Lesson 644: In Pursuit

Hello, Readers!

We are in pursuit of some warmer days at the Lamp Post.

Just when things were greening up,

the chilling wind 

brought with it some unwelcome

snow flurries.

Ellen Louise

made the trek down I-79 to Edinboro University

to return library books

in her mask......

and parka.

We celebrated the end of her semester

with a Taco Tuesday on Cinco de Mayo.

Nephew Jack,

whom I have now named Senor Senior,

 will start his senior year

at Duquesne in the fall.

Every college student is wondering

exactly how that will pan out.

And so, 

we wait to see.

The uncertainty of all things 

led me to the pursuit of a rare, Tuesday evening margarita.

After Hazel wrestled the bottle away from Grandma--

it was quite a fight,

Grandma has a strong grip,

Hazel won.

After a strong sniff,

she seemed to enjoy it the chew, too.

A favorable break in the weather last weekend,

led my family in pursuit of a big

rock formation we always looked for

and never found.

We took a long hike up a tall mountain.

Found by Natalie!

We will be missing a few travel destinations

we were really looking forward to seeing this summer.

Instead, 

we are turning to look to things to see and do

in our great state of Pennsylvania.

I've never been anywhere else I'd want to call home.

My students and I took time today

to plan summer travel destinations for our families.

Most places are outdoors and within a day's driving distance.

If you don't mind an early ride

and heading to bed when the fireflies light the night,

most can be accomplished in a day with careful planning.

We used this website,

which is really wonderful.

VISIT PA CLICK HERE

I love PA's new state slogan.

There are 38 free virtual experiences offered

through the Visit PA website.

Click the link below to get you to the exact place.

Virtual Experiences in PA CLICK HERE

This is a wonderful offering.

You could spend an afternoon

in the pursuit of some quality internet surfing.

Check it out.

The video below is the one I watched this afternoon,

offered through the Heinz History Museum--

toys of the 1950's, 60's, and 70's!

You'll see my first phone

and my sister's troll doll!

 I'd rather be mixing with my kiddies

than couch surfing museums.

I got to see my favorite little girlies

in the yard.

The little one started walking

in the 7 weeks we've been distancing.

Tonight,

the Lamp Posters gathered 

 in North East

to wave to Davis Primary students

as they drove by in a car parade.

If you were in the first ten cars,

sorry,

I missed your photo

because I was crying too hard!

We miss you terribly!

Kids need school.

It is their world,

their security,

their identity.

You truly don't miss something until it's gone.

Craning their necks to get a look a their teacher.

All smiles when our eyes connected.

 We love you students!

Thank you for showing up this evening.

I began my career in North East and owe a lot to the district.

I've summered there since 1988

and considered the grapey little town

my second home.

Mr. Lamp Post works with Kindergartners now

and they appear on screen as tiny little squares 

every day.

I know them by their voices

and letter sounds

and lots and lots of giggles.

I saw my favorite little girl

who always wears a bow!

After I tear soaked my mask

and wiped my camera lens dry,

I stood outside in the freezing wind to 

get some action shots of Mr. Lamp Post

and is colleagues along the parade route.

The best moment of the evening when I heard a gasp

from a nearby, 

slow moving car.

Miss O!

Little Amanda Parmarter,

now 34 years old,

but forever seven in my heart.

You were her favorite teacher,

the driver called out,

she's never forgotten you!

Amanda!

I exclaimed,

wiping a new trickle of tears,

I loved you so much I used the picture you drew 

me on my wedding program!

Yes, indeed,

I did.

If a North East Reader

knows Modern Day Amanda,

will you please send her my blog 

and contact information.

I would love to talk to her

and see how her life has been.

I'll end this blog tonight

with some musings of the universe.

How does that beautiful moon control the tides?

What is it like to stand on the surface

and look back at the earth?

Will the super rich make travel there a sport one day?

Does it really make wolves howl,

and children nutty?

It always grounds me when I look up

and think we are all looking up at the same moon.

Pursue your happiness this weekend,

no matter your circumstances.

ELOISE

look carefully

Lesson 643: Opening Up

Hello, Readers.

You get a full shot of Eloise tonight

in honor of my Pennsylvania county

opening up next weekend.

But really,

how much of a move do we make 

opening into level yellow?

The trees have no problem with it.

They own this spring yellowy-green

that doesn't look good on any people of any skin tone,

but pairs perfectly with a true blue, spring sky. 

