CNA requirements may vary state to state, but I don't think it's that long most places. In my neck of the woods it's 80 hours class plus appx 20 clinical hours, then you have to pass the state licensing test. There are no prerequisites aside from being a citizen/legal resident, providing your SS# and being able to speak English. That could be a gateway job for a future medical career. But you would need the freedom to reinvest some of that money into tuition to keep studying as you work. Honestly, though the CNA work would be good patient contact experience, you could probably make more per hour waitressing at a popular high-end restaurant, then use that money to reinvest in studying in a field in which you are truly interested. Other medical areas - EMT, xray tech, surgical tech, etc - may pay more to start. But there are always those pesky prerequisites. You ought to make an appointment to sit down with folks at your local community college, if it has a good reputation. Ours is terrific, there are MANY mature students. The staff will help you figure out both where your interests lie and how to pay for it. Many places are offering special programs these days for adults returning to the work force who have never before earned a college degree.

Add me, swellmama! I saw colors, but did not see a theme? I have not been reading the boards for a while, if there's anything I should/need to know, please somebody post a link to the informative thread. [ETA - saw it was deleted, I got it, just need to know if there's a theme to avoid, kwim?] Something makes me think it might be for @$trid's sweet dogloving dd? If so, I can guess a theme for her. Anyway, count me in!

Bethany, I would cook extra that first week, or check the stock midweek, just in case Mom decides she likes the tasty stuff you've prepared and decides to eat it, too. From what you've said I'm guessing she's pretty addicted to her take-out, but just in case.... I would hate for your dad to get shorted, kwim You are a WONDERFUL DAUGHTER! Your dad is surely blessed!

I use audiobooks for the times I need to use my hands but have ears available. IE, driving in the car (30 minutes to and from my part time job), when I am painting something (which I do fairly often), when I am folding laundry (I wash and dry several loads, toss 'em on my bed as they come from the dryer, then settle in later for a longer listen as I fold session). Here's what I've discovered: the profanity is shocking (to me, anyway, at first). I started listening to audiobooks of children's literature and nonfiction works. As I ventured into adult literature, I was surprised to hear hear those words spoken aloud. It's just different than reading them! I have learned to be aware of what younger ears might be listening at the same time, and be careful with that. Glad to see Handmaid's Tale get such chatter, I will keep it in my stack and hopefully finish it before the end of January.

((((Julie)))) Many thoughts. Several concerns. Sorry that your time in limbo has been extended. This is good for neither you nor your children. Please never forget that as a child of Christ, you are UNDER MUCH GRACE. Can't say more here without saying too much. Please know that you will remain in my prayers. ETA - Thanks for the above details which give more understanding, I typed the above response prior to your last post. Sounds like your church practices discipline in a healthy way - sadly, that's not always the case. BTW, has the other woman been involved in any of this process? IIRC, she was possibly at some point involved in your church? Find myself wondering how your dh would do on a polygraph if both you and she were present when it is administered... Julie, once again you have revealed yourself as a rare model of grace by continuing to extend your husband the benefit of the doubt. Once the matter is settled - whichever way it is settled - you should be at peace with how you have handled things on your end. You are a gem.

You and your family will remain in my prayers.

If there had been but one admirable character - just one! - that I could have latched onto.....

I am pretty sure I made 6" squares for Scarlett and left enough of a border within that for a reasonable (no more than 5/8") seam allowance. Add me to the list for Julie squares, too. ETA: I think a larger square would be nice, anyway. Rosie, you could be the decision-maker for the rest of us, and we will make whatever size you declare to be just right!

Are you enjoying it? I've got that checked out from the library and can't seem to get it started, not sure if I feel like I want to... Need a little shove into it, if you've got one for me! I finished out last year at 39 books, aiming for the 52 mark once again. One of these years I'll get there. Starting out with a couple of Sigmund Brouwers on my nightstand and Fannie Flagg waiting for me at the library. Also a couple of nonfiction titles that I'll list when I complete each. My goal is to read daily. I have a tendency to read in chunks. Waiting for chunks of available time as opposed to sneaking in a chapter whenever I can has, I think, slowed my progress in the past. This will be the year of mobile books this year, so hopefully I can put my kindle to extra service.

:iagree: (Except for the part about Gerard Butler. He can be my phantom any day.) I think that with a screen production, facial expression is also a viable reason for casting choices. Few I can think of beat Crowe's self righteous/convicted/troubled expressions. Someone said they didn't care for Enjolras. I liked him. He's always been one of my favorite characters. I do think he was upstaged a bit by the other dark-haired rebel (don't know his name). That ensemble of young men was IMO the best bit of singing in the film. And Anne Hathaway, her performance was just terrific. I can't imagine how exhausted she must have been after filming that. Am I the only one that felt that the vocal range of nearly all the men to be rather on the high side? There were a couple of spots in Empty Room that Marius went down low, but I am thinking that one of the reasons Amanda Seigfried (sp?) was cast as Cosette was because her ultra high soprano was needed for those ensembles with ValJean & Marius / Marius & Eponine. Just my amateur opinion... Someone upthread didn't think Hugh Jackman nailed Bring Him Home, but it totally gripped me and had me in tears in the theater. It wasn't all about the performance, but about the story - what a sacrificial life Jean shows us! What a life of devotion, a life balanced between prayer and action, saturated in mercy and grace! I'll put up with a bit of less-than-stellar singing any day to watch such a thing on the big screen, as rare as such a story line is these days. And as for a recording of "highlights"? They're calling that a sound track? WTH??? This is a story told in song. Leaving out a song is like dropping out a chapter of a book. Incomplete. Thanks for the heads up.

