Muddy, brown water. A couple of wiffle balls. An old, dirty snowman toy. A plastic Dora the Explora figure that has been buried in the earth for over a year. Add to these things a stinky sock and a few sticks, and you have the perfect recipe for 'sock soup'. And of course you have to mix it all together in a wheel barrow. That is what took place today in my vegetable garden. I was peacefully planting some seeds, and making sure that everything was just right, when I heard some little monkeys come running in my direction. "Uh-oh," I thought to myself, "here comes trouble." Robert and Domini were wanting to get involved in the garden, get their hands dirty, do no work at all, and make a huge mess. You know, like kids normally do. So, I gave them a few rules to follow, and then let them get on with their project. I think they were pretending to be scientists. They stirred the chemicals carefully, and immersed their patient, the snowman, in the mix. It was very serious play time. This experiment would change history. As I watched them, I was reminded about a similar occasion, when a little boy (my brother) and a very little girl (myself) were also mixing a very important cocktail. We were at my grandparents house in the Summer. They had chickens, and some how my brother and I had got hold of the corn feed. We mixed it with water in a very large watering can. And we invented a chant, "Corn and water, water and corn. Corn and water, water and corn." We were so happy, mixing and chanting, chanting and mixing. We could have continued for hours. However, my very traditional, serious, and a little impatient grandfather was trying to sleep on a lawn chair nearby. He tossed and turned, and tried to ignore us. But then, suddenly, he just couldn't take it anymore. He sat upright, and barked like a bull dog, "For goodness sake, would you be quiet!" Surprised, and a little amused at how cross and red-faced he was, we fell silent for a few minutes. But then we started whispering our chant, instead. How kids love to mess about. It's great. I let my children get on with it, and use their imaginations, until it gets too messy. Then we call it a day.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a wiffle ball, to call it a day, a watering can, red-faced.
1. A wiffle ball has lots of holes in it, and makes a sort of whistle when you hit it with a bat.
2. I'm tired. We've been digging all day. Let's call it a day.
3. The water flows gently from the watering can and doesn't break the tender flowers.
4. The teacher was so cross that we was red-faced.
A few weeks ago, while my oldest son was having a check-up with the pediatrician, I collected several pamphlets from the clinic's reading area. I thought perhaps I could learn something while I waited. One of the pamphlets was about back health, something that I don't really think about very often. A couple of years ago, however, I had no choice but to think about it, because I suddenly developed back pain. It was nothing serious. I had been carrying my baby on my left hip for a year, and, I think, my back finally had had enough of the imbalance. So, it sent me a message, in the form of pain. Gosh, it was awful. I didn't know what to do. I tried stretching carefully, lying on the massaging chair that we have, and I finally took a pain killer. My husband advised me to go to the chiropractor to check out my spine, and get it adjusted if necessary. The next day, I found myself in line at the chiropractic clinic, waiting for my turn, and reading the posters on the wall that talked about back health. The chiropractic philosophy is that each vertebra affects a set of nerves that influence other parts of the body, including organs and glands. So everything is interrelated. If the spine is okay, the rest of the body can take care of itself. "Makes sense to me," I thought as I read about the parts of the spine: the spinal column, the spinal cord, vertebrae, sciatica, the discks, and the upper, middle, and lower back. As I looked at the people in line, I wondered which part of their backs were hurting, and why. I had met people who had been in car accidents and who had suffered whiplash. That was common. Some people had worse conditions which needed on-going treatment. My back pain was acute, meaning sharp but not long lasting. Others had a chronic condition which goes on for a long time. Well, my turn came. After having an x-ray, the chiropractor told me that I just had a couple of vertebrae out of place. He was pleasant and relaxed, and chatted away as I lay down on the adjustment bed. I remember that I was in the middle of answering one of his questions, when WHAMO! He pushed and twisted my lower back in one second. I heard a 'click' in my back and felt some pressure, and it was over. After checking my mobility, I was on my way home. The pain was gone, and my spine felt loose again. What a relief! I'll take an acute back problem over a chronic one any day/
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary and expressions: to have no choice but to...., to have enough of..., spinal cord, whiplash.
1. I have no choice but to sell my house; it is far too expensive to keep.
2. We had had enough of the cold weather, so we flew to the Caribbean.
3. The spinal column protects the spinal cord from which nerves go out into the body.
4. When the other car hit me from behind, my head was thrown back, and I got whiplash.
Have you ever walked into your kitchen first thing in the morning and found that little, tiny strangers have moved in? And not only have strangers moved in, but there are hundreds of them, and they are eating your food. Ants. Ants. Where do they come from? And how do they sense where the food is? For the past few days I have been paranoid about people dropping crumbs in the kitchen, because it seems that ten minutes later, some clever ants have gathered around whatever was dropped, and they're figuring out how to move it. And I have to tell you about what I saw a few days ago in my dining room. I was filing some paid bills into a filing box that is close to the floor, when I spotted a dead moth. "No big deal," I thought, until I noticed several ants around it. I bent down to look closer, and I could see that the ants were holding the moth and rocking it back and forth, trying to move it. They succeeded, and started to move the body slowly, slowly towards the wall. Well, believe it or not, I don't have that much time on my hands that I can sit around and watch ant activity, so I had to leave for a few minutes to get on with some work. But, when I did come back, the moth was gone. I couldn't believe it! It was so much bigger than the ants, and they had quite simply taken it. I was so impressed that I am now sitting in the kitchen writing, watching a piece of cracker that I put on the floor a few minutes ago. I am hoping that in a few minutes lots of ants will gather around it, and I can take a good photo. I don't want to encourage them to invade my house, but I have to get a good photo for the blog page. I admire ants; they really get the job done, and they work as a team. Just imagine what we could do if we had their energy! So, for over a week I've been hovering over my kids when they are getting something to eat, saying, "For goodness sake, can you put that on a plate? Ants! Ants!" I have nicknamed one of my sons 'Senor Migas' which means Mr. Crumbs, because, no matter what he eats, he always manages to drop crumbs on the floor. Now, he would probably come in handy.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: paranoid, to figure out, back and forth, to come in handy.
