As I drive around town, I find myself saying the occasional "oooo!", "ahhh!", or "oh?!" Do you know why? There are Halloween decorations all over the place, and they make a real impression. There seem to be two approaches to decorating for Halloween: friendly or scary. Personally, I prefer friendly. The time of year leads me to decorate with themes of pumpkins, Autumn leaves, and the harvest. Okay, I throw in the odd friendly ghost here and there, a black cat, or some fake bats. But you can find a pleasant version of those things. Other people, however, choose to really scare. Perhaps they don't get frightened easily. Some of the houses near us are quite shocking. There is one with a huge skull picture in the window that is pulling an awful face, and then outside, on the front lawn are fake tombstones everywhere. I suppose it's all a bit of fun; it just depends on your taste. My oldest son seemed to enjoy the dark side of things a few years ago. One Halloween night, when all of my children dressed up and we took them out to trick or treat, he chose to go as the Grim Reaper, you know, Death. He wore a long black hooded cape, and had a mask on like 'the scream' by Edvard Munch. The rest of us were friendly looking creatures, and so he stood out in contrast. We stopped by a local church that had free hotdogs and lots of candies for Halloween night, and as we went from booth to booth, people would look at my son twice, the first time in shock, the second time in horror. On another occasion, he was dressed like Darth Vader from Star Wars, which wasn't bad at all I thought. However, he had a battery run voice pack that had some pre-recorded sayings by Darth Vader. I didn't pay much attention to it at all, until we got to the church parking lot, and the kids were filling up their candy buckets at the booths. Hudson turned on his voice pack, and you could hear, " You don't know the power of the dark side!" I'm sure some people found it distasteful or inappropriate; I actually thought it was hilarious. And Hudson, like the rest of the kids, was only concerned about getting as much candy as possible.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to make an impression, the odd....here and there, version, hooded.
1. He made a real impression on me; he was polite and very helpful.
2. You can see the odd farmhouse here and there in the valley.
3. The new version of 'Thriller' is not at all as good as the original.
4. My sweater is hooded, so I can keep my head warm when I go out in the snow.
It's funny how ordinary items or actions can show your knowledge of a language. Sometimes when I do something, or say something, I ask myself the question, "Could I say that in Spanish or French?" Your question would probably be, "Could I say that in English?" With that in mind, I was looking for a pen, the other day, to write down some notes. I couldn't find one anywhere which is really annoying. We seem to have little elves that come at night and steal useful items of all kinds, like pencils, pens, note paper, even envelopes. Mmmm....I wonder who they could be. I couldn't find a decent pencil either. The ones that were in the pencil holder didn't have any nibs. Whoever had previously used them had worn them down, or simply pressed down so hard that the nib had broken off. The solution? A pencil sharpener. But no ordinary pencil sharpener. We have always had the ordinary little plastic ones that have a small blade in them. You insert the pencil, turn it a few times while pushing against the blade, and voila, a sharp pencil. But I decided to buy something that would give immediate gratification. A super-dooper electronic office sharpener. Ooooo! It's black, and very serious looking. Now, with ease, I can insert a pencil into the hole, and the blades automatically come on. They do their job in a few seconds, and out comes the pencil, with a sharp nib, and ready to be used. No more messing about with pencil shavings. My kids were impressed with my new buy. They, by the way, are the culprits for the disappearing pens and pencils. My daughter sat down and sharpened about fifteen pencils straight away. I had bought a battery run sharpener a couple of years ago, but my youngest son tried to sharpen the other end of some pencils, you know, the end with the eraser in the little metal holder. Well, you can guess what happened. The sharpener broke. However, now the youngest are older and less likely to do that again. And their fingers are too big to put in the hole, ....thank goodness!
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary and expressions: with that in mind, elf/ elves, no ordinary...., nib.
