History of houses

When Hunnybunny and I got married, we moved into my two bedroom bungalow in Chattanooga.

It was built in 1958 and I think we paid 31K for it back in 1988, (that is, my ex-husband and I). Fast forward to 1998 when I got divorced: I kept the house with my two boys in it. I was barely getting by on my shipping clerk job at a ministry. Two bedrooms, galley kitchen, no heat source, an AC unit in the wal from 1969- you get the picture. The best thing it had to offer were the two 50 year old maple trees in the front yard. That made it pretty in the fall.
After Hunnybunny and I married in 2002, he moved into the bungalow with us. Crowded to say the least, but it was doable. 

 We added to our family in that house with the birth of The Dyl Pickle. But, life happens: Hunnybunny's job with the local FOX station ended, and we packed it up to move to Kentucky for his new gig. In television, you don't buy the house. So, for about 9 years, we rented this one. And we loved it! 1200 square feet, Hickory tree in the yard this time, and a less than perfect back yard, (all up hill). Finding we needed more room, we went on the hunt for another rental. Hunnybunny was now completely out of television, and I had recently become a nurse.

We find this gem 2 blocks away:1898 square feet! Oak tree in the front yard, super nice landlord, good neighborhood, good schools. And we stayed for 4 years. Hunnybunny was now in sales, working from home. I was still at the hospital I started at, The Dyl Pickle had gone through elementary school, middle school, and this year, had become a freshman. But we had always dreamed of having our own home. Now that moving out of Kentucky was off the table, we began house hunting. No easy feat as we were trying to stay within the high school district of Pickle. We met a wonderful young lady at an open house who was a buyer's real estate agent. She showed us a lot of houses, but we had found this one house in our neighborhood that we had visited the same day we met her: 1710 square feet.

It comes with a large kitchen, (yellow, so it will definitely needed new paint!) granite countertops, private backyard with lots of mature trees, deck, on a cul-de-sac that was within a cul-de-sac, so very little street traffic, and, of course, a tree in the front yard. I have been unable to determine what kind of tree.   So, we are moving here, and it's ours. This is Hunnybunny's first time as a homeowner. The Legal Adult has been helping me while Hunnybunny has been on the road. It's a split foyer, built in 1990.  4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, (they made the downstairs den a bedroom, so the Pickle is loving that he has his own bathroom.
I will keep you posted on improvements, because there will be a few.                                                                                                                           

Uninspired

That's how I have felt for awhile now....uninspired. It may be the fact that my age is showing. And it is really showing, y'all. I tend to wear the "I-don't-suffer-fools-gladly" face which the world calls something else. I won't bore you with that.  I remember when I had energy and drive to do things and meet people...and I don't anymore. Do you think as people we get to the point where enough is enough? We have heard all the stories, seen all the personalities, and nothing is truly new anymore. I can watch a sit-com that is new to air and determine where the plot line is going to go because I've seen it before. I had an acquaintance from work ask me how I could possibly be friends with a certain person since they are so much younger than I am. Simple: young people are not so complicated. They still have that eagerness and drive that most of us have lost long ago.  That is a very attractive quality and I miss seeing it in my own life. How does one capture lightning in a bottle again? I guess my first step is writing that I'm truly uninspired, and would like to be again. I've always handled bumps in the road by making a list--things to do, things I'd like to do, things I should do. Maybe I can start with that.

Until next time,

Jury

Quilting news and other stuff

I haven't really posted anything since my brother died, so I guess I'm getting back to normal. 
So, this is my new baby. I actually purchased her last year, but have had trouble making time to use her. She is a PFAFF Quilt Expression 4.2. Recently, I was asked by my quilt teacher/friend of many years why in the world would I pick a PFAFF when I could own a BERNINA? My answer was simple: I love it! Bernina is a great machine, no doubt. But I learned to sew on a HOBBY 1132, so I'm a little sentimental about PFAFF. Also, there is the affordability factor. I mean, for 5 grand, I could make a partial down-payment on a car, or a house.

I love the ease of use as well. Even for a novice like myself, I find that I don't have to work real hard at figuring out what to do to get the effect I want. 192 stitches! It's simply amazing! 

