Beginners.

Black Friday is the name of the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of the month of November, and Black Friday is the following day. It is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Stores open at 5am, and some even open at midnight. Typically, the shops are packed with people. It is a stressful event, and often, in the newspaper the next day there are stories of conflicts and fights. Too many people in a limited space, all trying to get the same cheap products, is a recipe for disaster. But, for a lot of people, it is worth it. They get all of their Christmas shopping done in one day, and, they believe, they save a lot of money. What a good deal! Presents, Christmas cards, wrapping paper, stocking stuffers, and decorations, can all be found and purchased. You have to be a committed shopper to get up early and squeeze through all of the crowded shops, especially after Thanksgiving. After celebrating the night before with friends and family, all the food, and all the clean-up, it is quite exhausting to get up at four thirty in the morning, throw on some jeans, and head out into the frosty darkness. But, every year more and more people do it. You suffer for a day, and then it is over, mission accomplished.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: stocking stuffers, a good deal, crowded, conflict.

Exs:

Stocking stuffers are the little presents that go in the Christmas stockings.

I bought those jeans at half price. What a good deal!

The shop was so crowded that I could hardly breathe.

I don't like conflict. I avoid it at all costs.

Advanced.

The first time I heard the name 'Black Friday' was a few days ago. I had never heard it before. A friend of mine explained to me that it is the official name for the shopping day after Thanksgiving. When I heard it, I was immediately reminded of 'The Black Death', when Europe suffered the effects of the Black Plague. Well, this is slightly different; okay, it's very different. It is a huge shopping day that designed to move shops financially from being in the red, to being in the black. That means that they will finish the year with a profit, and not a loss. Hence the word 'black'. The name started on the East Coast back in the 1960's in Philadelphia. There would be so much traffic on the streets that the name developed. There are well advertised incentives to bring shoppers in. Two of these are 'doorbuster' deals and 'loss leaders'. A doorbuster deal is a limited amount of very discounted items. After a certain time, the items will return to a regular price. Also a loss leader is a product that the shop sells at a loss in order to encourage shoppers. It could be something like ketchup, mayonnaise, light bulbs, or actually anything. Once the people are inside, they end up buying something else, and that way, the shop makes a profit. These good deals have a negative side to them aswell, though. People can go a bit crazy and get aggressive, even violent. There are cases of fights and even shootings on Black Friday. It's amazing what shopping will do to some people.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: official, to remind, to suffer the effects, to be in the red/ black.

Exs:

It's official. The divorce papers were signed yesterday.

That young man reminds me of his grandfather in his looks and actions.

The workers suffered the effects of the polluted air in the factory.

Previously the store was in the black, but this year it is in the red. 

Practice of the ordinal adjectives:

First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, nineth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth.

 

Beginners.

Cold fingers, cold toes, chilly shoulders, and a cold nose. When the weather gets chilly, sometimes you feel as if the inside of your body is as cold as your extremities. Some how, putting on lots of clothes isn't enough. You long to get into a deep, hot bath. That is our plan this Winter. We bought ourselves a very early Christmas present that, I'm sure, we will enjoy for years and years. It's a hot tub. I wasn't familiar with hot tubs until I came to Wenatchee, and got in a few during the first two Winters. That was a long time ago. My first experience was that they were too hot; I couldn't stay in them for very long. However, you can personalize your experience by adjusting the temperature so it is exactly what you want. There is a huge variety of tubs on the market. Some are just like big, hot baths. Others are the Jacuzzi variety that have jets of water for massaging. That is the kind that we bought. My husband tends to get tension in his neck and upper back, so this is the perfect solution. There are other benefits aswell. Our hot tub focuses time on family. The whole family can get in and spend some relaxing time together with no distractions, - no tv, no computers, no video games. You can float around, relax, and chat. Another benefit is being outside and enjoying nature. The first time I got in the tub was at 7am on Saturday. The kids were still asleep, so my husband and I quietly sneaked outside and got in. It was raining softly, there was a little mist over the lawn, and it was perfectly fresh and quiet. Wow. We giggled like children as we sat back and relaxed. This could become a daily habit.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: to personalize, to adjust, to tend to, a benefit.

Exs:

He personalized his hat by having his name sewn on it.

I adjusted the oven temperature so the turkey wouldn't burn.

He tends to shout when he speaks, but his wife tends to whisper.

One of the benefits of exercise is improved circulation.

Advanced.

 The hot tub that we know today was invented by an Italian family, the Jacuzzis, back in the sixties. They had immigrated to California and were responsible for inventing the first enclosed cabin monoplane. In the fifties, they invented the first hydrotherapy pump which sold to hospitals and schools. As engineering ran in their family, Roy, a third generation family member, invented the whirlpool in 1968. Those clever Italians. But we know that man's knowledge of the healing properties of water dates from pre-history. Early man utilized hot springs and pools. The ancient Egyptians used hot baths for therapy around 2000 BC, and about 600 B.C King Phraortes of ancient Persia built one of the first known hot tubs. Asian cultures from Japan to China celebrate water; the Japanese even have a saying that a person with a mind like water lives in harmony with the universe. The Greeks and Romans were known to place buildings around natural hot springs. In England, in the city of Bath, there are fully functioning Roman baths with multiple hot tubs and bathing areas. Infact, the first whirlpool was named 'Roman'. So, there you have it, lots of facts about the global appreciation of water. So, whether it's for an apres-ski warm-up, or just for relaxation, you can be sure that the hot tub is where you will find me.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary and expressions: to be responsible for, enclosed, properties, to utilize.

Exs:

On this tour, you are responsible for your own safety.

Her rose garden is a beautiful, enclosed, secret place.

One of the properties of milk is calcium.

The solar panels can be utilized every day.

Practice of the preterite:

To build: The Romans built cities all over their empire.

To sell: He sold newspapers on the street for forty(fourty) years.

To say: They said they would meet us at 3pm.

To date: They dated eachother for six months.

To get: It got cold very suddenly last night.

To hold: We held on to the rope for our lives.

 

 

 

Beginners.

We have a mouse in our garage. There might be more than one. The one I have seen is small, grey, and causes a lot of mess. As much as I love animals, I'm afraid we have to put down a mousetrap. My husband bought a box of traps a long time ago, some of which we have used. So, he prepared the trap, put some cheese in it, and put it on the floor of the garage. My youngest son, Robert, wanted to make his own trap. He went into the garage and bashed about for a while, moving things, and arranging his special trap. "Mum, come and see," he said after a few minutes. He had the lid of a metal cage propped up with a stick which was attached to a string. Under the lid was enough bird seed to feed a hundred mice. Ingenious! "I'm just going to wait here until the mouse comes, then I'll pull the string and trap it!" "Okay," I said, and walked back to the kitchen. About ten minutes later he came back into the house to watch cartoons. Waiting for a mouse is not that entertaining.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary and expressions: to prop up, some of which, I'm afraid.

Exs:

The workmen propped up the fence posts before they secured them.

I bought five pounds of bananas, some of which are ripe and ready to eat.

I'm afraid we will have to cancel the barbecue; there is a storm coming.

 

Advanced.

The other day, I walked into our garage to put some cardboard boxes in the recycling bins, when I noticed a lot of bird seed on the floor. I looked up on the shelf above, and saw that a big bag of seed that we keep for the birds in the Winter, had a hole in it. As I looked around, I realized that the seed had been spread all over the shelf. This was not a case of an accidental tear in the bag; the hole had been made by an animal, a small one. My husband had warned me that as Autumn turns to Winter, small animals will try and get into the house, and will do so if we leave doors open for too long. This creature must be a mouse, and usually where there is a mouse, there are mice. The little thing must think that he is in heaven. He is in a nice, warm garage, and has a huge bag of bird seed all for himself and his family. My son, Robert, was very excited about seeing the mouse, so I picked him up, and very quietly and slowly walked into the garage, staring at the shelf. And would you know, we saw the little grey mouse running back and forth between the seed bag and a little hole in the wall. Robert and I looked at eachother and grinned with excitement. The mouse actually stood up on its hind legs and looked at us for a few seconds. It looked so tiny and cute. I actually wanted to let it live in the garage for the Winter, but I realize how unsanitary it is. I certainly didn't want to encourage mice to live in our house. That could end up being a real problem.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: a bin, to spread, to tear, unsanitary, hind leg.

Exs:

A bin is a kind of container for different storage needs.

Don't spread too much jam on your toast.

Be careful that you don't tear your new poster.

This bathroom is really unsanitary. It needs to be thoroughly cleaned.

One of the dog's hind legs is broken. It will have to wear a cast for a while.

Beginners.

I drove around town today, looking for 'Hello Kitty' posters. I couldn't find any. I was so frustrated. I have a project going on at home that I really want to finish. Last week I painted my children's rooms, and now I am looking for accessories like pictures, lamps, and rugs to make the bedrooms comfortable. I don't actually like shopping because most of the time I'm in a hurry. But, I'm making a special effort to get things just right. Robert is into fishing, so I would like to get a poster of someone fly fishing in a mountain stream. My oldest two are into music, architecture, and mythology, so I'm sure there are some interesting elements that I could add to their rooms. Domini's room is actually in need of posters to break up all of the pink of the room. The color I chose is exceptionally pink; a little overpowering. She thinks it's great. It's her 'girly' get-a-way from the boys and their stuff. "No boys allowed," is her rule for her bedroom, and of course the "no girls allowed" rule applies to the other bedrooms. At night, though, when it gets dark, and they know that it's bedtime, you can guarantee that two or three of them will be sleeping in the same bedroom.

Grammar notes.

 Vocabulary: accessories, to be in a hurry, element, a get-a-way.

Exs:

Those pillows and pictures are perfect accessories for this room.

Gosh, I'm always in a hurry. I feel like a busy mouse!

The marriage scene was a necessary element in the film.

The spa was a perfect weekend get-a-way for both of us.

Advanced.

Don't ask me why I decided to spend a week painting the kids' bedrooms. The project doesn't sound too intimidating does it? Projects never do, though, do they? They just get more involved and trickier as time goes on. In retrospect, I can say that the rooms definitely look better; it was time that they had a fresh coat of paint. However, my back, my hands, and my patience are all the worse for wear. I had originally wanted to present new and improved bedrooms to my kids all at once, which would have meant getting all of the painting and decorating done in one day, - impossible. The 'extreme make-over' programs that we have on television inspired me too much. If I had made over four bedrooms in one day, I would have ended up in hospital! But, my kids know me. They know that I try my best, and they also know to not say anything if I give them 'the look'. You know, the look that means, "I'm exhausted, back off, you don't know what my day has been like, don't even think about moaning or asking me for anything ...etc...etc." Anyone who has had a mother will understand what 'the look' is. But, the worst is over; the work has been done, and is just about finished. I did some touch-ups today, and will probably do more tomorrow to make my little puppies proud.

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: in retrospect, to be the worse for wear, a fresh coat of paint, new and improved, back off, a touch-up.

Exs:

In retrospect, we should never have bought that car!

After fixing the appliances in the kitchen, all of my tools were the worse for wear; they were worn out and bent.

You don't need to do much to your new house. A fresh coat of paint is really all it needs.

Behold my new and improved grandma. She's lost thirty pounds, had a facelift, dyed her hair red, and bleached her teeth.

Back off mister! Take one step closer, and I'll call the police!

I touched up the paint in the hall, then I touched up my makeup because I was going on a date.

Beginners.

It's my favorite time of year, Autumn. I love this season so much that I could burst into song about all the colors, the smells, the angle of the sun, the pumpkins etc etc, but I don't want to bore you, plus, I don't sing very well. I will tell you about two great things that you can do with leaves. You can rake together a big pile of leaves and jump into them, with or without friends. Or you can do something a bit more artistic. I did this a few years ago with my kids, and it turned out very well. You find some freshly fallen leaves, some that are quite wide, not skinny. You take them home and lightly wash them. Dry them carefully with a paper towel and leave them on the countertop in the kitchen. In a saucepan, on a very low heat, grate your favorite chocolate. Let it melt a little, then take it off the heat and stir until it is all soft. With your finger, rub a tiny amount of oil on the underside of the leaf, then spread the chocolate. Put the leaves on a plate and pop them into the fridge. After about 20 minutes or half an hour they will be ready. Simply peel off the leaves, and you have a perfect chocolatey replica, great for decorating a cake.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: a pile, to grate, a replica, to rub, to peel.

Exs:

At work today, I had a huge pile of papers to read. It was so depressing!

Just before you serve the spaghetti, grate the parmesan cheese on top.

My grandma has a replica of the Sphinx in her lounge.

The boy fell out of the tree, and ran home crying and rubbing his elbow.

The mandarin oranges you can buy now are so easy to peel.

Advanced.

The other day I was pulling into the parking lot outside of the local library, when I looked over to the nearby park and saw a lot of activity. There were all sorts of people there, some of them working. It is the middle of Autumn, and you can be sure that anywhere that there are trees, there will be lots of leaves to clean up. The park is one of the oldest in Wenatchee, so the trees are some of the biggest. I got out of the car and walked past a huge pile of leaves.Ooo, it was so tempting to jump in them, but I didn't. There was a loud, whooshing noise in the air; it was the sound of the leaf-blowers. Three men, dressed in brown, were moving slowly through the park, blowing the leaves into piles which were then going to be bagged up and taken away. What would happen if the leaves weren't removed? They would eventually rot, forming a slimey layer on top of the grass. This wouldn't be a problem if they could dry out, crumble, and feed the ground. Soon, you see, we will get snow, and if a thick layer of snow sits on a layer of slimey leaves, the grass underneath will die. So, as part of the local council's cleaning machine, paid for by wonderful tax dollars, the group of happy men, spent the day blowing leaves all over the place.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: tax, council, layer, whoosh, to crumble.

Exs:

Income tax is going up again. It is getting harder every year for the middle class.

The council has decided to spend more money on local parks.

She made a ten layer chocolate cake. There was cream in between each layer. It was magnificent.

Whoosh! went the rain and wind against the window. It was quite a storm.

Add some blue cheese to the salad. It crumbles easily and so is evenly distributed.

More verbs as adjectives:

The criminal was thrown into the van and taken away.

All the food is ready to be cooked: the potatoes and carrots have been peeled, the turkey has been stuffed, and the gravy has been seasoned.

The lamp post was smashed by the hooligans.

I was blown away by his comments!

The baby was fed, bathed, and dressed by her new nanny.

