By Adam Shull

I’m fortunate.

My dad and both of my grandfathers are alive, healthy and involved in my life.

When we’re together we have more Southern-speak conversations than an Andy Griffith Show episode.

And I love it.

I learn everything I can from them.

On some topics they have made me an expert.

First and foremost: discerning generational differences.

When it comes to identifying differences in generational perspectives in Southern men I’m a surer bet than Aunt Bee in an apple pie cook-off.

You want proof, you say?

OK. Listen in.

You’re now in a small living room on Sunday afternoon, sweat tea in-hand, with my dad’s father (Papaw), Dad and me.

Mamaw’s lunch is sitting heavy, but try not to dose off.

Subject: Chasin’ A Girl
Papaw: “Are you courting that girl from your school Adam?”

Dad: “Yeah, that one girl, are ya’ll dating?”

Me: “We’re not courting or dating. We’re talking…we go out in groups and like each other, but we aren’t boyfriend-girlfriend…never mind, ya’ll wouldn’t understand.”

Subject: Cash
Papaw: “If a man always has a $100 bill folded and hid in his wallet for an emergency, well then he’s well off.”

Dad: “Debit cards are alright, but sometimes you just need cash. You never know when you’ll be in a tight spot and need some 20s. Adam how much cash do you have on you right now?”

Me: “None. I thought about getting some when I used my card to buy a $1.83 coffee drink last night, but I probably won’t.”

Subject: Photographs
Papaw: “If cameras were around when I was a kid, my parents sure didn’t have one. They wouldn’t have taken pictures of their kids no ways.”

Dad: “I found some more baby pictures of Adam. His chubby cheeks are hilarious.”

Me: “I put up a new photo album on facebook.com called ‘Fall Crunk Fest ‘06.’ And Dad tell mom to take down some pictures of me in the living room. There are like 18 of them — it’s creepy.”

Subject: Technology
Papaw: “I ain’t got no use for a computer. I do well enough to run my T.V. and telephone.”

Dad: “Adam, you need to show me something on my work e-mail. ‘Attachments,’ I think it was. I tried to send one of them things and couldn’t.”

Me: “Sure thing. Hey, I just checked e-mail on my cell phone and my buddy, Beaver, sent me something saying N.C. State will beat Carolina in basketball this year. I’ll have to text him and tell him how God-awful wrong he is. If he doesn’t respond I’ll sign his facebook.com wall, too.”

Subject: Newspaper Reading
Papaw: “I get that newspaper every morning and read it cover to cover.”

Mamaw sticks her head into the living room: “It’s true, he’d rather read that thing than eat.”

Dad: “There’s nothing better than sitting down at the kitchen table Sunday morning and reading the paper.”

Me: “I check espn.com and bbc.com and I’m done. Besides, I feel like I’m at work when I read those things now.”

Subject: Public Nudity
Papaw: “My calf and forearms are the only skin I’ve shown in 60 years, and that’s in the dog days of summer.”

Dad: “Walking around the house in a bath towel is as racy as it gets for me.”

Me: “If mooning became equivalent to waving hello in the U.S. I would be the friendliest guy in the world.”

Adam Shull is a staff writer for The News Herald and is brave enough to offer a male point of view in Gab.

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Posted in Home Life Gab in Print

By JEFF HOUCK
Media General
Stumped on what gift to get for that hard-to-buy-for friend or relative?
Console yourself with this: Everyone has a mouth. That makes food and beverages the Swiss army knives of holiday gift giving.
But not everyone cooks or enjoys dabbling in the kitchen.

Keeping that in mind, we scoured stores and catalogs to find interesting gift ideas, ranging from the practical to the farcical.

There are no guarantees the recipients will like what you give them, of course, but they’re items that you might not mind having for your own.

