Creative Chaos

Wednesday 15 April 2020

another day...

Hooray - photos up loading now!

I've just finished my first day of teaching in lockdown. To say I hate it is an understatement. I'm exhausted. All I've done is a microsoft teams meeting (upon where I discovered my camera isn't working and that it is a laptop issue which can't be fix ed for who knows how long... just as well I can't teach on-line, as it wouldn't be happening anyhow...! So all my school gets is my voice now...). I am exhausted after making a zillion phone calls and leaving a zillion messages (and barely anyone ever rings or texts back). And too many emails for my liking! I'm not an e-mailer or a texter usually...

I spent 3 hours yesterday putting together snail mail packs - $40 for postage for a week's worth of work! Running out of paper and ink too....

I uncovered this cross stitch a few days ago. I've no idea what year it was started or even where half the threads are for it or what company it is even from! I've done a few rows...

This is what I've been doing for a few days... some days I just wasn't into it; other days I've sat and made quite a few blocks. Each block takes 30 minutes - I'm up to #17 at the moment. I'm amazed at how much fabric/ wool etc is in this house... this is all scrap fabric!

And last week I went on a dishcloth making bender! An essential worker friend asked for some. I think I've knitted enough for quite a while... again, I've plenty of cotton still to use!

Tonight I think I'll just sleep! I need it. And more phone calls etc tomorrow!

Tuesday 14 April 2020

all the time in the world

With all the time in the world, you'd think I'd be writing more. I think I could be doing a whole lot more, but really, there seems to be a whole lot of nothing.

School starts again tomorrow - for my class, this is an entire class without internet or technology at home to do anything. I've been sending them stuff in the mail, but 2 weeks on, some of it is still out there. I had no time to do anything before schools shut - we had about an hour's notice this was happening. We had had PD on the Friday before (I was off as am asthmatic and was wheezy that day and was not sitting in a tiny room with 20 other people!); then only 3 of my students turned up on the Monday (I was still off as at 11am had been told by doctor I was going back to school till who knows?! I still don't know - NZ still in lock down level 4 for at least another 10 days. Even if we drop to level 3 , i still don't think schools will reopen as normal. And I'm also pretty certain many of my students won't turn up, even at level 2, until cases truly do drop. I'm also very worried about the area I work in, as it already has pretty dire health outcomes, over crowded houses, food availability can be touch and go etc etc). My students also will get boxes from the Ministry of Education and School Kit. It's all pretty generic stuff though and many of my students are ESOL, so it might be a bit beyond them too.... There WILL be an impact on them missing regular school.

Who really knows where this will go. I am proud of our prime minister who has moved fast ! I'm so glad we went into a total lock down when we did!

Crafting... well it's what keeps me going. I've been on a dishcloth bender knitting 15; have made 12 6x6 rows of little squares into bigger squares; unearthed a long lost cross stitch and found another quilt that just needs binding finished being sewn down!

OH - can't seem to upload photos today... no idea why!

Anyway, hope all is well in your part of the world. It's hour by hour here really and an awful lot of tea drinking which I love. I might bake some cupcakes today - a friend kindly dropped off 2 huge containers of flour for us!

Friday 3 April 2020

a week later

My goodness! I can't believe it was a week ago that I was last here. Plenty of hours to be here more regularly!

My days are filled with knitting....

This is my Northeasterly remnants sock wool blanket. I have no idea when I actually started this.... but it id getting a good working for hours again now! Still seems to be a lot of sock wool to get through..... another row has been completed since this photo was taken. I am using wool that Christina sent me years ago too - she has probably forgotten! Lots of different shades of pinks/reds especially.

I finished my "Timely" cardigan - knitted in 2 skeinz 4 ply wool (they have actually been approved by the government as an "essential business" - I've truly mixed feelings about this. I've plenty of wool at home and won't be buying any at this time.. i'm not sure wool really is essential. I know knitting is good for well being, but still....). I do love it. It' still like summer here in the north of New Zealand anyway, so I don't know when I'll wear woollens (I did plenty of that in Europe in my very limited wardrobe in December/January BUT wearing possum was FAR TOO HOT even in low temperatures I found for me!).

I spent quite a bit of yesterday putting together individualised packets of school work and fun stuff for students - it's been mailed , but how long it may take to get to their houses, who knows. I've had no mail for nearly 2 weeks and have only 3 letters left to answer.... My students have zero tech or internet at their houses - the great divide in New Zealand education.... I feel so stink about this, but can only post them work - when my stamps run out, that's it.... (not too keen on boys having to ask for stamps at supermarket....).

Oh what very strange times. Life will change. Every day we hear of people losing their jobs. I do feel very lucky and in a position of privilege being a teacher!

I hope everyone is managing to keep safe and has plenty of books, paper, wool, craft materials in their home. Flour?!? We were lucky to get a small bag the other day!

Friday 27 March 2020

Day 5 for me; Day 2 for the country

Well.... it takes sitting in isolation to get a blog going again! I'm on day 5 of isolation.
Last Friday (on a teacher only day) I woke up wheezy and coughing. I jumped in my car, drove to school, got there, looked at the small room where 15 of us were to spend the day and though NAH. Spoke to principal and drove home again! Made a doctor appointment for Monday.
Monday didn't go to school, appointment face to face cancelled, but had phone conversation with doctor. She said in no uncertain terms was I leaving my house for weeks/months until the risk of catching covid-19 was low.
Two hours later our lovely prime minister Jacinda gave all of New Zealand 48 hours to prepare for level 4 of lock down (on the Friday she had presented to the country levels of covid 19). Schools were given an hour and then into lock down. Over half the school hadn't even turned up - I had 3 students show! Schools were to be kept open for 48 hours for essential workers to find childcare.
No students showed up after the Monday at my school, so we just shut down.
Even a week ago NZ only had under 100 cases, none in ICU, no deaths, and about 5 in hospital. All overseas travellers.
There is now community transmission at a local girls school, with students from my own son's school having had connections with this school on a bus.

I'm gutted for my students - there is no way we even thought NZ would move so fast on this ( and I am SO THANKFUL we did !). Most of my students do not have devices, they do not have internet. parents don't have e-mail addresses. Most of them don't even have pencils and paper in their houses.
I will print stuff off at home and mail to them... but it probably is really only busy work, as lots of parents are ESOL and can not help their children. I'm gutted I didn't pile my students up with readers, like I normally do.....

I could ring them, but I think that will just upset me... I might e-mail the few that have e-mails today.

So I'm writing letters (have nearly run out of letters to reply to) - mail is still *apparently* going through, so I have been posting in mail box ever day - luckily I ordered new stamps a week ago, as post offices are shut, as well as mail order stamps. I'm knitting the sleeve on my Timely cardigan. I've sewn cushion covers for the wooden dining room chairs. I'm watching "Offspring" 10 years after everyone else. Everyone keeps to themselves in their own room.... we have space as the eldest moved out last weekend.

Keep well everyone, STAY AT HOME.

Wednesday 29 January 2020

around the place

We've been to London and St Albans in the UK; to Zug, Zurich, Engleberg, Lucerne, Basel in Switzerland; to Munich, Horst and Frankfurt in Germany; to Salzburg in Austria and to Taipei in Taiwan.

WHEW!

2 of the older "kids" took themselves off to Salzburg, Vienna and Dublin by themselves.

Now we're all back here and it's back to reality, as school starts again tomorrow!

Just a *wee* snapshot of photos from all over the place....