This is very kind of you, Tibbie. I would not toss out good food. It's mostly the unnecessary candy I hate to have lying around. One year when my big kids were quite little, we "fed the camels" on the eve of King's Day. I had them fill their shoes with all the extra candy and set them just outside the front door. They got little packages on King's Day, books and a game, the candy was all gone... win-win!

Faith, just go with the 17" rental and call it done! After the wedding you won't have a pile of dirty napkins needing to be washed and ironed. Hope your toe feels better soon! My own toes curled at reading about your injury, ouch!

I agree that the 17" square is sufficient for the guest's use, often a larger napkin is actually a bother. The real question, though, is how do you plan to place the napkins on the table? Have you decided on a simple fold, or a fancy one? You need to decide on that and determine what size napkin you need to pull off the design you want. Some of those shapes need more fabric. ETA: fwiw, the "official" formal size is 20". But since the rental company offers 17" napkins, I wouldn't worry about any of the guests noticing that your napkins are <gasp!> three inches short.

The kids aren't all that careful about where they leave their wrapped Christmas stocking/gift candy setting about. It has been known to disappear.... A bit tossed here and there helps to get it all gone by the end of New Year's Day. I knew we'd have people coming over and bringing baked goodies this year, so I did very little baking myself. Missed doing the favorite iced Christmas cookies, but I think I will start a new tradition and have them at Valentine's or Easter instead.

I love mine (a gift from dh along with his recommendation of GTD). BUT BUT BUT Be sure to price the labeling tape before you invest in a labeler. The stuff isn't cheap, and if you are going to use a lot of it, you need to be sure you have the budget for it.

I really try, but sometimes it's just too windy to get the grill to heat evenly. DH tells me the grill itself needs work, so I will encourage him to get to it! I do wish we had a covered outdoor area, that would help, I would grill in the rain. We have a great outdoor area but no part of it is roofed.

I have had resign myself to the fact that this season of my life is just too full of obligation to family needs for me to carve out enough time to make serious progress. Despite a great start and the easiest-to-write plot I've had in years, I crashed and burned yet again on NaNoWriMo. I can do the first two weeks of November, but Thanksgiving and Christmas and school/extended family activities throttle up and it is truly just selfish of me to remain secluded in my writer's nook when I have other responsibilities. I wish NaNo were FebNo. I would take the shorter month with its fewer distractions. Anyway, my goal is to set no writing goals, but to keep my writing area clean and ready for any spare moment I might find to sit and work. I have one story idea that I really love, but it's rather complicated and requires plotting to be thorough before the writing can flow. I think I'll use my bulletin board to work out details. I guess when I get the wall looking like something out of A Beautiful Mind, I will be out of excuses for not just sitting down to write.

Darn. I've been waiting for her announcement that her blog was ready to launch. ;)

Anyone know of this book? Got a title to share? I am convinced there must have been a batch of guys out drinking at a pub who came up with a good "can you top this" challenge. Somehow it got circulated, thus 600 reviews. Still, very funny...

Yup to the bolded. That's it. It seems to be a widespread attitude, crazy as it sounds, particularly among those of older generations. Cin, good analogy. If the topic ever comes up with my MIL, I will certainly remember to share it with her.

ACK!!!!! Me, too. This is hysterical! My vocabulary has grown in a most colorful fashion today...!

Thanks, KFP. I see someone in the comments section mentioned using rice flour for a gf alternative. I will have to try this no-peeking method.

Oh, I am so ready to toss it all in a box! We got ours put up early this year, so they've been around a while now. However, the kids still have a few days of inviting friends over for holiday fun, so I will hold out until January 7 to take things down. This is the year I planned to really sort through and weed out decorations we no longer want or need, so it'll take longer than an afternoon. If I can get away with it, I may start sneaking ornaments off the trees starting Saturday, and getting the china cabinet back to its non-Christmas-ware status. I am ready for the annual holiday hiccup to be over and done with, so tomorrow I will start trickling in some school work. Favorite comic strip, hands-down, Calvin & Hobbes. Love 'em!

Hawaiian sliders - sounds yummy! Details, please? I love your list! Maybe I will skip planning and just come knock on your door at dinnertime. :rofl: We are actually trying to eat very simply in the coming months to help one of our kids overcome some weight and food sensitivity issues. I'd like to drop a few pounds myself. I am just going to go by the week, and instead of a list I'm working on designing a chart with columns. First column for day/date, second column for protein item, third column for carbohydrate item, next column for veggie and then a column for dairy (which may or may not come with every meal). After we get in the habit of seeing what proper portion sizes look like, we'll get a little crazy and start making combinations. I've enjoyed looking at everyone's lists!

How do you prepare it when the weather isn't good for grilling? The kids don't like it baked. Well, once in a while they wouldn't complain, but they definitely let me know how they feel about it. Maybe I just need a new technique... I grill meat as much as I can, as opposed to other cooking methods. But if it's cold/raining/out of fuel, my grilling plans get sidetracked. I do have a very small George Foreman grill that I use for a quick item to toss in a salad, but it's not large enough to efficiently cook up a family sized batch of anything. Please let me know what you do with your not-grilled chicken. I'm trying to keep it low carb (but not truly for a strict Atkins type plan; it's more just a preference). Thanks!