2021, A New Hope

  So our Church has had online small groups to enable us to stay connected on-line, even while apart.  BUT, on the 151st day of 2021, our small group was very connected, IN PERSON.  As we are all vaccinated, we had an old fashioned Church Picnic on 5/31/2021.  We stayed outside, in our backyard.  We grilled all kinds of good food.  We had salads and sides and desserts brought by our guests.  And we got closer to the way things used to be.  "This day felt normal," one of my church friends said.  And so. tonight, I have picnicking hopes!  I hope today's wonderful picnic (as with yesterday's friend visit) is a harbinger of things to come.  Hopes that it is a sign of things getting better, people getting vaccinated, Covid getting less and less of an issue with each and every day.  It was a great weekend.... let's hope it's one of many this Summer.

  The last people with whom we hung out with, before this pandemic "started" were the Greenbergs, after a Penn Basketball Game.  We all were dining together at the Shake Shack, discussing the Covid situation and where it might take us.  Well, on the 150th day of 2021, 450 days from that date, we got together again, in person, with them!  We drove to North Jersey on 5/30/2021, all are vaccinated, and so are they and we had great conversation, commiserated about our baseball teams, ate good food, played games, and the kids even finished a puzzle.  Tonight I have Old Friend Hopes.  I hope this is the first of many reunions with friends and family afar.  I hope that people remain safe, get vaccinated, and take the necessary precautions as we try to come out of these crazy, pandemic times.  We can do it, friends, keep being safe, even as restrictions are lifted and things return to "normal."  Man was it nice to have a "normal" day today with old f...

  I love sports.  Probably more than I should.  But sports have provided me with a bit of diversion during the pandemic, keeping my mind off of the sad and hard news and, instead, providing me the normal frustrations (thanks, Philadelphia teams) of a pre-pandemic times.  Frustrations that, while real, are just about a GAME.  But on the 149th day of 2021, I have Sports Hopes.  I have hopes for the Sixers, who have looked really good in the Playoffs so far.  And I have hopes for the Phillies even though, on 5/29/2021, they lost ANOTHER game they could have won and lost ANOTHER player to a serious injury.  Yes, it is only sports, but it IS a nice diversion and, yes, even though Philadelphia teams have broken my heart SO many times, I still have hope!

  The month of May (as far as workdays go) ended on the 148th day of 2021.  And, on 5/28/2021, I am looking forward to the long weekend!  We are relaxing for a quiet Saturday, we are traveling to visit friends (that we have not seen in 16 months!) on Sunday and, on Monday, we are hosting a small group for a BBQ!  We might even go and see a movie in the theater!!  Yes, as my long weekend hopes are bursting this evening, I also have hopes that things continue to progress and that we can start to return to places we could not go before.  Still wearing my mask, though.  Do not want any backsliding!

  The 147th day of 2021 was the last day of the Oaklyn Little League Regular Season.  While that is a bit sad, my regular season hopes have been met!  We got a whole season in!  There were no Covid episodes (of which I am aware) in any of the teams.  Our Snack Stand was hopping (ESPECIALLY tonight, what a GREAT job April, Corbin, and Patty did).  And, most importantly, the fields, this season, were filled with smiling kids competing and having fun.  With the playoffs (and maybe districts) in the future, we are not done in the snack stand, but we are in the black, the season went well, and many slushies were served.  I am happy about all of that and cannot wait for more.

  There were flashes of lightning in the air on the evening of the 146th day of 2021 and, yet, the Mustangs got a game in.  We played in between the storm clouds on 5/26/2021.  The storms subsided right before game time and, while it started to rain in the last tinning, we got it in before the next round started.  Also, at the end of the workday, we had a trivia night in the NGSS Project and .... I WON!!!  So I guess my reflection should be lightning round hopes.  I think I won trivia because of the speed of my answers (lightning round) and then we got our game in between the periods of lightning.  Hope my luck continues.

  I woke up on 5/25/2021 and heard, from Chris Carter, that today is Geek Pride Day!  I am unapologetically a geek, and also can be called a nerd sometimes as well.  And I spent the 145th day of 2021 working hard in my computer based, systems project, geeking out on my data.  And I have geeky hopes.  I hope I can go to my campus office soon (who wants to go to an office?), I hope that I can keep analyzing my data and helping my colleagues (I so LOVE numbers), and, speaking of numbers, I am anxiously waiting for my car's odometer to hit 123321!  I DO have geek pride today and I also do not mind letting my nerd flag fly.  Gotta know oneself, and be true to oneself, right?

