Social Distancing 45

 September 17, Thursday

Yesterday was Carl's birthday. We'll do an appropriately social distanced celebration on Saturday for him. Damon too, for that matter, who's birthday is next week. Ron's is coming up in October. It isn't that far away? What happened to this year? It seems to be going so fast, now that school has started. At least THAT hasn't changed...

We did a day trip out to see Phil and Cheryl. It was such a nice day. The rains we finally had last week have cooled us down some, and we sat outside and watched the hummingbirds come to the feeders they have set up. It was amazing. There were at times, up to ten of them flying around and of course since they get territorial, they chase each other away from the feeders. You can hear them buzz as they warn the others of their intent, Cheryl said they sound like light sabers when they start a battle (and they do, rather) and they will fly into each other to fight in the air. Other hummers watch for those to fly off in the chase, and move in for a sip or two while the coast is clear. I got a few pictures on my phone, but they don't do the hummingbirds justice...

busy, busy hummingbirds

They also have a covey of quail that show up expecting handouts... and of course they get them. I think one of the reasons they moved where they did was to get to see all the wildlife, and feel part of nature. It sure is calming.

I have to admit that I have enjoyed the limited nature in my life this year. I feel I've actually had a chance to see some of it, when there are times when I am so "everywhere else" that I don't.

School has been demanding a lot more of my time recently, so it was really a good thing to get away from it for a day. We are already half way through the 9 weeks, and doing parent/teacher conferences this week. Our little curriculum group is trying to put together the curriculum for the second 9 weeks as we go. The deadline is approaching, but now that we are teaching, that demands time first. Of course. I'm looking forward to a less stressful week or at least weekend, although I don't know how I'm going to surpass the destress level achieved last Saturday. I will say I hope to get some sewing done.

The sky is also clearing somewhat. There are fires burning throughout the west, and the air has been very smoky and it's worse in many places than it is here. We didn't have much of a monsoon season, so our recent rains were welcome. The grass in my front yard is still green and growing, but I'm not sure how much longer I'll be watering it this year... A few more weeks, I guess. I like it green and pretty. I've been working on it for a few years, and its finally looking good... at least in places, lol. But the season is changing. Slowly. But inexorably. It's been a long summer, seems like since March, and I have to admit to being sorry to see it go. 

Social Distancing Part 44

September 7, Labor Day 

Today, I mostly want to talk about meeting one of my creative goals for this weekend. Both my mother, and her mother were quilt makers. I received my "Grannie quilt" too many years ago to remember. I do know it graced my bed every winter, through many years, and even after I got married, but I finally had to admit that it was showing signs of wear, and I didn't really want it to fall apart. I still pull it out when I'm not feeling well, and need the comfort of a hug from my Grannie. 

Both Mom and Grannie were practical quilt makers. Practical makers in general, I think. They made stuff to get used. Mom made most of my school clothes, like I'm sure Grannie made most of hers. They both tended to make tied quilts, not the more time consuming hand quilted, or even machine quilted ones. The tops were made from cast-off clothing, mostly, or the bits and pieces left over from the clothes they made. Eventually, I started helping piece the tops together, although the ones I did were pretty straight forward strips of squares of wool fabrics. Those made some warm quilts. I know because I have one of them.

My brother Carl also had some "Mom quilts" and his were wearing out. At least the batting was showing through the flannel backing fabric. He and I discussed whether they were fixable, and I decided to try it out. I mean the worst was that they would not be fixable because they were too worn out.

It took me a while to be ready to face the challenge, but one day in the summer of 2019... or maybe the summer of 2018... I took one of those quilts out of the bag, and spread it out on a table, and started cutting the ties. Snip, snip, snip. The batting and the flannel fell away, and quickly stuffed into the trash can. The top seemed all in one piece! It needed to go through the wash, though. Cold water it is, and it survived the washer and drier without a problem. I was afraid some of the panels would start to ravel on the outer edge, so I serged around the freshly cleaned and dried quilt top. Then, I folded it up and set it aside again. Whew.

