Wednesday October 14, 2020

Yes, teachers as pawns in the game of Covid, and students too. I didn't have a choice about where I would teach physically, but I feel well cared for otherwise. I would wish your district would hold off too Peps. Everyone is probably finally used to the new school year. Now would be the time to keep going for the kids it's working for, and to implement interventions, real interventions, for the kids who aren't making it. So far, we're doing okay with hybrid, far from ideal, but it's what we can do. I hope we continue for as long as we can. It only takes a few days to move to distance learning, but there are so many moving parts to bringing students back into the buildings, hybrid or fulltime in person. Jumping back and forth seems so disruptive. My dream: end the year with fulltime in person. Probably just a dream though....

Peps, I don't know if this is of any interest. This is our area school district's dashboard of Covid positives for students who attend school in person in some fashion. https://iusd.org/covid-19-resource-page/covid-19-dashboard

Parents had a choice of all virtual, in-person (elementary only 5 days a week), hybrid (2 days a week in school), or blended (a high school option that sounds like hybrid to me, but is somehow different).

They went back on 9/24. I think it's interesting that the teacher/staff and student cases don't overlap.

On NextDoor a mother was squawking about how she is "somewhat" immunocompromised and was mad that her son was at a school with a case. Once you're in a track, you can't switch until the next semester because the classes offered in each don't match up. How she didn't think that was 100% going to happen (not just a possibility), and chose hybrid is beyond me.

Here is the itinerary:

I LOVED Cape May and want to go back. Rehoboth Beach (and Dewey Beach, the dog friendly area), not so much. Tomorrow we move on to Virginia Beach!

I really loved St. Augustine. It's a city I would like to live in for awhile. Have you visited before? If not, I liked the history we learned about on the hop on hop off tour.

On this list, I have been to Virginia Beach, Charleston and briefly to Savannah, but not to any of the others. Mike and I collaborated on the list so that we both had places we particularly wanted to see (Cape May was on my list).

I understand the picking up for cleaners. Once you move the stuff off the counter, or dining room table, that's when the real cleaning begins. We had a service every other week when we were first married, back when we had no kids, and one cat. I LOVED it so much. I hate cleaning. It was one thing that I let go of so I could be a stay at home Mom. My kids gifted me with a cleaning session last Christmas, and I decided I was going to hire them to come quarterly, but then.... Covid. I need to remember this plan when things settle down...

I agree, you're making NJ look pretty inviting Liz. Where else are you stopping? I'd love to take a road trip driving the whole east coast.Instead, I'm road tripping to Wisconsin tomorrow, where the hospitalization rate has tripled for Covid. And it's going to be 48 degrees tomorrow. Packing winter coats, hats, mittens, wraps...

Miss 150, I hope all goes well with Swann. You all have your routine, hard sometimes to throw new people in the mix. I also hope it will be a happy event to reconnect with family and maybe a new beginning.

Cecily, I've got to get going on tossing some things myself. It sounds so soothing when you describe your latest purge, I can imagine the new space to breathe.

Good Morning All

Quick pop in - hectic at work ....

No weight - enough said

Been busy out in the veggie patch - planted out some more tomato plants and replaced a couple of cucumbers n zuchinnis that had been eaten by something. Waiting for the corn and beans to sprout from seed then we will plant them too. Cleaned out the chook house and gave them fresh water n food. DH mowed the lawn and dug out some of the chook yard compost for one of the new beds. Loving our patch of warmer weather - though rain is expected later this afternoon

Not a lot else to report. My SIL is still in hospital with issues - not from VSG but her other health issues so I have no idea if shes coming to stay or not. The room is ready so I guess its a wait and see

Liz - the photos look lovely and Im so glad that you are having a slow trip down. Enjoy every moment and Im sorry to hear about your friends DH - May he rest in peace

Cec - You are doing so well and I need to take some inspiration from you re the de-cluttering

Peps - Good on you :) Its satisfying indeed

Miss - Hope the visit goes well and that there isnt too much stress

DD - Great to see the pictures from the wedding. Looked lovely.

Well I had best go and get organised. Nearly 8am already here

Love to you all

S

It's very kind of you to keep your offer open to your SIL. Your own post surgery knowledge could be very helpful.

I miss my veggie garden! I hear from my dad and cousin it looks godawful, full of adult sized weeds. Sigh. Going to be a big job next year to clean out.

My daughter and I went to vote today, our early voting location was at our city hall. There was a steady stream of people the whole time we were there. In Minnesota, early voting is absentee voting, you can get an absentee ballot, complete if, seal it in the appropriate envelopes,and drop it in the ballot box. The election judges are allowed to begin opening, and feeding the ballots into the machines ahead of election day, but, of course, cannot push the tally buttons until voting ends on election night. I actually look forward to election day, and DH and I often go together then out to eat to celebrate. He is waiting to vote on November 3rd. I decided to vote early in case something untoward happened like a big snowstorm, or I was sick. But I will miss the excitement of election day, and feeding my ballot into the counting machine, and wearing my I voted sticker to dinner.

A Gale force wind is blowing the relatively warm air away, and bringing the cold front. I'm sure our neighbors are appreciating the rain of leaves falling from our trees. Still spiteful about the unauthorized cutting of vines, so ....

Going out to cut what surely will be the last Zinnias because a hard frost will probably come while we're away.