2022 - Wow

 It has been 8 years (or so) since I last posted and the world has changed drastically.

So much in the world is not for the better, but much in our own lives is looking up.

Still teaching, though it's not fun...  shortly before school began in 2014 I was able to to secure a continuing position (permanent-ish) as a third grade teacher in a district about 35 miles/50 minutes away from home. I love teaching this age, although I am legendary for recurrent rants on the developmentally inappropriate (at the younger grades) common core standards... this year of course is the most challenging year I have faced as a teacher, and the most exhausting. I definitely do NOT recommend people become teachers at this point in history unless they have the maturity and financial stability to weather both political and pandemic stressors that are rampant across the United States. At least in our state teachers have a measure of security (unions make retaliatory action by school boards and admins less likely) as well as reasonably appropriate salaries that reflect the training and responsibility required for teachers.

At least I am responsible for youngsters only during my contracted hours!

After parenting for over two decades, we became true "empty nesters" about two years ago when the pandemic hit and the last young adult living with us (not one of our sons) had to choose between living here and living with a significant other. In the early stages of the pandemic, with my health concerns, I was uncomfortable with someone living in two households, so I stood firm. Though it was a very difficult decision, I think in the long run it was the right decision, and we are still occasionally in contact with our young friend.

We are in contact with several young adults in addition to our own children, helping when and where we can, trying to be kind and provide a buffer against the harsh realities of independent life. Too many families cannot afford to do this, so it is a joy for us when we can. I regret that the pandemic required me/us to pull back from most in-person contact at a time when so many of them needed safe havens...

Our own children are fully independent - stidkid #1 has moved to California with a partner who seems to be a good fit. Stidkid #2 lives in a nearby city with a partner who seems to be a good fit. One is working in a tech field, the other in armed security. You can probably guess which is which...  I am hopeful that both are finding their way to joyful and fulfilling lives.

My darling spouse of now well more than 30 years continues to be my main source of strength and joy. We spend evenings, weekends, and most vacation days together (although my vacation time and his don't always line up) and often go to museums, football (soccer, specifically OL reign), baseball (Tacoma Rainiers), and hopefully at some point hockey games (release the Kraken!). We were supposed to go to a Kraken game in December 2021, but extremely icy roads made that impossible. Luckily I had insisted on "ticket insurance" so we didn't lose anything other than an experience.

We DID manage to attend a pre-season game for the OL reign a few weeks ago (and there's another game coming up next week!) - we bought season tickets for their first year back at "Lumen Field" (formerly CenturyLink), and so far I think it's going to be a nice diversion for us. We'll see how it plays with my day job...

We haven't been to Ashland for plays of course since the pandemic emerged, and the death of my grandfather down there makes for less impetus to resume until we know more about the long-term effects and possibility of transmission when traveling.

HE is stll working from home full time, being in a field and position that doesn't require a lot of in-person contact ever. I, on the other hand, after several months in 2020 teaching at home to my same class to finish out the year - followed by a year of trying to supervise fully online instruction for 60 (more or less) students in grades K-5 - am back in person after receiving my vaccinations once they were available. Again, my health concerns and the uncertainty of who was at risk, combined with concern over potentially exposing my parents, were deciding factors in my temporarily withdrawing to the relative safety of home. 

I have to say that this school year teaching in person hasn't been easy, but in many ways it has been easier to manage NOT working 14-hour days most days since I havec a physical separation between my actual work space and our home. I do have the capacity to do a lot of lesson planning, lesson preparation, and even lesson delivery - having repurposed stidkid #2's bedroom to a "library" (and occasional guest room for stidkid #1 and partner). The library doubled as a classroom and videography studio last year, and for a few video lessons. prepared this year as well.

Other news: I now use a wheelchair most of the time when I am outside the house, and occasionally when I am inside. I purchased a custom chair this last winter after using "Drive" wheelchairs for a couple years. I was on track to find doctors who could help me figure out what my problem is with my hip-leg-back pain and mobility issues... but covid + a family member's serious medical needs about halfway between Jan 2020 and now got in the way.  

The wheelchair (first one from summer 2019) has been a "game-changer" in the best way. I was able to teach comfortably and effectively that year for the first time in several years, as not only was the pain vastly diminished, but so was the issue of carrying materials from one point in the school to another.. The new chair is even better, as it's at a height that means I can more-easily balance materials on my lap, "walk" around on level ground (it's hemi-height which means it's designed for my feet to rest flat on the ground so I can propel myself with my lower legs), and it's a width and depth that work well in the classroom.

AND, since I am able to get around better in my new wheelchair we have been adapating the yard for me - I can now get easily into the pond garden up by the house and out into the back yard near the house in my wheelchair; and when I have a companion nearby I can get into the veggie garden by the road - although I do really need paths created/improved so it's safer for me to move about down there. I have been able to do a little bit of gardening as a result, and it has significantly improved my enjoyment and "quality of life" as they say. In fact, being able to get out more safely on leveled surfaces has made it possible on many days for me to walk out independently to check on plants, bird feeders, and other small tasks that were formerly too exhausting/painful/difficult.

Eventually, I will get another chair fitted by a professional, for more active use - fixed-frame perhaps - that has wheels angled out for better stability when stRolling outside with Wally (for now I still need someone with me who can take over when he gets excited or overly insistent on where he wants to go), with a bit more "bucket" to the seat, and possibly with fixed footrest so it's better for exercising. For now, I have removed the footrests from my new chair and just kick my feet forward or tuck them back when I don't want my feet touching the ground.

Finally, we have TWO new cars (long story, not worth recounting). both are fully electric so I don't have to use gas stations on my worst days and so we can reduce our overall carbon footprint. We hope that by the time the batteries need to be replaced we'll have the technology to do so with minimal environmental impacts. We also hope we'll have the money...  new cars are expensive, although we managed to purchase with very low interest rates. 

And that's the current update. The news in the wider world is distressing. More so, perhaps, for those of us who have a strong sense of history. 

But that would be a topic for another time. Or another person.

Be well, and be safe. May your family be blessed with abundant love and opportunity.