This year, I had planned on that quilt being a summer project that I could take to a big table at Cruces Creatives to work on, but then pandemic happened, and I haven't been there in months (although I did renew my membership!). I looked at batting, and wasn't thrilled with what I found. Not so much of the high loft my mom would use. So I picked up a king size piece of warm and natural, thinking I could at least double that if I wanted to. Then, I found a fun piece of flannel with sunflowers all over it, that I though would go well with the greens and browns that made up a lot of the quilt top. Carl liked it too.

Flowers that aren't too girly

I had talked to Carl about working on getting the layers of the quilt put together this weekend, and then reminded him - and myself about that - on Friday. We decided we would work on it today. Not only did we get the layers put together and pinned, we got the thing tied!

Yay! a tied quilt!

It still isn't finished, of course. I'll pull the flannel around to the top of the quilt and sew it to the edges of the top to create the binding, just like the original. Even though the loft on the batting wasn't what either of us would have had for our first pick, it has a satisfying heft to it with two layers. We did take the pins out after the photo was taken, and it is waiting on cooler days for the sewing to happen. I am really happy with our definitely amateur efforts! 

Another view of our success!

I really felt like we connected to some family history today. My mom passed away in 1996, and yet, she was with us today, tying that quilt. To be fair, I'm sure she and Grannie would both have both been a little critical of our methods, but I also think that they both would be happy that it meant more to both of us than just throwing it away. Celebrating practical crafting in a time when it isn't as common as it used to be. It definitely means that someday, the other quilt will also get the treatment. Today, I'm happy with what we accomplished.

Social Distancing Part 43

 September 1, Tuesday

Here we are in September. Already. I'm not sure how we got here so soon. I wasn't really ready for August, and now it's done. Next Monday is Labor Day. We've had three weeks of school so far. I wish I felt like I was getting to know my students more, but it is difficult when they mostly don't even have their cameras on. I have had conversations with a few. Now and then a student will stay "after class" in zoom and chat with me, or other students still there. I feel like we are all trying to reach for some normalcy.

Our Covid numbers are down in Dona Ana County, but, that being said, my husband is home from work tonight because his company is cleaning his work area because someone there tested positive. He didn't have direct contact with that person, but still, there it is in his work place. This week, one of the elementary schools in town also had a small outbreak. It was a total of 3 people, but that is with no students in the building, only staff... and still, there was spread. I don't know what all of our determining factors are to go to "yellow" or hybrid classes, but I'm worried it will be rushed. I mean, I WANT to go to class and see students and talk to them, but I don't want there to be an outbreak in a school, and to have fatalities or other serious consequences. This disease can leave long lasting effects.

I've been struggling the past few weeks with an arthritis flair up in my knee. I've been to the Dr. and to the recommended Orthopedist. It is finally getting better, thank goodness, and I'm feeling up to walking again. I went this evening, and did the usual route. I felt so slow. I mean, I'm slow anyway, but I felt sluggish and struggled. I will take that to mean I really needed to do it. I'll feel better walking tomorrow having struggled today. If my knee will let me sleep tonight. That's the test. Will my knee find a comfortable position and let me sleep.

And then, if I do sleep, I'm hoping not to have repetitive Canvas dreams. I'll dream all night about doing something in a class, and struggling to get it to work, only to have to move on to the next class and do the same process again. And again. And again.

In other news, it is chile roasting time. Carl got a box of hot chile, and got it roasted and we bagged it up and split it. I have some milder in my freezer left over from previous years that I can mix in. Carl may be on the lookout for another box of something milder. Oh the wonderful smell of roasted chile. I'm so glad to have more in my freezer. This is the year for stocking up. That's for sure. I feel a certain level of need to stock up on stuff I know we'll need in the next few months. I'll get it if/when I can find it. I'm not hording with a ridiculous amount, just trying to stay prepared. Cleaning supplies can sometimes still be hard to find. I've been looking for Clorox wipes, and hydrogen peroxide. Sam's has been out of both. Of course, I don't haunt the stores for them, so I'm probably just missing what they have coming in. 

Social Distancing part 42

 August 17, Monday

First Monday back to school. I overslept, but not fatefully. Then I worked, and worked, and worked in Canvas. My learning curve was steep. I got some things graded today, in Canvas - my students had been sending me e-mails, and will continue, as that was the assignment - but I FOUND them in Canvas, and graded, and gave points - and other feedback - as appropriate. I will get more done tomorrow with that, I'm sure.

