Besides keeping in communication with your students, I was just wondering what beautiful creations will come out of our forced stay at home. Are you working on anything? For example, Ellen creates these beautiful quilts. Jody creates jewelry.
For any sewers, Joanne stores are asking people to sew masks and they will collect and distribute to local hospitals. Go to Joann's website to get instructions: Joann's website: How to make a face mask
Are you catching up on your book reading? Fran recommended this book to me which I’ve started reading. It’s about a high school teacher in Colorado who teaches new kids to the country with little or no English. So far it’s very interesting. It's called The Newcomers by Helen Thorpe.
Maybe you are perfecting your cooking skills and trying out new recipes. I made a yummy bean soup from a bean mix I bought before the crisis hit.
We also need to do things to help us relax and relieve our stress. A nice social distancing walk around the neighborhood. Sit in the sun for 15-20 minutes to soak in the vitamin D. Watch a favorite movie. I watched a double feature last night, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca and in The Maltese Falcon with Mary Astor. Peter Lorre is in both, too. And try a little exercise. I was just running in place last night in front of my TV for 30 minutes, and my iwatch asked me if I was exercising.
We’ve been learning about the finer details of Zoom, so I’m going to Zoom meet with all my kids tomorrow. We’ll see if it works, since I have 7. It’s just to catch up with each other. They are all stuck in their homes too, except my nurse daughter and fireman son-in-law and my daughter who is considered a critical worker to help sellers and transportation to keep moving within Amazon.
This is meant to be a cheerful friendly email of encouragement. We will need that over the weeks to come. Love to all of you!
😊 Linda Laymon
I've been sheltered in place for a week and am amazed at how many things there are to do. Every day my list of things I want to do grows.
ReplyDeleteGetting exercise is really important as you mentioned. In addition to walking, I found a stretching exercise program on PBS at 7am every morning. I recorded it and turn it on whenever I realize I've been sitting too long. Also my yoga teacher at the gym sent a Zoom invitation to do a 40 minute yoga session with her, three times a day, four days a week. So far I've done it once.
For creativity I'm making another Shutterfly photo book. I finished on before we went on lockdown of 4 generations of my family and now I'm going to do one for my husband's family.
Today I'm making bread which I haven't done in years. The yeast I had in my cabinet is a year old, but I'm going to try anyway.
Enjoy the weekend!
Fran
You are right, I’ve spent all this week trying to understand how to reach out to my students, how to give helpful encouragement and websites and affirmations to my students. Never feeling I had all the pieces together. Which is why I took a 30-45 minute walk each day through the neighborhood. Quiet, meditative, and calming.
ReplyDeleteThis morning when I woke up I thought, the sun is out… And it’s a Saturday so I can go out and work in the garden and plant those seeds! But first, I spent some time reading Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons. My husband and I took a Harley ride through some beautiful neighborhoods and enjoyed the blooms, ending at our son’s gravesite and checking the beauty of his rose tree. (Of course, observing social distancing and not a living soul nearby to cough on us!) 😇
Came home and fixed lunch and was sitting in the sun looking through a magazine for some new recipes when I saw your email. Made me smile, As I read how you were encouraging all of us to find joy in the moment.
So, starting today I am thinking less in terms of trying to do everything well - now I’m thinking of all these many options I have to do things enjoyably. See, I’m not even going to correct all my grammar and spelling in this speech-to-text email! Let it be.
Take care, Kind Friends
Lois
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteMy fourth zoom practice with Jennifer, but I wanted to send some art.
Alice quilt, flamingo with 3D shoelaces via grommets( such fun... you get to hammer and make a lot of noise!)
Also, the latest quilt I am working on. (Sorry, no photo)
Ellen Hulls
As for reading, I am on Trevor Noah. It too is insightful about life before and after apartheid (mostly) as a mixed person of color. There are 11 languages spoken in SAfrica 😲and he says that people pick up the language even when they're spoken with a group of people. At least one person in a group will know the language and help the others understand. It's hysterical read and at times very sad and eye opening all at once. I bought a second hard copy on Amazon ($7) for my husband to join me reading since that is probably all we'll see of Africa this year.
ReplyDeleteOur trip this summer may sadly have been just a dream. Hopefully, we can change our hotels and flights to make it next year if that's the case. Let's all pray in our own ways that this too shall pass before summer starts. Wishful thinking I know, but that's all we can do right now, no?
On another positive note, I will Zoom with my Low B class. I thought I would keep the class times the same since some of them may still be working their regular hours. Wish me luck. 🙂
Marisol Richmond