EAT IT! Snacks & Sweets Trivia Game
What is it? A board game that features trivia about the foods that everyone loves, from chocolate, candy and cookies to snacks, ice cream and desserts. Think “Trivial Pursuit” with the munchies.
Give it to: “Trivial Pursuit” players with the munchies
How much: $29.99
Buy it: Amazon.com; bookstores and toy stores

Mr. Coffee Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System
What is it? A grinder that lets you choose your grind setting for four to 12 cups of coffee and then cleans the grounds from the chamber walls, leaving less messy residue and coffee waste.
Give it to: Anal-retentive coffee drinkers who hate stray coffee grounds
How much: $19.88
Buy it: Wal-Mart

St. Francis Classic Poker Night Box Set
What is it? Poker Night in a box, complete with 2003 Sonoma County Syrah and the signature 2002 Sonoma County Merlot, two Riedel glasses, two decks of cards and 150 clay composite poker chips
Give it to: The wine lover who enjoys Sonoma Hold ’Em
How much: $125
Buy it: StFrancisWine.com

Boston Warehouse Mouse Cheese Grater
What is it? A dishwasher-safe, mouse-shaped cheese grater (Mice love cheese. Get it?); doubles as a serving bowl and storage container
Give it to: Cheese lovers with a sense of humor
How much: $9.99
Buy it: BWTC.comor 1-888-923-2982

Kitchen Aid All-Purpose Kitchen Clips
What is it? Plastic clips for posting notes on the fridge or closing a bag of chips. Why are they pink? Because 10 percent of the sales price goes to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Give it to: The neat freak with a social conscience
How much: $7.99
Buy it: Linens-N-Things

“American Chopper: The Series” Hot Sauce
What is it?: A three-pack of sauces (Chili Fire, Double Chili Fire, Triple Chili Fire) endorsed by the father-and-son motorcycle builders from the Discovery Channel reality show
Give it to: The bike enthusiast who likes things spicy or the chili sauce fanatic who loves familial bickering
How much: $7.99
Buy it: Linens-N-Things

Graviti Pepper Mill
What is it? A battery-powered pepper mill that grinds fresh peppercorns automatically when you turn it upside down
Give it to: The family hothead with carpal tunnel syndrome who digs gadgets
How much: $24.99
Buy it: Sharper Image

Shots and Ladders Board Game
What is it? A drinking contest that mimics the children’s board game Chutes and Ladders. (We dare you to play Operation after a round of this one. Kids, don’t try this at home.)
Give it to: Someone with a sense of play, a strong liver and a designated driver
How much: $9.99
Buy it: Linens-N-Things

Plug-N-Mug
What is it? A 16-ounce heated coffee mug with a 12-volt adapter
Give it to: The caffeine-loving commuter in your life
How much: $9.99
Buy it: Linens-N-Things

My Traveling ABC’s
What is it? Part germ barrier, part learning tool, the blanket comes with 26 plush letters, the board book “Shopping With My ABCs” and a tote bag so baby can associate alphabet letters with grocery items.
Give it to: The well-meaning, multitasking parents who loathe loading their offspring into what they’re absolutely convinced is a basket of biological warfare
How much: $34.95
Buy it: CleanShopper.com

“I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence”
What is it? A hilarious and bizarre take on holiday entertaining by comedian Amy Sedaris, complete with recipes, kitschy photos and pantyhose arts and crafts
Give it to: Someone older than 18 who finds a Meat Loaf Wreath oddly appealing.
How much: $27.99
Buy it: Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com

JEFF HOUCK is a staff writer for The Tampa Tribune

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Posted in Gab in Print

Tracy Farnham
www.grabthetgab.com
Night after night my daughter coughed and gasped to catch her breath.  Why did these episodes of nighttime coughing continually plague her?

Like nine million other children in the United States who struggle with this disease, she was diagnosed with Asthma. Together with her doctor we began looking for triggers that led to these attacks. Did it come with weather changes? Was it brought on by viral infections or other allergens?

