Teri Parris Ford's Blog

Another Example

Working with my students on our final projects makes for most of days being pretty relaxed. While not all students are caught up, I'm doing my best to keep things less stressful so kids can get their work done with what time we have left with school. My favorite project that I do with my digital art (illustration) students is the self portrait where kids just draw over a photo. It's super easy (for me) but a lot of kids who feel like they are not good artists create really nice work since there isn't a lot of thinking, just draw what you see. It gets some students inspired to keep drawing. I grabbed the photo I shot for our first project to draw over as an example (included here). I usually get these projects printed and post them in the office for admin and they love it. 

As the school year winds down, we have 2 weeks left of class, no finals, we are starting to think about clearing out, cleaning up, yearbook distribution (the book is getting delivered this week) and just finishing up having survived a crazy year. What's next year going to look like?? No one knows. 

Mother's Day

This was my first Mother's Day without my mom. Erika was so sweet and called ahead of time to ask about my day and if we could have brunch together. I got up early and made quiche and the two of us enjoyed some time in the sunshine chatting with Balt. It made my day. Of my three daughters, Erika is most like my mom. She's more like my mom than I am, in her disposition, physically, in her sensitivities. Because Erika lived with my mom at the end of her life, she knows my mom, in some ways more than me. While it's kind of nice to be off the hook for Mother's day gifting, I miss my mom on a daily basis, thinking about her, wanting to talk with her. 

Monika called but had to work most of the day (Sunday is her busy day) and Jessi sent me flowers-- red roses but she ordered lilies for me. Jim offered to take us out but between the busy brunch time and COVID concerns, it was just easier for me to make quiche with some of my CSA veggies. I went to a late afternoon hot yoga class and then went for an early evening walk with Jim. It was a wonderful day.

It’s Called Languishing

The New York Times had an article a couple of weeks ago I read that I connected with. As we emerge from the pandemic, I keep thinking I need to be doing more. Jim and I discussed the article at length. He feels it too but fights for well being and productivity way more than I do. He has a method of managing his time. He spends an hour doing whatever it is he's doing-- so an hour walking (or two), an hour grading, exercising, reading etcetra, and then keeps track of all of his hours. According to the article, finding "flow" is way out. I find flow when I'm painting, working on a project, prepping for classes. I'm currently just waiting for the school year to end, holding off on starting anything new to do, but it won't be long, I think, and I'll be back in the thick of it. I've got a  list of things to work on... I just have to motivate myself to jump in:

• start doing hot yoga 2-3x weekly
• CSA starts 5/8>> start eating all vegan again
• Pool opens 5/29 >> start swimming
• Flooring: rip out all carpet and re-do stairs
• Redo tile in bathrooms
• Animation Curriculum for 2021-22 classes

Hello HEAT!

We welcomed May with a couple of 80 degree days, making for an amazing weekend. Then to top off my wonderful weekend, the yoga studio opened with both vaccine only maskless and masked hot yoga classes. I took the vaccine only one on Saturday and the regular one on Sunday. I wasn't sure how hot yoga would work with a mask but it wasn't so bad. We did not deep breathing exercises though. I stank pretty badly after the first one. Sweating out those toxins isn't pretty. 

Jim had an army weekend in Ft. Macoy and was gone so I did a lot of cleaning, organizing and watched several seasons of Girls on HBO aside from doing yoga. Erika came by today to hang out a bit and grab a few items I wanted to toss out. She misses the animals and likes to spend time with them while we catch up on news. She's got a nice rhythm to her life with work which seems very stress-free.  She mentioned not having anyone to hang out with mid-week when she has time off and I told her Monika would be back next fall and would probably be more available than me. Hopefully I'll have more time once school gets out for summer. It is so nice to see her looking so good and so happy.

Students are in the room!

This past week seniors and freshman began to enter in my classroom for the first time since March 2020. On Tuesday I had my editors-in-chiefs in to finish up the yearbook. It made the work so much more fun and celebratory. I have to admit this year's yearbook, while more difficult in some aspects, this book has been one of my the least stressful books in part because of my student's leadership and work ethic. Every year I have amazingly talented students but this year I feel like just had more. Oh, sure they still have senioritis and they procrastinated a ton but not as much as years past ironically. With the book done, I was able to make appointments I had been putting off (massage, hair, nails, etc) and I've had way more down time at home.

