Social Distancing Part 33

June 18 - Thursday

Two weeks since my last post! Yikes! There have still been race related protests. It may be a catalyst for needed change. I certainly hope so. But of course, change and uncertainty is - well - uncertain. What will the future of policing look like? Who will respond to what emergency calls? I support our police, as a whole, but I do think systemic change is needed. More education (and practice with that education) is needed. We also need to look at the laws that police are tasked with enforcing. For instance, here in Las Cruces, the Mayor tried to make not wearing a mask in a public place a chargeable offence. Who would be enforcing that? The police. The Chief of Police declined to take that on, and I don't blame him. I think that is the right decision. Of course I would like people to wear a mask, and protect me from their germs... but I am not going to confront them about that... I will observe where masks are worn, and do business in those places. That's the answer for me.

Our big issue for the past almost 2 weeks is our lack of air conditioning. We had decided to replace our old unit, which was rapidly reaching the end of its useful life, and Ron made the call to schedule an estimate. The A/C unit gave up the ghost the very next day. We pushed up the estimate, and got the unit ordered, and they were finally here today putting it on the house. Crane in the yard and all. It isn't totally hooked up yet, but won't be long into tomorrow for that to happen. I will admit to not getting a whole lot done in a hot house. I am looking forward to some cool air soon. (1st world problem that it is). 

The air quality today was not great, but there are a number of fires in Arizona, and in New Mexico that will affect that. We are in the hot, dry part of the year, so I hope that firefighters can get them under some control. The sooner the better.

I went and got my eyes checked last week, and got new glasses, even though my prescription had not changed for the second year in a row (yay!). I did not get new glasses last year, so I thought it was time. Also got my mammogram today. Never a fun experience, but I will be responsible enough to get it done. Next month, I will go for my dentist appointment that was rescheduled from May. Taking care of health business with a mask on. Even Kaliegh had her wellness check today! She's a little heavier than last year, but healthy!

Who's a good girl? Kaliegh is!

Social Distancing Part 32

June 6 - Saturday

The weather has entered the triple digits this week. It had it 100 before this week, but it has been HOT this week. Still getting out to walk, but trying to get out earlier, and later, so it isn't so very bad.

There was a Protest march today, down Telshor, from Lohman north to Spruce, from what I can figure out, not having seen or participated in it. (See above comments about the heat.) I'm a wuss. And I don't need to be in the heat and the sun that long, although it would have been some steps. I support the cause, and I'm glad local folks ARE willing to put their feet where their heart is. The cops blocked the intersections for about 10 minutes while the protesters were there.

I went out yesterday to deliver masks, and noticed that the traffic was lighter than it had been. Today, as well. It struck me that with the businesses opening, people had places to go, and be at work. Is that why there seem to be fewer cars out and about? 

I did have a happy moment today, driving down Solano. I saw a small plume of dirt kicked into the air, and looked for a moment to find an RC car as the cause. There was a man zooming that car through the sand in a vacant lot, jumping over bumps, and spinning. It looked like he was having a blast, and I was glad to see him play. We should all be able to play, at least for a happy moment.

Social Distancing Part 31

June 4th - Thursday

Today is my best friend's birthday. We texted some today, and of course I wished her Happy Birthday, and she thought she would have a pretty relaxing day. I hope she did. She texted her frustration with the president, and I can't blame her. The man makes me question everything about every decision he makes, and every policy he puts forward. To say that he has been less than effective during the COVID 19 crisis is - in my opinion - an understatement. I really did not want to write about a lot of political criticism in this time, but here I am.

Along with the pandemic, there are protests going on since the death of George Floyd, and some have turned to riots. There is some evidence that some of the rioting have been incited by out of uniform policemen. Some have been spurred by white supremacists trying to discredit the protests with violence. Police have fired on citizens with rubber bullets, and have targeted the press with violence and arrests. It becomes an even scarier, more uncertain time. Trump has threatened to declare martial law, and order the US armed forces to stand against American citizens. I wonder what he will do if he looses the election in November. I sincerely hope he does lose it. But what if he - like the spoiled, petulant child he often presents himself as - refuses to pass the office to the next elected president? I mean, I don't like to think about that, but we COULD be facing the end of the United States as we know it. Are we - one way or another - facing living in a fascist state? The dissolution of the union? A civil war? 

