Social Distancing Part 12

March 31 - Tuesday

And out of March we go...

Today I found out what it's like to work from home. I wore one of my "work shirts" today. That made it feel more like being at work, for me. There was a Zoom meeting at 8AM, and we worked on learning targets for our students. It took a bit of kvetching, but once we got down to the work of it, I think we did all right.

After that, I worked through my list of Advisory students, for the third time. I think today was the hardest to get hold of some of them, but I did, finally, talk to all of them. It's nice because it is basically an up-beat conversation. They get to hear a friendly voice, and so do I.

Then there was a department meeting, also on Zoom. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep the bandwidth for that one, but I managed. Good thing voice takes less than pictures, because I could hear what was said, even if the pictures were frozen. Nice to see my department people, too.

So now, I need to make room for a school office. I think the kitchen table will work, and I will have a place to keep records, and "be at work" for office hours, etc. I am thinking about what to put behind me, on the wall, that will be pretty, or interesting, but not too busy...

I also had time to make cauliflower soup, and some ranch dressing for dipping. Salsa and ranch (or blue cheese) dressing is so yummy on a salad or as a dip for veggies. Potato chips are a veggie, right?

I got some sewing done. I've been working on some masks to donate. Here's a sample:

mask for donation

What else? Walking done. Working done. I think I'm done, for the day.

Social Distancing Part 11

March 30th - Monday

Not your normal Monday. Hah! Is there any normal day of the week, right now?

Did laundry. Didn't cook significantly (does microwaving a quesadilla count as cooking?) Got some sewing done. Finished one face mask, but have 4 others in the works. I kind of figured it out the finishing with the first one, I think. I'll get a picture to share tomorrow.

I went into the school today. We were allowed to go in and get what we needed through the summer... or until next school year starts, and I wanted my planning binders. So I got them! Yay. It was dark, and it was quiet, and we took turns and did proper social distancing, and I walked around in my socks, which felt weird.

Over the weekend, my brother, his wife, and a friend of ours had some online social time. We used discord for chatting, and played a couple of electronic versions of table top games. It was fun, and I definitely felt like I had socialized. We played Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride. We got them from Steam, and they were not particularly expensive. Everyone has to one the game to be able to play it online, but the set up is quick, and the clean up is too... And the computer keeps score for you, no cheating! (not that we intentionally cheat, but sometimes mistakes are made. I recommend a game night (or afternoon!).

Looking forward, I need to contact my advisory class tomorrow. I got the spreadsheet set up for that and added some information if I could. I'll also be participating in the learning goals meeting tomorrow morning. I am really interested in how this is going to work, and being a part of it.  It starts at 8, which is a reasonable time, really... but how quickly our routines slide. I'm usually up by 8, but not always dressed. Going to be tomorrow, though... although I'll probably be working on my coffee still.

Social Distancing Part 10

March 28 - Saturday

How is it that this week, the week of "Spring Break," if you will, went by so fast? Just as if we were not social distancing...

I did some cleaning on Friday, and broke my broom. How does one do that? you ask... Well, the handle, near the broom part was evidently rusted to weakness, and some vigorous get-this-dirt-off-the-patio swipes was enough to snap it off. Sigh. I wasn't done sweeping yet. Not surprisingly, there has not been a run on brooms in the stores, and I picked up a new one with no problems.

While I was at Albertsons, looking for the rest of the items on my list, I noticed that there were a few more things on the shelves than there had been. Sure, there were still gaps. I didn't get eggs, but I got pasta. There wasn't rice, but there was some barley, and I do enjoy beef and barley soup. There was a good selection of meat, and some mozzarella cheese (maybe we will make some pizza from scratch), but not the cheddar that I usually pick up to grate. I got almost everything I went for.

I even did some baking today, I made a chocolate cake. I used a recipe that has mayonnaise instead of eggs and oil. It has been a LONG while since I've made a cake from scratch, and it turned out all right. I whipped up some chocolate icing to put on it as well, and here's the finished product:

icing, to hide all the flaws...