I actually got a video made in Canvas studio last night. It only took me reading the whole thing 5 times over 3 days, and realizing I wasn't recording, or wasn't logged in, or some other disaster to get it right (a very loose definition of "right" here). Today, I actually got it posted into at least one class (5 more to go). Another goal for tomorrow. Then, there's reading the next chapter. The book I'm recording myself reading is Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

All this camera time is new to me, and I'm not used to looking at myself like that while I'm talking, and it's a little disconcerting. My make-up department is definitely lacking. I'll probably fire the lot. I made the first of my instructional videos. Not sure I'm satisfied with it, so I will probably end up recording a zoom meeting this week. Sigh. I should probably attempt one on Thursday and another on Friday, in case there's a record button or something else I miss. There's another one to make, and lots of adding into the modules to be done, to be done... (why do I feel like breaking into Gilbert and Sullivan?) ... a teacher's life is not an easy one. 

Second meeting with today's classes, and the meetings were short and sweet check-ins. Questions asked and answered. Thanks for them catching problems/mistakes that I didn't. And not as much stress - at least for me - as the meetings last week. Of course I need to get ready for the instructional meetings for this week, and I'm working on it! I'm working on it! Our Monday/Tuesday zoom meetings can be drop in office hours for students to come in as needed. I may be the one who needs them to drop in. They were good for my heart today.

Tomorrow's learning curve will be about collaborations in zoom. So I can get it set up, and use it Thursday and Friday. It's nice to be able to take a break and get something done in the house, but, it's hard to feel like you leave work. 

Social Distancing Part 41

 August 13, Thursday

First day of students "at" school. Because we aren't AT school. We are electronically sharing a space of time. It was... not encouraging to look at all those black rectangles where I would have liked to have seen faces. I can't fuss at them, though. They may not have a camera, or the bandwidth or a background they want to show to anyone else. I get it. But I miss their faces. I miss them in person, all those personalities. Even - dare I say - the freshman drama.

Still the class zoom meetings went well. I am not a zoom expert, nor a Canvas expert. I told them they may have teachers making it pretty, but I'm just doing well to make it work. As the semester goes on, I might have the energy to put into making it look... at least not so plain. I did invite them to just "drop by" during office hours just to say Hi! I hope they will.

Even my stress dreams, leading up to the start of school have not been the normal ones, where I step out of my classroom for a moment, and then can't find my way back. I wander through school buildings and hallways, and - even though I KNOW the principal is waiting for me in my classroom - I never seem to find it. This year, my stress dreams were trying to get Canvas to do what I wanted. I would struggle through some set-up again and again and again. I hope I at least worked through some of my worries with that dream, but I think it was more a sign of things to come...

Three classes today, and each zoom meeting was only 45 minutes long at best. But it was tiring. I will definitely have to figure out my recharging. Maybe my craft room will help. I got out some different fabrics from my fabric hoard... uh... stash and ran them through the washer yesterday. I got some requests for masks from friends, my sister in law, and even Rain had a favorite or two. Cutting next and then time at the sewing machine. One thing about the masks is that they are quick to finish, once the prep is done, so there is a sense of accomplishment.

Think I will try making an apple and pear pie this weekend. Cooking is also on the agenda, it would seem. Now that I'm thinking about cooking, some homemade crockpot spaghetti sauce may be in our future. Brats go in spaghetti sauce, right??

Social Distancing Part 40

 August 11, Tuesday

On the "school is starting" front, I went on campus today to get Canvas help. I think we got my current issue solved. I found classes with students, yay! On the other side, though, Canvas was rather unstable all day, thanks to some updates they were trying to make. I understand the need for updates, I really do, but it is very frustrating when you are really trying to USE the program so you can be ready on Thursday for your students! More to do tomorrow.

I did spend some time in my classroom. Got a desk in place to use, and a bookshelf moved back near the wall. I dug out some books and started the process of moving them back to the shelves. I also found "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" so now I can read that to my classes.

Speaking of school starting, Onate did a cool swag bag meet with incoming freshmen. Much like our senior sign deliveries, we picked a few freshmen and delivered their bags to them. We got them to sign a commitment to graduate as well. It was nice to get to meet them, and feel like there are real people at the other end of all those online classes this year. I hope they will feel that way too. I picked students from my homeroom class, and I enjoyed meeting them.

