Teri Parris Ford's Blog

The Countdown to Summer started.

We had very hot weather this past week. It has felt very summer-like but I have felt like there is so much to do at work, that I haven't been feeling like summer is that close. Jim's summer starts next week. I've got about 18 work days still, only 14 with kids! I have a student teacher who will not be able to take things over, so my plan of having time to clean up the studio may or may not happen. Tomorrow I meet with senior editors to choose future editors who will make big changes next year. In Yearbook we start working on the senior edition of the newspaper, which always marks an end to the school year as well as run yearbook distribution. May is always such a whirlwind of activity. 

I had hoped with the heat would bring a better mood, and I guess it did and yet there's still some sadness hanging around. I miss my mom, and think about wanting to call her too often. I am trying not to worry about Jessi over in Europe doing work in the Baltic Sea (I sent her a big box of treats yesterday). I do enjoy having Erika at work with me and seeing her in the hall often as well as having Monika at home with me cooking, knowing both situations will come to an end in time. I think I have decided to push off retirement for several years now and that uncertainty has been a source of confusion for me. The economic downturn offers a bit more incentive to continue working (my retirement fund has lost tens of thousands this year). Becoming the art department head has me feeling some weight, as we are in this crazy transition time in education. And since I mentioned weight, I am constantly thinking about my actual weight, realizing more and more that the older I get, the less I can eat. By the time I'm 80, I'll be down to a small bowl of oatmeal a day-- haha. 

Here's a photo from the girls soccer game with two of my students who chose me as the teacher to be appreciated. It was wonderful to feel appreciated.

Hello to May!

The average temperature for May in Wisconsin is supposed to be about 70 degrees. We will barely get into the 60's this week. It's been so cold this spring with few warm days, it has soured my mood. I finally made it to a hot yoga class this past week and it helped warm my bones and stretch my muscles. I need to do this more often but the pandemic kept me away and has kept me wary of going too often. Last week I finished the yearbook, had kids finish the May issue of the school newspaper, finished up the school planner for next year and helped my student teacher finish her first big project in my art class. It was a busy week but the end of the school is near and the light of summer is getting brighter. I just wish it would make things warmer!!

Monika just returned from a trip to Minneapolis where she went to several concerts and visited with friends but she came home with symptoms so COVID may have finally reached us. Jim is in town for the weekend, which is nice for me but I'm hoping he isn't exposed to COVID. The news says that 2/3rd of Americans have had it, so I'm impressed we've managed to keep it at bay for so long, but I'm pretty sure I'm next. My office mate, Patty, just had it last week. I'm still wearing clothe masks and need to step up my game. 

Note: last Sunday I went to my first drag show to see my former middle school art student, Spencer, who goes by his mother's name for shows; The Other Jeannie Retelle, which is pretty funny. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the two of us had a moment during his performance. He stopped to hug me during his dance song and I said I love you in his ear and he turned and told me he love me. It was this really emotional experience for me. He then gave me a shout out afterwards telling the audience I was his art teacher. He was a special student for me, a favorite. It is interesting how some students touch you while they are in your class but a few continue to touch you.

Finally Some Warmth!

This spring has been not quite miserable but certainly not pleasant. I've been out of sorts at times with life not quite back to normal from the pandemic, feeling very in between places. We finally got a warm Saturday yesterday (over 80) and it was glorious. I drove over to Erika's after continuing my work on the garage to help her finish a project Monika started her on (redoing her entry closet). We had to pop over to Home Depot to pick up some screws for a shelf and looked around at the plants. It reminded me of being at Jessi's as I had gone to her Home Depot almost every other day when I was there last year. I got a lot of cleaning done at home, ran some errands with Monika and ended the evening watching the new Batman movie on HBO. Today is not quite as warm (only 60) but still sunny and pleasant. With better weather, I am hoping for better moods. 

 

No Holiday

I have put off cleaning out my garage for almost a month because of the cold. I finally decided to use the weekend to get it started with a space heater. It meant not being able to open the garage door, but I piled up stuff to donate or toss by the door. I did not get the whole space done but I got a great start.