Any time there's a lot of down time on my schedule, I always feel pressure to start a big project, as if any down time is wasted time. I've been wanting to redo my floors upstairs but it's a really big project, so I'm putting it off until summer and letting myself relax. I'm eager to start going back to the yoga studio in May and swimming at the pool! As this pandemic starts to wane, going back to normal is starting to look like a reality! Jim and I are eager to add travel into our plans soon. Next week I'll add juniors and sophomores to the mix of kids it the classroom. I'm hoping by next year, I'll be only teaching kids in the room again.

Walking Uphill

This next week students are coming back into the class. Now that I'm vaccinated, I'm not too concerned about the health issues. There are a lot of stressed out teachers for various reasons. My stress is not really work related anymore. My yearbook and newspaper kids have been so good at getting the work done that I've had it made on that front. I have some students failing my classes that I need to get up to passing and do some prep but it doesn't stress me out, it's just work that needs to be done. What stresses me most about life is my health. I've started meditating daily to help. I use a "waking up" app that helps guide me. I exercise almost daily but I'm not sure it's intense enough to count. While I've heard most Americans have put on a few pounds over COVID lock downs, I think I have a few factors at play.

The added sedentary lifestyle that virtual teaching has turned into meant less steps taken every day and boy did that add up. Not being able to get into a studio to do hot yoga also meant a lot less time paying attention to my body, stretching and meditating. I often got to yoga classes early or left late so that I had that mindful time in my day. And then there is aging. I am now several years post-menopausal and that has slowed and sagged things. I'm on some new meds this week and trying to eat even less. I'm guessing by the time I'm 80, I won't be able to eat  hardly anything! Jim came back from his army training with a cold. With both of us vaccinated, I wasn't too concerned about getting him tested since things seemed pretty mild (he had soar throat, congestion and cough). While I did not get sick, I was pretty tired from what I think was just fighting it off!? I used to think of aging as a hill with middle age being at the top and then it's all down hill from there but NO! Aging is a valley. We start our youth on a mountain top and middle age is a valley. The end of our lives are all up hill and the journey is tiring!

56!

Today Jim turned 56. That's means I'm turning 56 in 5 months. We had a family text chain discussing if 56 means Jim is a "senior" and no longer middle aged. 50's are the new 40's was mentioned along with 30 is the new 20 which I know Erika is feeling having turned 30 last year and just now starting to enjoy independent adult life. Since she is the only daughter living in Madison, she came by to help Jim and I celebrated Jim's day. He'd been gone all week with Army work in Missouri as it was his spring break. It has always been frustrating to me that the two of us never have spring break at the same time.

To make the day more special, I made a homemade chocolate cake and lasagna with garlic bread for his birthday lunch. I used new recipes from my New York Times app. The lasagna called for red wine in the sauce which seeped into the noodles, making for a very different lasagna experience. The cake was extremely disappointing. The recipe called for buttermilk and butter which I decided to splurge on instead of doing a vegan cake. The cake was so dry that luckily I had purchased some ice cream to go with it and that made it edible. After each of us had a slice, the rest was tossed out. Erika suggested soaking it milk, but neither Jim or I wanted those extra calories in the house. I'm already eager for the next birthday cake I can make since this one did not quench the craving. We all watched an old 20/20 murder mystery show which is Jim's favorite lately. 

April Flowers

I came home from Virginia to find my daffodils blooming. Every year I plant a bag of bulbs for my birthday just for this. It is so exciting to see them around the yard. The weather has been balmy and wonderful since I got home but I haven't have much time to really enjoy it. While I have tried to get out and walk everday, I have so much work right now. Since returning I've had to catch up on prep, grading and getting caught up. My list of things to do is long but I know it will wind down once the yearbook is done and the kids are back in the classroom. I got my numbers today and at most I will have 9 students in a class, a few only have 4 kids coming back. Students will only be in my class in person once a week with a once a week virtual visit, while other students will stay on all virtual. 