1. She is paranoid about germs; she washes her hands about twenty times a day.
2. Please help me figure out how to get my car keys out of the drain.
3. Wiggle your loose tooth back and forth to see if it is loose enough to pull out.
4. That flash light will come in handy; I'll keep it in my car.
I was running errands today, when I spotted a new business in town. At the bottom of a three story building, in the basement area, a cafe has opened this week. I noticed it because there are some colorful flags flying in the outside eating area. "Oooo," I thought as I waited in the traffic, I must go in there for a quick bite to eat, and to 'check out' the atmosphere. Well, I'm very pleased that I did go in. Not only does the inside have a lot of character, but it's purpose serves a good cause. AZ's cafe is a business that gives the unemployed an opportunity to learn skills that will help them get better employment in the future. From dealing with money, a computer, working in the kitchen, waiting on tables and serving the public, or any of the other jobs that are needed to run a cafe properly, this place offers training. It's profits are used to keep it self-sustaining, so it can train people for many years to come. It is run by the YWCA, or the Young Women Committed to Action, or the Young Women's Christian Association, which fights racism and promotes opportunities for women who need help. There were quite a few people eating and drinking in the cafe. The decor was casual, a little eclectic which I like, and antiques were for sale here and there. Well, my eagle vision spotted something dark in a corner that drew me to it. It was a piece of furniture which I immediately recognized as being both a real antique, and English. An extra small church pew, you know, the hard, dark, but ornate seats that you find in old churches. Well, this really was the 'real deal'. I asked if it was for sale. The lady told me that it had been donated after someone had passed away, that it was three hundred years old, and that it costs $850. I almost choked on my coffee! When she went back to the kitchen, I investigated. I opened it to have a look for a brand, or a name, or something. "These people around here don't know what 'old' is," I thought to myself. "It's probably not 300 years old, but it could be. I'll have to ask my mom to have a look; she's an antique's expert." The price tag actually said $500 dollars. That's still too much, but perhaps I can work on these people and over time charm them into giving it to me for a bargain....you never know. But even if that doesn't happen, I will make AZ's cafe my regular place for coffee with friends, to support the people in training, and to keep my eye on that little piece of England.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to check out, self-sustaining, to draw to (to be drawn to), to choke.
1. Let's go to the new museum and check out the historical artefacts.
2. We must create self-sustaining farming projects.
3. I feel drawn to horses; there is something about them that fascinates me.
4. Pat him on the back! He's choking!
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The entryway of our house is finally beginning to look pretty. I have recently transplanted plants from other areas of our garden to the walkway that leads up to our house. After choosing a tree to shade the area, I thought that I had finished. About a two weeks ago (a fortnight in British), I saw lots of green shoots coming up right next to the path. I could immediately tell that these new plants were not weeds; they were too uniform, and had pretty leaves. As time has gone by, these little shoots have developed into larger plants that have now flowered. I had completely forgotten that I had planted anemones in the Autumn. And now, they are beginning to flower. Wow! What color they have! It is hard to believe that a little bulb can produce such a spectacular display of beauty and color. These anemones need partial to full shade to grow properly, and the great thing is that they are perennial. They come back every year, each time in larger numbers. I just googled anemones to find out more about them. Their name is Greek for 'wind flower', and they even have medicinal powers to help get rid of cramps and emotional distress. I have a love of shade and semi-shade plants. One of my other favorites is the cyclamen. The flower head is so unusual in the way that it hangs down but all of its petals stand up towards the sky. Each flower is spectacular in its own way. One of the many things that I enjoy about gardening are the surprises that come along. Seeds of a certain wild vine that is in our garden have blown over to the front area, and so now we have baby vines growing all over the place. I try to imagine sometimes what my garden would look like if it were abandoned for a while. It would become a gorgeous jungle of color and shapes, with a mixture of weeds, vines, roses, and stunning anemones.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a fortnight, uniform, a display, cramp.
1. A two week period in England is what we call a fortnight.
2. The tables at the wedding looked elegant and uniform; they were identical.
3. The shop window has a wonderful flower display.
4. I had pain and tension in my stomach. I took some medicine and my cramps went away.
In the kitchen yesterday, I was considering all of the language that we are exposed to around the house. Containers of food and cleaning fluids can all teach us a lot of a new language. Even some small appliances often have instructions of some kind on them. When I'm at the kitchen sink, which is very often, I use all sorts of liquids for all of the cleaning that I do. My dish soap is anti-bacterial. Then I have a hand sanitizer that you can use without water. Even some of the hand creams that I put on after washing have ant-bacterial properties. One item that is very popular among housewives are the 'wipes'. They come in a large, plastic, cylindrical containers. They are disposable, already wet, and either have bleach or alcohol in them, so they blast germs wherever you wipe. They are so convenient to use in almost any room in the house, especially the particularly germy rooms, like the bathroom and the kitchen. I remember about 10 years ago, there was an E-coli outbreak in one of the fast food chains here in the U.S. Jack in the box, the American food chain almost came to ruin because of the scandal. And when I say scandal, it really is, if a chain of restaurants is unclean or serving unclean food. It took years for the company to come back and start getting customers again. This, and other incidences have caused standards of cleanliness in restaurants to go up, partly because the restaurants can easily be sued if people get ill. We expect the places where we eat to be very clean, even if the food is no good. And so it is at home. When flu season gets here, we take extra precautions: hand washing, avoiding people who are sick, and using antibacterial wipes everywhere. When I volunteer at my children's school, I often think that handwashing should be part of the daily curriculum, because so many children have runny noses and coughs. Classrooms are a breeding ground for germs. At least, at home, I can do my part and go to war against the germs.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to volunteer, to be exposed to, disposable, precaution.