1. The concert was cancelled because of the rain; with that in mind, we should think of something else to do.
2. They say that Santa is helped by elves.
3. She is no ordinary woman. She's an astronaut, a racing car driver, and a best selling novelist.
4. The nib of this pencil is broken. Where's the sharpener?
I received a flyer in the mail the other day. It rang a bell; I had seen something like it in previous years. It was the annual Make a Difference Day information sheet. From the title, you can tell that it is about getting involved in the community and making a positive difference. This event has grown since 1990, and is held the fourth Saturday of October. It started through USA Weekend and the 800 newspapers it serves. It is a day dedicated to serving neighbors and the community, to meeting needs and offering support. There are thousands of people involved in organizing it. Just letting people know which needs exist is a big job. Nowadays with the internet, people can find out much quicker who needs what and where. Last year, over three million people got involved with local groups to help in many ways. As I glanced through the list of places to help in our little community, I counted at least thirty. However, there are other charitable groups that are not mentioned. In a large city, there must be hundreds of causes that people can help. Several of the groups here are set up to help poor and homeless people in the Winter. It is an awful prospect to be caught in a freezing climate with nowhere to live. Free coats, blankets, and all sorts of basic essentials will be donated at various places. Also the shelters, such as the Salvation Army, will be cleaned, painted, and prepared for the Winter. Volunteers are asked to sign up ahead of time, sometimes bringing their own equipment, and then they will be assigned a job or two. The projects are not just charitable, though. People can choose to plant trees or flowers in public places, pick up litter along highways and roads, or even provide babysitting. It's not compulsory; it's all about volunteering, doing a job, helping. Of course, once you are out there, you begin to see other areas in the community that need help. That is probably why Make a Difference Day has grown each year. I've put it on the calendar, and will be deciding with my family what we can do to help in our town.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a flyer, to ring a bell, a prospect, to assign.
1. We get all sorts of flyers in the mail, advertizing this and that.
2. Your name rings a bell; have I met you before?
3. Finally getting a promotion is a wonderful prospect.
4. He assigned us jobs. Mine was to clean up after the event.
Are turkeys a part of your culture? They are over here in the U.S. You have probably heard about the Thanksgiving turkey. Did you know that the tradition of celebrating by eating a turkey started with the Native American Indians? It was the Wampanoag tribe, specifically, that in 1621 shared food that was naturally available locally, with the European Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. They celebrated having survived a cruel winter, and having made important friendships with the Native Americans. There were other, earlier Thanksgiving celebrations by the Canadians and the Spaniards, but the American celebration of 1621 seems to be more famous. The native bird chosen as an important part of the feast was the turkey. That bird is also native of Mexico. It's an American bird, and a big one, come to that. A healthy turkey can easily weigh 20lbs or more. If you're going to cook one, you have to make sure first of all that your oven is big enough! In recent years, people have taken to deep frying them. You need an enormous deep frying pan for the job. And, it is actually quite a dangerous undertaking because of the large amount of boiling oil. Though the turkey cooks more quickly than it does in the oven, it has to be supervised at all times because of the risk of fire. Apparently, though, it is the best way to eat the bird because it stays extremely moist. Yes, turkey eating is big business here. In 2006, farmers raised 270 million turkeys to do almost 8 billion dollars worth of business. A third of those turkeys were consumed at Thanksgiving. So, if you're a turkey, run and hide! If someone offers you lots of corn, and a comfortable nest, don't be fooled. Thanksgiving is coming soon! I came across two lucky turkeys the other day during my trip to a petting zoo. They are caged, and on display, - not for eating. They really are odd looking things. Their colors are quite vibrant, but their heads are so ugly. They have the long, red flesh that hangs from the top of their beaks called the 'snood' in English, and the similar 'wattle' that hangs from underneath. The black and white body is more attractive, as it is nicely proportioned and looks like it is wearing a pretty skirt. That is what interests most people because, unfortunately for the turkeys, it is that part that will be served with stuffing and vegetables!
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to take to, to raise, on display.