It seems a little weird that it is Easter weekend. I no longer have any reason to celebrate, no days off work, no place to go, nothing special to cook. Jim and I used to create ornate baskets for the girls with lots of candy and gifts but not this year. I suppose the girls got big tax refunds for Easter (not me). With temps in the 30's, it's hard to get excited for spring. The snow in the forecast again. Ugh!

Plodding thru April

I started up with trying to take a photo each day again this year but I often forget especially on really busy days. I have stopped almost all social media posts as I rarely have any interest in engaging there. There's a lot going on in the world, at work, and even at home sometimes, but I feel like I'm just plodding thru life right now. I'm thinking it's just the end of winter blues once it warms up, life will lighten up. Today is Jim's birthday but he's busy with army duties this week. His new role as a major up in Minneapolis has him running around a whole lot more than ever, not quite as much as when he's been active duty though. He'll retire from the army at 60 and I am hoping that will be a good time for me to retire as well and move up to live with him full time.

10 years ago I had planned to retire right at 55 in order to spend time with my parents, especially my dad who I had hoped to go traveling with. After his death, I decided to hold off until I turned 57, which would have been this year. Then as the year approached, I knew retiring this year was premature so I did not pursue it but I've been grappling with the emotions of when to set aside what I've come to find is a lot people's dream job.  I can hear my mom telling me just to take it one year at a time. Sounds good.

Unproductive

Well vacation is over and I did very little. The weather made it hard to clean out the garage and it was my only goal. I'm hoping to get to it next weekend instead. We had several snow sessions, all light with melting almost immediately but snow all the same. What I did get done: a nice visit with Jim over the long weekend (Sat -Tues morning) but nothing accomplished at the new house, scanning of all family negatives from 1995 on Wednesday (see sample here with a look of how I feel today) and Jim's band concert negative (which I only scanned a quarter since there were so many), started working out again, watched all of Bridgerton season 2 and Pieces of Her on Netflix as well several episodes of other shows I'm watching (Picard, Severance, Moon Knight), a couple of movies and lots of news. I also worked on quite a bit of animation curriculum, some school newspaper and yearbook stuff, meeting a couple of students at school on Thursday and Saturday.

Here's a list of all the things I could have done but didn't attempt: cleaning out the garage, cleaning out the basement, staining the stairs in the condo, refinishing the floors in the extra bedroom or my master bedroom (we did Monika's room and almost finished the hall with the hope of using the same flooring for the rest of the upstairs), and/or painting the basement in the new house at Jim's. I've never made so much money before but I'm feeling strapped for cash and so reluctant to do anything that cost funds thus flooring and paint are out. In all honesty, I'm feeling blue, fat, and a bit lost. At least I started working out again and had several sweaty sessions in my basement with weights that I'm hoping will help pull me back to a place where I am more comfortable in my clothes. January and February were way too sedentary. I know that by the time spring arrives, the winter blues are typically weighing down heavily. In the past I've combated those blues with tanning sessions, travel, lots of hot yoga and or art making. This year I did little of any of that other occasional trips to MN to see Jim and short trip to see Jessi. Now that spring break is over, I'm looking at the month of April with nothing to look forward to other than warmer weather. I'm hoping just the sunshine will turn things around.

 

It's Spring Break

AND IT'S TOO COLD!! My first day of Spring Break and I woke up to snow. Yuck! We are in for cold weather all week and it's even colder in Minnesota. After a hot yoga class this morning I drove up to spend the weekend with Jim. I'll get back to Wisconsin on Tuesday to do some spring cleaning in Madison. I'd love to travel somewhere warm over my vacation but I have no one to visit for free and it's too expensive to travel just for heat. Jim and I discussed going to El Paso for a short visit but decided to save our funds instead. Once I'm back to school next Monday, I'll be on countdown mode for summer (74 days total, 53 school days). I paid for my summer pool membership this week and I'm eager to use it!

Mental Health Day

I've been working on a charcoal example at work during my art experiences classes. It's coming together so nicely, I think I will frame it! It's been a while since I've made art and I realize I really need to do it more! ]I need to figure out how to get more productive while working. I've been on this "when I retire" mode, putting off a lot of things I want to do but I encouraged by Josh recently to start my book before I retire as well as continue to draw and paint. I mostly just do examples, I'd like to just do me.