Uncertain times. And time for change. We definitely need change. But change is scary. The unknown is scary. I hope we can face these changes with strength, responsibility and peace. I hope that we can make things better, and support each other through troubled and troubling times. But the precipice is near, and coming nearer.

Social Distancing Part 30

June 1st - Monday

The past few days have been... disquieting, in many places. The death of George Floyd in the hands - or rather the knee - of the police seems to have been that "final straw" of police violence against persons of color. I get it. I do. I don't think racism is funny or right or even reasonable, and I don't like the prejudices that our nation continues to struggle with. I feel like our current president, Donald Trump, has done much to stir this particular pot, and many people now feel that racism is politically correct again. I also fear that he will use this unrest - as justified as it may be - to his own ends of creating a fascist state from our democracy and change the nation for ever. And not for the better of the common folk like me. It is a scary time, and not just because of pandemic, although I agree with my brother that because of the pandemic, there are a significant number of people who have nothing better to do, and not much - if anything - to lose, through rioting.

Here in Las Cruces, the protests are on a fairly small scale, and from the newspaper coverage, seem quite non-violent and even appropriately socially distant and the protesters were even wearing masks. Other places, there are curfews, and masses of police and national guard. Businesses have been vandalized, and looting has occurred. But, here, in Las Cruces, peaceful protest has been achieved.

Domesticity continues here in my household. I've got pinto beans and sausages in the crock pot. Kitchen cleaning is once again (perpetually) on the agenda. I've been sewing masks. It would seem a couple of hours is enough to put together 5 masks, and sewing them in groups of 5 satisfies my "production line" proclivities, while also creating a definite ending point for the day. 

Masks from yesterday's production line

I also have some garment sewing to do, and will probably start on some of that this week as well. In addition, I've been working on a cross stitch project that Carl asked me to make for him: The Last Supper. I picked a pattern that laid out the design in 18 panels, 3 rows of 6 columns. I have now finished 2 panels.

This is gonna take a while...

It is a good project for watching TV with.

Then there is school. I have gone through some papers, and culled out now unneeded copies. I still have more to go, but I'm going to have to space some out so they fit into the recycling bin, which we pretty much manage to fill up every couple of weeks, just in time for it to be collected.

So, here's Monday. The first day of June. I feel hopeful, as with all beginnings, but I also fear that we are living in that curse, "May you live in interesting times."

Social Distancing 29

May 27 - Wednesday

I see that the spacing between blog entries continues a wider spacing. Probably because I don't feel like there is much of note to share. 

School is out, officially. We said good bye to the seniors. I've sort of started planning for next year. While I've worked through my personal paperwork (sadly, stacked for a couple years), I haven't quite started on organizing the papers that I brought home from school this year.

I turned in a batch of 25 masks to be cleaned and donated to those in need. Cruces Creatives is continuing their donation efforts, making mask kits to sew, and organizing who is getting which masks. I picked up 2 bags of 20 kits, but I haven't started sewing them yet. 

I made a trip to Joann's this week, since they've reopened to a limited capacity. I was looking for lightweight fusible inner facing. They didn't have any, although they were expecting a delivery and I should be able to call and see if they got any today. I did - of course - pick up a few pieces of on sale fabrics, including a piece of flannel for a new pair of lounge pants for Ron. I got some pretty fabric for Roxanne, my sewing cousin, and sometime partner. 

Roxanne told me that her husband is not having a good effect in his most recent battle with cancer. He was doing radiation to reduce the size of his tumor, but to no effect. Now he will have to do a round of chemo to see if that will help. In the mean-time, he is weak and unable to work. 

Carl and Naomi will be closing on the sale of their El Paso house this week. It has been on the market almost a year, and - while I know Naomi will mourn that house - they will be happy to not have the care and costs of it on their shoulders any more. Damon's trailer is also in the process of closing, but he is at least a month away from signing all the paperwork.  It wasn't on the market for long, though, so he's happy for everything but the waiting for closing.

I've been making good progress on the second panel of the cross stitched Last Supper. It makes a good craft to work on while the TV is on. Not that it is on so much, but sometimes I'll watch a couple of shows from Netflix, or Britbox or something.