 

It's funny to think in terms of opening up

when everyone is walking around with masks on.

Natalie is slowly getting used to hers.

We've been practicing with different types.

She doesn't like things touching her ears.

 Sam will use anything,

however,

we didn't tell him that these were actually 

a make-shift rush job,

engineered by Grandma

 from floppy bunny bloomers 

that she made in the 80's.

Ellen won't let me 

photograph her until her Altar'd State mask arrives.

Champagne taste on an Edinboro University budget.

Her last day of classes was today

and she completed her freshman year with straight A's.

Allow a proud momma 

a brag line.

I'm fine with the masks

because they minimize the sound.

It's getting loud out there,

isn't it?

Teachers are trained listeners.

Believe me.

I've been listening to all sides 

of this multifaceted issue.

When you listen,

you learn.

I'm learning a whole lot

about people.

The observer in me has noticed

each side refers to the other as sheep,

thinking those who hold an opposing viewpoint

are easily led.

It reminds me of cliques of girls

each referring to the other Girl Gang

as The Mean Girls.

Nauseating arrogance 

peppers both sides of the field.

I'm tired of it all, too.

Not just the governmental bickering,

but our way of living.

God made Eloise's long squishy arms

perfect for hugs and high fives.

Social distancing is hard for me.

I can't wait for things to resemble the life we once knew

(and still complained about).

How do we maneuver these uncharted waters?

Patience, I guess.

It's so hard to tell someone 

just to be patient when they haven't received a paycheck,

or have not seen their aging parent in two months.

So,

to the fighters, keep fighting,

the doctors, do your doctoring,

the the workers keep on working,

and the passionate--

please follow your heart 

no matter what you believe is best.

It's what makes our nation so great.

For Old Eloise,

and many I find the words for,

we are asking you just keepeth your mouth

not open so wide.

A normal tone of voice

gains a lot more ground

than a shouting match.

I silence the noise many times a day.

Sometimes I just have to step away from 

school conducted from my kitchen

or the constant news reel feeding 

my television,

mailbox,

computer,

and phone. 

While I've been a member of this team,

I may as well get some home projects started.

Having a project going  

keeps me focused on something else for awhile.

It's an escape.

Outdoor projects are always my favorite.

My guys have been at it in the yard for weeks.
Sixteen dead ash  were laid to rest,

and we blessed our yard with four new trees--

a sugar maple,

a honey crisp apple tree,

and two pin oaks!

I spent the week inside

on my book collection.

I unearthed them again

and it looked like my living room barfed up books.

Sam and I hauled this heavy shelf

up a flight of stairs to its new home.

Check in next week to see which 

books actually made the cut

to remain with me in the Lamp Post.

The rest were given away

or will be taken to school. 

In the unearthing I found some of my newspaper collection.

I saved this because I thought at the time

that nothing could ever get worse than the squabbling

over the hanging chads on the Floridian ballots 

in the 2000 Presidential election.

Naive Eloise.

Newspaper from my wedding day.

I thought 2003 had some strange days.

9-11

And newspapers from the day my children were born.

Well,

except for Sam.

The third child 

sent my record keeping over the edge for awhile.

He doesn't have a newspaper

or baby book either.

Speaking of books,

I finished the 2004 Newberry Honor Book

that I was reading last week.

It would be excellent to use 

if you were teaching children about primary sources.

I thought I had more to go in the book,

but at 67% through the list of sources began,

and it was extremely impressive.

 Even in 1793 there was arguing about treatments.

Dr Benjamin Rush favored draining a yellow fever victim's blood

then following up the procedure

with a mercury chaser to rid the body of it's toxins.

Others preferred a gentler approach.

Both claimed success.

I thought this was interesting--

public assistance at its very beginning.

The Greats disagreed.

Hamilton,

versus Jefferson and Madison

on an issue.

They argued about when to reopen Philadelphia.

When would the fever cease?

Some returned to work too soon

and suffered for it.

 Yellow fever would not go away.

 Doctors don't like to be baffled.

They like to figure things out.

And figure it out,

they did!

After the author's end notes,

he listed other books on the topic 

for those interested in plagues.

Here's one on Typhoid Mary.

You can learn what it's like to be an asymptomatic carrier.

The author's little notes gave me a chuckle.

He loves reading about the bubonic plague?

 He also describes the Life History of Typhus Fever

lighthearted.

Hang in there, Readers.

Eloise