When my son was an infant, he was given a gift of the book Goodnight, Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, with pictures by Clement Hurd. When we would read it to him, we always read the author's names and the inscription: "With love to (my son's name) from Dick and Blanche (some church friends). We hope you enjoy this book as much as our children and grandchildren have. It's our very favorite bedtime book, and we hope it will be one of yours."
Of course it was. We read it every night at bedtime until... I'm not sure when! But reading aloud at bedtime continued up until at least 6th grade.
This morning, when I went out to put the clippings bin back behind the fence, I looked up and had to take this morning moon photo, with the sun lighting up the clouds, following a morning shower. The phrase "Good Morning, Moon" popped to mind, so here you have it, a morning moon.
I met a pup named Stella, in the park. I saw her and her human from a distance, when they stopped, and the human clipped on the leash. It reminded me of my Diamond, who has been gone for ten years now, as that was how we walked... off leash in open areas, and whenever another human appeared, I would stop, and she would come to me to have her leash re-attached. What good pups! Canine fix for the day satisfied.
I also noticed how active the squirrels are becoming... if anything tells me that autumn is on the way, that does. It sounds like on-coming autumn. School is back in session. Summer is on the wane.
Speaking of school being back in session, I may have mentioned that they started out the school year with only the elementary schools requiring masks. Middle and upper schools were "mask optional" on the honor system. Students who were not yet vaccinated were strongly encouraged to mask up. The staff were required to mask if not vaccinated, but it was also on the honor system.
As of today, that has changed. Yesterday, the risk dial in our county went up a click for the sixth week in a row. We are now in the mid-orange range, meaning HIGH RISK.
So, sleeves rolled up, resolved to stay strong and supportive!
Now let's all do our very best to LIVE, nourishing ourselves, body, mind, and spirit, this one and only Wednesday, August 25, 2021 we'll ever get! Because we are worth taking care of, and that means taking care of our neighbors, too!
✨💖 Spark on!
Goodnight, Moon is a favorite of ours. It's understandable that the moon and the clouds would remind you of the book.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was the first day for DGD (4 day week). The superintendent missed back to school night on Monday...she's in quarantine. She also refuses to implement a mask mandate. The state and county health departments issued mask mandates for all transportation, including school buses. Yesterday morning, the driver had no mask. When the bus arrived yesterday afternoon, still no mask and neither did my DGD. Apparently, it is not going to be enforced. A call was made to our county health office, but I doubt that I'll get a return call. DGD and I had a serious meeting of the minds. Monday night at back to school night, one teacher wore a mask. Our family of 3 were the only ones who wore masks. I just don't get it!!!
I don't get it either. When I was a child, my mother carefully explained to me that Public Health overrode even our religious freedom. We quarantined during measles "because other people are afraid" and we were following the Golden rule, to be kind to those people. That made sense to me.
DeleteAlso, "because we are not law breakers, and they are legally allowed to make us do this." God will understand. And if He can keep us safe from sickness, He can also keep us safe from whatever those health people do! This also made sense to me.
In the end, being people of faith, relying on prayer, God knew our hearts. I don't think that has changed.
We also have loved Good Night Moon for a couple of generations now! I wish, too, that our schools would go back to masks. Our grand youngster doesn't start until Tuesday (public is in now), but his school didn't require masks last year. If someone got sick, the class was off for the week (or so). My grandson's class was never on hold. It only happened a few times. Yet it concerns me. We will mask when we go there to pick up outside. It'll be interesting to see if anyone else does.
ReplyDeleteOur public schools were in masks last year AND there was an option to do remote learning. They did class size reductions at high school level with the hybrid model (only half the kids in person each day). And they still had rules about isolation and quarantine and testing. Our schools were able to stay open all year long.
DeleteThis year is different. I am breathing a sigh of relief that they went back to a mask requirement. This way it takes "peer pressure" out of the equation for the kids, just like having school uniforms. Kids don't have to pretend to be vaccinated or not to "fit in" with their friends. Everybody is to wear the mask, go to class, have a life. How much simpler!
I was glad that elementary schools were already masking, to protect the kids that cannot yet be vaccinated.