My neighbor was operated on yesterday.

Beginners.

There are signs of the financial crisis in different parts of the town where I live. We hear on the news about people losing their jobs and their houses. Certain shops have closed, and so the buidings are empty. But, in another way, there is growth in the town. There is a lot of new buildings that are almost finished. Just down the road from my house, a new hotel is almost ready. I drive past it most days when I bring my children home from school, and we comment on the progress. "Hey, mum, they've put in the windows! Cool." They have asked me if we can stay in the hotel one night when it is finished. "But darlings, I don't want to spend two hundred dollars to sleep in a hotel, if our house is just around the corner." I don't think they understand my reasoning. So, in some ways we see the effects of the credit crisis, and in other ways we don't. Other, more industrial parts of the country, have clearer signs of financial problems. Here, we live in a rural community that is actually growing, as more and more people are moving away from Los Angeles and other big cities. When businesses close, it is usually a quiet thing. The people lose their jobs, and the building is emptied. However, there is one business here that is advertising its closing. It is making money out of 'going out of business'.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: financial, rural, growth, reasoning, progress.

Exs:

I think he has financial difficulties; he has recently sold his business and his house.

This rural community was established by farmers.

That species of tree has rapid growth. In one year it will grow six feet!

We should finish painting the house, then go on holiday. My reasoning is that we will be able to totally relax after finishing the project.   OR

There is no reasoning with him. He won't listen to anyone's opinion!

That little girl has made great progress in mathematics.

Advanced.

A few months ago, while I was driving around, I saw a person next to the main road, holding up a sign that read, "Going out of business. Everything must go!" followed by an address. I wondered if it was a business that I had gone to see a couple of years ago that was supposed to be going out of business. When I had gone in the buiding, which was poorly lit, like an old garage, I was immediately annoyed that I had taken the trip. Why had I bothered? It looked just like a yard sale, with cheap items badly arranged on shelves and on the floor. The advertising had caught my attention and made me curious, so I had taken the time to drive there. But this new 'going out of business' sign must be for a different business. I didn't think anything else about it, until, a couple of months ago, I saw the same sign, held up by a pretty young woman in the center of town. "Well, they haven't gone out of business yet!" I said to myself. Then, just a couple of days ago, another man, quite close to our street, was waving a sign that said the same thing. I wondered what the other passersby thought. Are they curious about the business? Will they be encouraged to go and find a bargain? And, more importantly, is the business going to close or not? I have a feeling that someone is making good money by pretending to be broke.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: to arrange, shelves, a couple of, a passerby.

Use of the past participle as an adjective.

Exs:

The lady took a long time to arrange the flowers in the vase.

The shelves in the supermarket were nearly bare.

A couple of months ago we bought a sofa. It wasn't delivered until a couple of days ago.

As I drank my coffee in the cafe, I watched the passersby outside.

The medal was presented to the first place athlete.

The swimming pool wasn't finished in time for the summer.

The egyptian tomb was emptied of its treasures.

The building is being meticulously planned.

The statue will be designed with national hero in mind.

Beginners.

There is an invasion going on in our house. It started out as an unnoticed thing, but it has grown to huge proportions. Every room of my house is affected. Every corner shows a sign of this invasion. Even my friends and neighbors have mentioned it. And the scary thing is, is that it is unstoppable. It is Hello Kitty. Every time I open a cupboard, some Hello Kitty thing falls out. When I go to the shoe closet to get my sneakers, I have to shake them upside down, not because there might be a spider inside one of the shoes. Oh, no. But, because there might be a small, hard, Hello Kitty figure hiding inside. Even when I eat, I have no rest. The Hello Kitty cups, plates, and cutlery stare at me while my little girl eats away happily. The other day, when I was in the supermarket, I found myself humming a familiar tune. Can you guess what it is? It goes something like, "Hello Kitty, it's a lovely day. We'll laugh and sing in a very happy way...." and it never ends! Sometimes, when I'm in bed, trying to go to sleep, I see faces, of big, white, cute cats dancing about the room; it's terrifying! Will it ever stop? I don't think so. My daughter has a birthday coming up, and all of her friends have the same obsession. The day will be filled with Kitty!

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: obsession, to hum, sneakers, proportion, invasion.

Exs:

Egypt is her obsession. Her whole house is filled with egyptian replicas.

He is such a happy little boy. He hums happy tunes all day long.

I want to go for a run, but I can't find my sneakers.

That home looks out of proportion; the garage is huge, but the house is small.

After the invasion of Spain by the Moors in 711, they stayed for 800 years!

Advanced.

Okay, it's not that scary, I just wanted to get your attention. Hello Kitty is, however, a part of the U.S culture now. Originally created by Ikuko Shimizu, this Japanese character has taken the world by storm, won the hearts of little girls everywhere, and created a profit of one billion dollars a year. Not bad for a little kitty! Her appeal is on many levels. First, she is just absolutely cute. Her pretty face, the bow in her hair, and her girly clothes, all go straight to the heart. Also, the stories of Hello Kitty take place in the context of friends and family, adventures and fun. So children feel happy and comfortable watching the movies or reading the books. She first came to the U.S in the form of a vinyl purse in 1976, two years after her creation in Japan. Now, there seems to be no end to the products that depict her character. Even expensive jewelery and clothes for women are quite common here in the United States. In Tokyo Japan, there is a place called Sanrio Puroland, where you can find Hello Kitty in all her glory. It is like a theme park that includes other japanese anime characters such as Pokemon. It's a big business. There are theme park rides, restaurants, musicals, and big gift shops. It's amazing how a well designed and appealing character can create such a globally successful business.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: character, design, to depict, profit.

Common expressions: to take the world by storm, to win the hearts, to be common, not bad for....

Exs:

Mickey mouse is one of the most famous characters of children's entertainment.

The architect designed the biggest hotel in the world.

That picture depicts the rebuilding of London after the war.

The business will have to close. It doesn't make a profit.

The new french singer has taken the world by storm.

The politician has won the hearts of his people by his well written speeches.

It's very common to see deer walking around the town in Winter.

She won the gold medal. Not bad a disadvantaged girl who never had formal training!

Beginners.

When my computer doesn't work, or when I cannot get a good internet connection, I miss podcasting. I'm sorry that I missed last week, but it was one thing after another with computers. Do you ever have problems with them? They are so useful sometimes, and then, at other times, they can be a real pain. Well, I suppose the reason for me missing a couple of podcasts has given me a story for this podcast. A week ago, I showed A Cup of English to a friend of mine. While we looked at the computer, the battery sign flashed once. I checked that the cable was plugged into the socket properly. But the sign kept on flashing, twice, three times. "Battery failure, two minutes of power," it said. Then, "Battery failure, thirty seconds of power." Then suddenly the screen went black. "Oh, shoot!" as they say around here in cowboy country. Well, off to the computer wizard it went the next day. At home, we have another computer, but it is a bit of a dinosaur. It is big, and slow, and seems to eat important information, just like a T-Rex eats meat. But at least I had a chance to do a podcast, so I thought. I happily turned it on, put in my password, selected the big E sign for the internet, but no luck! "No connection available" was the message it gave me. "Sugar!" as we say in England and a few other places. "What on earth is wrong now?"

Grammar notes.

 Vocabulary: battery, to charge, failure, to plug in.

Exs:

We bought a new toy for Tommy, but we forgot to buy batteries.

The car battery needs to be charged; I think someone left a light on all night.

Lack of study will lead to failure on your exam.

Of course the tv is not working. You need to plug it in!

Advanced.

The next day, when I woke up, there was a lot of noise in the neighborhood. I looked out of the window and saw lots of trucks of different kinds, a crew of workmen, a backhoe, and a roller. Hmm, interesting. I wondered what needed to be done. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the road. Then, someone rang the door bell. "Hello. I'm from the local council. We're putting in a drain because of the excess water that gathers on the street." I thanked the man for letting me know. Our cul-de-sac does get huge puddles when it rains, so what they were doing made sense. The trouble was, as they were digging, they cut the internet cable for our area. Oops! They notified us and fixed the problem, but not until a few days had passed. So, what was I going to do? A friend told me that the local library has internet access for one hour for free. Great! The problem was that I didn't have recording access, or my sound editing software. After the workman told me that they had fixed the internet cable, I tried to get on again, but no luck. Nothing! So, I jumped into action, called our internet provider, and a technician came to the house to see what was causing the problem. He looked here and there, pulled out wires and cables, and put them back. "I think I've found the problem," he said. The plastic head of one of the tiny cables that plugs into the router kept on slipping out slightly, totally unnoticed by us. Oh my goodness! All this technology, and we depend on a little piece of plastic.

Grammar notes.

Computer vocabulary: router, screen, software, cable, high speed access.

Exs:

The router is a little box that connects to the computer and supplies the internet.

My baby squirted his milk on the computer screen.

I need a new software for virus protection.

The main power cable has been cut.

I'm tired of this slow computer. I need high speed internet access to do my job properly.

Beginners.

Have you had the flu this year? Do you know anyone who has had it? It can be a nasty illness. Usually you have a temperature, you feel weak, and sometimes you might have a cough also. There is a lot of talk about flus at the moment. You have probably heard about the new H1N1 flu. It seems to be scaring a lot of people. When I say that it is a new flu, what that means is that, though it is from the family of flus, it is slightly different than any that we are used to. It is cold and flu season here at the moment. Lots of children are staying home from school because they have a touch of this, or a touch of that. It's best to stay at home, get lots of rest, preferably stay in bed, and have nutritious drinks and food, if you feel like eating. Your body will fight the virus that you have, and it will eventually win. Thank goodness! Isn't it great that our bodies can do that! Doctors say, that to prevent illness there are some golden rules: wash your hands with soap and water regularly, avoid sick people, sleep well, eat well, and try not to touch door knobs and taps because they usually are covered in germs. Still, even if you do all these things, the viruses that float around in the air are difficult to avoid. Our local community has flu shots, or injections, every year. They say that the most vunerable people, such as the very young, the very old, and those who have weak immune systems, should have the shot. It is not a pleasant thing to have, but you can avoid a bad virus if you get the injection.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: a virus, to float, to avoid, germs, immune system, a touch of (illness).

Exs:

I felt terrible for a week. I had some kind of virus, though I didn't know exactly what it was.

Look how the clouds float in the sky!

We avoid that area of town; it doesn't seem safe.

Wash your hands! They must be covered in germs!

His immune system must be weak because he gets one illness after another.

I have a touch of bronchitis; it's not too bad at the moment, and it's getting better.

Advanced.

The flu really has quite a history. Throughout history, humans have suffered because of various flus. One of the worst was the Spanish flu which caused the deaths of 100 million people around the time of the First World War. It didn't originate in Spain, and is only called the Spanish flu because Spain was the only country during the war that didn't have censorship in its newspapers. It is thought that the majority of those  people who died, did so because of complications and infections after getting the flu. Now a days, we have access to antibiotics and better quality medicines and health treatment, so even if we get the flu, we can quickly intervene if our health gets worse. So, what is the panic about the H1N1? The World Health Organisation has called it a pandemic, which means that it has spread quickly all over the world. And, what does H1N1 mean, anyway? Well, flu viruses come from humans, pigs, and birds. Apparently, they all have two proteins on their surface, but each flu has a slightly different arrangement, and that is because the viruses can change or mutate. The H and the N are the first letters of the names of the proteins. It's fascinating, isn't it? Many people have had the H1N1 flu and not realised it, thinking that it was a virus that they had had before. Well, I suppose we will get used to it, because it is here to stay, unfortunately. We can only do our best to stay healthy and clean, and follow the golden rules to avoid contracting the virus. Let's hope that we all stay healthy this year!

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: censorship, to intervene, antibiotics, protein.   Practice of 'though'.

Exs:

The Mexican press now no longer has censorship.

The Special Forces intervened and trapped the criminals.

The baby has an ear infection, so he needs antibiotics.

The body builder has to eat a lot of protein every day to keep his muscles big.

Practice of 'though'.

(similar to 'but' or 'however') I never got a long with him, though I did like his sister.

(short for 'even though') Though we were tired, we carried on dancing.

 

Beginners.

It's that time of year again. The days are rapidly getting colder. There is frost in the morning on the grass, the sun is mild, and the colors of the trees and plants are quickly changing. Around this time every year, my husband plans a trip up to a nearby mountain, called Sugar Loaf. What a pretty name! He goes there every year to dig up some trees, then he brings them home and plants them in the garden. You need a permit to do that. So he drives to the nearby town of Leavenworth which is close to the place where he gets the trees. There is a ranger station in Leavenworth where you can get all sorts of information about the wilderness area, camping, hiking, fishing, and the available trees. You must pay ten dollars per tree, and follow a map to a specific place where trees are going to be cleared. The mountain mainly has pine trees, Alpine Fir to be specific. Because the area where the trees are is quite high up, there is already snow up there, even though there is no snow in any towns yet. You must get wrapped up well, take good gloves, and maybe some hot chocolate in a thermos. Then, you park the truck, find the trees you want, and start the hard work of digging. I must say that it is always my husband who does the digging. Digging through snow, ice, earth, and roots is too much for me. But I help by wrapping up the root ball of the tree in burlap, a rough, degradable material. And then it is off to plant them at home.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: to wrap, degradable, a thermos (flask).

Exs:

About a week before Christmas, I try to get the presents wrapped.

We put our degradable kitchen waste in a pile in the garden.

We take hot coffee in a thermos flask when we go fishing in the mornings.

Advanced.

 Two years ago, my husband dug up about twenty trees from Sugar Loaf Mountain. It took him the whole day to get there, dig the trees, load them up, and drive home. It really is a tremendous amount of work. He had gone with two friends, a couple who works in his office. It's important to have company when you do something like that, for safety mainly. If your truck were to break down, you would be in trouble. You don't necessarily get any cell phone reception up in that mountain, so you would have to walk a long, cold way back to civilization. It is also a bit of a scary ride up there. The road is narrow and very windy. When it is covered in snow and ice, it becomes dangerous and slippery. So, if you go with someone else, you are definitely safer, and you will have a much more pleasant time. The man who went with my husband is strong and really helped him dig. By the time they came home, they were tired but happy. There was no way that they could plant all of the new trees the same day because it was getting dark and they were exhausted. So, they did that the next day. So far, the trees have survived. Often when you transplant trees, about twenty percent of them die from shock, but we have been lucky and have not lost any of them. Because the growing season is much longer down here than up in the cold mountain, the Alpine Fir get tall quickly. We have put several near our fire pit, and plan on making the rest of our back garden into forest-like retreat.