Here's where I started, I've gotten it pretty well filled in now.

Businesses - like Joann's - have been slowly reopening. Restaurants are opening this week, at least the outdoor seating. I am basically glad that "things" are starting a return to normal, but I'm also uncertain about the safety of it. Still it will have to happen some time. There is then the possible result that the spread of COVID-19 will increase, hopefully not too high. Now that testing is easier to get, numbers will also go up because more testing is being done (which just means numbers have been lower than they should have been).

While I think we are moving into the next phase of this pandemic, we are definitely not seeing the end of it, or even the beginning of the end.

Social Distancing Part 28

May 21, Thursday

School is basically done. I've done all my grading, and turned in my grades. I am pretty content that I only had to assign one "Incomplete" grade for the semester, meaning only ONE student turned in NOTHING.

Tomorrow is the graduation celebration is tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to going out in the parking lot where the students and their families will gather in their cars. Of course wearing a mask in the sun and heat, not my favorite. But I really do want to see those seniors one more time! I'll take my umbrella for some portable shade.

Now that school is over, I'm ready to get on to other tasks around the house. Of course, I started with the kitchen, which actually wasn't in terrible condition, but I still need to sweep (at least) the floor (all over the house). Changing the sheets yesterday, and vacuuming the bedroom helped the room be more inviting to me. It's hard to get in there to clean when Ron is sleeping during the day, and morning is really my high energy time. (and of course cleaning isn't my favorite activity in the first place. {What?!? I do it because I adult, but I don't have to love the activity as much as the result.}) Right now I'm procrastinating cleaning my computer desk, which is sore in need, by writing this. And, of course, there are plenty of other things that need similar attention...and other activities I've been looking forward to, same as other school years at the beginning of summer.

I've been working on getting my brother Carl to join our daily walks. He needs to like I do, but while we would love Naomi to join us, she just doesn't have the stamina to do so. Having a partner that not only won't join you in an activity you should do, but don't really want to on the best day, is only made harder when that partner complains that you go. But he has been walking with us, even bringing his dog, Mia. Damon has taken his dog, Zoey, several times. I could take Kaliegh, but Hamlet is not well behaved enough, and both together is a recipe for my personal disaster. I have had a couple of occasions lately to appreciate the little amount of my fitness that has made some chores a little easier.

Well, off to other activities!

Social Distancing Part 27

May 13th - Wednesday

The semester is winding down Grades are due by noon a week from tomorrow. Our graduation celebration will be the next day, Friday. It isn't the full ceremony. No one is having that this year, I don't think. We will get to celebrate our seniors, though, and that is important. They will be staying in their cars, listening to a couple of speeches, probably prerecorded (don't know how they'll have them otherwise) and students will drive past the stage as their names are called, and on home. I've volunteered to help in the parking lot. How could I not? I've seen these seniors from freshmen. Many of them are dear to my heart. I want to applaud them!

Today my AP Lit students took their AP test. Online, in a brand new, quarantine required format. I hope they did well, many of them should do well. I'm disappointed that I couldn't give them a send off to the test. I'm more disappointed that I won't be teaching the class next year. It has disheartened me, to an extent, and I've had to grieve the loss of that class. I will still be teaching honors freshmen, which I must be honest, I also love, so all is not lost. But I am disappointed.

I am looking forward to lesson planning for next year, I always do. I've been working on some ideas, and it may take some figuring out how to get the texts I would like the students to use. Still, it is an interesting unit, dealing with mythology, and I hope I can pull it off.

Once school is done, I've also got lots of organizing to do, for school, for my crafting space, for my personal office space. In some ways the organization ticks my box for satisfaction of a job well done, in others, I think I can kind of get lost in it at a level beyond what is needed...(what do you mean the books don't need to be alphabetical by author, and in the order they were published?) Still I have gotten to a place in my life where I can let go of things, and find it freeing to an extent. That used to be very hard for me, and sometimes, it still can be, but I'm better about it, and so I hope there will be some purging done as well. There won't be miracles of cleanliness in my house, however. We are definitely living here, and it shows. But tidy is good.

Here we go, moving from one phase to another, of quarantine, social distancing life.