New Layer Of Out Of The Blue

I don't know if you have noticed or not, but there is a new layer of Out Of The Blue.  I have added Teaching and Learning Out Of The Blue.  I decided to keep a journal of my experiences while we are social distancing due to Covid-19. 

Now, I will be somewhat general in some ways because this is not something where I am reporting on what is going on in my school district.  This is simply my ideas and thoughts while I'm working from home.

I am hopeful that it will morph into some suggestions for teachers and ways to make teaching and learning better.  So, hop over and share some of my musings from an educator's perspective!

Discovery On A Morning Walk

Being home is a gift to me. I love where we live and I am glad to be where I am.

I always have ways to occupy my time and am never bored. To me, down-time means I get to read or craft or cook.

So, this time has felt like a gift and a blessing to me. I've enjoyed every minute of being at home.

I will admit that there are times when the blaring of the television or the updates from online have seemed a bit much for me. So, when rain wasn't falling, I went out for a walk.

I don't want you to think I've taken up hiking or I've become health-conscious or something like that.  Don't get silly.

I simply take a stroll - down the driveway or along the creek.  It is not like I'm counting steps or logging miles.  I just take a mind-clearing walk.

On my walk the other morning, I took time to pick up a few fallen branches or some wood that had washed down the creek during flooding.  For some reason, I looked up and noticed this.

There are little buds on most every branch of this tree down near our creek.  Yet, this one little cluster of twiggy branch is much further along.

How about that?  Why do you think that might be?  I plan to keep a watch and see what I notice in the next few days.  I just found that quite interesting.

Weekend

We had an absolutely beautiful weekend. The weather was so nice that Mike and I both were outside enjoying it.  He spent most of Saturday on the mower and our place looks pretty much like a well-manicured park.  I spend most of Saturday on the front porch either in the new swing or in the rocker reading a book and virtual meeting with part of our Grands. 

Learned that one of the grands caught a fish!  One of them got recognized by her teacher for completing all of her online work - and she said it was easy stuff and took her hardly any time at all.  Well, that is how I'm reporting it.  She described it a little less flattering but owned up to it not taking her much time to complete and was done with ease and I'll leave it at that.  One of the grands - probably the most talkative and busiest - wore herself down and was asleep by 7 P.M. One of them got to talk on the phone with some of her friends. And another grand was swinging and playing the harmonica.  How blessed are we?!

Mike visited with a couple of the grands by driving up to their yard and watching them a bit but keeping his distance.  He has been itching to see them but certainly doesn't want to take any risks since he is the one who has made the trips to the store to pick up food and supplies like TP.

We saw photos on Instagram of two of the other grands while they were helping their parents by weeding landscape beds. 

Then, today we had another day of sunshine and nice weather.  However, we were shocked to learn that country music singer, Joe Diffie died from complications of this horrible virus.  Evidently he resided right down the road from us.  We saw on one of the social media outlets that people were requested to put a speaker out on their porch this evening and play one of his songs.  Then, saw where they are going to do a tribute for his family asking people to drive down a local street with windows down playing their favorite song.  Small town life!  Gotta love it!

I'm back to providing online support for teachers in our district tomorrow.  I already have on my agenda to work on closed captioning some videos we made last week, responding to any middle school teacher who requests support via a form, mapping out an intro to a couple of online tools for teachers that will be presented in an online, live session Tuesday and Wednesday, and working to create visuals and videos for online professional development workshops.

Hope your weekend was rejuvenating.  Stay home! Stay safe!

Soup In A Cup

Oftentimes children have to be coaxed into liking different foods.  I fondly recall that my children were 'good eaters' but that doesn't mean that they liked everything I ever served.

Bridgette, Bryan, and I often will bring up stories from their childhood which cause us to chuckle.  Generally it is in relation to something that their own children are doing.  One thing that we have chuckled about for years is my fondness for tomato soup and the fact that, as a child, Bryan did not share that fondness.

One day I served up tomato soup and we probably had grilled cheese sandwiches as a side item.  Instead of pouring our soup into bowls to be eaten with a spoon, I served the soup up in a mug or a cup.  

Bryan was having none of that.

Honestly, I don't know if he wound up eating something else or if I was that awful mother who told him to do without till dinnertime.  Miraculously, he survived my horrible parenting - whichever option I provided.

That afternoon when we went to the dairy farm to do our chores, Bryan was tagging along with my Daddy and he asked him, "Papaw, do you wike soup in a cup?"  I'm sure my father had a wise response or perhaps asked him a question to find out what type soup was being referenced.  Bryan clarified, asking, "Do you wike wed soup in a cup?" (red soup in a cup)

I can imagine Daddy not criticizing the red soup but not expressing delight either because I don't think it was one of his favorite options.  Daddy was more of a meat, beans, and potatoes kind of a guy and would have wanted something more like beef stew.