1. You don't get paid for volunteering, but it's very satisfying.
2. You need to put your face mask on; you mustn't be exposed to this gas.
3. We can throw these cups in the rubbish bin; they are disposable.
4. She always takes the precaution of double checking the meat for freshness.
I have great neighbors. They are friendly, I trust them, and they are helpful. What more could I ask for in a neighborhood? As a friendly neighbor myself, I do what I can to keep my relationship with the people next door to me a positive one. The neighbor to my left recently got married to a lady who loves animals, infact, she used to have a farm. When she moved in she had goats, a pony, chickens, and she bred dogs. Gradually, to please her husband, she has sold some of the animals. That is actually a good thing because the smell of goat manure was becoming a bit overpowering. The neighbor to my right is a busy father of two, who goes to work early in the morning, and only has a cat. He is lively and amusing. He is also honest. He has always made it clear that he hates dogs. He thinks that they are noisy, messy, and silly. Cats, he thinks, are intelligent and sophisticated, and of course, much easier to take care of. Well, I happen to have two dogs, both of whom are still puppies. These dogs live in our back yard which is fenced in. They have a warm, insulated dog house, and plenty of space to run around and play in. But, they are dogs, and they bark. Not very much, mind you. But if they sense a deer is nearby, or if they smell a racoon, they will certainly bark. I think that they can also sense when people don't like them, because when Don, our neighbor who hates dogs, goes to work at six o'clock in the morning, they run up to the fence where they can see his car, and they start barking. They bark as if they have spotted an enemy. So, in order to stay friends with Don, I bought some 'shock collars' for the dogs that 'encourage' them to stay quiet. When they bark, they get a little vibration on the neck that they don't like. And you know, it works, but not enough to give Don a quiet morning. Now, when he gets into his car, the dogs still run up and bark once, "woof!" But then they howl slightly because of the collars, "argh!" After a couple of seconds they do the same thing. After about three times, they give up, and by then, Don has gone. I have to wake up at six, so it's actually an alarm clock for me, an amusing one. But poor Don must think I'm a terrible neighbor.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to breed, overpowering, racoon, to sense.
1. The farmer near us breeds work horses.
2. I think you put too much garlic in that sauce; it's overpowering. I can't taste the fish at all.
3. There is a family of racoons in the neighborhood. Sometimes you can see their black and white bodies running into a bush to hide.
4. I could sense that he was angry. I knew that he would start shouting.
"Did your teacher give you your homework packet?" is a question I ask my children often. Every week they get a set of papers that are stapled together, each paper being either a math sheet or a reading and writing sheet. For the longest time, I couldn't get my youngest son to do his daily sheet. The teachers expect the students to do one sheet each afternoon at home. If they concentrate, it hardly takes any time, but, obviously, the longer you wait to do it in the evening, the longer and harder the homework seems to become. I remember those days of putting off the essay or the written exercises, just hoping that by some miracle they would disappear. Oh, the frustration. The way I got my son to do his homework every day was by using a strategy that included three things. First, he wasn't allowed to play on the Wii until he had done one page. Secondly, I would always be near him to help him, encourage him, push him a little if needed. And third, I would praise and congratulate him once he had finished. After a few months of this, he adopted the habit of always getting his job done. I think that being consistent is really one of the hardest things in life, especially if you haven't managed to turn your obligation into a habit. At least, that's how it is for me. These homework packets are cute, obviously simple; afterall, he is only in the first grade. On most pages there are cute characters drawn, to make the sheet look friendly and fun. And a lot of the exercises are in the form of a game, or a puzzle. You find things like dot-to-dots, crossword puzzles, and counting pennies exercises. It's great to see my son's progress, and I realize that it was worth using strategies to get him to 'dig in' and get the work done.
Grammar notes.
Use of 'used to' and 'would' to show past habitual actions, + related vocabulary: to dig in, strategy, to adopt a habit, to staple.
1. That boy was a great student when he was in my class. He used to dig into any new information and tasks.
2. The special ops comander would always outline his strategy of surprizing the enemy.
3. They used to adopt these unhealthy eating habits, like having icecream or cheesecake just before bed. But then, the doctor told them that they couldn't continue that way.
4. The secretary would always use too many staples on the documents; it was difficult to turn the pages.
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It's time that I bought a new camera. I need a digital that has a decent zoom. I realized that the other day when I was outside, trying to get a good shot of two birds who were nesting. I had been busy throwing the ball to our dogs, when I saw a flash of white out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to see what it was, I saw a bird, obviously the male, sitting on top of the bird house, with a beak full of white feathers. There were so many of them, that they covered half of his body. He had seen me looking at him, and was nervously twitching his head back and forth, waiting for an opportunity to get into the house in order to carry on with his project. The female was off to the right; she was hard to see because her coloring was so pale. I inched my way forward with the camera already in focus and zoomed as far as it could go. However, these smart, nervous little creatures aren't stupid. Their eyes were fixed on me, and they didn't go anywhere near their birdhouse entrance while I was around. They would fly off and observe me from a distant tree. So, I would back off each time and wait for them to return. This went on a few times, until I realised that I was getting nowhere. So, I did a balancing act on the edge of an outside reclining chair, whilst leaning on a wall, holding the camera around the corner towards the birds. I couldn't even see what I was taking a picture of; I just knew that I had more of a chance of getting a good shot if the birds couldn't see me. I risked my own health for the sake of art, people; I hope you appreciate it. Anyway, I got a fairly good picture of the busy parents-to-be, making the nest cosy for their future chicks. It was worth the danger. But next time, I'll just get a better camera.
Grammar notes.
Useful expressions: out of the corner of (someone's) eye, decent, to twitch, male and female.
1. He was hiding, but I saw his red shoes out of the corner of my eye.
2. You really should buy yourself a decent suit for the interview; give a good impression.
3. My eye has been twitching the whole morning; it's really annoying.
4. If you want puppies you need to buy a male for your female, you know.
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Today, I'm going to continue with my series of 'Getting to know our planet' with the country of Rwanda. What do you know about this central african nation? What springs to mind when you hear the name Rwanda? Before I began this study, I didn't know much at all about this country, apart from the conflicts between the Hutus and the Tutsis, and the genocide of 1994. However,in 2009 a report by CNN called Rwanda the greatest success story of Africa. It is stable, it's average income has tripled in the past ten years, and it has developed positive international relationships. It has turned itself around and become a model for developing countries. How has it managed to do all of this? The answer is good leadership and sensible foreign aid. It's economy is still growing at a rapid rate, such as 11% in 2008. Rwanda is well known for its mountain gorillas which live in the Volcanoes National Park. Out of the one million tourists who visit each year, many choose to track these large primates. The savannah, forests, and rolling hills keep the visitors coming back, and have helped the economy greatly. Other money makers are coffee, tea, and mining. Though Rwanda is so successful, it is actually a very small country. It is under 27 thousand square kilometers, and land locked by Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since its independence from Belgium in 1962, and its initial civil problems, it has become a safe and democratic country which protects all Rwandans from discrimination of any kind. Its capital is Kigali, its currency is the rwandan franc, and its population is over 10 million. It has recently adopted the goal of becoming a knowledge based economy by 2020 with every child owning a laptop in the next five years. That is quite an ambition. But, judging by its record, Rwanda is determined, organized, and will meet its goals.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: currency, stable, to turn oneself around/ a business around, to be well known for...