I'm working on a baby quilt that was entirely applique. Let me say it bluntly: not a good plan for me. Not only was I out of my league, I was using a new machine that I didn't fully understand how to use. Here's where I am with it:  

You'll notice that big, bunch of bananas. I'm ripping that out. I tried to make it look like a real bunch of bananas, but found it only confused people. In case you wondered, it's not my design. I bought it off of someone's Etsy shop. Her monkeys were alot bigger, even though I followed the pattern exactly. Won't be doing this again. 

I keep playing with the courthouse steps idea. I did one block that you see below. It was foundation pieced, which was very, very acurate. You'll have to forgive the material I used. I was trying to use scraps up.  This is what I hope to be making it look like without the blue center:

I got this badly taken picture from a television show from the 90's and thought how great would that look in my living room!  Anyway, that's about all I am doing sewing-wise. 

I started working out with a trainer recently. He's a very nice young man who is down to earth. I only started because I was tired of being sick and tired. My body strength was nil and my legs hurt constantly. Not a good thing for a nurse who is up on her feet for 12 hours at a time. He is putting me through my paces. And, of course, I'm hoping to lose weight, so I'm conferring with him on diet issues. 
Work is very busy, which is highly unusual this time of year. Our census is never maxed out in June, but it is this year for some reason. 27 patients is a lot of patients to keep content.

The Legal Adult moved out after having been with us for some time. He broke his leg last year, and now has a new apartment....again. I haven't written very much about him, but he has effectly made an old woman out of me this year by turning 31. 

Hollywood turns 21 in a week or so. He has an apartment across town, but has never invited me over except to pick him up to go somewhere. Hmmmmm......

The Dyl Pickle is 12 now and is sporting purple hair! Yeash......
But he is so very tall now, and he has grown men feet-size 12! Turns 13 and starts 8th grade in the fall. 

Hunnybunny is working for new company as the mid west sales rep. He just got back from Canada. Always happy to get back to southern cooking. We just celebrated number 14 Anniversary by heading to Hilton Head. It was very, very nice!

As for me, two more semesters of school and then I can sit for the NCLEX-RN. I am nearly as old as the teacher, but I like it. What I don't enjoy is going to school 4 days a week and then working every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, better get a shower so I can head to church. Later, y'all.......

The Top Ten Reasons I Hate Dealing with Grief

My brother JR died on April 28, 2015. I was heading into a restaurant, meeting my husband and his friends for dinner when I got a message from Facebook. "Aunt Z call me immediately". I went on to the table and showed Hunnybunny, excused myself to the sidewalk so I could hear. Then learned that my brother had died in his sleep. He went down for a nap and did not wake up.

 

I have no words for all that went through me after that. He raised me after my dad passed when I was no more than a year old. He had been sick this past year, and I had gone to see him in January when he was in rehab. Being a nurse actually helped because I was able to relate to my sister-in-law what was happening to him. JR rallied, came home, and talked to me on the phone the week before he died. It's just surreal....

 

I was called in to my supervisor's office yesterday. She was worried about me. I thought, "Had my work slacked?" but no, my work ethic wasn't in question. She just mentioned how tired and worried I looked. I told her I was having a hard time with JR's death. That same day, my attending doctor asked what was wrong. She hadn't heard about his death, and hugged me. Being a psychologist, she gave me some tools to start the actual grieving process. So, I sit before you today, blogging about what's going on in my head. Top ten lists are my typical way of using humor to make a point, I'm going to use them today to talk about my grief.

The Top Ten Reasons I Hate Dealing with Grief.

10. I don't feel like I have the right. My sister-in law was with my brother since they were 13. They were together almost 50 years. He was in my life consistently until I was 7. In comparison, there is no comparison.

 

9.   It shows up at unexpected and inconvenient times. So, I'm sitting there telling my sleep apnea doctor I didn't actually lose just 8 pounds, I lost 20. I put 12 back on after April. When she asked if anything happened, that's when I lost it. A complete stranger and I'm crying like an idiot.
 
8. My boys have never seen me like this. The Legal Adult is at a complete loss as to what to say, not say. He deals with my pain by not talking about it.
 