Finally, Bryan informed him, "Well, Papaw, I don't WIKE soup in a cup!"  There it was.  His preference stated.  And it was a fact that we all chuckled about when Daddy shared the conversation with us later.

To me tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich warms me up like no other meal.  So, when we had a cold, grey, damp, rainy day last week, I warmed up my favorite go-to.  Just like almost always when I have this menu delicacy, I sent Bryan a picture and the message, "Good day for soup in a cup!  Hate you missed it!"

Spring Fluff

I dug through my fabric stash and found something that looked a little spring-like.  So, I crafted some new pillow covers. for the den.

I think Toby and Mike really appreciated the change.

I think they really felt as if the den was taking on a bit of spring sunshine.

Honestly, who am I kidding? I know that I was only doing this for me.  The good news is, I feel as if I was rewarded twice. I enjoyed crafting the floral pillow covers and I smile every time I walk through the den and see them!

Bunnies Hopping Up Here And There

I guess it is just that time of year but around here, bunnies seem to be hopping up here and there.  This well-dressed young lady perched on the side of a tulip pitcher recently appeared in the front bedroom right beside the child's tea sets.

This little guy is peeking out from some hand towels in the guest bathroom.

This smiling pair with waggling friends have perched on the hearth.

The crackled little grandma reading to her grand is on the table at the end of the couch.

This sweet sleepy pair are on the buffet in the den.

This friend is cheering up the china cupboard in the kitchen.

This cheerful fellow greets you at the front door!

Spring and bunnies are hopping up all over the place around here!

Blue & White For Spring

In my opinion, blue and white are the best colors for every season.  So, spring should be no different.  I was quite fortunate to get a little bit of blue and white from my Granny's estate and it is now gracing our spring decor.

When I'm doing some cleaning and clearing out dust, I sometimes think I want to simplify.  Then, as I start to return things to the mantel, I generally decide that I like things the way they are.  So, it all goes back.  I hardly make any changes seasonally there either because I am pretty satisfied.  Sometimes I will add greenery or flowers to the urns/vases there but all-in-all it pretty much stays the same.

The cheerful bunnies hopped onto the hearth for the season.  I also added to the symmetry a bit by adding the blue and white eggs that came from my Granny's.

I just realized that one is nestled up against an illegal advertisement.  Oops!

I'm going to choose ti think the rustic sign is encouraging me to gather all my blue and white spring cheerfulness together there on the mantel!

Musical Lamps

As I was dusting and doing some spring cleaning in the front bedroom this week, I did a little lamp moving.  The little night light that sat on this book case was moved to the back bedroom and this little antique lamp with the green shade and marbles in it took that spot.

The brass lamp that was once at my paternal grandparents' shifted from the bedside table over to the table where the little lamp with the green shade once sat.

The little white lamp that I bought in a recent online auction now sits on the bedside table to balance out the white antique lamp that sits on the other side of the bed.

While I'm not excited about the floral shade that is on this little white lamp, I do like the shape of it.  So, maybe I just need to be on the lookout for a white shade with a tulip shape like that.  Spring fluffing continues!

Changes

The farm across the road sold a couple of years ago and the developer has been moving dirt and digging ponds and building roads.

Now, the home building has started.  I think we heard that there would be about 185 homes built over there. 

I hope they don't all have a big burn like this day-in-and-day-out.  These pictures were made last week.  Today, I'm out on the front porch reading a book and the skies are a beautiful blue with fluffy clouds floating overhead. 

A Little Peek of Sunshine!

What is this I see?

 It certainly has been a long time coming.

And, listening to the news reports, it may be short-lived!

What's Up? It's Wednesday!

What's up with you all out there in the world?

We are holding onto our little corner with all we've got.  I've been sitting at my desk a lot lately and watching the world go by outside the window. 

Things are starting to green up around here and I, for one, am so glad to see it!  I don't think I have ever been so tired of grey skies and rainy weather. 

After having a few days home, I've begun doing some spring cleaning.  Things around here were starting to look a little bit grey as well - grey with a coating of dust!  Shwew!  So, room-by-room I am doing some cleaning and straightening.  Maybe I will get done in time to start all over again!

I've also done some catching up on my reading.  Here are the books I've had my nose in for the past couple of weeks:

Beware The Past
This has been a good read.  I'm about halfway through it and I haven't figured it out as yet.  So, to me that is a good book. 