Today I got my oil changed in the Yukon and I was congratulated for having an old car with such high miles (185K) in such good shape! It was kind of nice. No need to be looking for a new car anytime soon. 

Changing Weather

A big storm rolled in last night. I knew that cold weather was rolling in, so I made sure to get out to the beach for a long walk to get my last dose of the beach. I am leaving on Saturday morning before the sun comes up, so I will miss the next warm up on Easter Sunday. Luckily it should be fairly warm in Madison for Easter.

I finished re-painting Jessi's stairs. She had put on decorative decals onto the white paint but after time, they bubbled up. Once removed the paint pulled off and I could see that it had been painted on top of varnish. Stripping the paint was not easy. I ended up sanding it down with an electric sander to get it cleared out. I painted 3 coats and still some of the wood varnish would show through. I wanted to restain the steps and put a poly coat on them but Jessi didn't want that. She was fine with the way it was and why do the work not wanted.

My spring break started officially yesterday since I had a big yearbook deadline on Tuesday that I had to attend to. I am enjoying staying away for all things work. I decided to start a meditation program for the week. I have been working out in the morning but would like to add a more meditative component. I have really been missing hot yoga, which was very meditative for me in the past. At home when I do yoga, I am always get distracted, so rarely finishing an online class. Anyway, I've studied mindfulness but wanted to work on focus.

Working Out

I am officially on vacation finally. I still have a big yearbook deadline on Tuesday but my students got most everything done yesterday. I am so proud of them. I will meet with my editors in chief to make sure the pages are good to go and will transmit them then but until then I don't have a lot to do for work. I have tons to do for Jessi though! 

On Friday we walked the beach to celebrate. Her housemate and her boyfriend came with. The weather was perfect after a long day of classes (Wednesdays and Fridays are my long days). Saturday we started the day going grocery shopping at the commissary on the base which is cheaper and I wanted a new NAVY sweatshirt to replace an old tattered one I bought when she at USNA. We mowed the lawn, planted some flowers went to the beach but didn't stay long because it was too windy and I made tacos for dinner. I also worked on removing some paint with stripper on her stairs which has not been easy. I think I'm going to run to Home Depot today to get an electric sander and try that. 

Note: Jessi and her housemate (Megan) have been really enjoying the home gym I got them for the garage (see below).

Being Handy

Jessi claims she is not very handy so when I come to visit, she wants to get lots of projects done because I'm handy. I grew up seeing my dad fix everything all the time knowing being handy could be easy but was witness to plenty of times of frustration. I see Jessi trying to be handy. So far I have fixed and painted her front door, installed a new thermostat, started stripping paint from her stairs, measured her kitchen cabinets to order new doors, cleaned out her garage and organized a shed. 

Today after going out to breakfast, she power-washed her whole house while I was teaching online. She was not able to get to the second floor, but overall her house looks great. After I was done teaching I spread weed & seed all over her lawn before it started raining. Jessi had a training to go to, so I watched tv and hung out with her housemate (a very nice 2017 grad from USNA who was a diver on the team). 

Road Trip

There was no school on Friday-- just PD meetings all morning and planning time in the afternoon. I made all of my meetings on zoom while driving to Virginia. It was smooth sailing for a 16 hour drive. I've been wanting to visit for months and I'm thrilled to finally be able to visit with Jessi for 2 weeks. I still have work to do, so I made sure to bring all of my art supplies, my cameras, extra rosters and two laptops. I worked last May from here so I know it's doable. I ordered higher internet speeds for Jessi last May and I know she never bothered to lower it afterword. She has a new housemate and has lots of new projects for me to help her with so things are a bit different.

 

Today started off cold, colder here than in Madison but I know it will warm up later in the week. We had a relaxing morning but got to work in the afternoon, cleaning out the garage and setting up storage in Jessi's shed. We made extra room in the garage for a workout area for Jessi with weights, a slam ball, rope and weights. It's pretty cool! I'll be honest, this was a project I wanted mostly so I would have a place to workout while visiting!

