The Times Dispatch Blogs

Last week, on the way to school, a lady on the radio was being interviewed about a proposed law that would not allow parents to spank children under the age of three. She stated that she hoped to eventually have a law passed that would eliminate spanking children altogether – no matter the age.

The conversation became heated when one of the radio personalities stated that he was spanked as a child and turned out okay. The woman told this guy that his parents should be in jail.

She was on the radio again this morning to continue the discussion. The woman is obviously very passionate about this issue. It is her opinion that a time out is the strongest punishment a child needs.

I use “time outs” when Briar or Brad get a little out of hand and just need a few minutes to sit and calm down. I have, though, and will continue to spank my boys if I think they have done something that warrants that kind of punishment.

There is a difference between abuse and spanking – while it is a fine line, I believe that as long as it isn’t crossed parents have the right to choose how and when to punish their own children.

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I bought myself a new pair of shoes this weekend! I absolutely love them. They are very comfortable and I like the way they look, too. While shopping for them, Brad said, “those aren’t the ones you’re going to buy, are they, Mom?” I didn’t let that influence my decision. He’s a 10-year-old boy, after all. How could he possibly know what is stylish?

I wore them over to my mom’s Sunday afternoon. I got responses as soon as I walked in the door. My little brother, Blake, informed me that I was wearing the ugliest pair shoes he had ever seen. My mom and Briar agreed with him. At this point, I wanted someone — anyone to tell me they liked them.

I asked my sister-in-law, George, what she thought. After saying she liked them, she sat silent for a few seconds before adding, “but I wouldn’t wear them.” I had Mom and George try them on so they could see how comfortable they are. They both liked them much better after wearing them for a few minutes.

Finally, my six and seven year old nieces came in. They always say they like shoes or clothes – even if they don’t. They did say they liked them, but I could tell by their faces that they didn’t. I guess I’m the one who doesn’t know what’s stylish.

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As a proofreader I constantly struggle with current usage questions. The English language is a living language and as such it constantly changes and reinvents itself.

The grammar that I learned as a student is still basically sound, but not all of it is still correct. Many of the taboos of a half-century ago no longer pertain and now there is a new list.

In addition to desk references we constantly browse the Internet looking for those sites that provide sound writing advice. As a college student I found myself dreading those long research papers I had to write each year. The Internet would have been a great blessing to me then.

A couple of sites I have found to be particularly helpful are dictionary.com and askoxford.com. Both of these sites deal with current usage and both have several reference tools. They are a wonderful resource for students at any level of study.

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As a newly elected member of the Chamber Board of Directors I am quickly learning that there are a lot of things that can be done to help promote and improve Walnut Ridge and Hoxie, as well as the county as a whole. I have also realized how much help is needed. We all have skills and gifts that we have been blessed with, and I challenge everyone to figure out at least one thing they can do this year (big or small) that might make our community more appealing and eventually more prosperous.

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I wasn’t a straight A student in school, but stayed on the A/B honor roll with very little effort. Both my brothers struggled (or so I thought) through school. They did well to have a B on their report cards and had mostly Cs and Ds.

My oldest brother, Rodney, and I went together to take the ACT and I was shocked that his score was higher than mine. I realized then it was never that they weren’t capable of doing well – whether they just weren’t motivated or didn’t care – I don’t know, but they were both more than capable of making the grade.

Right now I’m going through the same thing with Briar and Brad. They are both very smart – and can do well when they put forth the effort. I was disappointed with report cards after the first nine weeks. I knew they could do better than the grades they had earned.

I was harder on them the second nine weeks as far as homework and studying habits. Although still not on the A/B honor roll, they both closed the gap a little bit the second nine-weeks by improving their grade at least one letter grade in several different subjects without letting any of the other grades fall.

I’m very proud of what they accomplished and optimistic for the third and fourth nine weeks…

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An annual debate among college football fans is which conference is strongest. The final Associated Press Top 25 poll of the season was released earlier this week and provides fans of the Southeastern Conference with some solid arguments.

The SEC has six teams in the Top 25, more than any other conference. Plus, SEC champion Florida whipped Big 10 champion Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS Championship game. LSU finished third, giving the SEC two of the top three. Other SEC teams ranked in the final poll are Auburn at ninth, Arkansas at 15th, Georgia at 23rd and Tennessee at 25th.

The Big 10 had four teams in the final Top 25, including three in the top eight.

The Pac 10, Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference each had three teams ranked. The three Big East teams were all ranked in the top 12. The highest ranked ACC team was Wake Forest at 18th.

Oklahoma and Texas were the only Big 12 teams ranked. Three conferences, the Mountain West, Big West and Conference USA, each had a single team ranked. Notre Dame, an independent, was ranked 17th.

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I remember the first year Briar stayed up until midnight on New Year’s Eve. We hadn’t gone anywhere, but he was excited to be awake when the new year began. Excitement soon turned to disappointment … he was expecting people to run down the street yelling, fireworks, the whole shebang… I told him maybe at Time Square, but not in Hoxie – at least where we live.

This year when the clock struck 12, Briar, Brad, my parents and I were anxiously waiting for my cousin’s wedding to begin. I told Briar and Brad beforehand, that weddings, although a happy event, aren’t usually exciting for kids their age. They may get a little bored, but after the ceremony we would be able to visit and have fun.

Brad couldn’t wait to see them “kiss and make up.” Briar took a nap in his chair while waiting for the wedding to begin. It was a beautiful ceremony. A wedding is a great way to begin the year – full of love and hope for the future.

After the ceremony, we had food, drinks and fellowship. Briar and Brad were finally able to see the new year begin with a bang.

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