Grammar notes.

 Practice of the subjunctive with 'if'.

Exs:

If you talked more clearly, the Japanese students would understand you.

If I could just spend more time studying, my French would be so much better.

If they had read the instructions properly, they wouldn't have broken the new carpet shampooer.

Beginners.

A couple of years ago, we bought a Leopard Gecko for our oldest son, Hudson. He didn't want any toys, just an animal. He is fascinated with reptiles and has read many books about them. So, we went to the pet shop and immediately found what we were looking for. A young, spotty, pretty Leopard Gecko, cool and dry to the touch, and easy to look after. It is surprising what you learn through your own children. I researched the Geckos a little, to make sure that his environment was as it should be. They need a ten to twenty gallon glass or plastic cage. They need a place to hide, some kind of paper or rock on the ground, a humid bed, a heat lamp, and several crickets or worms to eat every few days. They are nocturnal, so if you want to see them hunt and eat, it is best to feed them just before you go to bed. They are so interesting to watch when they hunt. They dart about, chasing their prey. They also lick the air to help them find the insects. After they have eaten, they will lick their lips, and their eyeballs! It sounds gross, but they are actually cute. As a pet owner, you can carry them around the house; they like the warmth of our bodies. However, they do move very fast, so it is best to keep them in their cages for safety. Another interesting fact about them is that they shed their skin and eat it! It supplies them with calcium. They are a very popular pet because they are very easy to take care of, they are quiet, and considered exotic because they come from Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Pakistan.

Grammar notes.

Expressions: it is/ was as it should be, to dart (about), prey.

Exs:

The wedding was just as it should be, elegant, happy, and beautiful.

The fish dart about in the water; it is hard to see them when they move so fast.

The lion was looking for prey. It went down to the water hole and spotted a zebra.

Advanced.

Leopard Geckos are certainly fun to watch. It's just not much fun when one of them escapes in your house! Yesterday, I had decided to get some reading done. I have signed up for a college course which requires quite a bit of reading. A little girl friend had come over to play with my daughter, so I thought, while they played, I could read. A few minutes into their play, I got the sneaky feeling that they were up to no good; it was too quiet. Suddenly, breathlessly, Domini comes downstairs and says that Anthony, the Gecko, had got out of his cage. "What?" I exclaimed, "And how on earth did that happen, Domini?"  "I don't know, Mum," she said, shrugging her shoulders and looking guilty. I raced upstairs and to my horror found that the cage was on the floor with the lid off, and that the bedroom door was open. He could be anywhere! Great! He's probably under my bed! I could just imagine hearing scratching in the middle of the night, and seeing him run across the floor, or worse, my bed! Well, I tried to control my imagination, and I got on with the job of looking for him. My son's bedroom was a terrible mess, so I had to pick everything up carefully, and tidy up very gently, keeping my eyes open for a little spotted head or tail. And, by the way, they drop their tails when they are scared. So I shuddered at the thought of finding a Gecko tail in my son's dirty laundry or in his pile of Pokemon cards. After an hour of moving furniture, and tidying up, I found the poor little thing, in a corner, behind some shelves. Because he was away from the heat lamp, he was cold and sleepy, so I could easily catch him. Thank Goodness! I can walk around barefoot in my house again. I'll have to read some other time.

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: to get a sneaky feeling, how/ what on earth?, to shrug one's shoulders.

Exs:

I got a sneaky feeling that the water was left running all night. I checked, and the whole of downstairs had flooded!

How on earth are we going to replace that broken window tonight? It's freezing cold and snowing. What on earth were you thinking about playing golf inside the house?

The children didn't want to answer the question, so they kept shrugging their shoulders, as if they had no clue what was being asked.

Beginners.

I walked into the kitchen this afternoon, and I found my son, Robert, climbing through the kitchen window. "What on earth are you doing?" I asked him. "I wanted to open the window so I can pass you all my pumpkins." "Okay," I replied, still a bit confused about why he needed to climb through the window instead of just opening it. Anyway, he passed me all of his pumpkins, about eleven of them. He put them in the sink, washed them off, and then placed them on the mantlepiece as a decoration. He kept one of them in the kitchen. His plan was to open it, take out the seeds, and bake them. So that is what we did. He did most of the work. We have some little pumpkin knives that are not very sharp, but similar to miniature saws. They are good for cutting through the tough pumpkin skin. Next he took out the seeds and the gooey pulp. He picked out the seeds, put them in a pan of water, and washed them. When the pulp had been washed off, he dried the seeds in a paper towel, and put them on a metal baking tray. A sprinkle of salt, and into the oven they went, at 350 degrees. I actually forgot about them until I smelled something delicious. Luckily, they were not burnt. Yum, baked pumpkin seeds from our own garden! Well done, Robert.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: pulp, paper towel, baking tray.

Exs:

I like to buy orange juice with no pulp.

If you spill that milk, don't use a kitchen towel. Please use a paper towel instead.

We put the cookie dough, spoonful by spoonful, on the baking tray.

Advanced.

My son said to me yesterday that he wanted to pick his pumpkins. He had planted the seeds in early Summer, and much to my surprise, had had success. He had been shopping with me one day in June, and he saw an aisle with seeds of all kinds. The home store was gearing the sales around the garden, and planting vegetables. So he looked up and down the aisle. There were many kinds of seeds to choose from, but he stuck to the miniature and white pumpkins. He knew exactly what he wanted. "Now, we have to follow the instructions properly, or they won't grow, okay Robert?" I had said to him, knowing that he likes to do things his way, and not necessarily always the right way. "Okay, Mum," he replied. When we got home, after unloading the car of all of our shopping, we headed straight out to the garden. He chose to plant the seeds in a circular, built up area of soil where we have lots of trees and bushes. In the middle of this area is a firepit. "When we roast marshmallows over the firepit, we'll be able to look around and see pumpkins everywhere," he said excitedly as we opened the packets. However, he put  both packets of seeds in one little hole. I told him that they probably wouldn't grow well at all and that we should follow the instructions, but he insisted on planting them his way. Well, wouldn't you know that out of the two of us, he is the one with the bumper harvest! So much for instructions!

Grammar notes.

Expressions:  a bumper harvest/ crop, wouldn't you know, to my/his/our surprise.      Practice of pluperfect.

Exs:

This year we had a bumper crop of tomatoes. The plants just kept producing and producing.

She bought a lottery ticket and, wouldn't you know, she won some money!

At first, the man and woman didn't like eachother at all. To our great surprise, they announced their engagement three months later.

Pluperfect.

He had planted many types of seeds, but had hardly harvested any crops.

Had he had enough of fighting, or did he want to box all night?

They had never been to Greece before; they had always stayed in the Americas.

Beginners.

We are continuing with our study of countries of the world with Afghanistan. As you know, it is in the news all the time, and has been for quite a few years. Let's try to understand why, and to learn a little more about the country. Afghanistan is located in the central part of South Asia. To the West is Iran, to the Southeast is Pakistan, and towards the North are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, with China to the East. It is what we call 'landlocked'. That means that it has no access to the sea. Most of its territory is mountainous, called the Hindu Kush area, with the highest peak, called Nowshak, reaching  7,485m. The land quality and shape is also very varied. Some mountains are very steep with narrow gorges and valleys, and others are more like plateaus. A very famous route through the mountains that was used as part of the Spice Route, is the Khyber Pass. The Northern Plains are very fertile and used for agriculture. The South, however, is dry and desert-like. The main rivers are the Amu Darya and the Oxus. There are also hydro-electric dams, but because of political problems, they have not been fully used for a while.

Advanced.

Historically, Afghanistan has had a life of turmoil. It's location has made it susceptible to invasion, and that is exactly what has happened throughout its history. Because it has been used as an important passage between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, it has come under the control of wealthy and aggressive nations. The first settlers were Indo-Europeans, called the Aryans, who settled in the area about 4000 years ago. It became part of the Persian empire in the sixth century. Alexander the Great from Greece conquered Persia, followed by several other peoples. Khorasan, the original name of Afghanistan, was taken by Arabs in 7th century and from then on it adopted Islam as its oficial religion.The Turks invaded in the 10th century, and then the Mongols in the 13th century. Its prosperity was attractive to its aggressors. In the 18th century Khorasan was ruled by both the Moghuls of India and the Safavids of Persia, but in 1747 the Afghans revolted and separated themselves. Finally, it won independence from British involvement in 1919.

Afghanistan is an Islamic State that has a transitional government. In 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. They had planted a Soviet friendly government but met resistance from the population. The occupation continued for 10 years with the toll of 1 million Afghan lives. The opposing militia, the Muhajideen  were supported by the USA and its allies. When the Soviets pulled out, the civil war followed. Then, the Taliban, a group sponsored by Pakistan, became their present occupier and aggressor. After the September 11th attacks, the U.S invaded Afghanistan with the aim of squashing Taliban terrorist activity.

This war ravaged nation is the focus of world attention. With untapped resources of oil and gas, and a strong sense of national identity, there is hope that the people of Afghanistan can regain independence and reach their true potential.

Beginners.

Today, Foxy had an appointment with the vet for vaccinations and a general check-up. She is about eight months old, so she needed her second set of vaccinations. The vet also needed to see if her growth was normal and healthy. I put her in her cage, in the back of the car, and drove about ten minutes to the Animal Hospital of Wenatchee. It is a lovely building, brand new infact, that is right in the center of town. The owner had had a pet shop which sold many different kinds of pets, and their supplies. The owner's husband is a vet. Now, they have changed their business, and they deal with the medical needs of animals. When you walk in the building you see that it is all about animals, and very tastefully arranged. Their is a fish tank, huge books all about animals, a statue of St. Francis of Asisi, and accessories all around that have images of dogs. There is even a special greeter. A little, fluffy dog that belongs to the owners spends its days in the animal hospital. Every time someone new walks in, it comes up to you, has a look and a sniff, checks out your pet, and then goes back behind the secretary's desk. It can't quite say,"Can I take your coat, sir? Please make yourself comfortable. The vet will see you shortly." But, it would be very fitting if it did. Anyway, we arrived on time and waited in the waiting area. Foxy was nervous, I think. She sniffed, and sniffed. And her tail wasn't wagging at all. We comforted her and cuddled her, but still, she was not too happy about being there.

Grammar notes.

The preterite: sniff/ sniffed, to need/ needed, to be/ was/ were.

Exs:

The movie was very sad. The audience sniffed through most of it.

I needed to tell the truth. I also needed to know if it was safe to do so.

I was waiting at the bus stop for half an hour. Where were all the buses? Were they on strike?

Advanced.

 Poor Foxy had an ordeal today. It wasn't anything serious, but she thought it was. Talk about a nervous female! She whined all the way to the veterinary clinic. When she was inside the building, her tail was down and between her legs, a sure sign of being unhappy or scared. I had to keep a tight hold on her leash because she was a little out of control, pulling and wanting to get out. Eventually, the vet was ready to see her. She put her up on a table and examined her bones, and checked her heart, ears, and teeth. She gave Foxy the thumbs up for good health. And then it was time for her injections. I was so surprised that Foxy whined and made a lot of fuss. My other dog barely whined at all when she had her shots. But, Foxy is obviously much more sensitive. " Each dog is different, just like humans," said the vet. She had difficulty examining her paws also. The dog just wouldn't let her. She has been licking her paws for a couple of days, which could be a sign of injury. However, the vet ran her fingers over the surface and in between her toes, and found nothing. Perhaps, as she has been running, she has injured herself a little. But, she is recovering. All these things needed to be checked, and I was so glad that she was given a clean bill of health. It was a relief to get her home. She is not used to being away from our other dog, Rosie. So, she was happy to be reunited. Unfortunately for me, I had to hose out her cage when we got home. Nerves had got the best of her, and I had to wash out the consequences, if you know what I mean.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: an ordeal, a leash, a paw, a clean bill of health, to hose (off).

The strike was quite an ordeal. There was a lot of tension and bad feelings.

When I took the dog for a walk, the leash got tangled around her paws.

My grandmother had been really ill, but the doctor now gives her a clean bill of health.

Roll out the hose and turn the water on please. I have to hose off my children; they are covered in mud.

Beginners.

We are continuing with our series 'The Tour of Homes', highlighting all the everyday details of life at home. You are probably thinking, "When is she going to be finished with the kitchen?" I think this is the last kitchen episode, at least for now. You also are probably thinking, "We have already heard about drawers in the kitchen." Yes, you are right. However, the phrase 'The kitchen drawer', is actually quite famous. It has become an expression in English speaking nations. The reason is this: there is usually a drawer in any kitchen where junk of all sorts is found. The drawer starts out empty, or, at least quite organized, with just a few things in it. But, as time goes on, more and more bits and pieces appear in it. It is almost a mystery how things get there. When I am busy in the kitchen, and I find things that don't belong there, I automatically put them in the kitchen drawer. Small toys that my children leave in the kitchen, receipts from work, coupons, spare keys, all these things can be found in there and more. One of the books that I have that helps people get organized, talks about the kitchen drawer. It says that every now and then, that spot of the kitchen needs to be examined and organized. Most things inside it need to be thrown away, and the things that are left should be put in groups so they are easy to find. In superstores, you can even find 'kitchen drawer organizers'. It's part of the culture now.

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: bits and pieces, all sorts of/ all kinds of, every now and then.

Exs:

My handbag is full of bits and pieces. I don't know if any of these things are worth keeping.

The bakery had all sorts of miniature tarts! OR The bakery had all kinds of miniature tarts!

Every now and then my friend will come and visit, and we will talk about our college days.

Advanced.

Oh my, when I decided to write about the kitchen drawer, I cringed inside. I knew that I had to take a photo of mine, and I had the feeling that it would be bad. It was worse than I expected. The only reason I have opened it recently, is to chuck in a few more unwanted items. It has certainly been neglected. When I walk around Walmart, a large superstore that is very close to my house, I feel a little guilty when I walk past the shelf of drawer organizers. You know what they look like: rectangular wooden or plastic inserts that have different compartments for all the different sized objects. Maybe one day I will buy one. Some of the things we have in the kitchen drawer are important, or at least, useful, so they are worth keeping in there. It's just difficult to throw things away sometimes. Don't you find that when you do, a few days later, you need what you just threw away? Am I making excuses? Perhaps I could have a goal of spending five minutes a week sorting out the drawer. Let me have a quick look and see what has accumulated: pencils, tape measures, hair bands, bits of shells, a plastic Pez candy container, some screws, some keys, and a variety of coupons and books. Hmm, that's not too bad. I suppose I could put the coupons together in a zip-lock bag. I could also have the stationary and pens, pencils, erasers, and pencil sharpeners in one area for easy access. And then the keys; throw away the ones we don't use, and hang up the important ones somewhere safe. There, that looks much better. The process wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. The kitchen drawer looks much better now. Next time I won't leave it as long.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: to cringe, to chuck/ throw, an insert, a zip-lock bag.  And practice of the future tense.