3 out 5!

Monika was at a drug store yesterday in Michigan when she was asked if she'd like a vaccine as they had extra at the end of clinic they had run. She called me to ask if she should do it and I told her, YES! She ended up with the Pfizer one, so now the three of us each have had a different one. She called me this morning to tell me she had a very sore arm today. I noticed that my left arm seemed red with a mild rash this morning when I got out of the shower but I'm not sure if is vaccine connected. Other than that, I don't think I've had any side effects. Erika was able to get a vaccine months ago, when they first came out as a senior care worker but she claims she's been too busy and wasn't eager, wanting to hold out to see how others faired. She came by on Sunday to visit and said she was ready to get one, but knowing her it will take her another month to do it. Jessi wants one, but has to wait until the Navy gives it to her. 

I have begun packing for my spring break trip. I'm leaving Friday and staying 2 weeks with Jessi. I'm so excited. Jim decided to stay home to take care of cats and enjoy the quiet. Jessi is going to keep me busy with projects and I'll still need to work for the first week I'm there. 

One and Done!

Yesterday I got my J&J vaccine at the Dane County Coliseum! I waited about an hour and had to stay after just in case I had a reaction, which I didn't. I haven't had any reactions at all, nothing. I don't think Jim had any either. He still has to get another shot in April, whereas I will be good to go in two weeks. I am planning to leave for Jessi's as soon as I can! 

At work, we are getting ready for kids to return to the building. We have a testing date on the books in April, so life should be a bit more normal before summer-- just a little bit. The plan is to have two cohorts, half the kids in the class for two days while the other half is on zoom. Lots questions and not a lot of answers. We are just going to wing it, which teachers are great at.

Two Appointments!

On March 1st, the first day teachers could get a vaccine, I started checking into Walgreens to get an appointment and got one for today. I also signed up for the lottery with county which I heard would not start accepting teachers until mid March since they were so backlogged. But I am guessing since Wisconsin got the J&J vaccine, they moved up the teacher lottery and I got an invite for an appoint for next Tuesday, so I gave Jim my Walgreens appointment. I went with him just in case. They did need to check with management but since we share an insurance card, they seemed to be okay with the switch! So Jim has the first shot of Moderna vaccine! I am so excited we are getting closer to being able to travel again!!

I did some cleaning, washed the car, gave Balt a bath, vacuumed, made apple spice bread, worked on scanning old negatives, and watched a season of The Middle. It was a pretty nice Saturday!

March! March!

I got a love hate thing with the month of March. It's a tease with warming temps and glipses of spring. This month I have a vaccine to look forward to-- in Wisconsin teachers are on the list for who's next. Eager teachers got their appointments early (end of February) in order to be among the first at Walgreens, but those teachers will need the second dose during spring break. I'm planning to be out of town that week, so I'm kind of hoping to hold out for the J&J one that is only one dose. We'll see. Public health here is back logged and still playing catch up with front line workers. I've seen posts from teachers driving all over the state to get their Walgreens vaccine. I'm eager, but not that eager.

Last weekend I made a challah bread loaf (not vegan but used vegan butter on it when I toasted it). I've been trying to get back to at least vegetarianism, if not vegan most days. 2 weeks ago I got inviciline retainers put in to straighten up my old lady teeth and that has been somewhat painful. I was hoping the process would help me lose weight since I can't eat with them on and my teeth hurt when I take them off. In 3 months I'll show off my before and after pics but I don't think I'll end up losing much weight after all.

YogaFest Weekend

Monika had been working months for the Yoga Fest event this weekend. I wanted to support her as much as possible to I participated in a few events. I made sure to check in as soon as it started on Friday afternoon so I can see her welcome. She also had a welcome on Saturday morning (pictured here). Later in the day she moderated a Q & A with Naren (an ordained Hindu priest). Jim and I made sure to check in to that special zoom call. She asked really great questions, and we were both proud of her efforts. Erika is teaching a class later today that I am planning to participate in as well. I think at some point in the future Monika and Erika could organize a special yoga event together with all the experience they both have. 