1. He has taken to walking his dog every morning; it's so good for both of them.
2. I was raised on a farm, and now I am raising chickens and goats.
3. The car is only on display; it isn't for sale.
Every year, either in the summer, or around October, we make a trip to Smallwood's Farm. It is a family-run farm with a petting zoo. All of the produce grown on the farm is sold directly to the public. Through the years, it has grown from a small attraction, to one that does an awful lot of business for most of the year. Each year I have seen more attractions and events added, to draw in a bigger crowd of spenders. The journey from our home is only about twenty minutes. As we drive away from Wenatchee and head west, the hills become greener, and there is more forest; we are no longer in the desert region. The roads become a bit more windy as we get closer to Leavenworth. It's just outside of that town, that there is a turn-off to Smallwood's. You can't miss it. There are flags and tall signs, seasonal decorations, and, usually, a car park full of cars. When we went at the weekend, there was even a coach, so the place was packed. The kids ran all over the place excitedly. There were so many things to do and to see, that they didn't know where to go first. There was a big pumpkin patch, where you could choose from very small to huge pumpkins. A hay maze had been made, that you could walk around in, and, hopefully not get lost. There is a play area for the kids with swings and other toys. And there is even a cow ride. Not real cows, just little, metal cars, painted like cows with wheels pulled by a tractor. I've been on that a few times with my kids, their cousins, and my mother-in-law. The last time we went, we laughed and screamed as we whizzed around the corners. I think we had more fun than the kids. We still, just about, fit in the seats that are designed for children. It's encouraging that our rear ends aren't too big to exclude us from the fun. What a comforting thought! And then there is the petting zoo. There are llamas, goats, peacocks, pigs, sheep, and rabbits. You can feed the animals crushed corn, and pet them. It's always fascinating to be around animals, especially when you are not used to it. And when there are baby goats or rabbits, everybody flocks to see them. After the animals, and sanitizing our hands, there is a visit to the gift shop. There is so much to buy, and it is all so nicely presented. They must do so much business! There are lines of people with cash or credit cards in hand, waiting to buy fruits, vegetables, sauces, ornaments, candies, drinks, and even kitchen equipment. The owner of Smallwood's must have perfected his skill at attracting consumers of all ages. We are certainly hooked.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to pet, to draw a crowd, a coach, to exclude.
1. If you buy a cat or a dog, it is important to pet it. They need affection and attention.
2. The street performers drew huge crowds over the weekend.
3. The tourists were travelled by coach; it was the most comfortable way to see everything.
4. The boy was excluded from playing because he wouldn't follow the rules.
The photo on today's blog is one of the most unusual I have taken since I started A Cup Of English. Bras on a bridge.....um.....it makes you think. It's symbolic, of course. There are so many of them, each being unique. They represent the women who have suffered or are suffering with breast cancer. Many people use that particular bridge in Wenatchee, and so, have had the opportunity to think about the subject. The organizer of this display asked for one thousand bras to be donated. A walk to raise funds for cancer research took place that afternoon, and donations were to be given to an organization in town that supports families of ladies with breast cancer. This is the third annual breast cancer awareness event in Wenatchee. Someone had told me about the decorated bridge, so I had to see it for myself. From far away, it didn't seem like much. But, as I got closer, the double line of bras made quite an impression. They seemed to go on forever. Each one was different from the last. They were colourful (colorful), pretty, silly, sexy, and bizarre. It was an effective way to understand the large number of ladies who die from this each year: over fourty thousand. It also emphasized that each lady affected is an individual, not just another number. But, action and awareness are giving hope. Educating women and girls on self examination, mammograms, and a healthy lifestyle, can all make a positive impact and reduce fatalities. This sort of thing brings up questions as well. The local newspaper, The Wenatchee World, hosts a blog about its articles. Many men wrote in to comment about cancers that affect men, such as prostate cancer. One man suggested hanging up jock straps on the bridge as well. That would certainly get people talking.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: symbolic, display, awareness, article.
