"ARE YOU A GRAHAM?"

I found this Graham tartan online and yes I am a Graham descendant. My late mother's cousin sent us so much information on this line that I have two drawers full of genealogy. What's not to love about having a Scottish ancestral line? Or for that matter, what's not to love about the history of Scotland and how the clans came to be?

If you saw the movie "Braveheart," the first clan called up by Mel Gibson, playing William Wallace, was the Graham clan. That part stunned me and I sat there staring at their tartans as well as their actions. The entire movie was excellent and so moving that afterwards, I was literally drained. Felt like I had lived that movie.

I've never been to Scotland but rest assured it's on my bucket list. Oh how I'd love to go there and find some long lost relatives. It may never happen but I can wish it. Bagpipe music gets to my very soul. Love the history of Scotland, some of the food [I'll skip haggis--google it and you might too!,] and the ancient castles leave me breathless. Add heather, crags and bogs and the mystery and it adds up to my kind of country to visit.

As for the Graham line, I'm thankful I have that lineage. Do you?

Sherry Hill

"DOES BAD GRAMMAR BOTHER YOU?"

Are you bothered by someone using bad grammar?

I am to the max! The more I read and the more I hear on TV, the worse bad grammar is becoming and not only that but becoming acceptable.

Several years ago, the double subject became the norm as in this sentence: "The woman she went to the event." That's just down and right wrong. And yet I hear it all of the time and now young children are saying it because if it's on TV, then it must be right.

Well it isn't right.

People are just plain lazy to know the difference between YOUR and YOU'RE. I see it all of the time on facebook and it gets on my last nerve to see it used wrong. YOUR means ownership and the word OUR is in it for a clue. YOU'RE means you are.

Another grammar gripe of mine is to see an apostrophe in a plural word. An example is: I saw LOT'S of treasures there. Why would someone write that? In essence, that person is saying: I saw LOT IT IS of treasures there and that makes no sense whatsoever. An  apostrophe is used in a contraction such as IT'S meaning IT IS. No one would write "The cat lost IT'S toy." But wait a minute, people do!

Oh the list could go on and on and I'm sure that you've heard or have seen bad grammar everywhere.

Something has to be done to stop it before it becomes the norm. If you are a grammar police person as am I, then we must band together to educate the populace--but it's a major undertaking. Try correcting someone who has used incorrect grammar on facebook and wait for the blasting comments coming your way: It does not work at all.

Bad grammar bothers me and the more I see it, the madder I become. The more I hear it, the more I cringe.

But is there an answer to change it back to the correct way? Doubtful with the usage of texting and a world of faster everything. I'm sure that my college English professors are rolling over in their graves. Heaven help us all.

Sherry Hill