7.  My husband is trying to make me feel better.  Hunnybunny is the greatest. But he is trying way too hard to "fix my grief". Right now, I don't want to feel better. I just want to be.
 
6. Nothing seems as much fun anymore. I just don't have the will to do anything but work and come home. My birthday is this weekend, and I was asked what I wanted to do. NOTHING came to mind.
 
5. You wonder how much of this new attitude is grief and how much is just where you are in your life. Currently, I can't tell the difference. Am I just over 50 and "over it"? Or am I just grieving?
 
4. You begin letting your life fall apart. Goals you were working on just don't seem that important anymore. You let your health habits go because you don't see the point, you're going to die, anyway.
 
3. You become jealous of people who still have key members of their family. And as a result, you start harassing your significant other to call their family because they don't know how long they will have them.
 

 2. You beat yourself up for not going to see them more. Trips where you were in the same state during the holidays and you could have fought to go see them instead of your inlaws. One Christmas morning, however, I did leave and spent it with my brother. I will never apologize for wanting to go see my family.
 
1. You feel like an orphan. When my mom died, I had a taste of this. But when JR died, it came home full throttle. I've never felt like this, where I didn't feel like I had a family anymore.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biting the bullet

Oh, how true this is for me today. While I won't bore you with the saga of my knee problems, I will tell you that physical therapy helped me a lot. The idea was for me to get moving again and hopefully without as much pain. On the recommendation of my physical therapist, I decided to go somewhere I could start riding a bike. My misadventures with riding a bike on the road had me pretty fearful of trying again. So, I joined a local gym. It was a place I had been to previously and loved when I was 30 lbs lighter and swimming. I actually joined on the first of October but was afraid to try. My PT doctor essentially released me from his care and said to call him if I had any problems. Gee thanks....I just get used to this, and now you are leaving me. Anyway, today was the day. I put on my workout clothes and called down to Hunnybunny, "I'm headed to the gym," . "Okay, " he called back, trying hard not to sound very surprised. Believe me, I was surprised. Being a fat girl walking into a gym is very intimidating. But nontheless, I found a stationary bike that looked doable. It was complete with built-in fan, television, and computer system that kept track of my rpm's, heart rate, miles/distance traveled. Pretty snazzy. I ended up riding for 33 minutes with a distance of 4 miles. Not bad. I also tried the new and improved stairmaster and made it 2 flights of stairs. If you knew how bad my knee hurts, you would be impressed. 
Now I have to figure out how to do this: how many times a week, for how long and what to add. It will be interesting!

Not quite what I was expecting

Well, this is a pretty good duplicate of what happened with my knee. A complex tear of the medial meniscus was the diagnosis, but what I THOUGHT was they would do surgery. Uh, no...they said, I'm so sorry. But the tear is in a GOOD place and if we remove it, you will have bone on bone. I was so angry.  I just wanted this to be over with. The doctor is supposedly the very best in our area. Her bedside manner, not so much. I couldn't help that tears were rolling down my face after they told me. All she said was, " I know that's not what you wanted." (You think, Doc?) "And we are going to send you to physical therapy and see where we are after that." Lovely.
So, I have had 5 appointments now. And today the therapist informed me I have a dislocated tibia. He moved it back into place, which really hurt, by the way, and then, taped it. It feels much better right now. They are also using a PT therapy for the inflammation of the MCL/Medical Meniscus area called iontophoresis. They use electricity to drive drugs through the skin. The deal is the drug they use has to be ionizable (electrically charged).  Dexamethasone is the steroidal anti-inflammatory they use, and yeah, it hurts like a bunch of bee stings. Then it chills out, and begins to feel much better.  The therapist finishes with ultrasound therapy. And the jury is still out on what that is supposed to do, but they tell me it promotes healing.
While it is true that wasn't what I wanted to hear, I'm sure it's what needed to happen. My PT guy has told me to get more exercise, so Hunnybunny and I joined a gym. I'm really surprised he wants to work out with me, but I will take what I can get.

Another birthday bites the dust

Wow, I had no idea so many famous people shared my birthday.

