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Ali, I went back to grad school at 35 with 3 kids. I wasn't working full time outside the home, just subbing, but what I learned was this:

Older students have a wider experience of the world and bring more nuanced views to classrooms.

Time can be found in strange places. I did a lot of reading at red lights. My kids still tease me about this, because they had to watch the lights for me.

My therapist had me make a list of my schedule and my kids' schedule. I discovered 2 free hours on Tuesday afternoons. That became sacrosanct library time.

Flexibility is the key to success. Sometimes you just need to get a paper done and not sweat the fact that it isnt perfect.

I made a copy of all the courses I needed for my degree (60 credits). I kept it in the front of my notebook. I crossed each one off (like a to-do list) and rewarded myself with a fancy Hagen Daas ice cream cone for every A grade I received.

I graduated at the age of 39 (soooo old) and went on to have a lovely 28 year career in my municipal school system. I gave those kids my best and know that my years in grad school laid the foundation.

I for one am not tired of your school tales! Keep at it!!
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If any of you want a chuckle or just sick of watching the same old stuff on our television, please subscribe to BritBox. I love it!

My husband and I have really enjoyed it.

I am watching ‘Waiting For God.’ It’s set in a retirement home with hysterical seniors that are very clever! It’s really cute and funny. Stephanie Cole and Graham Crowden are the actors playing the lead roles.

All of the British comedies are great!
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Happy Easter everyone! Unless you're Orthodox and then it will be May 2nd this year. ;-) I'm always aware of the difference, or sometimes it falls on same date, because my mother is part Greek; though she is a Protestant, much of the extended fam are Orthodox.

Are you guys tired of my school-related whining? I'm tired of it myself. And then... it just hit me so hard today that I am not done yet, not even close, as there are 2 big assignments this week. One has a template; whew, thank goodness, and that one shouldn't be as extremely difficult. But this other one!!! It's a multimedia presentation on my essay topic! The due date is literally one week (Tuesday night) from the 10 page paper I just turned in! It just doesn't seem like enough time to consider all the included stuff the assignment calls for. I need a break but it's not coming just yet. Fingers crossed that getting through the next few days of school-work grind will be mostly tolerable. I'm hitting my limits, though. I really think so. I want to head to bed soon (been at it since noon today already) even though it's only 8pm... and just try for a full day of school work tomorrow.

And my taxes are unfinished, my FAFSA is overdue, I need to update my online listings for new roommates... and all of it is going to have to wait at least until Wednesday because these assignments are going to take up all of the next couple days. It will all work out, but not before putting me through the mental wringer the next couple of days.

I wish I could keep pushing through for longer, and I used to do that "back when" with all kinds of life requirements. I could stay up late and work, or read, then work some more. But whatever resilience I once had was seriously lessened after caregiving.
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Happy Easter everyone. 🐣 🐰🐇
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Ali,

I’ve never heard of lamb gelatin.

I still say that the Greeks make the best lamb dishes!

Love the Mediterranean flavors. I miss Greek Fest here in New Orleans held at the Greek Cathedral here.

So much fun and awesome food and pastries!
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Happy Easter Sunday, need, and everyone! 🌼
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Easter... dare I say meh? I'm having a hard time convincing myself to get out of my chair and doing something productive today.
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Happy Easter to all!
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Oh man, I looked up "lamb shaped gelatin salad" because I figured I'd find some pics of flops. I was not disappointed. lol Kudos to anyone who can pull off a pretty and recognizable mold salad or cake. Reminds me of a baking show I saw a few episodes of, don't remember which one it was, but the flops were the best part.
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Dear Llamalover, now alias Nancy, yes I loved the ode, and I was really touched. So was my DH, Tony. I was waiting until Daughter, SIL and 6 year old Luke came up for Easter, to show it to them and send you their reaction too. Luke rotated around the globe, amazed that someone so far away knew all about Hector Protector. Jenny was very sad about Hector going, but everyone read and loved your poem. They’ve just left, the house is quiet, and I have time to write. Thanks again, and I hope that the love can help a little bit to make you feel better. Yours, Margaret
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Margaret: How did you like the ode that you asked me to write for your late Hector?
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I have to share a tidbit on Easter traditions.

My daughter, 32, is a sweet young woman, does many things well but sometimes DH and I share a slant eye on some of her creations.
Today she sent a photo, we assumed a photo of a part of her Easter menu. It was a gelatin salad, made in the form of a lamb. Same form that we have used for years to make a coconut cake for Easter. It had olives for eyes, a large whole pimento looking thing for a mouth, halved boiled eggs, English peas, pea pods, something white? Maybe cauliflower? Several different veggies associated with spring strewn through the clear gelatin. My husband said, Is it an embryo? we were in the kitchen at the time. I didn’t have my phone, so he texted back “I don’t know what to say”. She had posted a green faced scowling emoji under the photo like she was mad at how it had turned out. oh yes, it had chop stick looking things holding up the (assuming here) wobbly head.

She hadn’t answered his comment when I got to my phone later so I thought, ok she’s waiting for me to comment.

I wanted to say something encouraging, knowing how awful it is to work hard on a holiday surprise and have it flop or in this case look sort of strange.
So I texted, “well it looks very healthy. I’m sure it was a labor of love and was very hard to do.”
”In fact” , I said, “ I love it. It could be the centerpiece of any buffet”.