1. The currency of Europe is the euro, but in England we still use the pound sterling.
2. The doctors told me that her condition is stable; she is awake and doesn't need oxygen or medications.
3. That guy really has turned himself around; he used to be unskilled, but he went back to school. He used to be unemployed, but now he has a decent job.
Another example: We must turn this economy around before it is too late.
4. He is well known for his funny stories; he can make any audience laugh.
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Sunday, May 9th, it's Mother's day! I don't usually give it much thought, apart from choosing what I should buy for my mother and mother-in-law. I always forget that I will receive presents as well. Mind you, I shouldn't forget. There are plenty of reminders all around. The television has countless commercials for shops that have special offers for mums, and the local newspapers also advertise the deals on flowers, chocolates, clothes, and other things. We are actually bombarded with info. about the special day. I was taken by surprise the day before Mother's day when my husband and second son walked in after returning from baseball practice. The door to the garage opened and in walked, what looked like, an enormous, walking bouquet of flowers. All I could see was a pair of legs (still dressed in baseball pants and shoes), and a huge armful of flowers on top. How lovely! It took my breath away. I've never received such a big bouquet before. It has lillies, roses, daisies, and lots of other flowers that I'm not familiar with. It's big enough to divide amongst two or three vases, but for now, I'll keep it in one. Talk about over the top! Then, each of my children handed me their cards that they had made in school. They were even better than the flowers! What could be nicer? And the spelling mistakes in the poems were so sweet. The typical poem is: Roses are red, violets are blue; sugar is sweet, and so are you. But I received the following: Roses are red, vilets are blue; your smile chers me up, and I love you. I'll have to explain to Cass how to spell 'violets'; I hope I'm nothing to do with vile....His picture is a keeper, however. I'm going to frame it and hang it on the wall in the kitchen. He drew a vase of flowers that he painted with watercolors. It is so soft looking and dreamy,- very impressionistic. It's just what I like.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a reminder, a deal, over the top, spelling.
1. I write on my hand, as a reminder of my appointments.
2. I got a really good deal on my new car; it was such a bargain.
3. That performer is over the top. Her bright pink dress, loud act, and shockingly red lips are all too much.
4. My kids need to practice a list of words for their spelling test.
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'Prevention is better than cure' is a saying that I fully believe in. Similarly, using the correct tools for a job, or wearing the correct protection, is just as smart. I've been thinking about this recently because my little girl has been learning how to ride her bicycle without the training wheels. If it were up to me, I wouldn't teach her yet. However, my husband is confident that she is ready to take this big step. Each afternoon for about a week, they have been practicing on our driveway and around the cul-de-sac. He has given her plenty of coaching about all the things that you need to bear in mind: watch for traffic, get your balance, put the pedals in the right position, don't go too fast, give yourself time to make a turn etc etc. And, you know, she is doing very well. She is completely safe because from head to toe she is protected with pads of all kinds, and then, of course, she has the crowning glory of the all important helmet. Not wearing a helmet is looked upon as being seriously unintelligent in this house. My husband is a serious bike rider, and even some of his veteran riding buddies have had serious accidents. In some of their accidents, if they hadn't worn their helmets, they wouldn't be here today. So, our kids know that you cannot get on the bike without putting your head protection on first. But once that is taken care of, it's time to have fun. I love watching my daughter's sense of achievement show on her face; she's such a tiny little thing, but now has freedom on wheels. I suppose being five is actually a big thing; you learn to read, you learn to ride your bike, and you start school. Gosh, those are big steps!
Grammar notes.
Hypothesis and speculation using the subjunctive + related expressions: to bear in mind, from head to toe, veteran, the crowning glory.
1. If he doesn't bear everyone's efforts in mind, he could become quite unpopular.
2. If you had been protected from head to toe, you wouldn't have got hurt.
3. If the war veterans received a decent pension, there wouldn't be a need for their charities.
4. If the architect's plans for the new park were approved, it would be the crowning glory of the whole city.
The weather is one thing, where I live, that is consistent. It is one of the attractions about living here. The tourist information about Wenatchee talks at once about the 300 days of sun each year, and the regular, consistent four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Rarely does the weather 'step out of line' or not follow the typical patterns of this climate. Yesterday, however, was a different story. The first thing that made me realize that something was different was that, at six o'clock in the morning, the birds were not singing. Usually they are making a terrible racket at that time. I could hear, instead, the whooshing noise of the wind, and a buffeting or banging as it was hitting the house. I was immediately reminded of the poem 'Wind' by Ted Hughes, but I could hear my kids getting up, so I didn't have time to dream about poetry. As I pulled out of the driveway, I saw that most of the asphalt of the cul-de-sac was under water. The trees were being thrown around by the wind, and the rain poured heavily without stopping. The children were excited at the change in weather. It makes the day interesting, after all. "We must make cookies today, after school," I said. "Yes, and have a fire too," replied one of the children. The idea of getting cosy on a day like today is the fun part of bad weather. 50 mile an hour winds were recorded, and continued to blow most of the day. The baseball game was cancelled, and nobody was out on the street. Our warm front was over for a while, now that a cold one had moved in. C'est la vie! I annoyed a few people by telling them that I love the rain, but it's true. It's in my genes. Well, by evening, the storm had blown itself out, and everything was soggy and still. No harm done, just a good reminder that we can never get too complacent about our consistent climate.