Birthdays on June 28

Kenny Cunningham Athlete 1971 Steve Burton Actor 1970 John Cusack Actor 1966 Mary Stuart Masterson Actress 1966 Mike Fitzpatrick Politician 1963 John Elway Athlete 1960 Brian Roberts Businessman 1959 Georgi Purvanov Statesman 1957 Lalla Ward Actor 1951 Don Baylor Coach 1949 Kathy Bates Actress 1948 Mark Helprin Novelist 1947 Robert Asprin Author 1946 Howard Barker Playwright 1946 Bruce Davison Actor 1946 Gilda Radner Actress 1946 Jane Harman Politician 1945 Donald Johanson Scientist 1943 Ed Pastor Politician 1943 Jim Kolbe Politician 1942 Rupert Sheldrake Scientist 1942 Muhammad Yunus Economist 1940 Major Owens Politician 1936 Major R. Owens Politician 1936 Carl Levin Politician 1934 Pat Morita Actor 1932 Junior Johnson Celebrity 1931 John S. Bell Physicist 1928 Hans Blix Diplomat 1928 Harold Evans Journalist 1928 Mel Brooks Comedian 1926 George Morgan Musician 1924 William Whitelaw Politician 1918 George Lloyd Composer 1913 Eric Ambler Writer 1909 Ashley Montagu Scientist 1905 Ashley Montague Scientist 1905 Richard Rodgers Composer 1902 Esther Forbes Author 1891 Pierre Laval Politician 1883 Alexis Carrel Scientist 1873 Luigi Pirandello Playwright 1867 Frederick William Faber Theologian 1814 William Hooper Politician 1742 Jean Jacques Rousseau Philosopher 1712 Jean-Jacques Rousseau Philosopher 1712 Peter Paul Rubens Artist 1577

Life 101- or is there life after 18 months of back to back school?

I found this some time ago, and thought it summed up the way I feel about things. Apparently, I have a pet peeve: when someone says, "I'm just set in my ways". That seems to really get beside me.  Or when someone says, "This is just the way I am". Really?? Is it? For me, that's the coolest part of life, you don't have to be the same person you've always been. You can change, you can grow, and nobody can do anything about it.

Reinvention is a word I really like. As human beings, we can reinvent ourselves in any area of our lives. You want to learn a new hobby? The Net is full of great ideas. The libraries are teeming with books on any subject that you fancy. If you want to change your interpersonal relationships, you can read about it and change them or hang out in different social circles. Bored with your job? There are assessment test you can take at your local yokel community college or even just take a class on something that interests you. As for me, I started in radio, worked in the legal community and now I'm headed to the healthcare field. Am I scared? Oh, yeah....of course I am. But terribly excited, too.

Right now, I'm trying to get out of school mode, and get into family, quilting, and bumming around mode.  But I've been slipping. Yesterday, on my day off with Hunnybunny, I found myself at a used bookstore with ISBN numbers of books I will need for my first semester in nursing school! But I have to get back into "normal life" mode. I'm finishing up The Legal Adult's quilt, and heck, I might even do a new quilt, but don't hold me to that.

The guys bought me a bike for mother's day. I got it the day before my finals, last Sunday. It's more  "me", being a hybrid of a mountain bike and a cruiser. And truthfully, it's just purty. So, it was decided that Hunnybunny would take The Legal Adult's gift bike to ride. Hunnybunny  filled the tires with air, erring on the side of the maximum requirement. I decided to go on a spin before studying. As I came down the hill, I kept hearing a thub-dub. I braked, and then heard a gunshot sound. The tire went down, and I was in a free fall into the pavement. The handle bars went into my chest, and the whole bike landed on my left hand. It caused edema, and my hand looked like I was wearing a purple half-glove like we did in the eighties.  For my quilting friend, Kathy, Darlin' I should have listened to you and gotten a helmet! I currently lack the courage to get back on it, but my bruises are healing.

