It's been A week... or two! - with a silver lining too
 

Sadly, in the last two weeks I have lost two former class mates from Covid.
They both lived in South Africa, where I am originally from, and it has hit so close to home. I don't think of myself as old (52) and it just scares the heck out of me.

We are finally coming out of a fourth lockdown down here in Melbourne and it really has taken its toll.... not only on me but sheesh... it was a hard one.

Silver lining to all this...and I always try to see the positive... both my kids get their first vaccines next week and by the end of July all four of us will be double vaccinated, yay!!

What silver lining have you seen this week?

I'm sorry for the loss of your friends Jo, that's rough. Silver lining here? Our pool is open finally, just as we're expecting a major heat wave. So if you need me, I'll be on my floaty.

I'm so sorry for your losses, Jo. :( Big hugs to you! And 52 is definetly not old. :)

Silver lining...my classroom is coming together, slowly, but still coming together to where I feel I won't be scrambling as the first day of school approaches. I have a 2 week training starting Monday, so I'm really trying to get as much done as possible.

oh wow Jo I'm so sorry you lost two of your classmates. :(

As far as silver lining goes, husband working from home we've gotten closer than we've been and I'm able to take more time for myself without the 3 kiddos.

So sorry for your loss Jo.

Silver lining for me this week was that my grandpup, Taya, who has terminal cancer is responding well to the medicines she is on and has more time with us. My kids just adopted her from an abusive home a few months ago, found out she was sick shortly thereafter, but she has been thriving and is so happy with them, that the vet is really surprised at how well she is doing. We know it is a matter of time, but as long as she is with us, we are trying to give her some goodness and love.

People who abuse animals seriously suck.

sounds sensational Nat, we have a pool too but right now... it would be an ice box. enjoy enjoy and think of me on your floaty xx

yay Mary, this is wonderful. so happy for you and I know how excited you are. you gonna rock this teaching thang. xx

your silver lining is wonderful. hubs and I have worked from home for years so I hear you on getting closer, and having more time for yourself is a big bonus. enjoy xx

oh Lorie my friend, this is so good to read. I am with you, animal abusers are lower than pond scum. every time I see a story about animal abuse I look to my fur baby and promise him nothing bad will EVER happen to him. so glad your grandpup is feeling better and all the love xx

It’s been a rough year, we lost a family member to COVID. We are all coming to grips with that and am glad that most of us are vaccinated now and there have not been any more losses. Silver lining is that it looks like our province is doing better and things are gradually starting to re-open. We are looking forward to going out to the movie theatre soon. Summer is here and the days have been so warm and sunny. The dogs love it and I’ve been out every day for a few hours with them.

I am so sorry for your loss, Rae. I was just reading the other day that Covid is the biggest single "catastrophic" cause of death in the last 100 years. I believe it.

I'm sorry for your loss, Jo.
I just turned 52 this month. I guess my silver lining is now that I'm vaccinated, I can get everything that I've been putting off like a mammogram, a colonoscopy, and maybe a trip to the dentist. Although I'm not sure how silver all that is. :)

oh Rae, I remember... it's so hard. but yay on your silver lining... that is wonderful. we are enjoying easier restrictions down here too so hoping it will stay this time, especially with more people being vaccinated, although we are far from done with all that xx

your silver lining made me laugh... 'not sure how silver that is'.
I hear you, having my mammogram on Monday infant and off to docs the following week for a full check up. and yes, need the dentist too....

Jo and Rae, so sorry for your losses. Covid sucks. My husband's cousins lost their dad on Christmas morning.

My cloud (which I guess you need to have a silver lining) is that I'm changing positions at work and a bit sad about it. I have done tech at a school for 8 years and now I will be doing reading interventions. I worked a few weeks of tech this summer to help wrap things up and now that I'm done I don't quite know what to do with myself. I don't define myself by my position, but it will be hard to not be that 'go to' person for everyone.

Silver lining... I don't have to work all summer which is great since I am a full time student and have some projects due. I finished one class this week and a new one starts Monday. I will also have a chance to relax a little this summer (I worked all last summer) and to get my house in order to prepare me for next year.

