I glanced at my list of blogs and stuff, and there was mine, at the top. How long ago since I posted??? What happened to pandemic journaling? Life. I guess. Life.
Here I am in May, of 2022. Happy Birthday, Mom. Miss you.
May the Fourth Be With You.
I'm retiring this year. That the pandemic isn't over has contributed to that, but it isn't - of course - the only thing. I've had a student teacher this semester. It was lovely. She was lovely, and did a fabulous job. I hope she gets hired at OMHS and loves teaching as much as she seems to. More even. Today was her last day as a student teacher. She'll come back after the semester ends and help me clear my room by taking what she thinks she will use of my teacher stuff. Goodness knows I don't want to store it, and I know the next teacher who is in that classroom won't want it.
So, let's talk pandemic for a paragraph or so... The variants keep coming. Carl finally got COVID last week. I've managed to dodge it so far. I've been vaccinated, and boosted, and will probably get boosted again by the end of the summer. We are working on making COVID life the new norm, which I guess is how the pandemic actually ends. Not because it goes away. Not because we get some magic immunity.
Since Dec of 2020, school opened, at least for those who chose to go back, in early 2021. Raine finished up her senior year, and graduated. There was an actual ceremony, and Ron's family came out to help celebrate. It was held on the district football field (Field of Dreams) in the open air and the sun. Now there is talk that will be the site from now on. Pity the schools that get the 1PM slots each year. BUT, as I said, the new norms.
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| May 2021 Graduate |
School this year has been sort of normal. As normal as very lax attendance policy and 50% as the lowest grade can allow. As normal as students (OK, AND adults) needing resocialization into crowds and in person people-ing. There are challenges. But there will be graduation, and graduates, and students will matriculate, and school will be more "normal" next year. I mean changes will happen. Don't they always?
And I will move on to my next thing as well. My own personal new normal. What will that be? Well, at first it will be about some self care, at various levels. Personal self care looks like lots of walking, preparing healthy meals and taking the time to work on my own health. Family care that supports Raine as she prepares to "launch" into her life as an adult. Caring for my home, which has been neglected and could use some care as well. My mental health and well being will benefit from time to work on my crafty projects, and my life-long learning will often steer in that direction as well. There are plans! YES there are!
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| The Last Supper cross stitch, 2/3 complete |
Looking forward to traveling a bit, and being in nature some. Visiting with friends, and enjoying some old friendships and strengthening some newer ones, and those more recently in reach. Reaching out to family while they are in reach. All those things. I may even post here now and again. You know, since I've been reminded that it is here.
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| at Carlsbad KOA |