Back to the ordinary

  I've been out of sorts lately, trying to figure myself out. The whole student, mother, employee, thing has been something I've struggled with and I always forget that this is where I work most of it out.:) Aren't you so glad you can eaves drop on my brain?
Undoubtedly, the whole school thing has taken up most of my time this year, and I hate that it has. I have friends that I miss, and blogging friends across the country that have been nice enough to not drop me for my inconsistent postings. It's not that I'm trying to do too much, it's that I'm not a very good time manager. That's a terrible admission for someone who is looking to be in a health field, but true nonetheless. Lately I've looked at that quilt on the wall and wish it were done. Maybe it's not done because I don't know if or when I could possibly start the next project. I've done some pretty lame things during spring break from my school like: watch House, Horders, and pretend I'm watching Being Human with Hunnybunny. (I just don't get that show!) I've also been on Facebook more than I'd care to admit and mostly because it's quick and easy. I've never managed to do the quick and easy for very long without consequences.  And I do like Facebook, heck- if it weren't for that I may have no clue what's going on with my family. It's handy when I want to "talk" to Hollywood down in Tennessee as you know that teenagers stay on it. They'll sit for hours instant messaging you, but fall short when it comes to real conversation. I miss him very much so I'll keep on with it.
The Legal Adult has had his share of growing pains this year, and between work, school, and my crew at home, I've been carving out more time to see him. In fact, he and Sweet Thing took me out for a nice dinner last week. Miracles never cease.

And then there's the Dyl Pickle, who's growing faster and faster, and with all that I'm doing, I don't want to miss it. His birthday falls just as school starts, so we bought him an early birthday present..a new bike! He is riding now without training wheels and it's so cute to see. I think I've mentioned before that The Legal Adult doesn't drive? He actually owns 5 bikes and was generous enough to give me one last week so I could "ride with Pickle".

I wonder what I was thinking when I accepted it...sigh. I haven't been on a REAl bike in 25 years! So, it's kind of like we're both learning how to ride.   

I'm having trouble figuring out the gears. And I don't have a helmet. Do you HAVE to wear a helmet these days?

t

Life Compartmentalization at its Best

This year I didn't make resolutions. I knew I couldn't live up to them. But I did look at how I was spending my time,
First and foremost, as a student. In fact, I have so compartmentalized this aspect of my life that I'm boring everyone with it. To remedy this, and to perhaps connect with other older nursing students, I created a new blog, Midlife Nursing Crisis. Yeah, I can guess what you are thinking: "She hasn't made time for this blog, why create another?" Mostly, I wanted to get back to the "normal person" aspect of this blog. I started this to get some stuff out, and keep a record of what's been going on. I have not made time for it, and many things which could have been addressed in this forum went to the attic of my mind. And there's enough stuff there already. To be honest, I've been compartmentalizing my life a lot lately. It's almost as if I can hear the gears switch in my head when I'm doing it. For example, when in "Wife 101" mode, I try to stick with those things that most wives deal with; bills, husband, kids, laundry, dogs,financial stability, "what's- for-supper-honey?, etc.  As a student, it's all about what is on the next test, did I get those transcripts? Am I going to have a GPA that's competitive enough against all these younger students? Labs, reading, red tape....you get the picture.
Basically, I am going to another blog to grouse about school. Don't wonder if I've quit school if you don't read anything about it here. If you're curious, head to Midlife Nursing Crisis. You'll find all the sorted details of that part of my life.
The Jury is Still Out is still my playground for quilting, life experiences, and general catching up, so I'm endeavoring to make this split to retrieve some of that fun while I jump through the nursing school admission hoops. Thanks for listening. Y'all are the absolute best!