I've also been thinking about making some biscuits. Maybe that would go good with the corned beef and cabbage that didn't get on the menu for St. Patrick's Day, but seems to be on the menu for tomorrow. My kitchen make-over this year may be to trade out all those old cooking supplies for new ones. The baking powder I threw out today had a good until date of 2014. No, I didn't use that in my cake, I had bought a new container today. I also threw out some old teabags, hoping the new teabags would bring some better flavor to my sun tea.

So, enough of the kitchen, and the shopping! Yesterday Onate English department had a meeting with Mr. Schapekahm to find out about how we are going to be doing school the rest of this semester. The building is closed for the semester, but we will be doing school in some other ways, including online. The kids will receive a pass/fail grade. It will be nice to be in regular contact with our students, and I think many of our students will think it is nice to be in regular contact with us. I'm interested to see what develops as we go into this unfamiliar place. I think it will be a learning experience for us all.

I've been keeping up with my walking this week, and getting into a grove of being more comfortable with it. When I first started walking regularly, a couple of years ago, it was a struggle to get comfortable with it. I'm not an athletic person, but walking is pretty basic, you would think. I had to change how I wore my shoes. No more sloppy slip-ons, I had to lace them up tight each morning, or I would get blisters on the bottom of my feet. That was kind of scary, because my mother, who was diabetic, lost one of her feet from an infection that she fought for over a year, that originally started as a blister. I'm also diabetic, so it kind of freaked me out when I first got a blister on the bottom of my foot. I also kind of stomped and staggered around my neighborhood and called it a walk. As I walked more, and got off some of the medication that can make me dizzy, that improved, and as I got stronger, it helped even more. I really like how I feel when I do that regular exercise, but I can't say I will ever love doing it. There are people who really enjoy exercising, but I am not one of them.

I know there are other things that I thought about writing about, but it's late, and I think I'm done for today.

Social Distancing Part 9

Wednesday, March 25

Kinda hit a wall, yesterday. My eye was twitching all day, a sure sign of stress for me. I hadn't thought I was feeling so stressed, but evidently I am... Doing a little better today.

I did get out for a walk yesterday, that helps me with stress. Got out again today, as well. Touched base with my next door neighbors, who are a nice older than me couple.  I had wanted to make sure they were OK, and that they had my phone number if they needed anything.

I also took on a new project yesterday. Sewing face masks. It's been a thing on social media. Sew the face masks, as many care facilities are running short! Oh face masks aren't enough protection unless they are (insert whatever standards here...). It is kind of confusing, actually. But it is something to do to feel like you are trying to help, and I definitely AM for that. So, my colleagues at Cruces Creatives are trying to put together an effort to support the mask making efforts, and I am helping. I went in today (they are closed, so social distancing protocols were kept) and picked up a bunch of fabric so that I could wash it before we passed it out to mask makers. We're taking a page, I think, from some of my Charitable Crafting projects - and Joann's as well - and making kits of supplies for people to take and sew. And that is going on tomorrow... Again, following social distancing protocols. Once the masks get made, a local dentist will autoclave them to sterilize them before they go to their final destinations. BUT I'm still kind of struggling about being part of this organized effort. It is a walking the fine line in terms of social distancing. How many hands are going to touch everything... Who is going to be in the chain? That sort of thing. Once they get to the dentist, who will sterilize them, whew, but up to that point? Does that mean I don't want to take part? NO, if I didn't want to take part, I wouldn't, and I wouldn't be having this issue with the whole thing!

This whole how many hands thing is a part of the whole social distancing thing for me, right now. Facebook is full of restaurants encouraging us to go drive through and get food, or get it delivered, and we have! What if you need something from the grocery store? Go get it, and hope they have it! It doesn't feel truly distant. I drove around today, and felt like there were too many cars out there, and one of the too many was probably mine.