I started my mental health day off with a hot yoga class that was so hot it was amazing. It had been a lot time I left the studio drenched in sweat. I also started a new medication to weight loss. I'd been on a diabetes medication that helped me lose weight last year. I started this year with blood work that had my AIC numbers back to normal so I got off of it but immediately started gaining my weight back-- so frustrating. I think the bottom line was about hunger. I think that has been my issue all of my life, I get hungry and don't know when I'm full then eat too much. I wish I had the discipline to do it without medication but I don't. I was very happy that my doctor was very accomodating, giving me a few options to try. My pharmacist suggested I start it on a weekend just to make sure I did not suffer from some of the possible side effects. Instead I had a very successful day, feeling quite hopeful about getting back to that pre-Covid weight and then trying to lose more. 

Note: Jessi is gone officially for a while. I got to talk to her on the phone to discuss her phone plan so she will have access to it in Europe. I'm hoping the time is not stressful. The war in Ukraine is very stressful.

Getting Back

After our quick trip out east, I came home and weighed myself. I've gained some weight-- almost 10 pounds since the holidays. It is time to get back on track, back to the mat, back outside. It's still freezzing outside BUT Spring is in the air! This coming week weather-- 50's almost every day. I need to add walking to my afternoons. This weekend I went back to the hot yoga studio after 3 months off, but then I made vegan banana bread and watched a lot of tv. It's all about balance and moderation.

I got back to work last Thursday thinking I only had one week before spring break but then realized this weekend I actually have 2 weeks. Ouch. I have a student teacher coming in a week, so help is on it's way with my overloaded schedule. While not really overwhelmed, work is tiring so it is hard not to put my feet up when I'm home especially when its cold. I'm hoping with warmth, getting out side will get easier.

Birthday Weekend!

Monika doesn't have a birthday this year, so she's celebrating all weekend as well as Monday and Tuesday! I've taught my children well. Between school and work, she stays busy watching lots of shows, reading, baking bread, cooking vegan food, and playing with cats. It is hard to believe she's turning 26 sometime after Monday. She is a pretty good housemate really. Luckily we are interested in a lot of similar things to watch, so we have something on our agenda almost every day and get excited about new shows and new episodes. While she sometimes worries about ending up alone as she ages, I don't see it. She's too interesting. Erika joined us today for a Mexican vegan lunch and pedicures. Tomorrow we are going to the Nitty Gritty (a favorite celebration place) and then we leave next weekend for a quick visit to Jessi's for an extended weekend with Jim. That is also part of her birthday gift.

Jessi leaves for the Baltics March 10 to be a part of an American presence. I am hoping she won't be gone more than a year. What is happening in Ukraine right now is crazy but I'm all for doing something. Although no one wants war except Putin and some Russians (not all, I know). 

Overloaded

It's been 2 weeks since checking in on my blog and I had a student ask me about it yesterday! Oops. Without having my mom around to complain if I miss a post, I often procrastinate. My mom would call me if I missed a day, concerned about why. This semester I have an overload-- 6 classes instead of 5, so I'm feeling busier. I started swimming again at lunch twice a week to keep myself active. I actually posted my Professional Practice Goal as swimming 500 yards in 15 minutes twice a week. I know it's not really "professional" but it's about self care and staying healthy as a teacher during this difficult time. I'm overloaded, the pandemic is dragging on and I'm dealing with record numbers of students who are disengaged in my class. It's exhausting. BUT overall my classes are going well. Animation is the most time consuming class, not yearbook interestingly. The only discipline issues I seem to deal with is kids are are not engaged in class -- they stare at their phone, on Tik Tok or watching Netflix. They aren't disruptive. Kids are so rarely disruptive anymore, at least not in my classes. I have kids failing in all of my classes except Yearbook. They fail mostly because they rarely come to class and when they do, they don't work. I make rounds, after giving instruction to the class, asking kids who aren't working what they need. Students so rarely ask questions and seldom ask for help. If I sit back and work on other things, kids will sit back and just fail. There are a few kids who can't take the confrontation. They rarely push back, they just leave. There is a culture change and it scares me a bit. There are a lot of students who are avoiding life. What happens to those kids after high school? I try not worry about all that. I know I'm on my last few couple of years teaching. It makes for a nice balance in the scheme of things. 