Me and the ACT

It's been awhile since I've made the time to update my blog. Wow, has it really been since September?? Anatomy and Physiology I pretty much took over my life this past semester. But, I got a B, so I'm guessing it was worth it. My psychology class was pretty straightforward, so I got an A in it. Truthfully, I don't know how these working mothers go back to school anymore. Yes, it's true, I did this back in 1997 as a single-parent of two, but even that's a major blur. I remember being exhausted all the time. These days, it's not necessarily a problem working and going to school as much as it is the whole test anxiety thing. Apparently, I'm not the only one who suffers from this, but nonetheless, I'm fairly adept at beating myself up over it. Case in point: The ACT. In order to get into nursing school, (no matter which one), I knew I would have to retake the ACT. So, I ordered the study guide last January and started to go through it. Even that did not prepare me for the anxiety I felt as I walked in to take the test. I was grateful it was being held at my community college only 4.5 miles away, but it did disturb me that besides the proctor, (who was old as Methuselah....the oldest man recorded in the bible), I was the oldest person in the room. When I took the exam almost 37 years ago, I either didn't remember the long list of rules, or basically, we are in a whole new world. The old guy stood and read this verbatim from the test booklet:
"You will be dismissed and your answer document will not be scored if you are found:
* Filling in or altering ovals on a test or continuing to write the essay after time has been called on that test
* Looking back at a test on which time has already been called
* Looking ahead in the test booklet
* Looking at another examinee's test booklet or answer document
* Giving or receiving assistance
* Using a prohibited calculator
* Using a calculator on any test other than the Mathematics Test (Why would anyone do that?? What in the world could they use it for?)
* Sharing a calculator with another examinee
* Using any device to share or exchange information at any time during the tests or during breaks (all electronic devices, including cell phones, must be turned off from the time you are admitted to test until you are dismissed after testing concludes)(And if you were caught using your phone on the break, you would be dismissed!)
* Attempting to remove test materials, including test questions or answers, from the test room by any means
* Using highlight pens, colored pens or pencils, scratch paper, notes, dictionaries, or other aids
* Not following instructions or abiding by the rules of the test center
* Exhibiting confrontational, threatening, or unruly behavior
* Creating a disturbance or allowing an alarm or phone to sound in the test room"
(Ironically, it was the Proctor whose phone went off during the exam!) 
I forgot to bring a wrist watch, and after that laundry list of do's and don't's , I was terrified even to look at the wall clock! As a result, I kept running out of time. I will be retaking the test as I was 5 points shy of the minimum to get into one nursing school, and only 2 points lacking to get into the other one.

A Fork in the Road

Well, it appears I have reached a fork in the road with my schooling. Yesterday, after being in major pain with my right knee for weeks now, I finally went to a NEW provider. She was a Nurse Practitioner who worked at a facility that helped Hunnybunny with his back sciatica. Very no nonsense, she immediately took me back for x-rays to see if there was anything bone-wise that was contributing to this pain and swelling. They took alot of pictures, and before I had sat down really well back in the exam room, the x-ray guy had already read them! 

  For the record, this isn't said knee. This is one I got off the Internet with the same diagnoses as I received.
Basically, you are looking at Osteoarthritis and bone spurring. That would explain a great deal of my problem. I've been icing it, elevating it, taking anti-inflammatory meds, all to no avail. She gave me a new Rx for some stuff that was a little stronger to deal with the swelling. I'll keep on doing the icing and elevation and we will keep watching it before I have to break down for the MRI.
The "fork" I spoke of is regarding my nursing stuff. I know how nurses stand on their feet continually, and have to lift a certain amount of weight with everyday activities. Do I pursue this course? I'm wondering.... maybe God is trying to tell me something, like, "Do something else!".  And I've been thinking about my other considerations.  Pray for me. I need the right answer from God. 

Now I understand the hype

It's a cryin' shame that it has taken me over 30 years to get this done professionally, but I got my first pedicure/manicure yesterday! It's not that we are made of money: I actually won a spa treatment from Mix 94 here in Lexington last Christmas. I also won floor seats to see The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Their Christmas show was wonderful, but I just never got around to the The Spa at Griffin Gate gift certificate. It had an expiration date of May 1st, so I figured I better get around to it this weekend. Absolutely beautiful, and peaceful, which I expect spas to be, as I've only seen on tv. This wonderful lady, Tameka, made me feel right at home. She absolutely pampered me. I'm going to have to go back for another one, like maybe for my birthday or something special. My tootsies never looked this good! She used hot towels, lotions....wow! I've just never been in that kind of heaven before.

And you know these two jokers....Hollywood wanted more pictures of himself, so he conned The Pickle into taking some outside.

"What a Fool Believes" finally finished!

