Column
Our youngest daughter begins her senior year of high school this year. I can hardly believe that the bald, chubby baby I brought into this world more than 17 years ago has blossomed into a beautiful young lady who will soon be exiting our nest. Being our fourth child, my husband and I recognize the inevitable change that accompanies her last year of high school as she prepares for her next season of life as a college student.
When I was 15 years old and only wanted to be done with school, time seemed to crawl on its hands and knees. Now that I am of a very mature age, time has found its legs and can run faster than a speeding bullet. At least that’s the way it seems to me. I would venture a guess that our young students know exactly what I am talking about. In September, the next summer vacation seems but a distant hope, while the one just past is only a fleeting memory.
Following high school graduation, I began my nontraditional journey through graduate and post graduate work. My journey began at a small community college in Northwest Arkansas. I completed the required course work for a two-year degree. I took a year off from school in order to marry Jay and work while he completed his degree. The following year I enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. It was at this point that I began to feel very nontraditional as I lived off campus with my husband and worked full time in order to help pay our bills.
Ughh! Summer vacation is already over? Good-bye to lazy, sun-baked days that begin only when the kids decide to roll out of bed, and the morning line-up of shows on Playhouse Disney will no longer entertain them.
Hello to alarm clocks set way too early, laying out clothes the night before so drama does not ensue the following morning, and (my personal dread of the school year) daily lunch packing.
As our discussion begins, it is clear we are each struggling to find a few positive phrases to share about the book. Oftentimes we open with general comments. We take turns sharing our opinions, both positive and negative (imagine kindergarteners sitting in a circle). This time, the positive comments were scarce.
“It wasn’t a horrible read,” begins the first clubber with a chuckle, “just not an enticing one.”
“I kept thinking of better ways to steer the story.”
Anesthesia in cats is a serious undertaking, and veterinarians are well trained in administering a variety of products. Properly used, all modern anesthetics have a reasonable margin of safety and are efficacious. What you as a pet owner need to be aware of is that there is a significant difference between gas anesthesia compared to injectable anesthetics. Again, both are reasonably safe and efficient, but gas anesthesia enhances safety by being rapidly reversible and does not impart any hallucinogenic effect on the cat.
By Angie Howard
By Andrea Lennon
By Susan O’Keefe
In a matter of a few days, I read every word, sometimes re-reading because I felt such a draw to the gentleness, the respect, the reverence for life this author allowed the main character, a 50-year old woman diagnosed with early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
By Susan Isom
If you’re like most people, you enjoy spending time outdoors and feeling the heat of the sun on your skin. But not all the sun’s rays are pleasing.
Ultraviolet (UV) light — invisible, but intense rays from the sun — can damage your skin and increase your risk of skin cancer.
Though it’s not the only safeguard you need to take, sunscreen is one of the easiest ways to protect your skin and is a good first line of defense.