It's kind of like the rice. Right as hoarding started, we ran out of rice. We don't eat it all that often, but it is a staple, right? And now we don't have any. There isn't any in the store. Oh no! I need rice, and I can't get it. Are we planning to have it today? No. This week? Again, no, probably not. Then what is the big deal? There's not one. Except that it keeps nagging my mind.

I think this is my process of internalizing our whole situation right now. I feel like things will return to normal-ish in the grocery stores soon, and I can wait for that. We aren't running out of food, despite having no rice. I might even make biscuits or cornbread from scratch, if I have the ingredients... WHAT?!?!?

I do have projects that I really want to work on, and pay the house some attention, and I am mostly a home-body, but the most socially outgoing of my family. So, I'm the one that goes out for the groceries, and I have been out several times, already. I'm practicing waiting.

I'm walking. I like walking through my neighborhood, kind of checking up on the neighbors, in a subtle way, waving if they're outside, saying hello from a distance, checking out who else is out on a walk, or getting some yard work done, or watching their kids play outside. That sort of thing.

There was a woodpecker in this tree. I could hear it, but I couldn't see it.

Spring is beautiful, this year. Oh, I know the winds will blow, and the dust will fly, but it was in the 80's today. And the sky was blue, and it was lovely.

Today, I called my advisory kids, to check in with them. I talked to quite a few. They seemed upbeat, generally and positive. And I tried to send that to them, as well.

Social Distancing part 8

Monday - March 23, 2020

The governor of NM made a statement today, tightening up the social distancing in the state. Many businesses are closed, including the malls, but not including grocery stores. Instead of gatherings of 10 people, it is now down to 5. I will be surprised if we go back to school this semester. I hope we can hold a graduation ceremony of some kind for our seniors. It is an important rite of passage. They will survive - and even remembered - if it can't happen, but I hope that it can, even if it is "late."

I got out walking today. The wind was gusty, and if it hadn't been so late in the afternoon already, I would have said a dust storm was brewing. It may be, for tomorrow. It seems like the poppies have been multiplying, though, and they were so pretty in the wind.

more pretty poppies in my neighborhood

I've been keeping in touch with one of my aunts in Texas, and tried to call the other one, but the lines were all busy. I'll try again tomorrow. I texted her son (my cousin, of course) but I haven't heard from him yet either. My friend in Arizona is doing well so far. Her husband will start working from home this week, but she is in health care, so she - of course - can not. Her daughter is home from college probably for the rest of the semester, doing her classes online, I think. I found a class that Raine might really enjoy but didn't get her to come look at it and see... ah, teenager.

I did get some grading done, and some sewing. Looking forward to more of both, tomorrow, lol. I also have a couple errands I hope to get done tomorrow, and then be home until we need more groceries.

Social Distancing Part 7

Sunday, March 22

Virtual socializing is a thing. I did a Google Duo session with a friend today. (I think I called the ap Google Dual, but I think Duo is correct) People it doesn't even have to be a long chat, but it was cheery! My brother, his wife, another friend and I have plans to play Ticket to Ride, and maybe Carcassonne online through steam. Both are table top games, but we should be able to play remotely with the Steam versions. Know what else? The online version takes no set up or clean up. House rules are out, as well, but neither of these games really needs them, and neither takes that long to play.

I finished the first shirt I was working on for my brother. Say, "Hi, Carl!"

For when he isn't working from home...

 You can't really see them well, but I used metal buttons on this this shirt, and they look great with the dark grey fabric. Now, I can work on his presents for THIS year's birthday, LOL. Looking forward to more sewing this week, for sure.

Time for some cleaning, too. I keep saying that, and I keep putting it off, or doing some very minor stuff...well, or the day-to-day stuff. But while cleaning isn't my favorite activity, the way I feel when I'm done is some good positive feedback, and stress reduction. So, it's time.