Exs:

I cringe when I think of singing in front of the school.

Chuck all of the garbage away! I'm tired of seeing it.

I need to buy inserts for my shoes to make them more comfortable.

I put the kids' sandwiches in zip-lock bags to keep them fresh.

Future:

Will you be coming to dinner tonight?

He won't enjoy the ballet. It's not the sort of thing he likes.

We will order pizza tonight, but tomorrow I will make roast beef.

The furniture will arrive in three days, so I'm going to get the room ready.

We're going to buy the  house and fix it up. Then we will sell it.

Isn't he going to call you?

Beginners.

Do you like to eat fruit? What are your favorite kinds? I like all kinds of fruit, local and tropical. I am fussy about one thing, though, when it comes to fruit: it has to be fresh. There is nothing worse than biting into an old apple that is soft, or an old orange that is starting to lose its flavor. Because we live close to all kinds of orchards, we have the benefit of shopping at local fruit stands. Every year there seem to be more and more of them. Just around the corner, a block away from where I live, is a fruit stand. It sells most seasonal fruits from this area: apples, cherries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, and pears. The first fruit to be sold are the cherries. They are ready for harvest before the other fruits. Then come the apricots, followed by the peaches, nectarines, pears, and finally the apples. It's all colorful and delicious. The fruit stand, or stall as they say here, is a simple construction made out of wood, a shade, and a table. You can park your car next to it, get out, and choose from a number of different bags of different sizes. The owners also grow tomatoes, so, just like in an open market, you can choose your own. And did you know that there is a drop box for the money that you pay, in case nobody is there to serve you. Yes! The fruit is sometimes left by itself, and if you take a bag, you are expected to put the money in the box. It's a test to see if you are honest! And, you know, most people are!

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: Did you know?, there is nothing worse, a block away.

Exs:

Did you know that chocolate and coffee are actually good for you?

There is nothing worse than a badly made cup of tea.

The park is a block away from my house, and the supermarket is three blocks away.

Advanced.

The fruit stand nearby is almost a permanent mini store. It gets set up in Spring, and doesn't come down until Autumn. It's a good reminder for us locals to think about whether or not we are eating enough fruit. There has been nationwide advertising for several years now, emphasizing the need to eat lots of fruits and vegetables in order to improve health, and to prevent cancer. In the schools, the children even have a health class where they are presented with information about the goodness, or lack of goodness, in all foods. The kids are encouraged to think about their bodies, and what they need on a daily basis, and to come up with healthy alternatives to the American diet. They color in pictures, answer questions, and memorize fact. They really become quite informed. I take pride in having lots of vegetables and fruit at home. We introduced a variety of veggies to our children from a very early age. How did we do it? Well, we made it into a game. We called Brussel sprouts 'green eyeballs', and Spinach became 'rabbit food'. The kids were so amused and intrigued, that they tried everything over time, and liked it all. We haven't had to make up any games to get them to eat fruit, of course. The natural sugar content is all the attraction they need.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: to set up/ to pack up or disassemble, on a ....basis.  Practice of the pluperfect.

Exs:

We set up the tent yesterday, but we had to take it down immediately because there was a big hole in it.

The machine was disassembled so the mechanics could find where the problem was.

I eat vegetables on a daily basis, and I have a check up with the doctor on a yearly basis.

Pluperfect.

We hadn't even driven a mile, when we had to turn around because we had forgotten our passports.

We hadn't seen our friends for months, when suddenly, they dropped by to see us.

Hadn't he read the instructions? OR Had he not read the instructions?

Beginners.

If you drive around this town, you will see lots of new buildings, and some that are almost finished. The town is growing. There is heavy machinery of all kinds in many places: cranes, backhoes, dump trucks, and bulldozers. As you walk or drive past these busy places, you can hear all the noises of the machines, the workmen, and the automatic tools. It is interesting to see how quickly a neighborhood can be changed by a building. Now, also, there is a rule in Wenatchee that when a building is built there must be landscaping around it. That means that the owners must plant trees, grass, and bushes. It all beautifies the area and makes the new buildings look even better. It helps to sell the new buildings, and it attracts people to new stores. When attractive landscaping is put in, the whole area benefits. Did you know that trees and other greenery reduce crime? The beautiful, natural surroundings help us calm down and forget our problems. A tree here, some flowers there, a group of bushes, all add quality to our lives. That is why it is great to see Wenatchee getting more landscaping. Just a few streets away from where I live, there is a new spot of landscaping that catches everybody's attention. It is a beautiful advertisement for a new development.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: heavy machinery, crane, greenery, to beautify.

My son loves heavy machinery. He watches the backhoe dig and dig.

Gosh, I didn't know that cranes could be so tall.

This garden looks like a desert. It needs more greenery.

The new fountain really beautifies the center of town.

Advanced.

Boulder Falls is the name of a new waterfall on the corner of a street where new houses are being built. It is quite an eye catcher. There was nothing there a month ago, apart from some weeds and dry ground. Now, with the help of buiders, landscapers, and heavy machinery, the patch of land has become transformed. First the ground was prepared, weeded, smoothed, and pipes were laid. Then plastic was put on top. A natural looking wall of boulders was put in, piece by piece, with a stair step arrangement in the middle. Next, rich topsoil was spread all around the rocks, and the landscapers planted many trees and bushes. Finally, the water was turned on. Everyone who drives past that corner must have been wondering when it would be finished. And now, with the Autumn colors just around the corner, we will be able to enjoy the waterfall until the snow comes. "It's smart," said my husband, as we drove past one day. "It'll help to sell the new houses." I hadn't thought about that until he mentioned it. It's true. What a clever way to advertise new homes: put in a beautiful piece of landscaping that is right next to them. With the credit crisis still looming large in the area, new homes need all the help they can get. The landscaping company also has its name on a sign right next to the waterfall. So it is double advertising.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: an eye catcher, to weed, to landscape/ landscapers, just around the corner, to loom large. Present/ past continous of verb 'to be' + adjectives.

The new bill board in town is an eye catcher. It is huge and brightly colored.

The garden had been ignored for months. We had to weed for hours.

The landscapers are quite talented. They landscape most of the businesses in town.

The medical exam was looming large in her mind. It was all she thought about.

Her birthday is just around the corner. She will celebrate it in three days.

Practice of present/ past continous of verb 'to be' + adjectives.

A new statue was being erected in town, so we went to see it.

The village is being bombed, so the people have to escape now!

Three thousand hamburgers are being fried today for the great giveaway.

 

Beginners.

Baseball season has started. 'Fall Ball' is the title of the season's activities, and the town is busy and buzzing with the sport. Usually, when a child is signed up for baseball, he will have two practices per week, and then two games at the weekend. It is a big commitment because the games last for two hours each. Preparation has to be made: the rest of the family comes along to the game bringing chairs, hats, blankets in case it is cold, cold drink in case it is hot. The weather is changeable, so you never know what you will get. Even with a very consistent climate as we have here, September can bring surprises. The boys involved in baseball have to arrive at the baseball park about an hour early, in order to practice. They generally carry a bag, inside which you will find: a baseball glove (or mitt), a ball, a bat, a hat, and drinks. They stretch, run up and down the field, practice throwing and catching, and then listen to instructions from the coach. As the boys get older, they become more knowledgeable about the game, faster, and stronger. The games become more interesting and competitive. All goes well unless the weather does something unusual. Coming from a rainy country, the kids are used to playing in the rain; it's really no big deal. If you come from a very dry area, like Wenatchee, rain can seem quite intimidating.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: intimidating, commitment, consistent.

Exs:

The boxer looked intimidating. He was very muscular and hairy.

She took her commitment to her family seriously: she took care of her grandmother for three years.

The sauce is not consistent. Some of it is smooth, and some of it is lumpy.

Advanced.

There was a downpour the other day during a weekend baseball game. I loved it, but, I think, most people found it irritating. The coaches kept on calling a time-out, which is when the game stops for a while. The players would run into the dug-out (their shelter), and get dry and rest. It is difficult to play baseball in the rain because you play on hard soil, and what happens to that when it rains? Mud, mud, and more mud. So, even though this English girl was secretly loving the rain and feeling very at home in it, the players, coaches, and referees were frustrated and impatient. The sight of an umbrella is quite rare in this town, and their random colors cheered the look of the baseball park. Well, our team eventually won the game, and everyone went home to get warm and dry. People talked about how awful the weather was, but I think that it made the day more interesting. A friend of mine during the Summer was going to take her daughter to a swimming lesson, "It might be cancelled because of the rain," she said to me. I looked in the sky and barely saw a drop of water anywhere. Gosh, what different ideas people have about the weather. I suppose it is all to do with your childhood and expectations. "You people are soft," I once said to my father-in-law, "a bit of water in the sky, and you have to run home and cancel everything!" If we cancelled for rain in England, we would never do anything!

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: awful, to cancel, impatient, and the subjunctive.

Exs:

The play was awful. It was poorly written and the actors were amateurs!

I had to cancel my appointment with the dentist in order to go to the doctor.

The train was late for the third time this week. Everyone on the platform was very impatient.

Subjunctive.

If the train had been on time, noone would have been grumpy.

If I were you, I wouldn't talk like that to the principal.

When the town grows more, the counsel might build a theatre.

 

 

Beginners.

This year I have some free time. My youngest child goes to preschool four mornings a week, so during that time, I can do many things. I decided recently to put my application in for being a substitute teacher. That is a teacher who takes the place of a regular, full-time teacher who is ill, or who cannot make it to school for some other reason. Sometimes a teacher has a training day to attend, so someone else needs to take his class. Often, especially around flu season, a teacher might wake up ill, or have an ill child to take care of; that's when I step in. I have been a substitute teacher before. It is a good way to experience many different schools in a short period of time. Generally, a substitute teacher, or 'sub', as they are called, will work in a different school each day. Before I went to university to get my teaching degree, I subbed for a year in our town. It showed me that High School is my preferred place of teaching. I enjoy the company of the older students, even though the teenagers can be quite a challenge at times. As I plan to eventually go back to teaching full-time, subbing is a good way to introduce myself to the school district and all it's staff. Let's hope that they like me!

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: full-time, part-time, to step in.

She has just got a full-time job and is thrilled. A fourty hour week will really help to pay the bills.

I'm hoping to job share. A part-time position would be convenient for me at this stage in my life.

The house was devastated by the storm. Thankfully, the neighbors all stepped in to help clean up the next day.

Advanced.

I'm really excited about getting back into the school system. It has been a few years since I last subbed, about nine actually. I suppose I'm a little nervous as well. Things have changed in nine years. Now there is an on-line application to fill in. We never had that before. It's not a problem, of course; it's just an extra step involving technology. Also, now I can look for jobs in advance on the internet. There is a specific site for subbing jobs which I can log on to and search. That way I can plan ahead and have a job or two lined up for me, instead of being called at five thirty in the morning to see if I am available. That is a definite improvement! There is certainly more paperwork involved, though. More forms, more information, more warnings even. There is a misconduct form which is new. It is required by state law from everyone who works in the schools. It also is a good idea. It basically protects the students from anyone who acts or has acted inappropriately towards youngsters. I'm glad that these regulations exist. They keep my children and all the students safe. Another thing that has to be done before subbing is fingerprinting. I went down to the school district office to have my fingerprints done. It is a simple procedure, but I ran into a problem. Some of my fingers didn't have prints! How did that happen? The lady told me that gardening without gloves on will do that. The prints will actually get worn down! Well, I learned something new that day. But it all turned out okay in the end. I had enough prints for the police to check out my record. It turns out that I'm not a criminal.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary and verb practice: inappropriate, on-line, website, 'to require'.

Exs:

The man acted so inappropriately at the wedding; he was very drunk and rude!

Checkout the new on-line store. It sells shoes really cheaply.

I will have a new website soon that I think you will find very interesting.

Three years of study are required to get that qualification.

All living things require food.

The law requires traffic to move slowly near schools.

 

Beginners.

Well, it looks like we're back in the kitchen. I told you, didn't I, that the kitchen is an important place, and that is why we need to spend more time using the every day kitchen vocabulary. The main idea of today's podcast is the pantry. It is an odd word, really. It means the storage area for all of the food. Pantries vary quite a lot. In our kitchen, we have three different areas for food items: one for cereals, one for baking items and canned goods, and another for pastas and rice. The system works for us. I want an easy reach place for the children, so they can get their cereals in the morning without any trouble. The pastas, rice,and spices, which I use a lot, are up in a cupboard where little fingers cannot reach them. Sometimes, it takes a while to figure out the best places to put things. It is a science. I think you need to live in your kitchen for a while, meaning, spend lots of time in your kitchen, before you know where you need to put things. We all hate looking for items when they have been put in the wrong place, so a pantry system saves time for a lot of people. I think I will gut a large cupboard, rearrange the shelves, and make it into one large pantry. It will make my life much easier.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: to figure out, to spend time, to gut.

The children were give five minutes to figure out the math problem.

We should spend more time with our neighbor; she is such fun, and she lives alone.

We gutted the house; we took out all of the inside: carpets, cabinets, and appliances.

Advanced.

 I have a wonderful book that I bought from a home improvement store a few years ago. It is called 'Creative ideas for organizing your home.' It is a guide to making your home efficient and clutter-free. Oh, that is a dream of mine. The book makes it all look so easy, though, a little bit like a Disney movie. I'm not too bad at being organized, but, then again, I'm not a natural accountant. I have friends who are, and they have everything in its rightful place. That is something that I admire. After all, it's more pleasant to live in a tidy, organized home, than to see 'stuff' everywhere you look. Don't get me wrong; I have improved over the years. I rearrange the cereal boxes in the pantry. I throw out the empty ones and put the ones that still have cereal in them in a straight line. I attack the kitchen draw every now and then, and throw out the unnecessaries. And when my children's bedrooms become despicable, I charge around picking things up, throwing things away, and putting things where they should be. Gosh, it takes a lot of time. As my children get older, they take on more responsibility which certainly helps me. They can make their beds, organize their cubbies where they keep their shoes and hang up their coats and backpacks. They can even vacuum quite well. The little ones are really not 'into it'. An answer I get often when I ask Domini or Robert to put their shoes away is, "Mum, my legs are tired," to which I respond, "Well, my everything is tired, but I still put my shoes away." My last resort to get them to help is bribery; it always works.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: clutter, a rightful place, cubby, to resort to.