Grammar notes.
Combining similar consonants from the ends and beginnings of words + related vocabulary: to step out of line, a racket, to buffet, soggy.
1. If that employee steps out of line and behaves badly again, no way will he keep his job. (1 n's)
2. The birds were making such a racket today; I'll be glad when Spring is over. (1 t's)
3. The wind buffets the house so much that the walls seem to shake. (2 s's).
4. After your walk, could you please take off your shoes and socks; they will be dirty and soggy, and I don't want to get the carpet dirty. (1 k/c's) (1 t's).
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These past two weeks have been Apple Blossom here in Wenatchee. It is a springtime celebration that brings in a lot of business to the area, and is great fun. Just around the time that the apple blossoms appear, the setting up of this week begins. We see large trucks coming into town with the equipment for the food fair, the carnival, the parade, and all the related games and stalls. This annual event has taken place for 90 years, and has grown from a one day event to about eleven days of celebration. It is run by volunteers from different groups, and overseen and organized by the Applarians, which are a group dedicated to the festival. The carnival was the main attraction for us this year. Our children are now at the ages when we can relax a bit more; when you have young babies and toddlers, it's a bit hectic and tiring to go to a carnival. In fact, our oldest is what we call a pre-teen, so he is very much into the scary rides, the fastest, scariest ones that would probably make me throw up. "Are you sure you want to go on that, Hudson? It looks at bit crazy to me," I said when he asked me if he could go on the 'Hard Rocker'. Silly question, really. Obviously he was sure that he wanted to go on the ride, otherwise he wouldn't have asked me! Sure, go ahead, get locked in a metal cage that swings 360 degrees, and then the whole ride spins around fast. As long as it's you and not me. He did the scariest rides with his friends who were as braves as him. Oh, to be a teenager again. No thanks. I would rather keep my feet on the ground and just watch. We did, however, all have a great time. The kids went on several rides each, and finished off with cotton candy. And I enjoyed the colors and interesting sights of our little yearly carnival.
Grammar notes.
Practice of the subjunctive in positive and negative phrases plus related vocabulary: cotton candy, hectic, a stall, to oversee.
1. If I had known that they sell cotton candy, I would have brought some money.
2. Your life wouldn't be so hectic if you were more organized.
3. If she could choose her career, she would own a large organic vegetable stall.
4. He wouldn't oversee the project as general manager, if he wasn't qualified.
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Do you like to shop? I actually do not like to at all. I always find that I am in a hurry, I don't enjoy looking through aisles and aisles of clothes for just one piece that I like, and I get impatient when I have to wait in line. But, one thing makes a very big difference. If I can find a good bargain, then I am a happy camper. That means that I am quite content to do the shopping 'thing', just like everybody else. There is a place just over the river from here called Ross. It is one of a chain of clothing and houseware stores that sells new items for incredible bargains. But, how is that possible? As far as I know, the store buys out of season clothes and surplus items from big department stores. Now, I have a hobby of second-hand store shopping; getting ridiculously cheap items from stores that sell second-hand items. That is different all together. When you go into one of those places you never know what to expect. You know that you might not find anything suitable at all. You are very unlikely to lose money or feel cheated, because everything is so, so cheap. And, occasionally when you do find something worth buying, it feels like a major achievement. Ross gives a similar experience, but you also know that you are buying something that is brand new; it's never been used. It is brand spanking new. So, if you do happen to have some time to browse, it is worth making a trip to Ross. I bought a couple of bags worth of tops today, that I threw on in the changing rooms to make sure that everything fit well, and when I got to the check-out till, I had a smile on my face because I had managed to spend very little for what I had bought. "Good deal!" as they say around here.
Grammar notes
.
Related vocabulary: a happy camper, the aisle, houseware, brand spanking new.
1. I am a happy camper today because I got so many bargains.
2. The clothes store was huge; there were ten aisles of jeans.
3. This is a houseware catalogue. You can find anything that you can think of for your home.
4. His shiny new car is brand spanking new; he bought it an hour ago.
Fire up the barby! The good weather is here, minced meat is on sale in the supermarket, and the nights are longer. It's time to clean the outside furniture, put a tablecloth on the table, buy propane for the barbecue, and decide what's for dinner. Our barbecue has spent the winter under a heavy duty, plastic cover. Now we can get it out, clean it up, put in a new tank of fuel, and get out the recipe book. The longer days are so much more cheery than the short ones of winter. Eating outside, 'al fresco', is a real pleasure, and always makes the food taste better. This weekend is a special spring celebration in Wenatchee; it's Apple Blossom weekend. There will be a parade through the center of town, a food fair in one of the parks, and a carnival in another. It is the perfect time to invite friends and family over, after the day's events, and have one of the favorites: hamburgers, hotdogs, marinated chicken, thinly sliced beef, vegetables on a scewer, or a vegetarian kebab. Yummy! A potluck is also a good choice. That's when each couple or family that comes over brings a dish of some sort. One person brings a salad, another brings a dessert, perhaps drinks can be brought, and then the host family supplies the main dish. You can eat and chat away until the sun goes down and the stars come out. I look forward to the days when it stays warm until nine or ten o'clock at night, so we can all stay out until we all get sleepy. A friend of mine barbecues all year long. She has a covered deck or patio, so even when there is snow outside in the middle of winter, she can barbecue whatever she wants. So, this weekend, tell your friends, bring some beer and some punch, and come and join us.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: minced meat, propane, heavy duty, deck.