The Good Liar
I chose this one thinking it was the book that the recent movie was based upon but it is a different book.  It was a really good one, though.  Haven't we all wished we could just disappear from our lives once in a while?  This one set me thinking about that and what would be missed and who would miss it and all the complications it could cause.  It was a really interesting read but, more importantly, it was thought provoking.

The Vanishing American Adult
This book was recommended by one of my colleagues.  It is really thought provoking and I struggled with it at first.  Then, as I read more in small pieces, it really started to pull me in.  It hits so close to home and is something I see all around me and even inside me a bit.  I'd like to recommend at least parts of it to everybody I know - especially those who are raising children.

The Flower Farmer
I was promised a couple of rows in the garden this summer.  So, I ordered this book to get ideas about flowers that are easy care, good for cutting, and have long life after cutting.  It is a good read and I will probably have it nearby all the rest of this growing season.  I have always loved having fresh flowers in the house and have picked up a bundle each week at the grocery for years.  So, this summer, my intention is to cut a bundle or two and have them to enjoy instead of dropping money at the grocery.  I think the tilling and labor will be as good for me as the view of the flowers.

Home Landscaping
This is an old one that has been on my shelf for years.  I pull it out every now and again because it has such relevant information about landscaping and flowers and shrubbery and hardscaping.  We are thinking of doing some work in our yard this summer and I thought it would be good to give this one a look once again.  It will probably stay on the coffee table for a while so I can pick it up and look at it now and again.

A Place for Everything
I ordered this one after reading a Miss Mustard Seed post and finding a used copy of it for a good price.  It is a beautiful book.  It also has loads of good ideas about making storage beautiful and functional.  It speaks to me about having things that are beautiful but using them for every day life.  As I have been swishing away the dust and tidying up, I have been noticing things I have here with a different eye.  I will keep this one close at hand for quite a while because I am really enjoying the pictures as well as the suggestions.

I have also been reading news updates and posts by locals who have relatives in other countries where this virus has already impacted their lives in a big way.  I'm glad we are on the tail end of this one instead of leading the way.  I am glad to be learning from others who have experience on this one. 

One thing that being home and inside has not seen inspiration is cooking.  For some reason, I just am not enjoying being the kitchen creative lately - as in for the past several months!  Part of this stagnation is because we are so blessed that I can just drive through on the way home from work and that is what we've done a lot this past year.  Part of this is because I just like to eat and I'm not picky!  I have seen a few recipes that I want to give a try, though. 

This Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie looks tasty and easy.

I love a good casserole and might give this one a try.

I recently tried to create a California Crunch Wrap like Taco Bell serves. I don't know how they get all those ingredients in that tortilla and still get it folded up and easy to serve.  So, I'm going to go back to this recipe and enjoy it. 

We have used the waffle iron a bit lately.  I treated Mike to bacon, eggs, and waffles for breakfast one morning.  Then, one night this past week I poured the cornbread batter into waffles to go along with pinto beans for dinner.  Yum!

I created an Instagram account this past year and have been mainly stalking other people's posts.  I've truly been inspired to straighten and tidy after looking at some folks' posts from around their homes.  I also saw some other online ideas that I have shared or pinned to give a try.

I'm on the lookout for an assemblage of stuff that I could put together to make a cloche similar to this one.

I've been looking for reasonably priced topiaries for a couple of items I have here.  Maybe I will just make one. 

I know that I would never have even looked twice at this table in its original state but after the makeover, wow!

I pulled out a bit of my fabric stash to stitch up some spring-like pillow covers one day this week.  I've also been inspired by some recent blog hops I've followed.  I ordered some wooden eggs and hope to make them look something like these.  Wish me luck.

Well, that is pretty much what's up around here.  Quiet and lots of web surfing for us as we stay home more and enjoy the company.

Happy Saint Paddy's Day!

No shamrocks for us this year - at least not green-growing ones.  So, the greenery that we do have will have to suffice. 

On this drizzly, cool Tuesday, we hope you have all the luck of the Irish and then some!

May your wishes come true and your skies become sunny!

We are enjoying a low-key day and keeping dry and we hope you are, too.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Return to Writing

I took a hiatus from writing. I guess I had so many other things on my mind that writing did not seem like what I needed to be doing.  I'll be honest, this past year-plus-a-little-bit has been one of the most difficult on my mind that I have ever weathered. 

Work was the hardest that it EVER has been in my life.  I felt unappreciated, disrespected, like nobody cared, like nobody listened, like I was making no impact on the world whatsoever.  For somebody who has always loved her job as a teacher and looked forward to going to work each day, that was a bitter pill to swallow. 