Commit to graduate!

I got two lovely thank you notes today. One for helping with the 9th grade curriculum. Thanks Jamie Baker. One was for a basket full of masks that I made for my friend's daughter. She loved them. I've got a few "on order" from my sister in law and one of my oldest friends, and some October themed masks to put together as well. I have a batch the really needs to get finished up and returned to Cruces Creatives as well. Somehow, my time is shorter than it was. 

July went by so fast. Time for chile roasting is here. Alberson's has their roaster set up, and boxes of chile to choose from.

looking forward to some roasted chile

I posted a lot of flower pictures in the spring and early summer. Today I'd like to include an interestingly gnarly mesquite "tree" that I saw this week. About as green as the desert gets.

beautiful blue skies and Organ Mountains in the background

Social Distancing Part 39

August 4, Tuesday

I'm not sure where July went, or how it got to be August, but it is. Teacher work days start tomorrow. We'll be doing our professional development online. I'll be helping my team present the Canvas shell we've been working on to other 9th grade teachers. I was at school yesterday, helping out with the check out of computers and books to students. I'll go back tomorrow, to pick up swag bags to hand out to some of my new Freshmen advisory students later in the week. Kind of like what we did with the Seniors in May. 

Word came out today, that Onate High School will evidently be renamed Organ Mountain High School. (I won't have to worry about not typing the nyeah n any more.) It is a controversial change, and maybe, all things considered, not the best timing. On the other hand, hopefully it is a sign of bigger changes in an area sorely needing reform. Lives of color matter.

I went into my classroom yesterday, while I was at school. I was hoping to pick up a book that I just knew right where it was. Was being the key word. They cleaned. I mean took books off the bookshelves, everything off the walls, moved all the furniture and cleaned. I didn't find my book. It was in a crate of books, with other crates of books stacked on top. Not what I was willing to deal with at that moment. I need to go back and put things into an order. I've been trying to decide whether to work from my classroom, or work from home. Several of the teachers in my hall will be there. It would be nice to have some socially distanced company. Teachers to talk over the successes and failures. Get out of the house a bit. I just have to figure out how much and which days.

I've made more masks, of course, trying to get ready to go back to school, and this happened:

before and after mask making

OK, OK, no I didn't really used all that thread on making masks. But definitely a significant amount. Thanks to my friend, Cindy who gifted me the new one for my birthday because she knew I was worried about running out while Joann's was closed.

We had a run to the vet. Kaliegh was licking her paw a lot and we could see it was irritated, but neither Ron nor I could find a wound, a sticker, or anything. She wasn't limping, but there was something wrong. Turns out, she had stepped on 

extra love needed

something that had a stinger that got left between the pads of her foot. A tube of ointment, and a few days wearing the cone of shame and everything got better. Of course the cone of shame brought its own trauma, and Kaliegh had trouble getting past furniture, and through doorways. Getting a drink of water was even a challenge. She definitely got the extra encouragement she needed to make it through her tribulations.

The state campgrounds are all day use only, still. But we really wanted to get out in our RV. I mean, that's why we got it and all. But, we have to work within Ron's requirements for work, and stay in a certain distance of home, and such. We decided to KOA it, and made a reservation at the one in Silver City. It was clean and nice, and they are operating at less than full capacity. It was a nice couple days.

ask for a patio site

The patio was nice in the morning, and late afternoon. The first morning I was sitting outside with the dogs, and a skunk came strolling around the front end of the RV. The dogs had a moment, then the skunk had a moment, but everyone safely avoided disaster, and the skunk certainly ran with tail up, ready to blast, but he didn't!  Whew! We also had some nice rain that evening, mixed with a little hail.

just for the hail of it

We were snug in the RV, and no problem. Cooled everything off a bit, and that was nice.

But now, it's back to the salt mines. Getting to bed, so I can get up and function in the morning by 8. Glad I have a job to do. More secure in my own situation online than I would be in person. I will miss the kiddos. I will be glad when we can actually have a class full of students again. It can wait, though, until it is safe. Until we don't run such a risk of loosing some, and some teachers.