  Although today was day #144 of 2021, the day was not gross in any other sense.  #DadJoke.  5/24/2021 was a typical Monday in May.  Work, a trip to the bank to deposit the church's offering from Sunday, more work, snack stand, hanging out with the family, and now back on the computer catching up on work.  But, today was also different.  I do not know why, but I am getting more hopeful each day.  Yes, on this day, I have an abundance of hope.  Hope that people continue to opt in to the vaccine.  Hope that schools (Pre-K - 12 as well as Higher Education) can return to campus soon.  Hope that the plethora of tasks that need completing before our project's Go-Live dates can be completed.  Nothing specific happened today that I can put my finger on why, but I am hopeful tonight.  And I hope these hopes are predictive of a better future.

  The 143rd day of 2021 was a milestone day for the Sherr Family in regard to Covid-19.  Yes, on 5/23/2021, we all have vaccinated hopes!  Because, yesterday, Anna passed her +2 weeks from her 2nd Covid shot.  She was the last in our family to get vaccinated so I have a great sense of relief.  And, I have hope that bit by bit, step by step, we are getting closer to the end of so many restrictions.  Hoping more and more people get the shot and we reach the levels where this pandemic can be stamped down, if not completely be stamped out.

  We spent the evening of the 142nd day of 2021 in Knight Park.  Yes, it was the closing performance of the CHS Spring Play.  The amazing theater/music department faculty figured out how to make this happen, EVEN during a pandemic.  The kids looked SO happy and energetic on stage.  It was refreshing and inspiring to see kids enjoying themselves.... in a School activity!!  Tonight I have dramatic hopes.  I hope that this event can be an indication of what is to come in the future.  Choir Concerts?  Band?  Orchestra?  As another audience member in our pod said to us, this is one of the few times things seemed to be returning to normal.  Let's hope that this continues!

  Spring and Summer on the Penn Campus are some of my favorite times.  The campus is just so filled with flowers and students and happy times.  I miss it a lot.  SO, the 141st day of 2021 ended a good week.  I think it was the amazing start I got on Monday, as I returned to Campus to assist with Commencement and then just rode that happy energy for the rest of the week.  On 5/21/2021, I have hopes for Return to Campus.  We spent our staff meeting discussing how to reopen the offices of SRFS.  I re-activated my parking pass as of 8/1/2021 (because I hope to be back on campus at LEAST 3 days a week).  And visions of campus danced in my head (like sugarplums in the Night Before Christmas).  There have been some conveniences to working from home, yes, but I SO miss campus and the energy and the community.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel and soon we will be returning to our work "home."

The 140th day of 2021 is National Rescue Dog Day!  And when I heard this on the morning of 5/20/2021 (thank you Chris Carter and Breakfast with the Beatles), I had to smile.  Because Skylar is our amazing rescue dog.  And, as I head off to bed on this day, I have rescue dog hopes.  I can only hope that all the dogs that need rescuing find their forever homes and are loved as much as we love our Skylar.

  5/19/2021 is May Ray Day.  According to Chris Carter, it is a celebration, in May, of the benefits of the sun's rays.  And, on the 139th day of 2021, I was very jealous of Alexa and her friends who were able to go to beach today!  Me, I will continue to hope for some rays.  But I will get them at the Snack Stand, Umpiring, and sitting on my back patio.  Because soaking up the sun is a good thing.  Right, Sheryl Crow??      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIYiGA_rIls&ab_channel=SherylCrowVEVO

5/18/2021 is National Stress Awareness Day.  So, on the 138th day of 2021 I have a hope to destress.  And, today was actually a day with little to no stress.  Good meetings at work, a great (and profitable) evening at the snack stand with my family (Alexa and Sarah) and my "family" (April and Corbin), and then watching the Phillies coming back from a 3-1 deficit (a deficit which evoked more sadness than stress).  I really love what this image tells us to do!  Hope we can all slow down..... relax..... and destress.  It's best for all aspects of all of our healths.

What a day the 137th day of 2021 was!  I found myself, on 5/17/2021, in a familiar place, Franklin Field.  For a familiar event, COMMENCEMENT!  Oh what a glorious day.  The weather was fantastic and it was good to be back "home."  Tonight I have Commencement Hopes!  I hope nothing but the best for the members of the Class of 2021.  AND, I hope that, in 2022 (and beyond) we can return to a full ceremony with the School Ceremonies too.  Again, closer to this goal each day.  Let's keep it up friends!

The 136th day of 2021 did not end up as initially planned at all.  Due to a Covid Exposure on one of the HS softball teams, we could not take the Mustangs to our planned tournament on 5/16/2021.  But, after Church, we were able to attend an outside BBQ to celebrate the birthday of Coach Bob!  So we were with our team, but in a different way as expected.  And yesterday would have been Penn's Alumni Day, but that was, again, virtual and, honestly, we missed it.  And, tonight, I would have been coming back from the College Commencement Ceremony (what a perfect evening, weather wise, it would have been tonight).  But, friends, things are looking up and I have special event hopes.  We WERE able to be at the BBQ today and, tomorrow AM, I need to get up VERY early to get to Franklin Field for the Commencement Ceremony of the undergraduate members of the Class of 2021.  It's slower than we would have liked, but slowly restrictions are being lifted and I l...