Also a silver lining... The new position will be good teaching experience for me. In addition to the tech thing, I've taught STEM the past few years but it isn't the same as teaching a core class. My district looks favorably on teachers who start out in Title One so I am going to use this to my advantage and get some different experience to add to my resume.

What grade? Are you a first year teacher?

I'm finishing up my degree. Two semesters after this summer. I'm doing a program that doesn't require me to have a student teaching semester (I do work in a school and my time with students is considered student teaching). I had the opportunity to teach on a limited license next year but ultimately decided I didn't want the stress of a being a first year teacher on top of finishing up my degree and taking the Praxis. I am changing positions though which is where my silver lining comes in.

So sorry for your losses. COVID has taken so many too soon.

Silver lining this week? It's the weekend!

so much love to your cousins..what a horrid thing to go through.

your new career 'move' sounds amazing. I don't understand US schooling terminology at all but it all sounds like good thing for you. Enjoy having time this summer, we don't give ourselves enough of it and we sure need it. xx

AMEN... love me a weekend xx

So sorry for your losses.... covid sucks.

Our son gets his second vax next week, the rest of us have been vaccinated since early May.
And this summer we finally get to celebrate our 2020 Grads!

Oh no Jo I am so so sorry to read this. Sending you a big hug my lovely friend!

Thank you. And yay on your son’s second van, our boy goes tomorrow for his first,yay. And to celebrate your grads…sensational

Thank you gorgeous xx

I believe that is a smart move of waiting while finishing up your degree! Teaching takes up so much of your time...at least being in a new position or being a first year.

I'm teaching fourth grade this year and this is my first time teaching this grade. I taught 1st and 2nd grade before for 7 years, but I haven't been a full time teacher since I gave birth to my daughter, who is in fourth grade this year too! So it has been about 8 years since I taught. It has been a lot of work preparing and I had my first 3 days this past week (we started Wednesday). This week will be my first full week with the students and now really getting into the curriculum. This is why I haven't been around much here, sadly. I'm trying to get into a new routine and right now teaching is taking up all my extra time too.

Best of luck finishing your degree and that is nice that you don't have to do another semester for student teaching. :thumbup:

I am so sorry for the loss of your friends. This is just so sad, hopefully soon it will be in the past. Until then stay safe!

big hugs. jo xoxo

thanks everyone, things have settled although people we know via via others are still dying in South Africa... so sad.

here in Melbourne we've just come out of our 5th lockdown... Delta was brought into our state from another state... but we are waiting for another lockdown.. this is the way it will be until majority is vaccinated. on that note, I had my second one yesterday, hubs is done and kids get their seconds this weekend... doing what we can.
stay safe everyone xx

Jocee, so sorry for your loss.

Silver lining? How about even though we had to cancel our vacation plans (we were driving) hubby is still taking the week off.

Have a great year! I think I'd enjoy 4th grade. I work with 2nd and 3rd graders. Our district has grade level centers and our building only has those two grades. PreK through 1st is in one building and 4th and 5th in another. I've been in this building for 10 years, so all of my experience falls into those two grades! You started back early! I noticed that several of my friends had kids starting back already. We go back August 19th for the kids, the 16th for staff. I'm thankful for another 2.5 weeks off. I worked with tech dept the first 3 weeks of break and then I had classes until last week. It only now feels like summer has begun!

Oh, Jo, I'm so very sorry for your loss. I was hospitalized with COVID Pneumonia on 1/1/2021 and spent 5 days in the Critical Care Unit. Came home on oxygen, and they told me the long-term symptoms like the weird heart rhythm and the overwhelming exhaustion and the hair loss would fade over the next 6 months. I'm still waiting on the first two to go away, but one of my silver linings is after losing 2/3 of my hair, it's finally beginning to grow back.

A bigger silver lining is that we met my insurance out-of-pocket maximum back on January 5th, so absolutely everything has been covered at 100% since then. I'm starting to make a list of all those things they're willing to do for me at 44: mammogram, colonoscopy, hearing test... wondering if I could get a boob lift and a nose job done while they're at it. <snicker> Not really. I've had enough of hospitals to last me at least a decade.

oh Angie, so sorry to hear this but so glad you got better. hopefully the side effects will go away soon. and so glad your hair is growing back.
and yes, take advantage of all the things you can get done on their dime ;)
stay safe xx