There was so much clutter in his bedroom that I couldn't even walk in.

The diamond was returned to the museum and put in its rightful place.

I have just built some cubbies for the kids; they can hang coats, hats, backpacks there, and put their shoes in their own special place.

The criminal wouldn't talk, so the police resorted to rough interrogation.

Beginners.

On our recent trip to the zoo and aquarium at Defiance Point, my family and I saw a special show of wild animals. We sat in a packed open-air theater at about three in the afternoon and waited for the show to begin. Music played. It was the theme from Mission Impossible. I thought, "Why are they playing that music? What has it got to do with an animal show?" Well, it was a good idea for the show. The two female presenters found a box with a large red button on it. They pushed it, and a recorded voice gave them a mission, "To find the best way to enjoy the outdoors". Through the show they acted as if they were camping, hiking, and repelling, and they talked about other out-door activities. With each activity, they came upon different animals, and showed them to us. One was an Aardvark. It walked on to the stage and suprised all of us. They are actually quite big. Its back was extremely round, and with its snout it busily searched for food under rocks. It looked cute and cuddly. Everybody in the crowd said, "Ahhh," when it first appeared. When it had finished eating some food that had been deliberately placed for it, one of the ladies snapped her fingers, and it obediently left. Other animals came on to the stage. They were also trained. Wait until you hear about a few of them.

Grammar notes.

Useful phrases: to have to do (sometimes using got), to snap your fingers.

Exs:

The film doesn't have anything to do with the original book. Their themes are quite different.

I disagree with you, Sir. What you said has (got) nothing to do with my argument.

He shouldn't listen to our conversation. This (matter) has (got) nothing to do with him.

It used to be tradition to snap your fingers to call the waiter; now it is considered rude.

Advanced.

As the afternoon went on at the zoo, the show became more and more interesting. The list of different animals that made an appearance is long and quite varied. A tortoise from Madagascar was displayed. It moved slowly, of course, and looked cute and defenseless. Then came a fascinating fishcat. That's right, a fishcat, not a catfish. A fishcat is similar to a linx. It is sleek, beautiful, and quite small. But this creature actually has webbed feet! Can you believe it? A cat with webbed feet, just like a duck! Unlike most cats, it swims, and catches its food right in the water. As you can imagine, with an all fish diet, its fur is very sleek. Then came the birds. There was an ostrich, a hawk, a toucan, a barn owl, and then a bald eagle. It was impressive how the ladies had managed to train these birds. Of course they used food to make them obey, and it worked very well. The owl was white, cute, and fluffy, and its flight was completely silent. It flew over the audience and didn't make a sound. Last of all came the bald eagle. It was magestic, with a huge wing span, and an unpredictable look on its face. Iconic is the word, and a great way to end the show. It had been such an impressive show that we had forgotten how hot it was. We went off to get a drink, talking about all the animals and what we had learned. I'm so glad that I took lots of pictures.

Grammar notes.

Animal vocabulary: snout, hoof/ves, beak, webbed feet.

That woman has a nose and mouth that are just like the snout of a pig.

Banging that coconut sounds like horses hooves on a road.

Be careful when you stroke your canary. Its beak is quite sharp.

The duck's webbed feet look like they are made out of rubber.

Beginners.

During the summer, my family and I took a trip to a beautiful and fascinating place. It was a zoo and an aquarium at a place called Point Defiance, near Seattle. A friend of mine had been there, and told me that it was worth a trip. We were staying close by, on the coast, in a friend's house. It took about an hour and a half to get there by car which was fine. When we got there, it was quite a shock. The huge parking area was completely full. Infact, cars were parked on the side of the road because there were no more parking spaces available. When we got inside, I understood why it was so full. It is an incredible place. The aquarium is very large and varied. We saw penguins, seals, otters, walruses, and a huge amount of smaller sea creatures. I loved the jelly fish. They were a small, see-through species. They were in a dark tank with lights shining up. They looked like pretty little ghosts as they moved through the light. We spent a lot of time looking at the walruses. Gosh they were enormous. One swam up to the window where we were and stayed there, yawning, snorting, and looking at us. It was quite a show.

Grammar notes.

Preterite and pluperfect of : to be, to tell, to swim, to take.

Exs:

He was a very handsome man; he had been a pilot in the war.

I told you we needed new batteries. Jim had told you too.

He was tired of swimming. He had swum a mile in total, so he swam to the beach, got out, and fell asleep on the sand.

I took the car to the service station to have the oil changed. I didn't realise that you had taken it in already.

 Advanced.

 Point Defiance is on the coast right near the city of Tacoma. As we walked down the hill towards the entrance, we could see the sea. It was quite spectacular. The children were dying to sea the tigers, so we walked through the 'Asian Forest' area, through paths of bamboo, and into a cave-like area where we could look through glass into the large living area of the tigers. The adults were napping, laying on grass, barely moving. The babies, though, were right up close the glass, just relaxing, not seeming to take much notice of any of us. It was a thrill to see them. It was after the tigers that we went into the aquarium. There was so much to see. Again, we walked through a cave-like area that was dark, past windows of different fish, until we came to a huge aquarium. In it were sharks! I'm not sure what kind they were, but they certainly were intimidating. They circled around and came right up to the glass to check us out with their cold, black eyes. I wasn't sure who was observing who. I certainly wouldn't want to find myself swimming anywhere close to them.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: cave-like, to be dying to, barely.

I found the house cave-like; it was dark and had low ceilings.

I am dying to try that cheesecake; that bakery makes the best dairy treats.

As the child slept, he barely moved. You could just see his chest rising and falling as he breathed.

Beginners.

It's great to be back podcasting for you, my listeners. And what an exciting time of year it is! Back to school. For some of us, it is back to work. It seems that for most of July and August, here in the States, there are advertisements everywhere for the children's clothes and supplies for school. Unlike in England, here each child has a long list of supplies that their parents must buy for them for the start of school in September. The list includes: pencils, paper, books, pens, kleenex, sanitary wipes, coloring pens, paints, and the list goes on and on. My children were very excited when I came back from the store with lots of bags full of their stuff. They took them and ran up to their bedrooms to make piles of their new supplies under their desks, or in a special place. It is quite funny to see them on the first day of school, because their backpacks are crammed full. They can hardly zip them up! I think that it is exciting for them because it helps them feel prepared for a new school year with new friends, a new teacher, and a new schedule. They probably feel a little nervous about the newness of it all, and so, getting organised with their stuff makes them feel ready.

 Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: supplies, kleenex, sanitary wipes, piles, to cram.

Exs:

Our most important emergency supply is bottles of water.

You must use a kleenex if you have a runny nose.

Instead of using bleach water to clean the countertops, I use sanitary wipes.

There were piles of dirty clothes all over the laundry room. Can't people just put them in the washer?

The little boy crammed the blueberries in his mouth.

Advanced.

So, I found myself a few weeks ago in Fred Meyer. It is a huge, general store in East Wenatchee where you can buy anything from milk to shoes, plastic bags to eye drops, or toys to trees. It's a great place if you want, what they call over here, 'a one stop shop' experience. They also have a wonderful place called 'Playland' where you can drop off your little children in a safe, supervised, 'kids only' room, so they can play and have fun while you do all of the boring shopping. What a great idea. But I wasn't doing normal shopping that day. I was on a mission. School supplies. To be honest, with four kids, it's all a bit of a headache. Thankfully though, these shops are not only ready to receive our money, but they are also ready to help us find what we need very easily. There were two very long aisles of school supplies, organised very clearly, to direct the grumpy, unwilling mothers, like myself, into the full shopping experience. I had sheet of paper in my hands with lists for each age group. Pencils first I think; okay, a pack of ten or a dozen. Is there an important difference. What's the big deal if I get the wrong one? Okay Anna, let's keep a good attitude. Next, paper. Young kids need wide ruled paper, not college ruled which is narrower. That makes sense. And so, I spent about an hour choosing, browsing, picking things up, putting them back, comparing, and selecting. And, finally it was done. Well, that wasn't too difficult after all.

Grammar notes.

 New expressions and vocabulary: 'a one stop shop', to drop off, to supervise, grumpy, narrow/ narrower.

Exs:

It's so easy to shop in that store. It's my one stop shop.

I will drop the kids off at my mother's tomorrow.

Those rowdy boys really need to be supervised.

I wish he wasn't so grumpy. It's difficult to talk to him; he's so negative.

That road is narrow, but the other one is narrower.

Beginners.

 We are continuing our study of different countries, with Croatia. It is a realtively small country in Central and Southeastern Europe, that is sandwiched between Slovenia and Hungary to the North, Serbia to the Northeast, Bosnia and Hertzegovina to the East, and Montenegro to the Southeast. Just opposite, to the West, across the Adriatic Sea, is Italy. It is shaped like a crescent moon. The geography of this country is quite varied. It has a very long rocky coastline, plains, lakes and rolling hills to the North and East, and very dense forests and mountains in the Dinaric Alps. Certainly there is a lot of variety in an area of 56 and a half thousand square kilometres. There are over 1000 islands in the Croatian territory, many inhabited, and enjoyed by tourists. Croatia is famous for its national parks and for having 49 caves, three of which are deeper than 1000 metres. It is also home to seven Unesco World Heritage sites. It has certainly become a hot spot for tourist in recent years. If you are looking for natural beauty and history at a reasonable price, apparently you need look no further.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: to be sandwiched (in) between, rolling hills, a hot spot.

Exs:

Our house is sandwiched between a butcher's and a baker's.

The rolling hills look smooth because they are not very high, nor do they have jagged rocks.

That night club is the city's main hot spot.

Advanced.

The earliest inhabitants of Croatia have been found to be Neanderthals. Several tribes of different regions lived in various areas of what now forms Croatia. In  9 AD, it became part of the Roman empire. However, in the 7th century AD, European Avars invaded and destroyed nearly all of the roman towns. The Croats organized themselves into 2 areas, and missionaries set about christianizing the people. Pope John V111 recognised Branimir as the Croats first leader in 872, but it did not become a kingdom until a century later. The Hungarian and Croatian royalties were related, and Hungary took over for 400 years, though Croatian independence was recognized. A Sabor, or kind of parliament ruled for the next 400 years. Croatia joined the Hapsburg empire in 1527 but then became independent in 1918. At this point Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes united to become Yugoslavia, much to the outrage of the majority of Croats; they wanted state independence.

Yugoslavia was quickly overtaken by Nazi Germany and a puppet Croatian ruling party, the Ustache, was set up. It was a brutal regime. After the war, Yugoslavia became socialist, and later a major war between the Croats and the Serbs took place between 1991 and 1995. Croatia was finally recognized in 1992 as an independent country.

Beginners.

The unfortunate thing about cooking is the cleaning up that you need to do afterwards. Oh drudgery! The endless pile of cups, plates, cutlery, and pots and pans can spoil an otherwise fun evening. I am used to cleaning the kitchen. I do it every day, sometimes without even realising. My goal is to get the dishes done as soon as possible. Even my mother has commented on the speed with which I unload and load the dishwasher, clean the countertops and put clean crockery away. Well, if I don't like doing it, then why do it slowly? Get it done as soon as possible, so I can move on to doing something more interesting. I know that I can't complain; I do have an automatic dish washer, so the job isn't really that difficult. I remember when I was a little girl and nobody really had dishwashers. They were extremely rare. My mother would wash everything by hand in very hot soapy water. Then, she would rinse every item in the sink off in very hot, clean water. The pots and pans and everything else would sit on the draining board for a while. A short while later, when the water had run off, we would each take a kitchen towel and help her dry and put it all away. It seemed to take forever. I think, though, that back then, we had less to do; we didn't seem so busy. I can't imagine life without my automatic dishwasher.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: drudgery, crockery, cutlery, to rinse, the draining board.

Exs:

The class I just had was pure drudgery. It was slow and boring.

I need crockery. I hardly have any cups, plates, bowls, or other dishes.

Our silver cutlery needs to be polished with a special liquid.

After lathering up the car, the couple rinsed it off thoroughly with the hose.

My draining board is too small to hold all of the pots and pans; water runs over the edge onto the countertop.

Advanced.

 Okay, roll up your sleeves and get on with it. Don't just stand there contemplating. It is a necessary evil, a daily duty, a pain in the rear. To do this successfully, make sure that you don't have any distractions; you need to focus. This is how I clean the kitchen. First of all, I scan the room to see if there is anything that needs to be thrown away. Then, I put away any clean cutlery or crockery that hasn't been used. I move all of the items that need to be washed close to the sink. Plates that still have food on them are scraped off over the pedal bin, (I have a really cool one that is extra big, and can be kept open if you are using it alot). I try to stack plates and bowls according to size so everything looks organised, even if it is still unwashed. I fill up the sink with these stacked, dirty items, making sure to put the cutlery in one pile, and anything delicate up on the countertop by itself. Wine glasses can easily break in the sink with the heavier items. I turn on the tap, switch the fosset head to spray rather than stream, and I rinse each item quickly before I load up the dishwasher. Once I reach this stage, it all goes very quickly. I try to arrange everything in the dishwasher to get maximum exposure to soapy water and rinsing. Nobody likes to open a dishwasher and find that it hasn't done its job. Then, I pour the soap powder into the little, plastic compartment, close the door, push a few buttons, and viola!, my favorite maid leaps into action. After that, I simply need to wipe down the countertops, and sweep the floor, and then pat myself on the back for a job well done.

Grammar notes.

 Verbs: to contemplate, to scan, to scrape, to switch, to wipe.

Exs:

It was my day off, so I spent some time contemplating the flowers.

The robot scanned the building and detected an unexploded bomb in the corner of the lobby.

The girl fell down in the playground and scraped her knee.

I switched from regular coffee to decaf, but I was tired all the time, so I switched back.

She wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. His train had already left; she wouldn't see him for another month.

