The Times Dispatch Blogs

While I am devastated by the destruction caused by this week’s storms in Arkansas, I am equally astonished at Lawrence County’s fortune to have missed the brunt of the system, which wreaked havoc all around us.

Several from here traveled to the Highland area to assist there, and undoubtedly many in the county had family members and friends in neighboring counties and throughout the Mid-South who were affected by the storm.

While we have had several severe weather incidents during my nearly 10 years with The TD, I’d say overall we as a county have been exceptionally lucky during that time. Unfortunately, as in all other tragedies of life, it cannot always be someone else.

It does make me feel good to know that we have a great in-county response team in place. They continue to get hands-on training assisting our neighbors in need, and I know when the time comes that they are needed at home they will be ready.

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I have always felt blessed to be a pretty much sickeningly healthy person. I am grateful that I rarely catch the bugs that are going around and I have had no major health problems, having only been in the hospital to be born and to give birth twice.

In recent months, my gratitude for my health has increased even more. One co-worker, Howard Golden, lost his wife, Darlene, earlier this week after a battle with cancer. Another, Amber Adams, was recently diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, an auto immune disorder, which has left her sick more often than not over the past year.

It is easy to feel sympathy for people when you hear about their health problems and struggles, but when close friends or family members are dealing with problems, you begin to feel empathy. While I cannot say I know what either of my co-workers are going through, I can feel their pain and look forward to times when I can share their joy.

I know there are no guarantees in life, and I could be facing health issues myself some day. Knowing that makes each day even more precious, and I hope I can make the best out of each one I am given.

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An estimated time of departure has been announced for the local National Guard unit. When they leave this time, they will not return before departing for their second deployment to Iraq.

Hopefully those of us who are able can line the streets and let these soldiers know they will be in our thoughts and prayers while they are gone.

The current plan is for the soldiers to leave Robert Armory at 10 a.m. on Monday morning. They will travel south through Hoxie on their way to Mississippi.

Get out your flags, your patriotic shirts and your yellow ribbons and let’s send our soldiers off right!

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If there is one thing I have learned about children it is that one should always expect the unexpected. Nevertheless, my boys still managed to surprise me this Christmas.

Conley is four and has a pretty clear concept of what happens when Christmas rolls around. Colter, on the other hand, at four months, is a complete beginner.

As we prepared for the holidays, I found myself purchasing more presents for Conley than for Colter. Mainly because Colter’s wants and desires are pretty much limited to a bottle, a jar of baby food, a clean diaper and a warm blanket. I was looking forward to Conley’s excitement on Christmas morning, but did not expect Colter to really even be interested in the presents.

Boy, did they pull a switcheroo on me. Conley opened his stocking and then was ready to go to his room and play. The other gifts and the pop-up tent under the tree seemed to have no attraction at all. I had to call him back into the room to open the rest of his gifts.

Colter on the other hand, loved opening the presents. At first I thought he just loved the paper, which he’d grab and tear off the gifts. I realized, though, that he really enjoyed seeing what was inside the packaging too. Each time we would hold up the opened toy or book, his face would light up.

I guess it just goes to show that one can never be prepared for life with children. I look forward to more of the “unexpected” in the new year.

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One of my favorite things to do is to sit around a table or in someone’s living room and just visit.

After we had our first son, Conley, we wanted to show him off, so we visited a lot of our family and friends, and it was not unusual for us to spend a couple hours at someone’s home talking about kids, life, work, etc.

I hear my elders talk about “the good old days” when congregating on the front porch on a Sunday afternoon was a routine experience. It’s easy to say life gets in the way, or we just don’t have enough time to visit anymore. I know, though, that there are plenty of times when I sit at my house and watch TV when I could be spending time with loved ones.

Just like everything else, it usually is not whether we have the time, but whether we take the time to visit. I think I will set a goal for myself to be sure to make time to visit more often with my family and friends.

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Every year I am somewhat baffled as to why Walnut Ridge and Hoxie have separate Christmas parades two nights in a row with basically the same lineup. It would seem to me that a joint Christmas parade would be the perfect way to kick off the holiday season with a spirit of togetherness.

I can envision an even bigger parade that starts in one community and ends in the other. On the same day have the kickoff of the Christmas in the Park lighting display in Walnut Ridge and a community celebration at the Hoxie Service Center. Why not do it up BIG?

I would also be an advocate of a Saturday or Sunday afternoon parade instead of a weeknight event. I think more people would be able to attend, and it would be safer for children along the route, not to mention a little warmer.

I know each town takes pride in their Christmas parade, but this is one area where I feel the holiday spirit should prevail.

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I love the holidays, but they sure make life more hectic.

At work, we have to adjust the day the paper comes out or adjust our deadlines to be able to complete a paper on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s weeks.

At home, there is the hustle and bustle of decorating, shopping, wrapping, etc. Most homes also include lots of cooking, but that never seems to be a priority for me. I do love to eat, though.

At church, we have a children’s Christmas production to rehearse, a parade float to build and many holiday activities to prepare for and attend.

Hopefully, I will be able to find some time during all this activity to relax and enjoy the holidays a little. They will be here and gone in a flash.

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It never seems to fail that we have either way to long without rain or it rains every day for a week. While I am grateful for the rain we have been receiving, because it is much-needed, I am definitely ready for a break.

Right now the forecasters are predicting a beautiful weekend. Usually it’s pretty all week long (while I’m at work and can’t really enjoy it) and then gets nasty on the weekend, so I’m excited about a reversal this time.

There are a lot of activities planned this weekend including the Iron Mountain Festival in Walnut Ridge and many church fall festivals. Hopefully the forecasts will hold true, the rain will stop (at least for a while) and we’ll have a wonderful weekend.

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Every year I look forward to attending the Business and Professional Women’s annual coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker, but luckily for me, coffee plays a very small part in the annual event.

The main feature is a buffet table full of some of the most delicious finger foods imaginable — sausage balls, spin wheels, quiches, cocktail weenies, dips, cheese balls and much more.

And then there are the desserts, headlined (at least as far as I’m concerned) by the peanut butter fudge.

As much as I enjoy the food, I also enjoy an opportunity to visit with others in the community in a very comfortable, laid-back setting. Thank you B&PW for such a wonderful event!

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Sleep — That is something one can definitely take for granted.

With the addition of our second son, now two months old, I remember how priceless a good night’s sleep can be.

While Colter is not a fussy baby and only wakes up to eat, the one to two middle-of-the-night feedings still cause a major disruption in my sleeping habits.

Over the weekend, my mother-in-law kept Colter and our older son, Conley, both Friday and Saturday nights. It was Colter’s first nights away from home. While I missed him tremendously, I sure enjoyed getting a solid eight hours of sleep.

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