Social Distancing Part 6

March 21, 2020

What I got done today. Cooking and food prep, first of all. Most of all. We have healthy veggie snacks all ready to go in the fridge. I made dog food. I can share my recipe if anyone wants it, it is pretty easy, and so not gross like the cans of dog food are. The dogs really enjoy it too. I made chicken noodle soup for dinner. I made an eggplant and squash vegetable dish that I love (the rest of my family, not so much).

I sewed as well, got the button holes in two shirts, and the buttons on the small one as well. I got the other shirt close to constructed (meaning all the parts sewed together). I looked at the pair of pants down in the bottom of the sewing basket (like a laundry basket, only with sewing!) Aren't they pretty down there!

I didn't go for a walk today. In fact I went nowhere. I didn't even put on my shoes! Or socks! How's that for a day? Sometimes a no socks and shoes day is quite the accomplishment!

I texted my niece, and they are doing all right. I talked to my aunt, same there. In fact, she made chicken soup for her family today, too.

Today's bummer: there's a fly in the house. ARGH! It's annoying, and way too early for them, right?

Social Distancing part 5

March 20, 2020

I have been having a little trouble falling asleep at night. Raine came and told me she was too. We talked about it a bit, how even though being at home shouldn't be stressful per se, the reason we're at home brings some stress into our lives. We talked about how getting up late every morning might lead to not being ready to sleep at your usual time, so getting up earlier might help us be ready to sleep when we went to bed. We talked about exercise, and making our bodies tired so they were ready for sleep as well. She came up with some options for her, and I came up with some for me. It was a good talk, and reassuring for both of us, I think. That whole you're not in this alone thing.

Raine is a teenager now, and not so much in need of "Mom Moments," but I treasure them. Letting her pick music while we are in the car, whether I'm driving or she is. Really loving the moment the other day when we pulled in at the house but neither of us was ready to stop singing along with the music that was playing. I love the person that is my daughter, the adult she is becoming, the kiddo that she was.

I talked to one of my friends a bit over the past few days, and I wonder that she isn't spending more time at home. She seems not to have changed her life much at all during this social distancing time, and I wonder if perhaps, being retired, and somewhat socially distanced in the first place, she hasn't noticed as much change around her. I worry a little as she seems to become ill sort of easily, but then I have to reflect on my own actions. I am definitely doing more at home, but I've been to Sam's. We've eaten out, and done the take-out thing, as well. Am I judging her by the same standards I am judging my own actions? Probably not. I feel in some ways I should respect her choices, which are often not mine, as much as I would like her to respect my choices, which are often not hers. But there are moments I worry about her. (As I worry about many of the people I know.)

Anyway, I caught up on an episode of a few shows I like (I am NOT in the binge watching camp.), I did very little grading, although I have enough now to be feeling like I should have entered my grades by now. Tomorrow, tomorrow I will. I got some sewing in! Got some pairs of Ron's pants ready for him to wear. I've been working on a button down shirt for my brother, and now, all I have left to do are the button holes and buttons. The same for a kid shirt that I'm working on to donate. I have another shirt for Carl cut out, and a pair of pants for me. I also have some fabric waiting to be cut out. I think I'll get through the projects already in the pipeline before I cut out more. Oh, yeah, and I have some pieces ready to sew into quilt squares, a project that has been set aside for a couple of years now, but my fingers are itching to touch it again.

I walked again today, and took Kaliegh, my dog, with me. She gets happy to go for a walk, and since she has anxiety issues, I feel like the exercise does her good. One of my neighbors had his kettle corn set-up out in his driveway, and running, selling some curbside service kettle corn, in case anyone is jonesing for some. There are also people moving into the house next door to me, which has been empty for a while. Some other neighbors bought it and have worked for more than a year, fixing it up for their son, who is finally moving in. The work they did was awesome, and the house is super cute now. Yay!

Making chicken soup, and dog food is probably on the agenda for tomorrow. And more sewing!

