Lesson 710: A Week in the Life

 Hello, Readers.

The summer, by teacher standards,

is winding down,

even though we officially have another month until fall.

Returning to school for 21-22

makes me a little happier than I was last year,

despite the lurking worries.

The girls have been busy with their joint venture.

Miss Natalie's Happy People Tumblers

have been a big hit.

The girls opened their Etsy Shop this week.

Getting it all set up was much harder than it looked.

Look them up on Etsy.

Their name was one character too long for the Etsy requirement.

Mountain Laurel Apparel is shortened to MtnLaurelApparel when you search it..

Miss Ellen Louise will be able to devote more time

to this project as she said goodbye to a job she loved for over two years.

Work requirements in the company changed,

and she was unable to fit the designated hours between her classes.

She's learning lots.

The number one lesson was not to leave cups on doorsteps 

of two chewy dogs.

Our friends have a set of brown and yellow chewer, too!

Here is a link to a TikTok of their fun this week:

TikTok

My one regret of having Ellen home during the pandemic

was not working with her more in the kitchen.

She really needed to learn to cook for herself a bit better.

I was sort of thinking ramen noodles and salad,

but her lattice topped peach pies turned out fine.

Ever the artist, she is.

She even made a few pie dough cookies

with the leftover dough

just like hubby's mom used to.

They came close,

but they never come out quite the same as Frannie's.

After football practice,

Sam worked on functional fitness--

stacking the woodpiles for winter.

This book is worth the hype.

Very good so far.

And the dogs,

they stole my spot in bed.

Again.

Time to kick them out.

Eloise

Lesson 709: Buzzing Around

 Hello, Readers.

It's a rare Saturday night posting.

I've been stuck in a House on the Cerulean Sea.

Soft fantasy that sucked me in.

Who'd of thunk it?
I've grown attached to two sprites,

a shape shifter,

and a wyvern.

On Friday I spent 12 hours with my girls and my sister,

leaving me exhausted by our late return to the Lamp Post.

We've been buzzing around the Allegheny National Forest,

and rounded out the night at Bent Run Brewery

in Warren,

sitting at Table 13

on Friday the 13th.

We explored the Clarion River

and hiked to the Overlook at Minister Creek.

We savored every ounce of our perfect day.

We rented kayaks and a canoe from the Cook Forest base.

The week prior

we rented tubes from the Clarington base.

The Clarington section had cabins and homes

to view as you floated by,

so I thought that section was a bit more interesting.

While I was floating down the Clarion,
Mr. Lamp Post was buzzing around the yard.

My feral cats have signed a petition against the construction,

but once they realize it is a new woodshed

for them to roost on,

they will be fine.

The placement of this woodshed 

will be long known as 

The War Over the Woodshed.

Eloise didn't like the first location,

and I won, by the way.

While I've been buzzing around

finishing up summer,

I've been learning about bees.

Eloise has been all about the butterflies

over the last several years.

Recently, I've been learning about bees.

I love the beekeeping TikToks!

Here's an interesting story about a beekeeper.

I bought bee hotels like these

for my parents.

So far,

the Vacancy sign is lit up red.

Any readers with bee hotel experience,

please pass along your best tips for attracting bees.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Eloise

Friend of the Bees

Lesson 708: Onward Through August

 Happy weekend, Readers!

Looks to be a beauty for the Erieites.

Late summer has arrived,

and with it contemplation.

In a teacher's eyes,

Early Summer is June,

Mid-Summer is July,

and Late Summer is August,

despite that meteorology tells us Late Summer

extends into September.

Late summer brings a mix of a more relaxed enjoyment

of what we know is the weaning of the nicest weather,

mixed with a sense of urgency to fit it all in.

The grapes are starting to ripen.

The fields are dotted with the most beautiful 

display of wildflowers.

The geese have returned to the park in large flocks.

The apples are reddening, too.

I'm adding this to my folder of 

Things I Find on Walks.

Natalie enjoying the last month of her outdoor pool classes.

She leaves a trail like Gretel wherever she goes.

Sam' from Sam's Services is fitting in the last of his summer jobs

before football camp starts on August 16th.

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks,

but especially this in the near future.

We've been saving Yellowstone for the fall

when we have more TV time.

They picked the perfect cast for the prequel.

Early August brings with it celebrations.

27 years for hubby and I.

Our thoughtful kids made us a basket of our favorites to enjoy!

So thoughtful!

The dogs have been enjoying walks with Mom and Dad.
We've created a habit for them 

that will have to extend into the school year,

so we agreed to set the alarms 30 minutes earlier this year.

I also tried to sneak some carrots into their food.

Proof that all children,

furry or skin covered,

balk at eating their vegetables.

Hazel and her sister Opal

celebrated their third birthday this week.

She was sad because Penny ate her new squeaky toy.

There is so much more fun to be had

as we make the most of the Sunday of Summer-

good old August.

Eloise is well prepared.

Eloise