  Lots of news this week in regards to masks and the US "opening back up."  On the 135th day of 2021, I feel like I will continue to wear my mask in many places.  1) it's mandated on campus (when I get to return which will hopefully be soon!).  2) it's mandated by many locations (stores, venues, etc).  3) I have no idea of others' vaccination status and, even if they are not wearing a mask and not vaccinated, I still do not want to risk giving them Covid, I could be a carrier, even 2-weeks post Pfizer #2.  On 5/15/2021, I have masking hopes.  I hope people realize that wearing a mask is less about your safety and more about the safety of others.  Am I tired of wearing a mask, sure AM!  But, to me, it's a sign of caring about others and, frankly, it's not that hard.  Here's hoping that more people get vaccinations and that the need to wear a mask lessens.... although, with the news of the lower flu occurrence this winter, I may wear a mas...

Something happened on the 134th day of 2021 that has not happened in a long time.  The NJ Sherrs (ALL FOUR) sat down together and caught up on some DVRed TV.  We had a family dinner together beforehand as well.  On 5/14/2021, I feel like Home is where the Hopes are.  It's good to have Alexa home.  It's good to be able to stop and relax.   It's good to have family time.  Hope for more evenings like this in the near and far future.

  A burden was lifted off of my shoulders on the 133rd day of 2021.  As I was umpiring my second softball game in three days (apparently there is a Covid-caused shortage of umpires), Sarah and Sharon and Corbin and Mike were working in the Little League Snack Stand.  And, with their amazing work and cooking, the money raised tonight took the stand from in the red to in the black!  Yes, I let out a HUGE sigh of relief because I never want the stand to be a drain on the league's finances.  It takes a lot of $ to get it open and now, a month later, we are in the profit making phase of our season - WOO!  Also was able to support LL with a lunch/dinner purchase from Phillies Phatties in another flavor of fundraiser.  Yes, I have fundraising hopes tonight.  I hope the Stand continues its successful operations this season, I hope that groups and agencies that need funds can continue to raise what they need, even during this pandemic.  And, I hope th...

  There should be NO surprise that my reflection for the 132nd day of 2021 is of Nursing Hopes.  I am married to a nurse, my daughter is in Nursing School, and the 14 years I spent working in the School of Nursing are some of the best years of my career.  On 5/12/2021 I have gratitude and appreciation for the nurses in my life.  During the last 15 months, I have seen the level of appreciation for nurses rise across society and, even when this is all over, it'd better stay there.  It takes a special kind of person to be a nurse (I know _I_ couldn't do it) and I am glad for all that I have met and continue to be connected with.

5/11/2021 was the palindromic 131st day of 2021.  And it was filled with meetings and snack stand and email and even umping a Majors Level Softball Game (the ump no-showed so they asked me).  But it was also the Election for the Collingswood Commissioners.  So, for tonight, I have Election Hopes  I hope that everyone exercised their right to vote.  I hope that people are able to exercise their right to vote without impediment and I hope that the young people (and marginalized) stay engaged and continue to hold our elected officials to a higher standard than people my age typically do!

  Anna has been working very hard at softball in the past two years.  Hitting lessons, joining the Mustangs, and she was looking forward to this season.  A pre-season ankle injury kept her on the bench for a lot of the first part of this season but, today, the 130th day of 2021, she got her first varsity hit!  A DOUBLE!  I think it has to do with her new bat she bought this weekend.   "That bat has pop!" one of her teammates said :-).  On 5/10/2021 my mantra is new bat, new hopes.  The Colls Softball Team has won six of its last seven games and now has a winning record, 6-5!  It's good to see their successes and I hope they continue!

  So, on National Son's Day, my Mom posted this picture on her FB Feed.  Now I really like this pic so, on the 129th day of 2021, I am going to post it back for Mothers Day.  AND, on 5/9/2021, I have the Mother of All Hopes.  I hope I can see, and hug, my Mom soon!  Yesterday I was 2 weeks post shot #2 and, in two weeks, ANNA will be 2 weeks post shot #2.  The Family Vacation this summer seems more and more like it might happen!  That is my hope.  That truly is the mother of all hopes..... hope to see my mother (and father and sister and her family and.....). HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

In 1980, on May 8th, The World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of Smallpox.  41 years later, on 5/8/21, I have more eradication hopes.  The 128th day of 2021 is a milestone for me as I am now two-weeks past my second Pfizer shot.  So, while I am not beyond the effects of Covid-19, I am comforted by the knowledge that I am in the relative immunity phase and my job now is to continue to take precautions so as to not spread it to those who have not yet reached the same phase.  We continue to move forward, but we are NOT there yet.  My hopes are that we get to a point where the WHO will confirm the eradication of Covid-19.  But I am not sure how soon that will be.  We must continue to encourage those who are reticent to get vaccinated to reconsider and get the shots.  But this is not all that needs to be eradicated from our lives.  The eradication of poverty is another enormous need, and one that will take time and a lot of societal...