She texted back “I found it online. It reminded me of our cake form. LOL..”
I wrote back. “April fools on mom.”

Now I think I’ll try to make it. But not this Easter...

Happy Easter to all of you. I’m sharing mine with my recently retired 69 yr old whose letting his hair grow and his 94 yr old aunt who wants to know WHY?

Bridger. I’m so glad you are having your brother and niece and dear uncle.
Pam. I wish I had a slice of that coconut cake.
Needs, my DH 54 yr old nephew who died of a heart attack last October, always made his signature carrot cake for Easter. It will be sad for his family without him but Easter is our comfort.

Traditions are wonderful if only in memories.
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We always had coconut cake,, I baked one yesterday, and am taking a piece to work tomorrow for my BF. we are both working so that co workers with children can have off,, I hope they have a wonderful day!
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Bridger,

Do you make carrot cake? That’s one of my all time favorite cakes!

I haven’t made it in a long time but I remember using a recipe from Williams Sonoma. I wonder if I kept the recipe. My husband loves carrot cake.

It was spring time and they had samples of it in the store which I tried.

The recipe was fabulous but it made a large cake! I had to give half away to my neighbors.
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Happy Easter! My favorite holiday. Today I’m baking everyone’s favorites. My brother and niece are coming for the weekend. I’m bringI got my dad’s younger brother to my house for dinner.

I hope everyone has a joyous day with family and friends. Don’t eat too many chocolate bunnies.
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I went to bed very early last night because I was exhausted. I crashed at 8:30!

I slept all night but woke up at 5:00! I am on my second cup of coffee already.

I have a feeling that I will need a nap this afternoon due to waking up so early.
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Ali,

Congrats! I knew that your hard work would pay off.

It’s all worth it, in the end. Anything worth having is worth working for and you have been working your tail off!

I know that you will be so glad when you’re done with school! You’re absolutely correct in saying that great teachers make all the difference in the world.

We are pulling for you the whole way through this.

You’re going to make it. You may be exhausted and occasionally need a few drinks to get you through but as long as you haven’t gone overboard with your drinking, you will be okay.

It’s a stressful time right now for you. You have needed to take the edge off.

Congrats on your accomplishments! 🥂Cheers! ☕️Coffee to keep you going. 🍕🍔🌮 🌭 🥗 🥪🍦🍰 to snack on! Did you see the salad that I threw in there? Hahaha 🤣, so it’s somewhat healthy!
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Talking about masks and social distancing... Well, I like the latter. I never could stand those people who just stay too close when you are queuing for instance. So glad for the 1 meter distance... And according to Matthew's law (husband's colleague) 3 meters if I don't like you 😜
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Ali: great news! You did an amazing job! Congratulazioni!
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Ali: You deserve a lot of credit! Great work.💚
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EB: It was very sad. Thank you.
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Anche: Thank you so much.
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Chris: Thank you so much.
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Beatty: Thank you very much.
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Gershun: Thank you so much.
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Ali, just wonderful, good for you! Congrats!😊 You should be very proud of yourself! And with the stress of a difficult roomie which probably has something to do with you drinking more too.
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*A big THANKS! for letting me butt this school-stuff into this thread. It's been helpful to vent about it. My alcohol use is up lately; nothing like during caregiving but still... it's a poor stress-reliever and I wish I had a better option that didn't put me to sleep. I was taking an anticonvulsant mood stabilizer med for most of last year but couldn't get refills due to covid happening and I couldn't reach the doctors' office by phone or even when I went in person. I noticed that it definitely helped me to moderate behavior, though I really didn't feel any different. I have an appt in a few days to hopefully get this med again and I'm curious to see if it will help balance my stress response to the demands of school work.
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I just got my grade back on my essay; full points, 100. I could have cried when I saw it! lol I spent the last 4+ weeks working to develop a great argument for my paper but I knew there would be mistakes, and I haven't written a paper like this in decades. I'm so appreciative of this amazing professor who gave helpful feedback/input while still giving me full points for all the hard work and including so many viewpoints with supporting evidence on my thesis topic. She is the best teacher I've ever had for constructive criticism.

I wrote about the need to mandate age-appropriate K-12 comprehensive sex ed in Illinois, and there is legislation in the state house currently to do that. With the massive amount of evidence out there to support that CSE reduces risk behavior in kids and protects them from predators, I'm actually shocked that this hasn't been a done deal for years. But, that's the influence of tradition and religion in the U.S., I think. Nothing wrong with tradition or religion but facts still need to be taught, especially when they can have major impact on kids and help protect them from lifelong mental/physical health problems linked to abuse.

I'm just happy. I've been so stressed. This professor's encouragement just means the world to me right now.

Great teachers change lives, I'm convinced of that.
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Gershun!
Thinking that I have been very careful, I personally have become lax about wiping purchases and deliveries down with disinfectant.

For the long duration, I am going to recommit to doing this, even if my dH ridicules me, mocks me, rolls his eyes, and gets frustrated.

The pandemic is not over, and the virus has 'mutated'. New word is "VARIANT". Gee, does that make it sound less scary or something? (sarcasm).
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I'm doing what I know to be safe like wearing a mask when I'm out and social distancing, wiping any purchases down with disinfectant wipes when I get home etc. but I still think sometimes that it's inevitable that eventually I'll get covid even being as careful as I am. Hopefully this is just paranoia on my part. 😒
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