Happy February!

I always think the worst of winter is over by the time we get to February, but of course, I'm usually wrong. This winter has been cold without a lot of snow. I try to plan a trip in February to get somewhere warm but haven't been able to manage it since the pandemic started. Luckily February is a short month. 

I've been working a lot on my animation curriculum during my free time. I'm staying late after work more often and spent most of the weekend putting together a flipbook and show kids how to video them in a presentation. I started an Animation club last week and am hoping to work with students to create a collaborative cartoon we can show off at Joe's film fest. Busy-- I have felt very busy with work. 

On the home front, Monika has been working a lot as well, between REI and her online school. Erika started 2 classes at UW for her masters program and is busy also. Jim seems to be very busy as well between his army duties and his classes at UMR. Jessi is out at sea and sent word she'll be leaving for the Baltics next month-- Jim and I will go see her before she goes. So I guess there's a lot going on. Balt had dental surgery that set me back a grand and I needed new tires, so I'm feeling tapped out as well!  

Celebrate 1/2 Way

I'll take anything I can get for an excuse to celebrate. Friday was the last day of the first semester so I took Erika out to lunch. Tomorrow begins 2nd semester. I've enjoyed a really nice schedule and tomorrow that changes to an overload-- 4 different classes, 6 hours. I'm teaching classes I have had at least once before, so nothing new, which is the most stressful, but I've only taught Animation once before, so I'm a little nervous. I always change a few things here and there in my classes and decided to use a bit slower approach, especially since so many kids will be out. I have yet to get sick this past year, and while there's a bit of fear there, I've been pretty careful this past month. I even quit going to hot yoga, but I'm still doing yoga in my basement. It's just not very hot. I think the pandemic is stressing me out more than the overload. I'm so eager for the weather to get better so we can open doors and be outside more-- it just feels safer!

Being Careful...

We enjoyed a nice first week of January with frigid weather, light snow and no kids. Erika warned me not to go back to hot yoga which I did heed. Poor Jessi got the flu after new year's celebrations but tested negative for COVID. I've been told to wear surgical masks at school instead of fabric ones. Once the kids come back, I'm thinking I'll double up with both. It seems so crazy we are back to way life was a year ago, feeling like the pandemic is in full force. Even with vaccines and boosters, life seems a little scary. I am back to going grocery shopping at the crack of dawn in order to avoid people and only getting food to go.  The big question is not just when but how will this pandemic end!?

Happy New Year!

After 2 weeks of together in Rochester celebrating the holidays, Jim and I went out to breakfast and then I drove back to Madison to get ready for life, work, and reality. Living in Rochester is nice, the house is wonderful and being with Jim everyday is fun but it's not quite home yet. I was happy to be back in Madison and even happier to find that school had been put off for 3 days due to the uptick in cases from omicron. I am not excited about going  back to virtual school but I'm hoping it will only be a few days or weeks.

Vacation is almost over...

Jessi and Cody left yesterday. We went out to breakfast in Rochester and then drove up to Minneapolis for the day. We took them downtown to the Nicollet Mall which isn't really a mall anymore. The maze of skyway bridges and paths between buildings in the city is very cool but so many shops had closed or were closed that it was not quite as fun as we had hoped but we got a great walk in-- over 5 miles total for my day. After the xmas weekend Erika and Kelly left Sunday afternoon for a getaway to Minneapolis and then back to Madison. Monika left on Monday morning, leaving Jessi and Cody to spend a few days with just Jim and I playing games, watching movies and going out to eat. It was so much fun!! 

I have a couple of days to clean up after xmas, relax and enjoy the last few days of my vacation. I plan to return to Madison on Saturday after bringing in the new year with Jim. On Monday I return to school without students. Omnicron is keeping students at home. We will go back to virtual classes on Thursday. I'm not sure when kids will return. It will reek havoc on my curriculum! Oh well.