The 127th day of 2021 was the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week.  It's probably because of all of the Oaklyn folks involved in the CHS PTA but we hired a Mr. Softee Truck for the CHS Teachers and the OPS PTA did the same.  It got me thinking, on 5/7/2021, about Ice Cream for Hopes.  We just ended a week of celebrating our teachers and I hope they felt the appreciation that we all have for them.  I mean, even moreso after the year+ we (and they) have just had. But I also scream for hopes.  We need them.  Hopeful that next year we're all back on our campuses and in our classrooms.  Hopeful that the vaccines continue to be utilized and immunity is built!  Hopeful I can see my family (on the West Coast) soon.  Just needing all the hopes we can get!

  Chris Carter told me, on the 126th day of 2021, that 5/6/2021 is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.  It is so important for us to discuss mental health.  AND, so important to recognize that issues can start (and usually do) when people are very young.  So, tonight, I have hopes for Children's Mental Health.  Let's end the stigma and start talking about the mental health of our kids and how we can make it easier for kids, and their parents, to address issues.  It is our duty.

  The 125th day of 2021 is The International Day of the Midwife.  It is also the first day of National Nurses Week.  Even though it has been six and a half years since I was working in the School of Nursing, my affinity for nurses and midwives remains strong.  Not only because I am married to a nurse practitioner and my eldest is in Nursing School.  But also because the profession of nursing and nurse-midwifery is filled with some of the most intelligent, caring people I know.  On 5/5/2021, I have Hopes for Midwives.  Midwives played a strong role in the births of my children and I hope that the tide continues to turn towards allowing an expanded scope of practice and, by increasing the number of midwives at births, we increase the health of the world!

  We have gotten to 5/4/2021 and May the Fourth always reminds me of Masterman and my favorite Math Teacher, Mr. Chango.  It's nice that this day, #124 of 2021, happens during Teacher Appreciation Week because I sure do appreciate Mr. Chango for infusing me with a love of math (that I have morphed into a love of numbers and data).  But also he was the first person I can remember uttering "May the Fourth Be With You!"  It may have an official originator but, in my books, it's Mr. Chango.  Today was a great day.  Long day of meetings at work, but filled with good humor and good content.  Then was able to knock off a bit early to get to the HS to watch Anna in her first varsity softball start in Right Field.  AND, I got to see her, from RF, throw a runner out at 1B, robbing her of a single.  So I might be a curse for the Phillies, but I saw a crisp win from the Collingswood Panthers today.  Also, Alexa chimed in on text and finished her har...

  The 123rd day of 2021 was also Decision Day for many members of the Class of 2021.  And, on 5/3/2021 I had hopes for the decision makers.  I hope that these 16-19 year olds make a decision about the next chapter in their lives.  But I also hope that more people decide to get the vaccine (there are too many vaccines not being used).  I also hope that those in power make good decisions and, if they do not, that the voters show them the door by making decisions of their own.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.....  and hopes for good ones.

I broke a cardinal rule of my sports fandom on the 122nd day of 2021.  We went to Citizen's Bank Park for the third time, this season, on 5/2/2021.  And, for the third time, the Phillies were losing.  But, tonight, it was worse, they were playing sloppily and making some mistakes that Major Leaguers should not be making.  So, frustrated, we left.  And, yes, that is a HUGE rule broken (leaving a game before it's actually over).  And, well, the Phillies ALMOST came back.  But, of course, when I turned on the radio to see what was happening, the game tying home run was called back by reply.  So, tonight, I was hoping for a comeback.  And, during this pandemic, I think we're due for a comeback.  Little by little, we are seeing some evidence of things turning around.  I hope that, unlike the Phillies, our world can comeback all the way!

Day # 121 of 2021 and I knew it would be a good one.  121, 11 squared, and a Saturday filled with enjoyable activities.  Morning Snack Stand for Tee Ball and Soccer, Afternoon trip to the gym pool for aqua jog, and Evening trip to CBP for our first time sitting in the Diamond Club to watch the Phillies (even if they did lose).  I walked more steps that usual and the most in a long while, and the legs still feel good (ironically, working at the Snack Stand is making me move more, allowing me to gain some conditioning back after a year of sitting during Covid).  So, on May 1, 2021, I am pretty happy, but still reflecting on today.  I have May Day Hopes.  Because, all of the things I was able to do today were likely made possible, in some way, by laborers.  May 1st, the International Day of the Worker, is really another Labor Day.  So, I am hoping that things get better for many in the manufacturing, retail, food service, and other sectors dramatical...