There's no podcast today. Sorry! I'm suffering from summer fatigue. Is it an illness? No. It's called needing a good vacation. I'll catch up with you on Wednesday. See you then. Anna.

Beginners.

The other day, I took the children to the local library. It is only a ten minute drive from our house. We had a lot of books that were overdue and needed to be returned. It's one of those great places to go when it is too hot to do anything else. Another benefit of going there is that it forces the children to be quiet. Ha-ha, that was my plan! We actually stayed there for over two hours. The library here in Wenatchee is divided into three sections. The main floor has most of the books, reference books, magazines, seating areas, and librarians' area. Downstairs has lots of computers for researching files of all sorts. Around the corner from this area is a quiet row of desks with internet access. You can take in your own laptop, plug it in, and search the web, or do any kind of work you need to. It is a very handy place. The top floor is dedicated to children. I love going there. The first thing you see as you go up the stairs is a huge, metal, green frog with a crown on it. There is a computer for children to do various learning games on. And then, the main room has a big fantasy mural, lots of toys and books, a tent with big pillows and stuffed animals, blocks of all sorts, and a fish tank. It is fun, imaginative, and cozy. There are two other small areas, amongst rows of book shelves, where children can sit and play with games, puppets, and puzzles. It was in the puzzle area that my children discovered a box of dominos. They were hooked. They absolutely refused to leave. I stopped asking them to get ready to go, because I could see that they were totally engrossed in the game. Dominos are fun, great to hold, and quite addictive.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: overdue, benefit, reference, handy, stuffed animals, to be engrossed.

Exs:

The pregnant lady is overdue; she should have had the baby two weeks ago.

One benefit of being a teacher is that you often learn a lot from your students.

I can't take out that book from the library. It is a reference book.

This new cell phone is so handy! It fits in my pocket, has the internet, and even charges the car battery.

My little girl has loads of stuffed animals in her bedroom.

I was talking to my husband, when I realized that he was engrossed in his book, and hadn't heard a word that I had said.

Advanced.

When we came home from the library, my children found our box of dominos, and immediately started to play. However, they didn't want to play the traditional game of number sequencing. Their goal was to set up a domino course that would all fall down at the slightest, deliberate touch. It wasn't as easy as they were hoping. They had visions of dominos all over the house, up and down the stairs, in and out of rooms, under chairs, through doors etc etc. Well, to start with, they didn't have enough dominos, so they had to settle for an obstacle course of medium size. They became very quiet and very industrious about the project. The whole thing took at least an hour. About half way through, I had to walk away and leave them alone because they were accidentally knocking down the arrangement, and becoming quite frustrated. It's always best for Mum to leave the room at that point and not say anything unless asked for advice. Finally, though, after a lot of trial and error, the domino course was ready for an audience. We all gathered around and waited for the count down. "Three, two, one, go!" Cass put a small, plastic ball on a shoot that pointed at the first domino. Success! It fell over and all the others did the same. They fell up a small stack of dvd cases that were positioned like stairs, then down the other side. They fell over in a circle shape, down an incline, and, for the grand finale, pushed two balls over to a wall of dominos that came crashing down!

Grammar notes.

Uses of the past participle as an adjective: asked, questioned, reminded, beaten, left.

Exs:

She will help you only if asked (only if she is asked to).

They were questioned by the police.

I am reminded every day of my friend who moved away.

The rugby team entered the changing room, tired out, and beaten by their opponents.

The kitten continued to sleep, left alone by the children.

Beginners.

A few days ago, we had a yard sale. I actually held it over two mornings, out of my garage. Yard sales are very common in this area, and very popular too. Do you know what they are? I suppose the name explains the meaning; a sale of household items which takes place outside on your driveway, or inside your garage. With it being so hot, I arranged everything inside my garage so prospective buyers wouldn't leave quickly because of the blast of the sun. The shade in the garage would keep them looking at the items a little longer. Amongst all the 'stuff' was a box of craft items and bits and pieces of little importance. I had marked the box with "$1 each or best offer". When the sale was finally over, I took most of the left over things to a charity organization, leaving just one box in the garage. I happened to look in the box today, and found something that I had long forgotten about: two ears of Indian corn. I had bought these a few years ago as a decoration for the house at pumpkin time, or late autumn. It is a reminder of the harvest, of the change of season, and of the richness of creation. But Indian corn has a unique look, and a unique history. All corn, I suppose, could be called Indian corn, but, in general, we give that name to the multicolored variety of corn that is used mainly for decoration rather than food.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: houshold items, to arrange, a prospective buyer, 'bits and pieces'.

Exs:

The shop sells household items, no farming equipment.

She is very good at arranging flowers in a vase.

If the entryway of the house is attractive, we will attract prospective buyers.

"What's in your bag?" "Oh, just bits and pieces."

 Advanced.

Corn, or maize, was originally an american plant, grown by the Native American indians throughout Mesoamerica. It was a staple food for many of the tribes, and still is for many people. In Mexico, for example, corn is ground up into a crumbly flour, and made into 'masa' which is rolled out and cooked into tortillas, a round, flat grain wrap eaten with meat and vegetables. About three hundred and thirty two million metric tonnes of corn are grown in the U.S every year, more than in any other country. A lot of it is exported, but much of it is made into corn syrup which is added to many processed and premade foods. In hot climates it is quite easy to grow, and there are many varieties. A couple of years ago I grew corn, and was quite impressed at its performance. It got to about seven feet tall and produced a lot of ears. Mind you, the corn kernels were not consistently shaped. Some were swollen, and others were non existent. Some ears had a lot of flavor, others had very little. It'll take a bit of research for me to get it right, I think. However, when the Europeans first came over to the Americas, the Native Indians gave them some very good advice as to how to survive by growing successful corn. They taught them to put salmon in the earth where the corn was to be grown. This increased the nutrients of the earth greatly and gave good yields. Corn is a fascinating and delicious vegetable, and though used world wide, it is distinctly american. I'm glad I didn't manage to sell the two ears of corn. I think I'll keep them as a decoration and a reminder for a few more years.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: staple, a grain, processed, research.

Exs:

Corn is a staple in Central and South America. Wheat is more of a staple in North America.

The farmer grows lots of grains: wheat, corn, and barley amongst others.

The hot dog is a very tasty but highly processed food.

Research indicates that A Cup of English is the best podcast on the internet......

Beginners.

You will probably get tired of me writing about how hot it is. Yes, yes, Wenatchee is always hot in the summer. However, this year, it has been exceptionally hot, like an oven. The past few weeks have each had several days of temperatures up to 106 degrees. You don't really see anyone around in the streets during the day, unless they are crazy....The early morning is wonderful, and late evening is very pleasant for a barbecue, a get together, or to do some gardening. I look out of my kitchen window during the day at my vegetable garden, longing to go over there and check things out, but there is no way that I can. When you walk in this kind of heat, you feel like you are cooking. My temperature gauge has been much busier than usual, going up into the hundreds during the day, and then back down at night. Mind you, even at nine and ten o'clock at night, recently, it has stayed about 90 degrees. Even with a breeze, the temperatures can be problematic. Because the hills are so dry this time of year, there is a great risk of fire. All it takes is a careless action of throwing a cigarette out of the window, or perhaps a fork lightning strike, and a hazardous fire is on our hands. The sky around Wenatchee has been hazy towards the North for a few days, which means that there is probably a sage brush fire or a forest fire somewhere close by. It is similar conditions to those of the Mediterranean where the fires are raging. It's a hot time, and full of danger.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: a gauge, to rage, problematic, exceptionally.

Exs:

The temperature gauge on my car said that it was 120 degrees. I don't think that is accurate.

The bull went into a rage when he saw the red flag.

The situation is problematic. Not everyone will be happy about it.

That boy is exceptionally talented. He plays the piano like a master.

Advanced.

Don't you just long for shade in the middle of summer? I do. Am I a whimp? Should I be tougher and able to put up with the heat? But heat, I think, is almost more difficult to deal with than the cold. At least when it is cold, you can put lots of clothes on. When it is boiling hot and you are only wearing a bikini, there is nothing else you can take off! You have to escape and find air conditioning. And just pray that the electrical connection doesn't fail. I can't imagine what it is like at the moment in Greece where it is so, so hot, and where the fires are so many, and out of control. What can be done? What could be done? How could a government ensure that those kinds of disasters stop happening. In our area, we have fires during the summer most years. One thing that I have seen put in place are the fire barriers. They are long areas of land that have been cleared of trees and shrubs, and which divide planted or forested areas into sections. They are just like wide, dirt roads. The object is to contain a fire. The wide, empty, dirt length stops fires blowing over into more planted areas. It works, in a preventative way. Another preventative measure that is quite common and inexpensive, is to clear forest floors of dead wood, which is often extremely dry and burns quickly. I remember hearing the news last year about fires in Greece which were believed to have been started deliberately. There was a huge reward for information leading to the arrest of the arsonists. I hope they were caught. They should spend the rest of their lives planting trees.

Grammar notes.

Useful verbs: to long for, to spend (time/money), to put up with, to clear.

Exs:

I long for the cooler days. In a month they will be here.

We spent all morning together just walking and chatting. Then we went to the shops and spent all of our money.

I don't know how you put up with your neighbors. They are so noisy in the evenings!

The land was cleared of trees and bushes because an office building was going to be built there.

Beginners.

This time of year the summer flowers are fully in bloom. In most gardens you can see different kinds of lillies, daisies, roses, and bulb plants. It's great! I am quite choosy about the kind of flowers I have in my garden. One which I have grown for many years is the Morning Glory. It is a climbing summer flower. It needs plenty of sun and growing space. It is perfect if you want to cover a fence, trellis, or an ugly wall. I grow them every year. Last year I grew some in a large pot that had a metal trellis in it. This year, I decided to grow a variety of them up one of our fences, and it worked beautifully. You can get several different colors and sizes of Morning Glory. The most common kind are bright pink, but they also come in blues. They are also quite strong, though they don't look like they are. They have curly, sticky stems that climb all over the place. When it is windy they manage to hang on and not break. The best thing about them, of course, is the flower. True to it's name, it gives new flowers each morning that only last for that morning. However, it gives many of them, and they are quite spectacular. Often people buy the shocking pink variety, but this year, I  have blue. If you check out the photo on my blog page, you will see just how blue. It is really quite a treat to see a new set of flowers each morning, especially if you are not quite sure exactly what you will get.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: plenty, common, trelllis, sticky, a treat.

Exs:

Last year we didn't make enough money; this year we made plenty.

Those shoes are very common; you can find them in every store.

The climbing rose grew and became very heavy. Luckily it was supported by a strong, metal trellis.

Those candies are so sticky! After eating them, you have to wash your hands and your face.

I bought myself a piece of cheesecake. I deserved a treat.

Advanced.

Morning Glories, Morning Glories, ah, so beautiful. However, you have to be careful with them too. Early this summer, when I was planning on planting some, I bought several packets of seeds, and read the instructions. They recommended that seeds are soaked over night before planting. Why? Well, that helps the hard exterior to pop open and allow the seed to root. I followed the instructions, put them in a little tea cup half full of water, and put it on the kitchen window sill until the next morning. Sometime during the following day, I managed to plant them in two different places in the garden. I came in, washed my hands, and sat down and had a cookie. About an hour later, my throat started to feel very sore. About an hour after that, I found it difficult to swallow. I went to the bathroom and had a look at my tongue and throat in the mirror. To my horror, I saw that the inside of my mouth was covered in sore lumps. What on earth had I done? I tried to think back to the food I had eaten during the day, wondering if I had eaten anything unusual that perhaps had caused an allergic reaction. But, I hadn't eaten anything out of the normal. I suddenly remembered reading, however, that the seeds of Morning Glory have a toxic natural oil, and that you have to make sure that children don't swallow any. Well, that was it. After planting the seeds, I hadn't washed my hands properly before eating. It was a good reminder for me to be extra careful when dealing with seeds, no matter how beautiful the flowers are.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to swallow, sore, toxic, to soak, an allergic reaction.

Exs:

Jello is so easy to swallow.

Yesterday my throat and my eyes felt sore.

There is a toxic chemical spill in our town.

I will soak this blouse to see if the stain will come out.

She had an allergic reaction to the medicine.

Beginners.

This summer, my brother has come to visit from New Zealand. We are having such a fantastic time together. He is wonderful person, and also a complete goofball! That is an american expression for a person who jokes and fools about. He has a very dry sense of humor, but he can also make children laugh very easily. When we went to Lake Roosevelt recently, he travelled in the car with us. We chatted away, observed the countryside, talked about old times, and stopped a few times on the way to stretch our legs and have a drink. My children are not really used to travelling in the car for three hours at a time, and the car was really packed with luggage and beach equipment, so they got 'squirmy' as they say here. You know how a worm wiggles when it is uncovered, well that is squirming. They started to bicker and argue until it became unbearable. Well, my brother sprang into creative action. He taught the kids in a few seconds about pulling a 'museum face'. They each had to act like a statue, but a very wierd, ugly one. It instantly made them laugh and stop bickering. Fantastic! I just had to write a podcast about the museum face to help my podlisteners who have children. That's my excuse. Check out my brother's museum face; it is utterly goofy. Hey, this is my podcast after all. I can't be professional all the time. Enjoy the photo!

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to pull a face, goofy, old times, to bicker, to squirm.

Exs:

My children were pulling the most awful faces infront of the mirror.

That man is so goofy! He does the strangest things and makes us all laugh.

It was great to see my friend from college, and to talk about old times.

I wish that couple would stop bickering. They argue senselessly!

The worm squirmed until I put it back under the earth.

Advanced.

Sometimes driving in the car with the kids is quite difficult. Any of you who have children will probably understand. At times my kids will drive me completely crazy. They fight in the car, or rather bicker. Bickering, in my opinion, is far worse than an all out fight. "Mum, he's looking out of my window!", "Mum, his leg is touching mine!", "Mum, he said that I'm ugly!", "No I didn't!", "Yes you did!" And it goes on and on. If I was a robot, and always responded the same way to their bickering, perhaps it would stop. If I would consistently talk reason to them and convince them that it is better to stay quiet, or work things out together, then bickering might become a thing of the past. The trouble is, I'm not a robot. I'm an emotional human being who sometimes acts differently from one day to the next. Sometimes my response is an easy, " If you are all quiet, I will buy you a candy." Or, I get the guns out, "I'll tell Dad about you being naughty in the car," or "Don't even think about having a play date with your friend if you're acting like that!" I have a catalogue of responses which vary in effectiveness. One thing I've found, though, that truly helps, is having help from another adult, especially if that adult is imaginative. My brother's museum face is a wonderful solution to the kids' bickering. It distracts them, it cheers them up, and it brings out their goofiness. If you see my brother's photo on my blogpage, you will understand that goofiness is definitely an inherited thing.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to convince, to inherit, naughty.