Merry Christmas 2021

Everyone came home late Christmas Eve. Monika drove up from Madison around 3pm, in time for an Indian dinner out. Erika and Kelly drove over from east Wisconsin after a day of festivities with Kelly's family. Jim drove up to Minneapolis to pick up Jessi and Cody from the airport at 10:30pm. By midnight all three girls were happily in bed in our new home. Of course Balt got me up at 5am for breakfast and a short walk but what surprised me was everyone was up by 8am in the living room ready for Christmas to begin. When they were little, they'd get up at the crack of dawn but then once the teens hit, the hour got later and later. We've turned a corner in holiday timing! It was a very festive time. I made 2 batches of cinnamon rolls, one vegan and the other with eggs, butter and milk. The taste test revealed very little difference, the vegan rolls were fluffier, less dense, but just as tasty. I noticed a difference in gift giving. The girls used to be recipients of many gifts mostly given by Jim and I, sometimes other family sent in (grandparents, etc). This morning's gifts under the tree were mostly from them given to each other or to Jim and I. I tried to limit myself with one big gift to each daughter so they ended up with more from each other. Anyway, the morning was wonderful and seemed more about giving than receiving-- a nice metamorphosis. 

By noon Monika and I were working on lunch. We had 3pm movie tickets, so we ended up a bit pressed for time. The meal was so good, everyone was raving that our Christmas meal was so much better than our Thanksgiving meal. The ham came pre-cooked, the turkey did not. While the girls had asked to go to a 6pm showing of Spiderman, I saved over $30 buying tickets for the earlier showing. We were in heated dreamlounger chairs though, which was key. The early show was great, two thumbs up, and it offered us plenty of time for a rented movie at home. Finding a movie we can all agree on is no easy task in our household. We ended up on Krampus, a 2015 horror comedy that hit the spot. Monika was in only because the actors in it. I knew I'd be asleep through most of it, so did not abject to the horror. I have a feeling Krampus will become a traditional part of our holiday! He's a bit more fun to celebrate than St. Nick.

Winter Greetings!

The Extended Version of the Holiday Card 2021!

This year's card was festive and inclusive! "Happy Everything." I love it. Our family has had a really good year. I sent out a few printed holiday cards with a short recap of 2021 on the back, but here is my extended version just for the blog and my friends online. My kids like me keeping the information short and sweet-- sweet it is! But I can't resist giving you more details:

2021 started in the midst of a global pandemic that we are still in, so we were all home, staying as safe as possible. Jim and I were both teaching from Madison. While he had converted an upstairs bedroom into an office, I was going into the school to teach art remotely to students with take-home art kits and all lessons online. 

Erika purchased her first home at the end of 2020. She spent most of the year working with seniors. While she enjoyed her clients, she did not receive great compensation or any benefits. Late in August, Erika asked me about opportunities in the school district. After a short email to my principal, a whirlwind of interviews and paperwork proceeded. Erika became a cross-categorical teacher in September with an emergency license. For me this was the most exciting thing to happen all year. I absolutely love having Erika working in the same building as I do. I love my job and getting to have lunch with Erika once or twice a week is the icing on my work-cake. In January she will begin working on her masters in special education at the UW-Madison with most expenses paid either by the state, the school district, or the university. 

Jessi continues her work as a US Navy helicopter pilot at Norfolk, VA. She is out at sea a couple of weeks at a time. I love visiting her home so close to the beach. I got out there three times this year. After getting the J&J vaccine at the top of March, I was emboldened to visit her for my spring break. I enjoy helping her out with projects and walking Balt on the beach. At the end of May, Jessi and Cody, who had been engaged for a couple of years and dating since their time at the Naval Academy together, were secretly married on a rainy day in Virginia in order for Cody to be ensured a spot in Norfolk as a jet pilot once he finished flight school in Texas over the summer. They both want a big wedding with friends and family; however, between their busy schedules and the pandemic, they decided to elope this year and party later.  We are still hoping to figure out a way to celebrate in a big way soon. Cody moved into Jessi's house in September and we all celebrated Thanksgiving together there.

