Strokes kill twice as many women as breast cancer every year, and it can happen at any age. It is a so sad to know that many people could be saved if we all recognized the symptoms. Getting a stroke victim to the hospital in the first hour is key to being able to reverse potential brain damage.

If you suspect that a person may have had a stroke…and they have even one of these symptoms…don’t wait…call 911 immediately. Every minute counts. To remember the symptoms, use the first 3 letters of the word stroke.

S…..Ask her to SMILE. Look for sudden weakness or numbness on either side of the face.

T…..Ask her to TALK. Can she say a simple sentence like “The sky is blue.” You know she is in trouble if she can’t.

R…..Ask her to RAISE HER ARMS. Weakness or numbness in one arm is a sign she is having a stroke.

The Mayo Clinic suggests another easy way to remember the warning signs: FAST:

F…..FACE…weakness or pulling

A…..ARMS…weakness or numbness

S…..SPEECH…slurred or trouble pronouncing words

T…..TIME…Get help as soon as possible.

Stroke signs in women are sometimes varied and unusual. Please take the time to read this short article from the Mayo Clinic.

Being knowledgeable about these signs could save the life of someone you love.

Look at this cute T-shirt I found at Target today. Just $6.00. I love crows and have a small collection of crows on top of an armoire in my house. As a family, we have never been very big on Halloween. My boys went trick-or-treating, and we always participated in handing out candy. But, it has just never been a big deal for us. I choose to decorate for fall as a whole, and do not go in for witches and such. I abhor the Halloween aisle at Michael’s. They have some kind of “something’ that makes this other worldly, spooky sound whenever anyone walks by. It resounds over the whole store. I don’t know how those that work there can stand it. Anyway, I liked this shirt because it only had the crow on it. I have always been a fan of primitive folk art, and crows are used quite often in this type of art. They had some with witches and spiders and such, if that is your fancy, too.
HAPPY FALL!

Before summer is completely forgotten with the cooler weather,and all that Fall brings…just one more picture of my favorite summer memory. Along with BFFs Shirley and Tina, we took on the great island of Maui. I had always wanted to share this beautiful place with them, so for me, one of my dreams came true. I thank God for the chance to do this trip with them. It was PARADISE!

It came to my attention this week that some folks were a little offended by my last post. So sorry. But, if you were offended,(and I mean this in the kindest way,) that’s your problem. I write my blog for ME, to express MY thoughts, MY feelings, MY shortcomings, MY life. If I feel that I have some information to pass along, I’ll do it. If I feel like I can share something I have learned that may help someone else, I’ll share it. If I find a little nonsense and I think it will make you laugh, I’ll pass it along. But, am I an authority that should be listened to and followed?…heaven forbid. I am a flawed, mistake making, struggling individual. I try everyday to make the right decisions, to live a life that is pleasing to God and my fellow man, to follow the path that will bring happiness to myself and others. I have only my God and my family to answer to.

One of the nicest things that I have found through this blogging adventure is friendship with other struggling ladies like myself. Now, I may not agree with everything they say, as I am sure they don’t agree with everything that I say, but that’s what makes life interesting. Your opinions, expressed in your blogs, either cause me to examine my ideas, strengthen my ideas, or change my ideas. I never want to get so set into one way of thinking that I refuse to change. With growth, comes change, and things that refuse to grow soon wither and die.

I do not intend to make any changes in the way that I use this forum. I will continue to write for myself, and follow my own guidelines. This is not to say that I do not welcome debate on issues, or for you to question me. But, a difference of opinion should never cause unkindness or name calling or ridicule. You see, my thoughts have been shaped by the life I have led, by the experiences I have gone through, by the people I have learned from…as have yours. So, we should all respect, and learn from each other.

Now, as to the issue in question: Y’ALL vs YA’LL…I, frankly, couldn’t care less how you spell it. It is interesting to me that there IS even a correct spelling…and I am citing the dictionaries that I listed as my “proof.” I have never considered myself a good speller…and I rely on spell checker most of the time. So, this information is worth exactly what you paid for it…Take it or leave it.

Now I am on to better things. I have wasted far too much of my time on what I thought was just a passing post. I choose to put this episode behind me.

Having been born in, and lived in, the South all my life. I’d like to correct a few million people on their usage and spelling of the word ‘y’all’.

It is spelled ‘Y’ALL’ and is short for the words ‘you all’. If you are spelling it YA’LL…you’re just wrong. Sorry. This is not my rule, but according to the following dictionaries…it is the accepted rule.

The Encarta World English Dictionary
Miriam-Webster Dictionary, 10th edition
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Dictionary.com

Just one more little thing…Y’all is a second person plural pronoun. This means it is always refering to more than one person. I hear people sometimes use the word y’all when refering to 1 person…as in, “Where have y’all been?” instead of “Where have you been?”. WRONG. If you are talking to a group of your girlfriends, it would be perfectly correct to say, “Did y’all go to the mall without me?”…because you are talking to a group. [If your girlfriends DID go to the mall without you, find you some more considerate friends!]

Now I hope that I have enlightened y’all about the use of ‘y’all’. I share this with you because I would never want you to use this little word incorrectly, and that is just what us southern friends do for one another!

The preceeding is another in a series of public service announcements brought to you by Gatherings, a blog from the Deep South, y’all. [And, I’m talking to more than one person here].