Oops, we left our dictionary at home

To the editor:

Indians safety ... in return to SIU: Story suggests he has never played there. He cannot, then, be returning. Standard English requires Indians'.

Johnston ... figures to play ... : If not scheduled to start, J hopes to play.

Indians have a chance, fall short to Sikeston: Standard English requires "of" in lieu of "to."

Serena, Venus meet up again: Standard English requires meet again. What is the game?

U.S. defeats Puerto Rico. What was the game?

This is a university town. Many readers prefer standard English in their newspaper. Newspapers have a special duty to deliver standard English to their readers.

RUDIE SLAUGHTER

via e-mail

Editor's note: "Why care for grammar as long as we are good?" -- Artemus Ward, 1872.

Thank goodness for grandkids (and Rams)

To the editor:

We have two daughters; one is here and has one son and the other lives in Waukesha, Wis. They have 10 children, eight boys and two girls, and another on the way.

Living in Wisconsin you would assume they would be Packer fans and all are except one. He is a Rams fan. We stay on the phone during the game to talk about the plays and what is not or is going right. He is about to have a fit because the Rams are not winning pregames. He just gets beside himself.

Last year in one of the games when the Rams were losing, his dad came into the room and Clayton said, "Dad it's your fault." His dad didn't even know what he was talking about. He got so hot from excitement his mom had to put a cool rag on his head.

He really likes all the players and especially Isaac Bruce, Marshall Faulk, and Kurt Warner. One day Faulk was being interviewed and he said, "Gramma, can you call me back so I can hear this?" Of course I hung up and called him back after the interview was over.

We have a lot of fun. He just turned 13 and is waiting with anticipation for the real season to start, and so am I. Grandkids are so much fun. I thank God every day for them. I am one lucky grandma.

I'm glad I have free weekends and evenings on our cell phone.MARY ANN KAGLE

via e-mail