Lasting two to three weeks at a time, these nighttime episodes reoccurred every couple of months. Anna visited the doctor numerous times and a liquid steroid was usually prescribed which worked wonders except for convincing her to swallow the awful tasting stuff. Then, we had to plead for her to sit still while taking the countless nebulizer treatments that help her breath better.

Frustration mounted during the times when despite all we did at home with these combined medications, it still wasn’t enough. Following Thanksgiving last year, she became extremely sick coughing through the night with every breath. With no effect from the continued breathing treatments we followed our emergency plan. This led us straight to the emergency room and she was later hospitalized after an allergic reaction to medication and continued breathing problems.

One of the most terrifying aspects of this disease is how quickly these children go from bad to worse and then the recovery period is anything but hasty. This was the situation with our first hospital stay. After being admitted for five days, we returned home on a cold, rainy December day to a terrible attack just after entering the house.

Beyond all that had been done while she was hospitalized, she was still overcoming the effects of the attack on her system. Her lungs still needed time to heal regardless of the fact that she could now sleep more sound, we had to continue the strict regimen of breathing treatments for the healing process to continue. 

Once she recovered, her pediatrician ordered blood allergy testing, which showed no signs of allergies playing a role in her nighttime coughing. We proceeded throughout the next couple of months administering a controller medicine along with Albuterol as needed. 

Yet, every time she became sick with a cold or sometimes when the weather changed she began the nighttime coughing again. She quickly became exhausted from lack of sleep and lost her appetite, which made it impossible to keep the needed medication down and get better. 

In late September, prior to visiting an allergy specialist for skin testing to establish the trigger of these attacks, she became sick leaving her unable to undergo testing. As usual she wasn’t eating or taking her medicine. Along with not being able to speak complete sentences for lack of catching her breath, she was admitted to the hospital for treatment of her asthma symptoms. 

This hospital visit was very alarming to us as we helplessly watched our daughter struggle to breathe. The doctor explained that her lungs were hyper inflated and she couldn’t get air out resulting in her respirations being more than doubled at 60-plus breaths a minute. 

Following another four days of intravenous medicine and round-the-clock respiratory care, she recovered and returned to the specialists two weeks later.  Following the skin testing, which revealed no allergies, we were told that colds and viruses contributed to her attacks.

Armed with more information and experience on asthma treatments along with plenty of medication, we feel better prepared to handle any possible flare-ups. In fact Anna has had two colds since and recovered amazingly quick. The key we’ve found is in the early treatment of her symptoms.

The challenge is keeping her well and limiting her exposure to people who may be sick. Many nights I stand beside her bed and just listen to her breathe, so thankful that she no longer has to cough and struggle just to catch her next breath. 

Although she still endures daily breathing treatments to keep her well, we’ve found watching videos or reading a book helps keep her still. These controller treatments and a tablet give daily protection of her asthma symptoms. We use the Albuterol at the first sound of a cough and always keep a nebulizer handy including a portable unit in the car. 

For children with asthma, a cough is never just a cough and I constantly have to remind myself of this. If I could’ve done anything differently it would’ve been in my persistence during the days she was well. Now when I hear a cough, my radar goes up and I quickly take action armed with a newfound confidence in her treatment plan and the support of her doctors. 

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Posted in Health Home Life Gab in Print

I browse with friends. It takes me one day and I am done. I usually go to Hickory. Wal-Mart is too packed.
Ashley Fleming, 23

I am already done with my shopping. I did it all in about two days at places like Kohls and Belks.
Tonya Seitz, 32

I like to go by myself. I don’t use a list. I usually spend about five hours in one store.
Denise Roddy-Dula, 42

I make a list and set an amount. I go to places like K-Mart, Wal-Mart and the Mighty Dollar.
Von Strickland, 55

I did almost all my shopping on-line this year. It worked out really well. Why pay for gas when many business are shipping for free?
Pauline Ensley, 60

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