Social Distancing Part 4

March 19th

Went to Sam's today. They are only letting a few people in at a time (like 100, I'm guessing) and there was a line that stretched back across their auto bays to the back corner of the building by the time I got there, not much after 9AM. But people weren't standing very close to each other, and the line moved pretty quickly, so there was that. I got most of what I wanted, including rotisserie chicken! But a lot of things weren't there, too. There wasn't a lot of meat, but there was some. The blocks of cheese I like weren't there. There were fresh fruits and vegetables, and milk and a good variety of frozen foods, but no eggs, no toilet paper. There had been paper towels, but not by the time I got there, which was OK, since I didn't need them anyway.

I took a rotisserie chicken to my brother and his wife. I had some things for her from home as well (although I forgot to give her one of them, darn it!) I offered to pick up what they needed from Sam's, but they were out of eggs and the carbonated water that they wanted. They had to make do with rotisserie chicken. My brother is able to work from home, so that's where he was.

Tonight's dinner? Rotisserie chicken quesadillas (have to use the cheese before it's moldy, right? They'll have more, right?) Simple, but yummy. Probably will make chicken soup for dinner tomorrow or Saturday. I'm definitely eating home more, now that I'm home to make it.

The downside is that even though I got some things to donate to the food pantry, the one I was going to donate to, at the church my brother attends, wasn't open. I looked online for other places to donate, but while the Roadrunner Food Bank has distribution times and places listed on the LCPS list, there isn't a donation site listed. I even looked on their website, and I could donate online or in Albuquerque. Not driving that far to make a donation! I think tomorrow I will try FYI. I mean, it's not a huge donation, but it might help a few people...

Took Kaylee with me on my walk today. She's been stressing some, with the different schedule, plus Ron's work schedule changed. It was good for both of us.
I didn't walk in the rain yesterday, but I still have four days out of the last 6, so I'm happy with that.

I'm finding online streaming concerts to listen to. That is very cool. Artists playing at home and streaming radio stations organizing it. I was listening to Until Further Notice for a while.

Oh, and the Google Dual conversation went well! You just start the program and enter a phone number (or numbers, I think) and when the person answers, you can see them and they can see you, and we had a great time chatting! Easy Peasy! You should try it!

Social Distancing Part 3

Tuesday, March 17th - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Sirius Channel that I often listen to, The Spectrum, had Irish music day today. Seriously (see what I did there?) made me happy today. I love me some Irish/Celtic music.

Slept late today. I even got to turn off the alarm, let the dogs out, and go back to bed for a couple hours. Not really sure how the alarm got turned on in the first place, silly habit, I suppose.

I got to spend some time with a friend of mine, sewing. She cut out a top, I cut out a skirt for her and sewed it up. She's needing professional-ish clothes for her internship, which should hopefully lead to a job, and the need for more professional-ish clothes. But we'll take one step at a time, and get her started, so she's ready to get back to the internship when she can. We met in a not-crowded place, and didn't even sit that close to each other, but we got to socialize, and talk, and she went home with goodies. I got to go home feeling happy to have socialized, and to have made stuff.

I didn't get a whole lot else done today, as far as cleaning or organizing my craft room, and I think tomorrow, I'm going to work on some sewing projects here at home. I've got a basket full, and I can be going through them, and sew them up, and get ready to refill it! I'm actually pretty happy to get to recharge my creativity battery over this enforced break. I also know that even though the cleaning and organizing isn't my favorite thing to do, I will feel so much better having done it, and the space will be that much friendlier to be in for me.

I went for a walk today. Ron went, too, which was nice. It's nice to see other people out and about in the neighborhood, enjoying being outside. (Or being outside whether they enjoy it or not, I guess - but _I_ enjoy it!) That makes 3 days out of 4 that I've gone walking! I am not disappointed in that average.

Going to try out some virtual socializing tomorrow, on Google Dual. Both of our first time using that application on Google. I'll be sure to say how it goes.

Social Distancing part 2

Sunday, March 15

A three week hiatus from school. The state Dept of Education mandated it. But here, on the Sunday evening, before the first Monday/workday, it doesn't quite seem real.