By the end of spring our whole family was fully vaccinated, offering us all a feeling of being able to visit each other with a lot less fear. Schools were opening up and I welcomed students back into my classroom which certainly made work a lot more fun. With the end of the pandemic in sight, we knew Jim would be back in his classroom in Minnesota in the fall. The unfavorable real estate market made us unsure about our hopes of buying a second home in Rochester, but we got lucky in July and moved in in August. I had stored quite a bit of my mom's household in a Uhaul box over the year, so we were able to move in with most everything needed for the kitchen, dining room, bedroom and bathrooms. It was a lot more than Jim needed or wanted, but it certainly brought me a feeling of home I needed. 

Monika received a scholarship to go back to school in the fall for computer programming. She decided to leave her position at SOM Yoga Retreat Center in Michigan at the end of the summer. It has been quite a treat for me to have her back home, especially because she is a great vegan cook. She brought with her a new pet, Perry Parris, my mom's cat, who had been staying with a friend. Peter, our 17-year-old family cat crossed the rainbow bridge in September, so we are back to three cats in the condo. After a few scuffles, they all seem to be getting along finally. I often wonder if Perry remembers my mom. I know my mom would be so happy to see him so comfy in Monika's room. 

Jim and I turned 56 this year, Monika turned 25, Jessi turned 27, Erika turned 31, and Balt turned 11! While our family has not been touched by illness, the pandemic has affected us all. I keep wondering when things will go "back to normal" and think: we are in the midst of creating a new normal.  We will look back on this transitional time in history, I think, in awe. I personally have so much to celebrate this year and feel so blessed. The gifts of love, peace and happiness have been poured out this past year to our family. May your holiday season and 2022 be filled with love, peace and happiness.

 

Hello Perry!

We have a new cat in our household! Perry actually came to us for a few days after my mom passed away. Monika had promised my mom to care for her cats but with 4 cats already living in my condo, I could not add a 5th and 6th! So I set out to try and find a home for them that was not mine. Monika also set out to find a home for them, hoping to find someone who would take them in but later give them back to her when she could take them in. Although my mom wanted to keep her brother cats together, we found it impossible to unload 2 cats together. I unloaded one, and Monika found a temporary home for the other one. That was almost a year and a half ago.

When Erika moved out, I got down to 3 cats and then earlier this fall, when Peter was put down, we got down to 2. Monika had moved back home, so she set out to get her grandma's cat back. Her friend had taken such good care of him and was reluctant to give him up but the arrangement was set up to be temporary. Now Perry is with us, 2 other cats; Lewy & Marty, Balt, me and Monika. He's figuring his way. He's come to find that Balt ignores him and Lewy isn't bothered by him. He doesn't get along with Marty but they are getting better. The occasional growls are less and less. Perry isn't a fan of Jim's like Peter (who adored him). He sleeps with me when Monika is out of town, which I find interesting since all the other animals are in the room. I think my mom would be happy. 

It's the Holiday Season!

I drove up to Rochester to help Jim get things decorated. I decided this year to take all of our Christmas decor up to Minnesota and not do any decorating in Madison. It just did not make sense to get two trees and Monika says she just not into Christmas anyway. I will miss having lites up at the condo but I don't want to buy another set. So Jim and I went out for a wonderful lunch and then went to Menards for a few extras. I ended up putting the lites up -- multi colored in front, blue in the back deck. Jim had the tree already set up, so all we had to do was decorate it. I went through all the old decorations and tossed things that were broken or torn. Balt had chewed up a few of my handmade ones and as endearing as that was, I finally threw them out. I have a nativity scene and my mom's and decided to donate them all but Monika asked me to keep them. It was a very nice evening preparing for Christmas. 

Thanksgiving in Virginia

I knew going into 2020's, I'd be spending way more time on the east coast for a while, most likely for the next decade or two. I left Tuesday late afternoon for Jessi's with Erika. We spent the night in Dayton, OH and arrived in Norfolk by 5pm, Wednesday. Jim left Minneapolis Wednesday at 4pm and arrived at 11pm, but I was passed out in bed by then. Monika had driven up the weekend before. We woke up Thursday, all in the same house for the first time in a long time with a new member of the family-- we now have a son-in-law. Thanksgiving was perfect. Cody made the turkey, Monika made all the veggies (vegan) and I made the bread rolls and gravy. There was tons of food for a leftover meal the next day. Jessi's house Is always fun to visit especially with good weather. It got to 60 degrees, perfect weather for a long walk on the beach with Balt! We went to the Chrysler Museum on Friday with a quick visit to the AT&T store to add Cody to our family plan. 