1. This recipe calls for minced meat, just like the beef we use for hamburgers.
2. Propane is the gas that is best for barbecues.
3. I bought myself some heavy duty gloves; they are perfect for gardening and rough work.
4. I need to sweep the deck before our friends come over for a barbecue.
Grab your baseball hat or something else that will keep the sun out of your eyes, your sunglasses, a blanket, and a chair that isn't too hard. It's time to be a spectator. It's the season. You'll see these people, parking in the parking lot of a baseball or soccer field, opening up the back of their cars, and getting all kinds of equipment, blankets, coolers full of food and drinks, hats, gloves, newspapers. They've thought of everything. Spectating is a serious business. When a family member is involved in the sport that you watch, you don't want anything to distract you; you want to keep your eyes on the game, keep score, and not miss a thing. I made the mistake of taking my laptop to my son's game the other day; I had to do my podcast, and, I thought, while he was in the dugout (or not playing) that I could get some work done. Big mistake! I had all kinds of dirty looks coming in my direction. It is not the done thing, not kosher; it's breaking an unwritten rule. So, I won't do that again. It's interesting, you know, watching all the other spectators. Most of them sit quietly and occasionally cheer someone on, but some of them really stand out. You have the ones who are particularly loud, and yell instructions at the players, even though the coach is quite capable of doing that. You have the ones who have practically set up camp, who pass out food, chat through the whole game, and spend a lot of time setting up and packing up. And then there is always a scattering of people who have just got off work in time to see a son or daughter play; they rush to the field, coffee in hand, baseball cap firmly on their heads, nodding and saying "hi" to people here and there. It's generally a positive place, and friendly too. Everyone is enjoying themselves, even when their team is losing. I suppose it is a shared experience: the sport, the parenting; we are all in the same boat. How could I possibly think that a laptop would fit in here? I've had some good conversations with people at the ball park, and a good laugh too. It's one place in the U.S. where people can leave the rush of work, and sit and enjoy a sense of community.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a cooler, serious business, the dugout, to be capable.
1. A cooler is an insulated container that keeps food cool; you generally half fill it with ice and add the food.
2. Coin collecting is serious business for my nephew.
3. The dugout is the sheltered area where the baseball players rest when they are not playing.
4. My mother is good at fixing things; she is capable of fixing her car or anyone else's.
Helen the hippo is my friend at the moment. My little girl is learning how to read, and Helen is the type of character that is helping her to do so. It has been wonderful and fascinating to see the transition from knowing the alphabet to putting words together. Today, in the car, while we were waiting outside of the music school for my oldest son, Domini picked up some books that we keep in the back. To my amazement she slowly started to spell out the words, reading slowly. Every now and then, she would get a word wrong or guess it, but I noticed that she would recognize the first two letters in each word, and often the last one or two. In English, you have to use tricks like that because we have so many odd spellings: the silent e's, the silent gh's, the ph's, and the wh's that can be anything from 'what' to 'who'. Believe me, native English speakers have a hard enough time learning how to read English, not just the non-natives. My daughter squealed with delight when I would say,"Yep, you got that right." Her sense of satisfaction is tremendous; at last she can tell her brothers, who are all readers, that she too can do what they do. Good for her! Now I can get out the series of beginners books that I have used with the boys, and they can be kept in her room. Helen the hippo comes from this series, along with Olive the octopus, and Suzy the snake. The books work their way through the alphabet, introducing what we call 'sight words', those common English words that have to be memorized because they are essential, and a lot of them are irregular. Some of these words that you will be familiar with are: there, their, who, what, one, two, eight, night, and the list goes on. I've noticed, when I volunteer in Robert's class, that children's books use a lot of patterns, rhyme, and humor or surprize to keep the children's attention, and to make the words memorable. You'll find sentences like:
Zoe the zebra likes to cook,
she gets her instructions from the book.
This is a good technique for those of you who are learning English. If you make up some sentences that rhyme and have a pattern or are funny or bizarre, the chances are that you will easily remember all of the vocabulary and how to use it. So:
If you follow these podcasts it will not hurt,
the world will say you're an English expert!
Grammar notes.
Common expressions: at the moment, every now and then, good for (person), the chances are.
1. Professor Penguin is busy at the moment; he will be available shortly.
2. Every now and then, Lucy the lion will visit her neighbor Betty the bear for a cup of tea.
3. David, the doggy detective, cracked the case. He solved the crime, good for him!
4. If you play roughly with the kitten, the chances are you will get bitten.
Begeebees. Similar in meaning to completely, utterly, the tar, or heck.
Examples:
1. I rubbed the begeebees (heck) out of the stain on the carpet, but it still wouldn't come out.
I rubbed the stain on the carpet completely, but it still wouldn't come out.
2. The boxers beat the begeebees (tar) out of eachother, and had to be taken to hospital.
3. What the begeebees (heck) do you think you are doing?
"Mummy, can I pet the horses?" said my daughter as we crossed the road to the center of the town of Leavenworth. We had decided to spend a few hours in a nearby town, for a change of scenery. The horses in the road were attached to carts that were well decorated, intended for tourists. There were leather straps on the cart with bells and flowers, and the drivers were dressed in traditional German costume. "One day, darling, we'll go on one of those rides," I told my daughter as I took her by the hand and we all crossed the road. There is a restaurant on the main strip of Leavenworth called Pav's, a creperie, where I planned on taking everyone. I wasn't sure if it was open or not, with it being Sunday. Mind you, Leavenworth is a tourist town, so I had a feeling that it would be open. The children and I walked along the main road, past many shops of all kinds, and tourists who had obviously come from all over the world. I could hear people chatting to eachother in many different languages. What a refreshing change! We found Pav's, and yes, it was open. When we were seated, I told the kids that they could only have a dessert, because the dishes are huge, and there was no way that they could eat a main dish and a dessert. As the kids looked at the menu, I looked around at the decor: thick, heavy curtains in each room, dark, earthy colors on the walls, a massive mirror that takes up a whole wall, and lots of French pictures. The kitchen is in the entryway, and completely open. It is a restaurant that has a lot of atmosphere and character, which is important to me; I like to enjoy my surroundings when I eat. My husband joined us after a while; he had cycled up to Leavenworth. The food came and, oh my, what a feast! Two of my sons had ordered fresh pear crepes with vanilla icecream and whipped cream. The other two had chocolate gelato and lemon cheese cake. Hey, you have to make memories while you can. I actually only ordered a coffee, because I knew that my children would never finish their food, so, like a vulture, I would finish it off. After Pav's, we walked through the town and down to the park which has two bridges and lots of trails. We saw several deer and geese with their goslings. It was a magical day, a full Spring day with a feast for the stomach and the eyes as well.
Grammar notes
.Practice of the preterite with related vocabulary: the strip, to finish off, to take up (space), surroundings.