I spent my Saturday doing very little. I did vacuum (filled and emptied my can 3 times!) and started laundry.  Jim and I watched some Netflix and a movie on Hulu. Today is supposed to get warmer (30), so I may go outside to knock down the big icicles but if I just wait a week or so, they may just melt on their own. My progress report grades are due tomorrow at noon, so I spent my morning catching up on grades. My schedule is a bit easier (only 3 preps instead of 4 from last semester) but between yearbook deadlines, materials distribution, budget issues, and prep to be observed, I'm still feeling maxed out. Add on top of it all the discussion of students coming back to the classroom and preparation for that, it occassionally feels crazy. Luckily, it doesn't feel crazy often.

Happy Valentine's

The past few February's I have tried to take a trip. Last year Jim and I went to Minneapolis, the year before that I went to El Paso. When the girls were in college I would go visit them Annapolis or LA (or both!). Of course there is no going anywhere this month and it's killing me. I am contemplating sneaking away to visit Jessi at the end of the month since we will be back in the classroom. Do I wait for the vaccine? or do I risk it!!? Oh, why is this so hard? I'm going stir crazy. The whole month has been crazy cold. Today we had a high of negative something with wind chills making it even colder. The animals are all going nuts too. They keep wanting outside and then coming right back in. In and out. I have to take Balt out for quick short walks. 

Yesterday I went to the grocery store and stopped by to get Jim new slippers for Valentine's. I also got him a bunch of stuff he put on the grocery list, so added it to my gifting pile. The flowers were from me to him to give to me. I ordered vegan gluten free sugar cookies from a favorite bakery and we went out this morning for coffee (to go) and picked up the cookies. I made Indian food for lunch (lentils, spiced rice, and Trader Joe's samosas with onions and cucumbers). We enjoyed our cookies for dessert. I made it as fun as I could given it may have been the coldest Valentine's Day in history. 

Meetings and more meetings...

The superintendent of MMSD announced this morning that we will begin a phased return to in-person instruction, starting with Kindergarten students on March 9th, while other grade levels will transition back to in-person learning on a weekly basis. There was no mention of teachers being vaccinated first. Wisconsin is behind in the vaccine process. Teachers are supposed to be in the next group; "1b" that initially was to start this month but now we are being told maybe in March. In general, teachers in Madison are not happy about this announcement, some threatening to go on strike before returning. I am not sure how I feel honestly. I've been teaching from school already, and I am eager to get back to a sense of normalcy but getting kids back to school will not make the world normal. 

This evening and all day tomorrow I have parent teacher conferences for struggling students. There are a lot of strugglers out there. There has always been kids who struggle, but without being able to meet with them after class, after school, during lunch or to pull them aside during class to help them one on one, it has been difficult to connect with kids. I had a conference today with a student who shared she is often confused and did not know how to get help which is frustrating. I feel like I do so much to make sure they know how to get help. It's been struggle for many. I think we are in for many years of struggle. Opening up the schools is not going to fix things... it may make things more complicated. We'll see.

Frigid February

It's so cold, there's not a lot to do other than work and clean house. I got a new vacuum cleaner at Costco the other day the lady behind the counter called me a "Costco Queen" noticing that I had a reward that was big enough to pay for my membership. It made my day but no one else seemed to appreciate it. My mom would have and that made me miss her. 

I've included my example of the first big digital art project example here. Kids are starting to work on theirs and I'm excited to see their projects. On Thursday we had a snow day and I was able to work on my painting example. I am enjoying my classes  and my schedule. I think I would have loved it a lot more had we been in school for real. School officials are getting things prepped for students to return. I'm not sure how that will all play out. It's all so uncertain and no one has any answers when I ask. I can't imagine any big changes any time soon. In Wisconsin teachers are up for vaccines in the next round which hopefully will happen in the next few weeks but in our district, high school teachers are lowest on the list of priority. I am hoping to get it before spring break so I can go visit Jessi.

Jim was in Indiana for an army training all last week. He stayed at a hotel and went out to eat, so even though he was wearing a mask and with army folks who wore masks, they ate together without masks. I'm crossing my fingers he didn't bring COVID home.