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August 22, 2008

The Drinking Age Debate

In 1984, when I was a college student and young journalist, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act came along and required states to raise their minimum drinking age to 21 or lose highway funds. I remember writing an article on the topic for my university's newspaper, and I was a little surprised at the strong emotions I seemed to encounter as I interviewed people. (I knew it was a big deal, I just didn't expect people actually yelling and nearly flipping out when I asked for their opinions!) I interviewed a woman from MADD, student leaders, and many regular students, including a friend who was an officer at a large fraternity. Most raised excellent points, and I walked away from the article with a respect for all sides of the debate. But then again, the law didn't affect me personally, because I was 21 by the time the law was went into affect in Florida. I may even have been 22.

Now, 24 years later, the topic is in the headlines again. Although some, over the years, have criticized the higher drinking age and questioned its success, the debate is heating up right now, and those favoring a lower minimum drinking age are getting some influential backers: more than 100 U.S. college presidents. Check out
College presidents want lower drinking age - USATODAY.com, to read more on what's happening, and why these presidents are saying it is time to lower the age back to 18.

Posted by L.C. at 01:30 PM | | Comments (0)
Filed under: News/Media/Studies | Parenting

August 15, 2008

My Emptying Nest

My nest got a little emptier this week, as I dropped my oldest child off at college for the first time. We moved her into her dorm, hugged her goodbye, and that was it. The moment we'd been waiting for was gone, just like that. While I still have a teenage son at home, I must admit, the house seems odd and quiet now that we're minus one. I tried not to be sad and cry on move-in day, because I wanted to focus on this exciting time for her, not on what it felt like for me. And while that excitement for her is still there and strong, I have to say it's strange to be without her for the first time in 18 years.

I wanted to learn a bit more about Empty Nest Syndrome, which can occur when a parent has one or more children move out of their home. I read the general descriptions of this syndrome, and it all made sense. Then I found an interesting article that suggests there can also be a lot of joy in store for parents who have just had a child move out. Check out Is Empty-Nest Syndrome Nothing but an Empty Myth? , from US News and World Report. In particular, I loved reading this in the article:

Also, it's "mentally gratifying" for parents to see the fruits of their labor—to know that all their child-rearing efforts have paid off—their kid has grown up, moved out, and begun to accomplish his or her goals.


Posted by L.C. at 01:25 PM |
Filed under: Health | Parenting

August 11, 2008

New Alzheimer's Hope

I must admit, over the years I've learned how not to hold on to too much hope. When you have a parent in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's Disease, you learn to simply accept the fact that although there may seem to be good days and bad days, your loved one will deteriorate slowly over time.

So it's always good to hear about new ideas that might help improve either the quality of present Alzheimer's patients' lives, or the future of those who could develop the disease. And according to Time magazine's article, Alzheimer's Research Holds Promise , "combination strategy" might be the next bright spot on the horizon for those of us affected by the disease.

Posted by L.C. at 12:51 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Filed under: Aging Parents | Health

August 08, 2008

Are You Addicted...

...to "stuff"? There's an easy way to find out. Head over to ivillage's Are You Addicted to Stuff? quiz. I was very happy to learn that my shopping habits are "in control."

Posted by L.C. at 12:33 PM | | Comments (0)
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August 04, 2008

Summer Vacation--Almost Over!

I was a little shocked when I opened up my morning newspaper and read this: It's back-to-school day in several metro districts | ajc.com. Wait, what? It's only August 4th!

My son, that lucky fella, has one more week of summer vacation before he starts high school. My daughter is even luckier--she has two weeks before her college classes begin. But I have been wondering all day: What happened to summer? While I remember a few of my friends attending year-round school in the 1970s, most of my life, summer vacation equaled about three months. But now, my kids get only bout 2 1/2 months. Why does it seem like summers are shrinking?

I decided to go looking for some information on the school year and summer vacations, and found an interesting article on the History of the Summer Vacation at infoplease.com. And according to wikipedia.com, the U.S. has some of the longest summer vacations in the world. So I have decided to stop complaining, right now, and just enjoy this last week with my kids. After all, someone has a birthday coming ...TOMORROW!

Posted by L.C. at 08:01 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Filed under: Parenting