1. The main strip of Las Vegas was a sea of flashing lights and giant hotels.
2. The caterers finished off the wedding cake while everyone was still dancing.
3. The sofa took up too much room, so we got a smaller one instead.
4. All of a sudden, he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings.
I did a really unpleasant thing the day before yesterday. It was totally necessary; in fact, it was a service to my family. There is the most delicious yet simple meal that is very traditional around this area, but to make it requires getting your hands dirty. That special meal is barbecue chicken. Now, that doesn't mean that we actually put chicken on a barbecue outside. This type of barbecue chicken is cooked in the oven, the longer the better. For this dish, I use the drumsticks ( or legs). I have to, very meticulously, peel off the skin from the raw chicken legs, one at a time, before putting them into a deep oven-proof dish. I do about twenty to thirty at a time. This is the unpleasant part, partly because it isn't easy, but mainly because the skin feels slimey, and gets under your nails. But that's the sacrifice you have to make. You put the lid on the dish and into the oven it goes at about 400 degrees for at least an hour. No water, oil, or condiments are needed. You just bake the begeebees out of the drumsticks. The next step is to take the dish out of the oven, and to discard at least three quarters of the juice that has come out of the meat. Just throw it away. Then cover the legs with barbecue sauce, either one large bottle or two small ones. Honey barbecue sauce is a favorite around here, as well as smokey flavored sauce. Well, you cover the dish again and put it back in the oven, this time at 300 degrees for an hour, or even better, two hours. The meat wil be more tender the more you cook it. And that, my friends, is it. Simple, simple, simple. It goes really well with mashed potatoes, baked beans, and a crispy salad or coleslaw. The meat literally falls off the bone, and there is no fat or skin to deal with, so even children can tuck in without complaining. It is great if left overnight in the fridge, or even frozen for a while and then reheated. You can't really go wrong with it, as far as using it for left-overs. In fact, I had some for breakfast just yesterday!
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: meticulous, raw, the 'begeebees', to discard.
1. That cake decorator is meticulous. You should see the details she puts on wedding cakes.
2. We cannot eat the turkey; it is still raw on the inside.
3. The boxers beat the begeebees out of eachother and had to go to hospital.
4. Open the package and discard the little packet of silica inside; it must be thrown away and not eaten.
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Just opposite where we live is a cherry orchard. It must be about four or five acres. In the late winter or early spring, the trees get pruned. Excess branches are cut off in order to make the trees more productive. That system works, and is understood by everyone around here. It is part of being effective when growing fruit. The trouble is, that habit of seriously pruning fruit trees has crept into the rest of Wenatchee. Although Wenatchee is a dry valley, people over the years have made the effort to plant quite a number of trees. We also, thankfully, have quite a few very large trees that were planted by the first settlers. In a hot climate you need your shade. Most of the oldest trees have been left alone. They are splendidly huge, and spread out nicely. Of course, every now and then a limb must be cut off if it is diseased, or weak enough to blow off in a wind storm. However, if you look at the photo in the blogpage, you will get an idea of the crazy pruning that I have seen in quite a few places here in town. It alll started when I saw, in the main outside mall area, a shocking sight of big trees that have been cut in half; their top halves have been chopped off. It looks like a war zone! What were these pruners thinking? Who gave the instructions? Were these people actually licensed? Ever since then, as I drive around town, with my camera at the ready, I have noticed more and more butchered trees. Then, about two weeks ago, a tree expert wrote in to the daily newspaper to comment on how unnecessary the pruning is, how it weakens the roots of a tree, and makes it more of a hazard. Being a tree lover myself, I am very alarmed, and I will certainly send in my thoughts to the towns newspaper, along with a number of photos of the disfigured trees of Wenatchee.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: productive, to creep, a settler, a limb.
1. There are many methods of making an orchard productive; pruning is one of them.
2. The cat crept into the pantry and started sniffing around for food.
3. The first settlers who came here planted fruit orchards, and also many shade trees.
4. That limb needs to be cut off of the tree. It looks weak, and could be dangerous in a storm.
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A strange type of creature has been appearing in Wenatchee recently. Apparently, it comes out when the weather gets nice. It is very tall, furry, and generally has a smile on its face. Unlike most other animals, it likes to be close to people and traffic, rather than near trees and bushes. It is also very friendly to humans, just like dogs, but instead of wagging its tail, it waves its hand. Have you guessed what these creatures are? They are the happy mascots of different businesses around town. They stand on the street corners, or just outside where they work, and they wave at the passing cars. I drove past a drive-through coffee business, and found a panda dancing around on the corner. His black and white costume caught my eye, and I suddenly heard, "Mum, please, please, can we go and hug him?" coming from the back seat. So, I pulled the car around and parked in the parking lot. We got out and hugged the silent panda, who is best at hugging, so there is no need for him to talk. My daughter was thrilled. I haven't quite figured out if she knows there is a person inside, or if she chooses to believe that this really is a special kind of creature. Then today, as I was waiting at a traffic light, I spotted another furry salesman, dancing around outside a fast food hamburger business. I don't know how much business he had encouraged, but he certainly looked happy. Cars were zooming past him, but he just kept on waving. It actually got quite hot today, and I wondered if these furry salesmen were doing okay in their very warm coats. Perhaps they had been able to have a cold diet coke or an iced latte to cool them down. I have seen mascots at ball games, and in High Schools, but it seems that more and more are getting employment in Wenatchee these days. They are obviously willing to do the work that the natives do not want to do.....
Grammar notes
.Practice of the past with related verbs: to catch someone's eye, to figure out, to spot, to zoom.
1. The colorful clown caught my eye as he walked down the street, holding a large handful of
balloons.