Only took me 10 years from start to finish on this quilt. I haven't been posting pictures lately because my memory stick on my Sony camera was missing. Hunnybunny found it under the huge (old) computer monitor, so I'm just getting around to posting this. Everything I learned about quilting, I took out on this quilt. Free motion, using homemade templates (that was before I learned you could buy them!); hand-piecing, which I had to do when I started as I had no machine. Now I have six. :) I did finish this with a machine as I learned that the back has to bigger than the front.
It most definitely was a learning experience. The reason it was named "What a Fool Believes" was because every time I went to the fabric store, that was the song on Muzak.

Top Ten Reasons I felt like the Grinch this Christmas

This isn't really like me, but this year, I have really NOT been a Christmassy type person. Here are my top ten reasons I felt like the Grinch:

10. I just wanted to hang out in my cave, (or sewing room!) and not get around people at all.

9. I have tried to get my ducks in a row over the whole school thing. Do I go? Is this what I want, or what God wants? Am I going to be able to keep up with classes, work, home, and church? I have been officially accepted, now I just have to get my classes in January. They are making me wait because I am considered a transfer student. So, it looks like I'm going.

8. Our family has been going through some major changes, basically, the cast of characters. Hollywood is set on moving in with his dad down in Tennessee, (AGAIN!) but he wanted to do it mid-year instead of waiting until the school year ends in later May. I've not received any input from He Who Will Not Be Named, (ex-husband), except to wonder why it isn't easy getting things changed around. He's not offering to make phone calls (gee, he lives down there, how hard could it be?) or getting any information. Ultimately, if it doesn't work out, I will be the one to blame as far as Hollywood is concerned.

7. Hunnybunny was up and down the road for a large bid and it did finally close just before Christmas. As a result, he was pretty exhausted.

6. We did, finally, get brave enough to put up a tree. Fiona only toppled the tree once, and ate several ornaments off of it. They were stuffed ornaments, less you report me to the A.S.P.C.A.

5. We had to drive south to drop off Hollywood for Christmas with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I hate it when my whole family isn't together for Christmas, but I can't be selfish either as much as I'd like.

4. I tried to make my mother's Christmas candy recipe and it majorly flopped. It tasted like it was supposed to, but it sure was ugly. She's not with us anymore to ask what I did wrong.

3. The economy. It reeks when you have to watch EVERY penny, even at the most giving time of the year. I'm one of those people who feels guilty if they don't put something in the Salvation Army kettle every time you see one. The Dyl Pickle believes I'm supposed to put something in as well, and reminded me right in front of the guy or girl.

2. I had two quilt projects that I was trying to get done for presents. I did finish the purse, but not the Beatles quilt.

1. I didn't actually start shopping until the 21st.

Thinking about........

Nursing school! I can see some of you out there....scratching your heads, wondering if I have truly lost it. Just to remind you, that happened LONG AGO, so this isn't a "mental distrubance" as Paulie asked Rocky in the last Rocky film. I've actually been entertaining this thought for a long while, like maybe 1992 or so. Wait, no, even longer than that. My mother BEGGED me to consider nursing school as I was graduating from high school back in 1980. But no, I couldn't possibly do something she thought was a good idea. My best friend in high school, Dee, went on to nursing school and did great. She makes good money, and works her hiney off three days a week as a supervisor. She also has more degrees than you can shake a stick at. In college, I was working in the school infirmary on college work-study. So, some of it will be familiar.
Back in 1997, as a single parent returning to school, I had considered it. Childcare was the major issue, and I was already having a hard time juggling work and paralegal school.
The question has been asked of me: "Why don't you just go back into the legal field?" Truthfully, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Erin Brocovich made it seem like such a great career move as she spent time interviewing people in the movie. As a paralegal, I hardly interacted with the public. Pleadings, letters, phone calls, but no one on one. These past five years at home, well....sort of...have given me time to think about what I'd like to do. I decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to do anything where I had to sit still all day.
I'm still praying about it. I don't want to make an expensive mistake. I went ahead and applied at a community college here, and have requested my transcripts to be evaluated. I'm fairly certain most of them from my A.A. will transfer, except for the Algebra grade....I BARELY passed that class.
Classes start in January, and some are online. We will just see how it all works out.