3 Marvel movies in one month!

I finally got to watch Black Widow on Disney+ earlier this month and last weekend Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings went on Disney+, Monika and I watched it the night it was released. Then yesterday Monika and I went to see Eternals for $5 at our local theater. It had been the first time either of had been to the movies in nearly 2 years! I thought it would be crowded since our local theater lowers the price on the Tuesday but it was quite empty! I did not feel uncomfortable at all in my mask (yes, we are still masked in Madison) since I'm pretty much living in one during the work week anyway. Of the three movies, I really liked Shang-Chi the most but all three were very entertaining! I do enjoy a Marvel movie!! I'm usually waiting for months to get in one good Marvel movie, so to see three within weeks of each other seems extraordinary. I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to Black Widow (which came out in July) other than I knew I did not want to go to the theater to see it. I was reluctant to go last night but Monika was very eager to see Eternals. There were lots of names I was eager to see, esp Selma Hayek, who is my age playing a superhero. Monika was very excited to see the first Mavel movie gay kiss on screen and we were both thrilled about a most diverse cast. We both gave the movie a big thumbs up.

Boosted

Well, birthday week was a bust-- poor Erika got sick this week. She ended up taking her birthday off work (her first day off since being hired at JMM). She had to get a COVID test to return to work. Luckily the rapid test came out negative but she has to have  a "real" test that takes 24 hours for results so she got to take Friday off too. I'm sure she needed the extra day anyway to fully recover, but it meant not being able to celebrate with her. 

I got my booster today at lunch and made sure not to plan anything over the weekend just in case I had a reaction. I decided to get the Moderna boost since I read that it gave the best efficacy for the J&J shot. So far so good-- no side effects yet. 

It snowed lightly today-- the first snow of the season. I came home after what felt like a long week and made a big fire. Monika and I watched Survivor on Paramont+ then Shang Chi on Disney+. It was a very nice start to my weekend!

Birthday Week!

November birthday week gets kicked off with Balt!! Balt turned 11 yesterday. That's about 77 in dog years, although I read on a dog website, he's only 72. He got a check up a couple of weeks ago and he's pretty healthy, although he has a shakey leg syndrome that-he gets pain meds for that keeps him able to go for walks. With Monika home now, he continues to get a lot of attention throughout the day. I wonder how I will deal with his passing. He truly is my best buddy. 

I had Monika send Jessi a big box of Mary Kay supplies. Poor Jessi has a busy work week and will not have time to do much celebrating until next weekend. I'm looking forward to traveling out to her place for Thanksgiving. I'm taking Erika out for yoga and out to dinner. Since she's been working at Memorial with me, we've been able to spend many lunchtimes together. It's been pretty fun having her at work with me although I only see her at lunch.

Halloween Weekend in Rochester

I'm at Jim's for the Halloween weekend with wonderful weather. He had a party with work friends he wanted me to come to last night. I got Patty to cover my 7th hour photo class on Friday so I could leave early. I rolled in to Rochester with just enough time to change and get Balt settled before running out to the party which was out on a farm. I enjoyed meeting (or re-meeting) many of his colleagues. I'd been to a wedding 4 or 5 years ago where I had met many but that had been so long ago. They had a big bonfire which was fun (and warm) but by 10pm I was starting to feel woozy on my feet-- so tired and I had refrained from alcohol. Jim happily cut out early and I was in bed by 11pm. Balt let me sleep in until almost 6am. At the new house I'm able to enjoy a morning fire with just a flick of a switch-- the gas fireplace is not quite as warm but still cozy. Jim and I enjoyed a long walk today on the state trail (3 1/2 miles) and then I took Balt an another walk later in the day after lunch. I made chili and we watched 1971 on Apple TV.