1. The statue is symbolic of man's struggle against oppression.
2. The watch display was spectacular, with some rare jewelled watches also on display.
3. Once there is awareness of the problem, we can start looking for solutions.
4. I enjoy reading the articles in the local newspaper about the native americans.
I realized today, that yesterday's date was special: 10/10/10. It was October 10th, 2010. I had been too busy over the weekend to stop and realize the curious and interesting date. While I was chatting to my sister-in-law today, she mentioned that she had measured the height of her three boys, as a way of commemorating the day. It could be what we call an 'auspicious' date, a day of significance and importance. My children told me that a popular kids' program called 'Ben 10' had been on the cartoon channel all day. Now that sort of thing is important to children. The date 10,10,10 however, is very important to some adults. Apparently, many people who have been planning on getting married this year, decided to do it on that day. It will be impossible to forget an anniversary! Also, it seems that the number 10 gives us a sense of security, or familiarity. 'The top 10' is common in our world. We hear about 'the top 10 pieces of music', 'the top ten reasons for ....whatever', 'the top ten keys to success in business', and other top ten lists. As far as the date is concerned, though, it depends on which calendar you use. The Chinese calendar is based on astronomical observations of the sun and the phases of the moon. Numbers are considered lucky if they sound like words that are positive. The numbers 6, 8, and 9, are considered lucky because they sound like other words that are positive or fortunate. Some people will pay large sums of money to have these numbers as their home numbers. The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar. Because it is number based, rather than meaning or sound based, a date like 10,10,10 does draw attention to itself. Mathematicians might have something to say about it. One website that had various people send in their ideas, had this comment from a man who took the date very seriously: " I was explaining yesterday how 42 is the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything to my girlfriend, when one of my employees brought up that it's going to be 10-10-10 this year. I realized that 10-10-10 in binary equals 42." Perhaps that man will be lucky enough to get all of his questions answered this year!
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: auspicious, anniversary, phase, observations:
1. The December 12th, 2012 might be a special day, an auspicious day.
2. It's my parents' anniversary tomorrow.
3. He's going through a shy phase. I'm sure he will grow out of it.
4. In science class today, we had to make observations about the growth of the plants.
Sorry everyone, there are no podcasts for a few days as I will be busy in one of the local schools. But, don't worry, I will resume normal podcasting after this week. So, keep up with the English, and have a great weekend.
Anna.
Kindergarten is proving to be quite a fun place for my daughter. They went on their first field trip the other day; it was a 'tree walk'. They have been studying trees: how they grow, and how they change with the seasons, so a tree walk was the perfect ending for their studies. I volunteered that day, and arrived at the school a few minutes before the bus left. There were several mothers there, and we all helped the teacher line the children up and get them ready for their big trip. When I say 'big trip', I mean that it was big for them, because it was exciting, and their first so far this year. It was actually just a five minute trip, up the road, to the Wenatchee Valley College grounds. The bus parked and let us off. We walked over to a shady area where one of the college staff greeted us. There were several stations of fun activities, all to do with trees. One was an observation of chlorophyll. The children had to find a large leaf, put in on a wooden board, under a white sheet of material, and then bang it all over with a hammer. Kindergarteners with hammers? Now, that sounds risky! They loved it! And they could see, as they banged, the green chlorophyll come out of the leaf and soak into the material. Another activity, which I'm sure was one of their favorites, was to build habitats for wild animals out of bark and pine cones. They paired up for this, and had a little toy mascot representing the kind of wild life that is found in the forest. Some had beavers, or squirrels, and others had mice. There were habitats of all shapes and sizes built for the little furry forest creatures. And, of course, when the children had finished, they wanted to keep the soft toys. It took some convincing to get them to put them back into the boxes for the next group of children. The last station was where we sang songs in the shade of a big tree. The songs were carefully chosen by two of the school district's music teachers; they were, of course, all about trees. The teachers passed out different percussion instruments to various groups of children, and each was told to play the instrument when a certain part of a tree was mentioned. So, for example, one group of kids would play the triangle when they heard the word "roots", other kids would play the wooden blocks when they heard "branches" etc. It was a well organized event for the first year students, and, I think, a great way to, solidify their knowledge of trees.