I've been walking, which is one of my goals. Yesterday I walked through the neighborhood. People were out working in their yards, as I should. It really needs it. There were children out playing. I think I heard the ring of people playing horseshoes or washers wafting from one backyard. Being outside is good. I had forgotten that the poppies should be in bloom, so finding them was one of my joys:

a yard full of pretty yellow poppies

Today, more people were out working on their yards. The recent rains have given the weeds a big head start. Ron and I took our dogs, and walked the walking trail up on Triviz. It really felt good to be out, and the dogs enjoyed themselves, too.

I've met some goals, then - at least so far - walking was one. I can tell I need it, and there is something about being outside in the sunlight that recharges me. I've graded more papers today. I don't want to put in complete days, but I do want to get them done, and even entered so my students can check them out on student view. The laundry got done, so there's that, too. If this runs longer than expected, I may have the house as clean and tidy as I've ever had it, and the yard looking, well, if not good, at least weed free. Not sure three weeks are going to get me to that point, though.

Another of my joys today was riding in the car with Raine, and letting her pick the music. She pulls an artist up on Spotify, and plugs into the Aux feature of the car, and I listen to her choices, and she listens to mine. I really like sharing artists with her, and for her to share artists with me. Today, she picked Hozier, and we both sang along, even after the car was parked: "I fall in love just a little bit, every day with someone new..." Moments!

The craft room still needs attention. I went in there several times today and picked at stuff, but didn't really couldn't get a start. The sewing table is clear enough to sew, though, and I think getting some sewing done may help get me going on some of the organizing that needs to be done, but feels a little overwhelming right now.

Ugh, so much stuff piled up!

I haven't been back to the store, though I feel a pull to go. I have groceries for a while, for us, but a still want to do a food pantry run. I'm wondering if the panic buying will slow down in a few days or a week, though. I will do an online order and pick-up though for the next batch, and keep myself out of the store...

The one thing that will bug me, is that I am not a skyper, or even much of a phone caller. I want to talk to people in person, if I must talk to them. I think I'm going to have to get over that for a little while. I want to check on some friends, and make sure they are doing OK, but I also don't want them to feel like they must break their social isolation to do it! It's foreign to think of that, so I must practice. I think that is one of the areas where this whole thing still doesn't feel real to me.

Social Distancing Part One

New Mexico Department of Education made the decision to close schools across the state to help curb the spread of the corona virus. Closure begins March 16 (effectively March 14, but that is a Saturday), and runs until April 6. One of the suggestions is to keep a log of the effort of social distancing and our personal experience of it. So, this is what this is. Not a debate or commentary, but a personal log. I am happy to do my part in the social distancing efforts, although, I don't look forward to having to make up any school days after the school year would have normally ended. That being said, I'm a big girl, and I will keep putting on my big girl panties, and do what must be done.

Saturday, March 14th - Did my regular breakfast out at Nueva Casita, with my friend Damon, and ordered to go french toast for Raine. We did a grocery run to Albertsons afterwards. I picked up a prescription for Ron, and mostly some fresh vegetables and fruits to eat this week. I could have used rice (we are out, not hoarding), but the store was out, so will check back for that at a later date. I'll probably take a trip to Sam's this week, and pick up a few things there, and some donations for a food pantry, cans of vegetable, maybe some pasta and pasta sauce. It depends on what is available at the time.

Here are some things that I have on my agenda for these 3 weeks: getting caught up on grading, and then planning for the rest of the school year (last 9 weeks); cleaning up my craft room (which has been sadly neglected for a while) and then doing some sewing (this will definitely keep my spirits up); some other housekeeping and spring cleaning tasks to be determined as the spirit moves me; walks; naps; reading; listening to music; writing; did I already mention sewing?; working on Carl's "The Last Supper" cross stitch.

It doesn't seem like a huge list, but, knowing me, I've overscheduled myself. I want to keep in contact with friends, but it will take some negotiation of exactly what that will mean, and how it will be done.

So it begins.