Keeping on Keeping on

Well, there's not a lot to report... good weather, fall colors, house cleaning, yoga, art making. My painters just started a watercolor still life, so I'm making one (see beginning outlines posted here). I'm doing a bowl of pears with an apple, knowing it's something my mom would have enjoyed. I also have been making small clay gnomes for Jessi. I've started my xmas shopping. Monika continues to work on upgrading her room and is almost done. We need to hang her new shades and she wants a few more furniture items. She left her full sized bed in Michigan, so eventually she'll go pick that up and change out the twin. At that time, I'll take the twin bed to Jim's house in Rochester. Eventually everything is going to have to move there and I'm not sure how that can happen, but there's no need to worry about it for a few years. I'm enjoying the school year-- our COVID numbers are low, kids are engaged and all is well.

Keep it Positive!

I'll be honest, I've been trying to live with overt positivity. About 20 years ago I learned a very personal lesson about "faking it until you make it." It works and well. Within months of deciding to just get through my depression by pretending to be happy, I actually started feeling happy and it kind of surprised me how really happy I felt. This year, after a wonderful summer, I knew this school year would be challenging. We had so much freedom last year working online with classes meeting every other day and we enjoyed long periods of breaks between. Going back to work in the building with daily classes and only 5 minute passing time, while "back to normal" seems exhausting at times, but I refuse to admit it. At some point early on I decided just to take it all in stride and be happy, obnoxiously happy at times. At staff meetings we have these one word "check ins" that I think are dumb. Teachers say they are exhausted, overextended, etc. and I just come in with "happy" or "great" >> syruppy positivity that is somewhat real and kind of fake. If life is not awesome on Monday, it is by Friday.

I've been starting my mornings with Shaun T in the morning on Beachbody and boy, if I don't feel awesome before the workout, I do after. He's crazy positive and I love it. I'm down to my pre-Covid weight, so I had great success over the summer with all the swimming and yoga and eating vegetarian as much as possible. It's going to be a challenge to keep it all off but with Monika home, it should be easy to keep a vegan lifestyle. We'll see.

Grace got married!

We have had wonderful weather to start the autumn season off this past week. Today after a year delay, Grace had her wedding outside at a barn in Spring Green. It really was perfect weather and a beautiful site. She had a whole Memorial table with all the art teachers, her fellow Avid teacher and her co-bike club coach. It was so much fun to spend the evening with friends socializing. Both Jim and Monika came with me, and all my art teacher friends had their spouses/sig other with them as well, which made it even more fun. I was so happy for Grace and even got weepy during the ceremony which was so beautiful and completely absent of all religion. The reception include a lot of vegan food which made Monika very happy. While there was dancing, there was no DJ-- instead everyone wore headphones and listened to 1 of 3 choices of music. It was kind of weird but still fun. 

Today I turned 56

While I'm definitely a middle aged woman, BUT I'm not a senior citizen for another decade or so! I see myself looking older (esp my skin and added grey hair) BUT I feel good. I got all that covid-19 weight off over the summer and I'm starting the school year in a good place. I love being at work with students again!

Yesterday was Erika's first day at work as a special ed teacher. She's having a very different experience in the classroom than I normally have. She's in a science room in the morning and I think, in a study hall in the afternoon. She got to go into Grace's special art class today and she loved that! It is so fun to have her here in the building with me telling me about her day during lunch. Today I had a small party for my yearbook class outside with hot dogs and cake! The kids were excited since it was a surprise. Tomorrow Jim will take me out to eat after school and we will celebrate all weekend! 

 

Progress being made

Monika has been working on remodeling her room all week. She's going at a slower pace than I'd like but the quality is high. She's learning a new skill and Erika is hoping to capitalize on that by having Monika do the floor at her condo. I'm paying for the materials and enjoying having someone else do all the hard work (flooring is weird combo of easy and difficult). I'm hoping to have the hallway finished as well. Monika is planning on adding new window treatments and baseboards, then furniture before she starts school in October. 

The big news for this week was from Erika. She will start as a cross categorical teacher at Memorial this week. The shortage is real and she's capitalizing on getting an emergency credential and having a new degree paid for. I am very excited to see her in the hallways!