Exs:

I am convinced that we should go on vacation for at least a month.

When my grandmother passed away, I inherited a silver tea set.

That boy is so naughty! He broke a chair, and then smashed a window!

Beginners.

 The color yellow is very 'in' at the moment, mainly because of the Tour de France. It is a spectacular event that my husband and I follow every year. Infact, now that it is over, we are in mourning. "What are we going to do now, Babe?" I asked my husband this morning as we turned on the taped version (we are about eight hours behind France where we live). "I really don't know..." he answered, sadly. Happily for us, though, we have a DVR, so we have the whole tour recorded, and we can skip through all of the commercials in just a few seconds. What a relief! I can't imagine having to watch hours of the same commercials just in order to see the bicycle race. Anyway, we sort of celebrated Alberto Contador's win today, and Mark Cavendish's successful entrance into Paris, by going on a bicycle ride around one of the local parks. My husband is a serious cyclist, but I am just a beginner. I suppose I'm not particularly competitive; I don't really care about racing. When I ride my bike, I like to only push myself a little bit. All the straining and pain, I think, are overrated. I like to look at the trees and birds and enjoy the wind in my face. I would make a terrible professional cyclist. First of all, no one would sponsor me because I would lose all the time. Secondly, I just don't have the build for sprinting or climbing.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: spectacular, to mourn, commercial, to strain.

Exs:

The firework display was spectacular!

We are mourning the loss of our grandmother.

Some commercials are downright irritating.

The weight lifter strained his leg. He was too concerned about winning.

Advanced.

Alberto Contador was quite incredible to watch this year. It is amazing what you learn about these competitive athletes by listening to the commentators over the course of three weeks. We have all heard about Lance Armstrong, the amazing physical animal that he is, overcoming horrendous cancer, and winning seven times. But did you know that young Contador also had quite a scare. Apparently, during a race, he collapsed. It was found that he had a brain haemorrage. He was immediately operated on, and had a titanium plate put in his head. It sounds awful doesn't it? Well, he is obviously fine now. Infact, he is so fine, that he has won three major tours this year: Il Giro D'Italia, The Tour Down Under, and the Tour de France. Three in seven months is really quite incredible. "This is like watching a James Bond movie," says my husband every time we sit down to watch the Tour. You have the incredible athletes with thighs like tree truncks, flying up steep mountains at a rate that makes me feel dizzy. Then, you have the spectacular views of France, and all the historic information of buildings and towns. All that is lacking is a good gun fight and perhaps an explosion or two. But James Bond or no James Bond, I'm celebrating Contador's win. I am a half Spaniard, after all. My loyalties lie in that part of the world. I know the Spanish culture well, and I can guarantee that there will be huge celebrations all over the country. So, I will join the party from my little corner of the planet, lift a glass of Rioja, and say, "Well done, Alberto!"

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: horrendous, commentators, dizzy, loyalty.

Exs:

This cheese is horrendous. It stinks and tastes awful!

The commentators of this soccer match are very biased towards their own country's team.

The ride at the fairground spun us around so much that we all got dizzy.

My dog has the greatest loyalty towards our family.

Beginners.

What sort of things do you like to do during the Summer. Are there any activities that you are particularly fond of? What about when you were a child? If I could sit down and chat with all of you, I would probably be able to write a long list of things that people like to do in the Summer months. Here, our time is mainly spent around water. It's really too hot to do anything else. It's too hot even to go for a walk. Yesterday I took my kids and my brother to a nearby riverbank. The beach area was just the right size for us. It was sandy, but had enough rocks and tree debris to keep the young ones entertained. We took the dogs; it would be a treat for them to be next to the river. Buckets and spades were an essential part of the trip. I remember when I was little, we always had buckets and spades around. They are so very useful. Castles and forts can be built by using them, but then, of course, they can carry water, pretty stones, and even slimey creatures. They can be used for standing on to help you get something that is out of reach. They can even be used as hats, if your head is small enough. Well, when I was little, I used buckets for just about everything, and my kids do the same. Our trip down to the riverbank became very creative and fun because of those simple, plastic tools.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: riverbank, out of reach, debris, to chat.

Exs:

The fishermen fished quietly from the riverbank, and eventually caught a trout.

My two year old got into the flour bag and made a terrible mess; thankfully, the medicines are out of reach!

After the bombing, it took hours to clear the debris.

I was on the phone with my sister for two hours; we chatted about all sorts of nonsense.

Advanced.

Thankfully, the weather turned out to be a bit overcast, and therefore cooler than normal. It was perfect weather for sitting on the beach. In between overseeing the dogs, making sure that they didn't run off, and watching a group of fish jump for flies, I observed my children constructing all sorts of sandy projects using their buckets and spades. Whenever they would get too hot, they would fill up their buckets with water and dump it on eachother. At times this was good, but at other times a fight would ensue, and I would have to quickly step in as referee to keep the peace. Then everyone would settle down and get on with their projects. Nobody wanted to build sandcastles, so they carved long channels that forked towards the river instead. When these were ready, they would fill up their buckets with river water, run up to the top of the channel, and start the waterfall. They did this countless times, and didn't grow tired. Only occasionally would the work stop to the sound of," Hey, where's my bucket?" Everyone would look around, and invariably it would be found floating down the river. There would be a huge splash of bodies, and the thing would be retrieved. It would be handy to train the dogs to go after those floating buckets; mind you, it would be handy to have the dogs trained in any way at all! One of our dogs, Foxy, loves to swim and retrieve sticks from the water. Rosie, on the other hand, prefers to sniff around in the debris for mice and rabbits, one of which she almost caught. It was a great day! It was full of activity. By the time we came home, hosed everyone and everything down, and vacuumed out the car, I was exhausted. It was time to put my feet up and have a very needed cup of tea.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to retrieve, overcast, to oversee, to ensure, to sniff.

Exs:

I dropped my book in the river, but, thankfully, a nearby dog retrieved it.

Yesterday was sunny until the clouds moved in and it became quite overcast.

The teacher had to oversee the science project for safety reasons.

Please ensure that you shut the gates; I don't want the goats escaping again.

The bear sniffed the air; he could smell the dinner that the hunters were preparing.

It was dark by the time Thomas Black got home that night. He had lingered in the workshop, putting final details on cabinetry and tables. He had needed the time to be alone, and to digest Theo's words. He was disturbed by her account of the Whitcome tragedy, and by what he had learned about that family's misfortunes, resentment, and growing hatred over the generations from the time of Peter Whitcome. A curse was something that Thomas refused to believe in; it was fantasy, irrational. A man made his own way, good or bad, according to the Blacks. But something about the way Theo had spoken to him, the clarity of her eyes, the intensity of her voice, made him believe that there was danger in the village.

At dinner, he had shared his thoughts with Annette, his wife. "For God's sake love, tell the vicar and the police, and have done with it," she said, irritated that he had been carrying this concern. "Tom, it's not our business. This village is fine; nothing ever happens here. One incident and an old woman's words don't mean anything." She took up the dinner plates and put them in the sink. Leaning against the countertop, she folded her arms and looked at him, half smiling, " Don't tell me you need more adventure in your life. You'd look good in a Sherlock Holmes outfit."  Thomas stood up and pulled her to him, wrapping his rough, muscular arms around her waist. He chuckled, "Ay, and all the clues would lead to my wicked wife!" They kissed, and immediately they felt freer. He knew he would just by touching her. If he was reasonable, she was much more so, and he relied on that.

Later that night, he left the house to tell the police and the vicar what he had heard. He was going to hand over this stupid, complicated mess to the people who could deal with it, or dismiss it. The first place to visit was the Crowlies. He was the local policeman, wiry, efficient, and conservative, not much of a Sherlock Holmes, but suited to village life. Thomas expected the conversation to be short, and that he would be put at ease. If there was any more to be said, Crowlie could talk to Theo, after all, it was nothing to do with him. "I wish I'd been told all of this sooner, Tom," said Crowlie, sitting back in his chair in his home office. "We've had no amount of trouble with the Whitcomes since I can remember: fights, stealing, arson.." he trailed off. "What!" said Thomas, almost in a whisper, a sudden thump of forboding in his stomach. "Look Jim," he continued, "I don't know about any of this or the Whitcomes; this is the first I've heard. And somehow, trying to help, I've got involved. Now, I don't know if what Theo says is true, but I just want the whole thing laid to rest." "Well, don't we all Tom," replied Crowlie. "Ninety-five percent of good folk want the same. Look, I know Theo. She's the last truth teller of what's left of the Whitcomes. She's what's kept them alive, and out of the worst of it. But their generations have gone from bad to worse. The last of them are spoiled, selfish, and senseless." "So, there is danger to the village?" asked Thomas uncomfortably. "There's always danger to the village Tom. Don't be deceived, just because it's quiet and bonny. We're just good at keeping what goes on on the outskirts quiet." There was a long pause. "What has any of this got to do with me, Jim? Why did Theo come to me?" "So you haven't figured that one out yet, Tom," said Crowlie standing up and leaning towards Thomas. "It was a Black who sent Peter Whitcome to his grave."

Beginners.

Now that it is hot, I think a lot about the fridge. What is in there that will cool me down? Actually there are things lurking in the back of the fridge that have been there for a while. It's time for a cleaning. We seem to go through gallons of juice and milk in these hot, thirsty days of Summer. But what about cold food?As I look in the fridge I can see what you probably see in your own fridge: a vegetable drawer at the bottom, a fruit drawer next to it, then lots of shelves with bottles of milk, yoghurts, cheeses, butter, wrapped meats, jars of various sauces and jams, and those wonderful leftovers. Out of everyone in my house, I think I'm the only one who loves leftovers. Sometimes I will bung a few of them together, add some spices, and make a leftover stew. You can't beat it! The other fussy individuals in the house will have to eat fresh food instead of trying my imaginative creations. But, cold is the focus at the moment. Whether it is a salad, a cold soup, cold cut meats or a dessert, it is what we are all looking for. I recently bought seven boxes of jello from the supermarket to make a dessert especially for the kids. It is quite a show piece if it is done correctly. It actually doesn't have a name, but it is like a seven layer cake, except it is made entirely out of jello. Perhaps you can follow the recipe and instructions with me, and make one for yourself.

Grammar notes.

 Fridgey vocabulary: to lurk, vegetable drawer, leftovers, stew, cold cut meats.

Exs:

As I cleaned out the fridge, I found an old, moldy piece of cake lurking in a dark corner. I think it had been there for several years!

The vegetable drawer is stuffed with salad vegetables.

I still have some leftovers from the roast dinner: potatoes and meat.

There is nothing better than a beef and vegetable stew on a freezing winter day.

They had the most interesting cold cut meats: slices of salami, ham, roast beef, and bologna.

Advanced.

The seven layer jello dessert is a simple project, but it does take some time, as you will see. You will need:

7 packets of different flavored jello

1 large glass bowl

1 plastic or wooden mixing spoon

water according to the instructions

fruit and/or whipped cream (optional).

Making sure that the bowl is completely clean and free of dust, mix up the first packet of jello with boiled water (from a kettle or a saucepan). Make sure that the jello is completely dissolved. It speeds up the process if you add a few ice cubes to the mixture. Pour into the glass bowl and put immediately in the fridge. Go about your normal business. When the first layer of jello is just about set, repeat the steps for the second layer, making sure that it is cool enough to pour on the first layer without melting it. Put back in the fridge. Repeat these steps for the other five packets of jello. If desired, to make it more interesting and healthy, add fruit to some of the layers. When the final layer has been added, allow the dessert to cool until it is very firm. Take out and run hot water over the sides of the bowl in order to loosen it. Put a large plate over the bowl and quickly flip it upside down. Decorate with fruit and whipped cream on top.

This is a very popular dessert with children. Try to buy varying flavors that differ greatly in color. For example: raspberry (purple-red), then lime (green), then blueberry (blue), then lemon (yellow) etc etc.

If you try it, let me know how it turned out.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: free of dust, dissolve, to go about one's business, firm.

Exs:

My new cleaner is fabulous. My house is completely free of dust for the first time ever.

The washing powder didn't dissolve, so when I took the clothes out, they had clumps of soap all over them.

Look, I'm really busy right now. Please, just go about your business until I'm available.

The body builder's bicepts are really firm, but his stomach is still wobbly and soft like jello.

Beginners.

Today I will start at the end of a story to tell you a story. It was at the very end of our stay at Lake Roosevelt, that we stopped at an oasis. I say oasis because The Homestead Cafe is one of very few great restaurants in a remote area. There are not many shops or restaurants in the Lake Roosevelt area, so you have to bring most of the food you eat with you. It is also quite far away from any major towns. Though we had plenty to eat in the house that my mother had rented, our choices were limited. When you are living in someone else's place, sometimes it is hard to get used to the kitchen, as well. The coffee maker that was there was a mystery. The three of us: my mother, my brother, and I couldn't figure out how to turn it on! Now, trust me when I say that we are three intelligent individuals, but still, it's a bit worrying to admit that we couldn't do it. Anyway, after our relaxing vacation we headed out on Highway 2 back towards Wenatchee. On the way, we travelled through the little town of Wilbur. Right there on the main road was The Homestead Cafe, and it was breakfast time. As soon as we walked in, we felt at home. The interior was casual and very homestead-like, very woody and basic. It was clean and smelled like fresh food, a good sign. We had a big breakfast of gammon, eggs, hash browns, pancakes, and what seemed like gallons of fresh coffee. It was just what we needed. After travelling over miles and miles of flat wheat fields, the Homestead Cafe was truly an oasis.

Advanced.