Grammar notes.
Useful expressions: so far..., to soak, pine cones, solidify.
1. So far this season, the pumpkins have stayed quite small. Let's hope they get bigger for Halloween.
2. Let your shirt soak in water with a little bleach in it; that should get rid of the stains.
3. We collected pine cones as fire starters. They catch light very quickly because of their natural oils.
4. The liquid gelatin will solidify as soon as it gets cold enough.
Yesterday, there was a knock at the door. "Mum, there's some guy at the door," said my son, letting me know that he didn't feel like opening the door. I had just woken up from a nap. So, still feeling drowsy, I unlocked and opened the front door. I expected to find, perhaps, a neighbor, or someone selling something. To my surprise, there was a large man who I didn't know, who was dressed in an eighteenth century military costume. He beamed a smile at me, and handed me a plastic envelope containing a copy of the U.S. constitution. "Hello Ma'm," he said. "I'm just out encouraging folks like you to read our constitution." "Oh, thanks," I replied. "Can I take your photo?" I quickly added, seeing a good photo opportunity. He posed for me and then went on his way. He was part of the Patriot Corps, which is part of the Foundation For Liberty. Their aim is to, "educate our citizens on limited government and constitutional rights." He made quite an impression, especially dressed as he had been. Thinking about it, however, his costume was just like the British Redcoat uniform..., now that must have been a mistake. I checked on the internet, and actually, the American revolutionary uniform was blue, with soldiers wearing a lot of brown as well. Oh, well. Perhaps I'll send him an email and let him know that he looks more British than anything else. I appreciate having a constitution around, though. Of course, when I was doing my paperwork to become legal, I had to become familiar with some parts of the constitution. And when I was a teacher at the High School, I taught a 'citizenship' class, which included a lot of the constitution. But a reminder is good, especially if, like me, you enjoy political discussions.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: drowsy, to pose, aim, thinking about it.
1. His medication made him feel drowsy, so he took a nap.
2. The models posed for the cameras next to the monument.
3. The governor's main aim was to reduce crime in the city.
4. The comedian was very funny, but, thinking about it now, he was offensive.
As I walked outside yesterday to throw the garbage in the dumpster, the evening sky caught my eye. There was a spread of small clouds that were lit up by the sun, beautiful and pink. An English saying came to mind:
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning.
I remember hearing that saying when I was a child. At that time, I lived in a rural area where there was a lot of farm land. It was important to know when to plant seeds, and how the weather would affect the work on the farm. Who knows if this saying is accurate? Scientifically speaking, it is an indication that the low sun is lighting up clouds that are heavy with moisture. By the time the night has come and gone, it will either have rained, or the clouds will have gone. If the clouds are pink in the morning, the moisture will be around for the rest of the day, meaning that rain is on its way. That makes sense. The saying is one of many that we find in what is called 'weather lore', lore is a word that we don't often use which means 'old sayings' or 'old stories'. There must be some truth to some of them. They developed through the experience of people who have observed weather patterns over time, like fishermen and farmers. Another saying I like is:
When windows won't open, and the salt clogs the shaker;The weather will favour (favor) the umbrella maker.
Salt, as you know, absorbs water from the air. So, when there is high humidity, the salt will expand and not pour easily from the salt shaker. Also, the wood of doors and windows will expand because of moisture in the air. It's reasonable that generations of people tried to figure out what the weather would do, as a way of preserving their livelihoods. We're luckier nowadays, with weather satelites and weather stations, that can warn an inform us of important changes in the weather. We can even, ahead of time, evacuate areas that will be hit by hurricanes. And think what that saves! Weather lore has its uses, but science and technology now lead the way.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to clog, ...speaking, to make sense, to figure out.
1. Leaves have clogged the drain, so there is water everywhere.
2. Financially speaking, he is wealthy; however, emotionally speaking, he is poor.
3. That newspaper article didn't make sense. The argument was very weak.
4. I tried to figure out the instructions to put the shelves together, but they were not clear at all.