I'm praying for all of us... and I'll be interested to hear how individuals in your fair city are treating masking around the grade schools!
IT IS absolutely scary to see that risk dial where it's at. **SIGH** Yes, we have to do better!
ReplyDeleteHUGS and stay safe, stay well.
Same to you... stay safe, stay well, Spark on! ✨💖
DeleteWe have that one, but my kiddo prefers "Good Night, Gorilla." He LOVES when the wife wakes up.
ReplyDeleteWanted to swing by and say hi, because I was reading some of your old blogs. I was reading about how running, jumping, climbing, and all the rest are so natural for children, and how we can make our workouts play.
Thank you!!!
I hadn't encountered "Good Night, Gorilla"... recent? My OneKid just turned 37... and no grand kiddos, so not familiar with what's popular these days!
DeleteWe can learn a lot from kids!✨
I don't think it's that new, but it's funnier than Good Night Moon. It's a zookeeper who goes around the zoo saying goodnight to all the animals; meanwhile, a gorilla has stolen the keys and is opening all the cages. The animals follow him home and go to his room with him, and when his wife says, "Good night, dear," all the animals say "Good night." She looks shocked, but it must not be the first time this has happened, because she leads all the animals out of the house and back into the zoo.
DeleteSounds like a great bedtime book.
DeleteBeautiful photos! What an amazing moon. Dern with the Covid situation.
ReplyDeleteIt was breath-taking. And "dern" is as good as any for the Covid situation... all over, not just here.
DeleteAwesome moon pic.
ReplyDeleteChildren's hospital here at capacity for infants with COVID. Tests at some area schools turned up large enough percentages of positive tests that some schools already going to remote learning until cleared to return. Local woman interviewed on tonight's news said her daughter was very, very disappointed that the teacher never called on her in the ZOOM class -- turns out there were 40 students who appeared almost postage-stamp sized on the teacher's monitor.
I don't even know what to say. I feel for the teachers. I feel for the kids. I feel for the parents.
DeleteBeautiful morning moon and sun kissed clouds!
ReplyDeleteThanks... it was striking!
DeleteLove the photos thanks ..not much we can do about others ..just do what is right foe each of us.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteI AM HAPPY THEY REINSTATED THE MASK MANDATE FOR YOUR SCHOOLS. I HOPE WHEN OUR KIDS START ON SEPT 2ND IT WILL BE MASK MANDATED ALSO. IT IS WAY TOO EASY TO GET THE VIRUS EVEN TOTALLY VACCINATED AND WEARING MASKS EVEN. MY TWO SISTERS FLEW FROM MONTANA AND HAD A 4.5 LAYOVER IN MINNESOTA. WHILE THERE WAITING THEY ATE DINNER IN A RESTAURANT IN THE AIRPORT. THEY ARRIVED HERE A FEW HOURS LATER AND AFTER ABOUT 5 OR 6 DAYS HAD A COUPLE OF SYMPTOMS THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE VIRUSL. THEY WERE TESTED AND FOUND POSITIVE. EVERYONE THEY CAME IN CONTACT WITH HAD TO BE TESTED. THAT WAS ABOUT 25 PEOPLE. MY HUSBAND AND I TESTED NEGATIVE. THEY HAD BEEN VACCINATED AN WORE MASKS. EVEN SO THEY GOT THE VIRUS. IT PAYS TO BE SAFE.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that since we only test when symptoms arrive, we are missing a lot of mild cases. This thing is VERY contagious, and you never know if you will get one of the worse cases. Glad your sisters had light cases... the vaccine helps with making the case less severe. Just like the flu vaccine. You might still get the flu, but hopefully your immune system has a jump start on it.
DeleteHope your schools have wise folks in charge, and keep those kiddos safe, too!
Hubby and I are both vaccinated but I wouldn't take off my mask in a indoor setting for anything. I don't want to be a carrier or to come too close with someone who is. Just is the sensible thing to do.
ReplyDeleteExactly... the worst case scenario for me would be passing it on to someone who developed a severe case and maybe even died!
DeleteLovely photos! Goodnight moon... a classic. One of the books I gift every baby.
ReplyDeleteExcellent baby gift! That, and the Runaway Bunny!
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