshots from my dad's 67th birthday gathering at our favorite place for chicken wings--The Fiddle Inn.

Eloise used to like her wings mild, but over the years my tastes have changed.  I like Cajun style now and have advanced to medium hots.  Slovenians, if you are ever out my way, I highly recommend the Everything Wing--a blend of zippy spices with Parmesan cheese and garlic.  I had several of that variety tonight, so be glad that I can't breathe on you through this blog.  Only Steve Jobs himself could have made that possible.

Here is Grandpa with Sam, a 63 year span of stubborn between them.

 Here is Grandpa giving my son some advice on how to live a long, healthy life--work hard, don't worry over every little thing, and when you're old enough, drink beer.





Speaking of beer drinking, here is the card I got my Dad.  When the card is opened it plays the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah.












Yes, a birthday is a good time to count your blessings.  Among them are a dedicated wife, two loving daughters, and five grandchildren.  He also got two Red Lobster gift cards (my sister and I chose the same gift for him), a Handy Hose Holder, and a six pack of Rolling Rock.  After all, the card did read, "You rock."

Here are two of the fab five.  Jack drew the short straw and had to sit next to Sam.  Luckily Sam spilled his pop while Jack was watching. Because Jack's a basketball player, he had lightning quick speed to dodge the drips.  I asked Sam to "smile" and this is what I get.

I always try to capture the sky on special days like birthdays and holidays.  This was the sky tonight on the way to the restaurant.  It is the setting sun peering over the tops of the grape vines now lying dormant through the long winter months.  Not a bad shot considering it was taken out the car window while we were in motion.






Take a few moments to reflect back on your year and the events that shaped you into who you are today.  When the clock strikes midnight, I hope you have a loved one by your side, some silver coins in your hand, and a rock in your pocket.  May they bring you love, peace, and joy in the new year.

Happy New Year, Readers!
Eloise

Lesson 113: Emmanuel

Enjoy a live performance this Christmas Day, Readers.  This is my favorite Christian singer, Chris Tomlin performing Emmanuel on the 700 Club.  There are many youtube videos with picture shows set to this song, however I chose the one with Chris performing it.  I wanted you to see how good and kind and clean and holy this man looks as he sings for God.  That is what we should all be doing today---singing for God.  He sent his son to us as a gift to the world.  In fact, the word Emmanuel is Hebrew for God is with us.  Thank you, God and welcome Jesus today and every day.

To accompany the voice of my favorite Christian singer, here are the words of my favorite Christian writer, Luke.  This text can be found in Luke, Chapter 2, beginning with verse 8.  If you are a child of the 1970's like Eloise, you will hear the voice of Linus as you read these words:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  And the angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shown all around them and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Fear not, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you:  he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will to men."

Peace and good will today and always,
Eloise

Lesson 112: A Baby Changed Everything

2011 years ago, a baby changed everything.  Here's the story set to the tune of Faith Hill's song, A Baby Changes Everything.  This is a must watch and a must circulate.  The pictures, words, and music create a holy trinity of sorts that will do doubt reach to the depths of your soul.  You don't need my words to improve upon this story so I will sign off with a phrase we should all remember every day, not just on the day of His birth---Welcome, Jesus.

Amen,
Eloise