2. My son hasn't figured out the math solution yet; it might take him some time.
3. I spotted my mother's car outside her favorite antique shop; I know what she was doing......
4. The airplanes zoomed past our house. They seemed to be very close to our rooves!
The financial crisis has hit Wenatchee quite hard in the past year or so. Businesses have closed, some people have lost their homes or jobs, or both. Everyone seems to be more careful about spending, and it has become normal to be frugal, or very careful or thoughtful about money. My husband and I have been trying to find ways to cut costs. One expense that was easy to lower was our television bill. The cable and satelite companies here in the U.S sell packages to their customers: a certain amount of channels for a certain amount of money. The more you pay, the larger the choice of channels. Well, I realized a while ago, that we only watch a few channels, but we pay for a lot that we don't even like. After calling the company we use and lowering our package, I was happy to find that we saved about forty dollars a month. Good savings! But, I knew that we could do even better. I signed up for an on-line, instant television and film viewing network called Netflix. It's monthly cost is less than ten dollars, you can instantly view on your computer from a list of thousands of items, or you can have them send you, at no extra cost, DVDs in the mail, one after another. Brilliant! It works, and we love it. The next step was trying to hook my PC up to the tv. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem," I said to everyone confidently. Oh my goodness. I had to make four trips to Radio Shack, where they sell all kinds of cables, plugs, and computers. Each time I went I experienced great service, but I came away with something that didn't quite work. I was so frustrated. By the forth time, I was absolutely determined to get the right stuff, even if it meant buying a thousand cables. Okay, I'm exaggerating. I bought a package of cables that is used specifically to hook up a PC to a tv. I was almost scared to open it. When I did, I was horrified to see what looked like an ocean of cables. There were so many of them! The instruction booklet was so difficult to understand that I looked everything up on Google to get my step by step instructions. Thankyou Google! After plugging everything in, putting the tv on the correct setting, and changing the display setting of my PC, suddenly what was on my PC screen, appeared on the tv. Hurray! I did it! Now, we can instantly view programs and films that we like on our big tv.
Grammar notes.
Practice of 'should' and 'could' with related vocabulary: frugal, package, to hook up, booklet.
1. We should be more frugal these days and think carefully before we make a big purchase.
2. We could save money by getting the phone, the internet, and the television all in one package.
3. If he wants to make a speech to the crowd, he should hook up the microphone to the speakers.
4. The instruction booklet is hopeless, but you could google the instructions.
Ah, Spring is here, and we are back to the normal good weather activities. This weekend, we had a couple of the kids' friends over for a 'sleep-over'. You can probably tell by the name what a sleep-over is: the kids come and play in the evening and end up spending the night. It is the latest thing that seems to be extremely important to my children. If only one of them can have a friend over, then it's just not fair, so we have to have at least two to keep everyone happy. The next morning, all the kids were running around outside, playing 'army' and climbing trees. My husband busied himself by mowing the lawn and fixing an irrigation pipe that was broken. I noticed that he was gathering wood and dry brush from the garden, going back and forth, back and forth. What was he up to? It got to late afternoon and he was still out in the back garden. I went to check on the children who were now playing in the front garden, when Hudson suddenly yelled, "Hey look everyone, a fire!" We ran over to the fence that separates the front yard from the back yard, and, sure enough, there was a big fire in the firepit. The plan was to burn a few things in the firepit, and then, as the fire died down, we would sit around it and roast hot dogs and marshmallows. This was cause for a lot of excitement! The idea of fire and sugar always excites the kids. Okay, so,let's get organized. Get the chairs, get the food, and get the long sticks to put the hot dogs and marshmallows on. When we had everything together, we sat around and gazed at the fire, while the kids held their special treats over the flames. The trick with marshmallows is to get them nicely browned, but not burned. If one catches fire, it is done for. So, you hold the stick over the fire, and slowly turn it, to cook the food just right, keeping an eye on it, so it doesn't get overdone. The packet of marshmallows soon ran out, the fire died down, and I could hear people starting to yawn. What a perfect way to spend a Spring evening. Fire and sugar, what a combination!
Grammar notes
Common phrases: to busy oneself, it's not fair, sure enough, to be up to...
1. They busied themselves by setting up camp and preparing the dinner.
2. He has a bigger slice of cake than I do; that's just not fair!
3. The lady wasn't looking where she was going, so, sure enough, she tripped and fell.
4. What are you up to kids? How come the cookie jar is empty? Have you been up to no good?
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I got a phone call from my husband the other day, " Hey babe, can you take the car to get the oil changed please? It's overdue." As he works forty-five minutes from town, he rarely has time to run those errands back in Wenatchee, so he gets his secretary, me, to do them. No problem. As you probably know, a car's oil has to be changed regularly. How often depends on your car and your driving habits. If you drive a lot, you might have to change the oil every three months or three thousand miles. If you drive very little, it might be a couple of years before you need to have the oil changed. Why does it need to be changed anyway? Apparently, it breaks down over time and stops performing as well. It no longer works well enough at cooling the engine. So, out goes the old, and in goes the new. Oil Can Henry's is a new chain of oil changing stations in town that is making a name for itself. What you notice first of all is its appearance. The building is brightly painted in red and tan, and everything is spotless. The workers are dressed in a smart uniform which matches the building; their shirts are stripey and their hats are paperboy hats. So all together, it looks like a very clean, professional place of business. As soon as I got out of the car, one of the employees handed me a complimentary newspaper, and I headed off to the waiting room . I had only been there a few minutes, when one of the gentlemen came in and politely offered me extra service of my car for a very special deal. I actually didn't understand what he was talking about; he used details about engine oil, the air filter, number of miles, and the color of the lubricants, which all sounded like a very foreign language to me. "Shame on you Anna," I thought to myself, " you need to read up on cars and how they work. Females should be just as savvy about cars as males....." I politely told the man that I would just have a regular oil change, nothing fancy or expensive. Before they finished the service, I walked out to where they were working on my car to take some photos for the podcast. There was a large room right underneath the car where the man was changing the oil. He was talking back and forth to another man who was looking at the engine from the top, under the hood. They were exchanging details in a way that reminded me of surgeons talking to eachother during an operation. Car maintenance certainly is a science, and one that I should get to know.
Grammar notes.
Practice of 'might' with related vocabulary: it depends, spotless, to match, lubricant.
1. We might be able to go to the beach tomorrow; it depends on the weather.
2. If you clean your room and make it spotless, I might let you go to the cinema.
3. He might be famous but his inteligences does not match his fame.
4. You should put a quality lubricant in your car to keep it running properly; it might not work with with that brand of lubricant.
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