After questioning and seeking answers and weathering the disrespect, I finally came to peace with what was thrown at me and I have grown to really enjoy working once again.  Many of the people at the school where I have been assigned as an instructional technology coach for supporting 1:1 learning have embraced me as a friend and have been gracious collaborators in work.

Family decisions and relationships were difficult and I felt even worse about that than I did about my work situation.  Plus, throw into the mix that neighboring communities just north and east of us experienced a devastating tornado forcing us to acknowledge how little control we have.  Mike and I took a big step back and did a lot of evaluating and pondering and we have just begun growing toward a new place with the world when the impact of the Coronavirus began its influence. 

Like everybody else in the world, we had been hearing about this virus and how it was growing.  Mike and I were somewhat concerned because we have both crossed over into that magical age to become senior citizens.  We have mothers who are in their eighties and are still active and healthy but the news of the virus still made us concerned for them even more because they are active.  Then, the virus became a reality we were forced to face.

A couple of weeks ago we were just moving along in our world like always and climbing the hills put in front of us.  I would go off to work and Mike was beginning to work in his greenhouse in preparation for spring vegetables and growing them.  For a couple of days I was in and out of classrooms supporting teachers and students like always.  All winter long I have been more aware of sniffling, coughing, colds, and flu-like symptoms and seemed to be washing my hands even more than usual.  I also made a conscious effort to do things like push open doors with my hip instead of my hands and wipe off the keyboard of my computer after somebody else used it.  I noticed folks sitting elbow-to-elbow or across the desk from me who were showing signs of colds and flu and wiped the surface of my desk off a bit more frequently.  And after enjoying a long weekend, I noticed that there was still a lot of these symptoms still lingering.

Then, on Wednesday of that week, several volunteer parents came into my office area to stash their purses and bags and often would just perch on a chair there in my office to chat.  They were there to set up for the school book fair and we were excited about students having the opportunity to get new books.  On Thursday, an entire grade-level of about 400 students came through the library and browsed through the options of books, posters, bookmarks, pencils, and sundry that was offered there.  Let me remind you that middle school children are not so conscientious about keeping their hands to themselves or thoughtful about not touching everything in sight or careful about sneezing and coughing and covering their mouths.

So, all this was going on, plus, there was a steady stream, as usual, of students and teachers who visited me to find out why an online program wasn't responding or allowing their login to work or asking me how to use an online learning tool or working alongside me or across from me as we collaboratively planned lessons or learned something techy and new.  All-the-while we were shoulder-to-shoulder in distance from one another and often touching the keyboard of a Chromebook or laptop simultaneously.

Then, about mid-morning we get word that our school district was shutting down the next day and would remain closed on the following Monday.  We were told not to plan on coming back into the building because all of the schools would have a deep clean during that time.  Later, we learned that a parent with student(s) at our school and the school next door had been diagnosed with this virus.  Suddenly, a whole new sense of awareness took over my brain.

I thought about all the activity and encounters I'd had for the past few days right there in my office or in and around that school building.  I began looking at all the people around me and wondering where they had been and who they had encountered.  Knowing that we had just enjoyed a long weekend before and fellow educators and students had traveled with their families, I wondered whether they had been on any of the flights where infected people had been and thus, had exposed me.  I thought about how I live with a husband with diabetes and other age-related health issues and have my 80+ year-old mother-in-law living under my roof and wondered if I had already exposed them to something.  I thought about how many classrooms I had entered right there in that school and how many of the 1300+ people there I had visited with and quickly provided assistance and support with their computers - and possibly passed along who knows what.  Truly, a skewed perspective suddenly overtook my thinking.  I pondered and worried.

It was later announced that our school district would be closed for the entire week last week and then was updated to be closed until early April.  We've watched the news and searched for reputable sources and I pondered and worried.  It sort of made me think about the book Code Orange by Caroline Cooney.  I became much like the main character with my ponderings.  Who had I encountered and, in turn, who had encountered me?

I have now spent a bit more than a week at home.  It was wonderful to catch up on some reading, do a bit of spring cleaning, sleep late, and just rest.  All the while I've been pondering and we've been thinking and discussing this new situation and all the questions which arise.  We've prayed together as we lift up others who are not as fortunate as we are.  We've done all we know to do to build faith, confidence, and security in one another and those with whom we come into contact. 

Then, for some reason I awoke this morning with the feeling that I need to write again.  So, I am returning to this blog and will be writing and sharing thoughts and ideas.  I hope you will come along for the read.

Happy Birthday, Corey!

Love you and hope it is your best year ever!