 One of the things that I love most about going on vacation is the surprise factor. When we stopped in Wilbur to have breakfast, I had no idea that I would discover a fascinating local artist. She wasn't actually there, but many pieces of her art were on display in the Homestead Cafe. After chatting with our waitress, I learned that the local artist's name is Katie Densley, and she happens to be the mother of the owner of the restaurant. We ate breakfast in one room, and her art was displayed in the ajoining room. She paints landscapes and also makes sculptures out of black wire. The theme of her art showed that she very attached to Eastern Washington, the terrain, the seasons, and the climate. The cafe was the perfect setting for her art. Apparently, she has her own gallery in Wilbur, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time to visit it. It just goes to show that art is everywhere, even in remote, dry areas of Eastern Washington. One of the themes running through Katie Densley's art is the light. She shows the special colors of the setting sun on farm landscapes, and also the many abandoned farmhouses and little shacks are lit up beautifully in the evenings. It was quite a discovery.

 

 

 

Beginners.

Fishing seems to be a sport that you either love, or have nothing to do with. My father is a fisherman, and has been for most of his life. My husband also enjoys fishing during salmon season. It would be nice, though, if he caught a fish at some point.... Well, my kids love messing about in rivers and streams, as I'm sure most kids do. They have buckets and nets and kids' fishing rods. They also have the real thing. Infact, my youngest son, Robert, bought himself a tackle box with his pocket money. It is one of his treasures. Inside are various compartments for the little rubber worms, the shiny metal spinners, and the colorful floats. He proudly brought the box with him on our latest trip to Lake Roosevelt. I found it stuffed into the back of the car with the rest of the luggage. Well, it turned out that that little box was a very important part of the vacation. My brother took the three boys down to the beach each evening to fish. About the time that the sun was setting, the flies would start to come out, and the fish would start jumping. I would stay at the house with my mother and my daughter and play cards. The second to last evening, about the time that it was dark, I heard excited voices coming up the road from the beach. It was all the boys; they had caught a fish, and my goodness, they were celebrating.

Grammar notes.

Fishing vocabulary: spinners, floats, worms, to cast, hooks, the reel, bait, tackle.

Exs:

When we went fishing, the fish didn't go for the worms, but for the spinners.

After I bought my new fishing pole, I cast out, and immediately I caught a salmon.

I would have caught the fish, but the reel got stuck. It didn't turn because there was a knot on the line.

Our fishing trip was hopeless. We had brought all the fishing tackle but we had forgotten the bait!

Advanced.

The fish was presented to me as if it were a box of treasure that had just been discovered. It was a rainbow trout, only about one pound in weight, but a great prize for the boys. They begged me to let them help clean the fish. "No problem," I said, "it's a good education." So, after washing the fish, we cut it open. Then the fascination for the insides of the fish could be seen on the childrens' faces. I asked them if they wanted to see what the fish had been eating. "Yes!" they cheered in unison. So I removed the fish's stomach and very delicately cut it open. Wow! It was completely full of flies. Infact, we could see that the fish enjoyed catching and eating one particular type of fly. They were very recognizable in the top of the stomach, and further down had become mashed and mixed up. It was very interesting. Then we continued to examine the intestines. The liver was obvious, but boring compared to the colon. I hope these details are not too disgusting for you, my dear podlisteners. My kids looked on in amazement while Robert ran the knife along the fish's colon and squeezed out the....um....the digested fish. "Eww!" they all said, like a little choir. That is the same expression as "Yuck" in the U.K. Well, we finished our gory examination, washed and wrapped the fish, and put it in the fridge. By the next morning, by the time the kids were awake, their uncle Richard had it on a plate, fried up with butter and lemon.

Grammar notes.

New vocabulary: in unison, to mash, gory, recognizable.

Exs:

When I asked the boys who had broken the vase, they pointed at eachother and said, "He did it!" in unison.

To make the potato dish, the vegetable needs to be boiled and then mashed.

The film was too gory. There was too much violence, and blood and guts.

The criminal was barely recognizable. He had disguised himself very effectively.

Beginners.

As you can see, I'm back from my trip to Lake Roosevelt. We were there from Wednesday until Friday, and the time flew. It took a lot of preparation to get there; typically I overpacked some things and underpacked other things. For example: I took enough food to feed an army, but I forgot to pack toys or coloring pens for the kids, which are essentials for the evening when we have all returned from the beach. When we arrived, I opened the trunck * door, and saw that my children had thrown in fishing poles and nets, which I would have forgotten, and which happened to be very useful. The journey took about three hours. We travelled through countryside that is unusual for me: huge, flat wheat lands that seemed to go on forever. Then we passed through a massive, dry, rocky gorge. It was the type of place you imagine dinosaurs to be roaming around in. Finally, the countryside changed to more hilly and green. The trees were all pine as we approached the lake. It was beautiful, in a very Western, rugged way. After we unpacked everything, we went to the beach. The children ran and splashed, built sand castles and dug for pebbles and anything interesting. It was towards the end of the first day that one of my boys pointed to an unusual collection of objects piled in a shady area of the beach. Bones!

Grammar notes.

Preterite: fly (flew), forget (forgot), seem (seemed), go (went).

Exs:

The bird flew away from the hawk, and hid in a bush.

I forgot that I had left the car running. When I came out in the morning, the petrol and the battery had run out.

My uncle seemed tired last night. I think he has a lot on his mind.

I didn't want to go to the beach; it was too hot. So I went to the mall instead.

 Advanced.

Bones! What bones! I mean, what or who did they belong to? There weren't enough of them to reconstruct a complete skeleton, so my kids and I had to deduce whose they were, and what had happened. First of all, they were not human, thank goodness, so we weren't playing on a crime scene. Secondly, one of the bones had a certain kind of fur attached to it. Conclusion, it must have been a baby deer, a foal. The poor little thing could have died in a number of ways. The area of Lake Roosevelt is quite wild, really. There are not only lots of deer, but also moose, and the occasional predators, like coyotes. Also, the winters are very snowy, cold, and long. Unless deer come down to the human residences and eat up garden plants, their food sources can become quite limited. One of the neighbor ladies who was on the beach told me that it is difficult for the younger deer to survive the winter. Thankfully, there are so many of them, that future generations continue to thrive. But there is obviously a toll every year. My kids were fascinated with all of this, so they decided to bring the bones home. Oh great! Something else that's yucky in the house. Mind you, it could have been worse. The lady also told me that she was going for a walk one morning, and a moose walked right past her! Now, those bones would have been far too big for the car!

Grammar notes.

 Would have/ could have.

Exs:

If I'd have known that they were going to spend the night with us, I would have put clean linen on the beds.

It could have been worse. They usually bring their dogs and insist that they also sleep in the beds!

I would have loved to have taken some photos of the wheat fields, but we didn't have time to stop the car.

I'm sorry but I am away today, Friday. I have taken my children and my brother, who flew in from New Zealand recently, to a rental house on Lake Roosevelt. I have never been there before, but I will let you know all about it when I get back. Have a great weekend! Anna.

Beginners.

On the sixth of this month, I took my children to Seattle to go to the Pacific Science Center. We do not go to Seattle very often, so I thought that, now that it is summer, I should make the effort and make the three hour drive over the mountains to spend some time in that fantastic city. My children were so excited. Part of the journey was to pop in and visit my sister-in-law and her five children. Yes five! Phew! She's a smart lady; she has a nanny four days a week to help her with all the children and their busy lives. We arrived at their house at about one o'clock in the afternoon, chatted for a while, the kids played with their cousins, and then we left for the Science Museum. Three of the cousins came with us and the nanny, called Amy. I was relieved that Amy wanted to go also because I have no idea how to get around Seattle. It really helps to follow someone else who actually has an idea where they are going. I am sure that in future podcasts I will be telling you about areas of the museum that we visited; there was so much to see. However, the last section of the museum that we experienced was the butterfly sanctuary. It wasn't very big, but it was so, so beautiful. There were tropical type plants all over the place, lots of blooming flowers, protective netting walls, and most importantly, stunning butterflies fluttering around all over the place.

Grammar notes.

Preterite: to pop in/ out, to be, to chat, to come.

Exs:

My mother popped in to see me this morning to help me bake some pies.

I was ready to go to the shops early in the morning, but my children weren't.

We chatted nearly all night. It was so good to catch up with my friends.

My cousin came to visit us for Christmas.

Advanced.

As we walked into the high, humid room, I breathed a sigh of relief. Most of the day had been exhausting for me, even though it was also fun. Bringing four kids on a three hour car journey over the mountain passes, trying to negotiate my way through a city that I don't know, and then going into a museum where they took off and ran in all directions like mice that had been let out of their cages, had just about finished me off. But, then we walked into the butterfly sanctuary, and it was all stillness and quiet. "Oh, mummy look!" I heard countless times as my kids would see a delicate, fluttering beauty float past our eyes just as if we were parts of the scenery. The "oohs" and "ahs" that I heard reminded me of the "oohs" and "ahs" from the night of the 4th of July. And the reasons were similar. Surprises of sudden beauty. There was a collection of a large, brilliant blue species, some tiny, pretty black and white ones, and a black and red beauty that I was really taken with. It was such a pleasure to be quiet and take in the sights. There were very strict rules to follow inside the room: no running, no touching the butterflies, no eating or drinking, and no leaving until we had been thoroughly checked. Why would we need to be checked? Because the butterflies have the habit of landing on people without them realizing, and if those people are not checked, they could walk off with a precious creature!

Grammar notes.

Expressions: to be in the habit of, to breathe a sigh of relief.

Exs:

He was in the habit of sucking his teeth after every meal. Yuck!

I breathed a sigh of relief after the exam; it was something that I had been very concerned about.

Beginners.

Oh my goodness, we're all tired today. Thankfully it's Sunday, and there are not a lot of pressing things to do. Yesterday was the 4th of July, Independence day, here in the U.S. As you can imagine, it is an important and fun national holiday, and a great excuse to make a lot of noise. We started the celebrations, by going to a local golf club for lunch. My in-laws were there and three of our nephews. It was close to 100 degrees, so we were all pleased to jump into the swimming pool that overlooks the golf course. The children had a great time. There was also a barbecue. Hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, coleslaw, and tonnes of things to put all over the meat: onions, tomatoes, chilis, mustard etc etc. That and an ice cold drink hit the spot! I lazed by the swimming pool and watched the children splash about, giggle, and in the case of my daughter, squeal at a pitch that is not humanly possible. It was actually too hot for this english girl, so I jumped in the pool a few times to cool off. I 'hogged' the parasol, as they say here. That means that I absolutely made sure that I could be completely shaded; I was not about to be generous with the little bit of shade that was available. At about four o'clock, it was actually hotter than when we first arrived, so we headed home. I cleaned a few rooms, and my husband and our boys prepared the entertainment for the evening.

Grammar notes.

Expressions: pressing, to hog, to hit the spot, coleslaw.

Exs:

I have some pressing business today. I must get to the office early and be thoroughly prepared!

He hogged the whole sofa! He didn't let anyone sit on it!

I was really hungry before we got to the restaurant. Gosh, that fish and salad hit the spot. It was exactly what my body needed.

To make coleslaw you must do the following: shred cabbage and carrots. Add raisins, and mix with mayonnaise. It's that simple.

Advanced.

As night fell, it became beautifully bearable outside. The harsh sunshine was no longer beating down on everyone, so friends, family, and neighbors started to gather in our cul-de-sac to let off fireworks. This is a job for the men, ladies. And it's no job for the faint hearted. Each of the men had a large box or several, of all kinds of terrifying looking explosives. Rockets, blasters, bangers, screamers, and, just for those of use who actually enjoy seeing something beautiful that doesn't go "BANG!", some pretty, colorful fireworks. Chairs were lined up for people to relax and watch the show. There was pizza, cake, homemade icecream, and fresh cherries sitting on the back of a pick-up truck for anyone who fancied a bite to eat. So, one by one, the men put a firework in the middle of the empty cul-de-sac, lit it with a lighter, and quickly got out of the way. "Boom! Bang! Crash! Flash! Boom!" The noise went on and on. Some of the children would hold their ears, and the others just loved the noise, and jumped up and down with excitement. My daughter and her younger cousin wanted to stay in my house and watch from a window. I was actually pleased about that, as my head was throbbing from all the explosions. Supervision was the word for the night, I think. My sister-in-law, Lisa, watched the children like a hawk, making sure that none of them got too close to hot fireworks. In the dark, lots of accidents can take place, of course. But, thankfully, everyone was fine, and a lot of fun was had by all.

Grammar notes.

 Vocabulary: cul-de-sac, faint hearted, to fancy, to throb.

Exs:

The street where we live is not a through street, it is a cul-de-sac.

My neighbor is very faint hearted. She doesn't like loud noises, scary movies, or anything that moves quickly.

Beginners.

One of the things I really enjoy is gardening. I have a patch of vegetable garden in one of the corners of our back yard. It has four raised beds. Two of these are wide wooden boxes which my husband put together. In these I put a mixture of manure, compost, and soil, a perfect combination to grow healthy vegetables. The other two raised areas are just piles of earth, but still, they are packed with tomatoes, peppers, and raspberries. My two favorite raised beds are quite organized. They have rows of all kinds of vegetables which will very soon produce a harvest. Here's the list: beets, tomatoes, onions, peppers, strawberries, collard greens, carrots, and lettuces. And that's only the first raised bed. Then, in the second, I've got rows of green pole and bush beens, parsnips, and loads of sugar snap peas, or 'mange tout'. Now that everything is growing up nicely, I love to visit the area, pull weeds out, pick whatever is ready, and then just sit in the shade of the nearest tree and contemplate. My children help me sometimes with the watering and weeding, but most of the time I actually prefer to do it myself; it's the one area of my home that I seem to have control of!

Grammar notes.

Veggy vocabulary: parsnips, beets, collard greens, manure.

Exs:

I love to have a roast dinner. Especially when those wonderful, white, winter parsnips are available.

Beets are a very  healthy, colorful vegetable. But be careful! The purple juice stains terribly.

If you cut out the main stem of collard greens, boil them, then stir fry them in garlic and butter, you will have a meal from heaven.

It's handy having goats and chickens next door. I can ask our neighbor for some of the manure for my vegetable garden.

Advanced.

Have you ever eaten sugar snap peas? They are one of my favorite snacks. When they are in prime condition, they are green, crunchy, juicy, and sweet. Yummy! You can eat them raw or cooked. Chinese stirfries are especially good with them, as long as you don't overcook them. At the moment we have plenty growing in our vegetable patch, and only a small percentage have been harvested and eaten. A key to keeping the production up is to fertilize and give extra water just after picking the ripe ones. If you do that, the plants are strengthened to continue production. There are all kinds of tricks to getting the most out of the vegetables. My mother has always grown vegetables, and so she always has great advice for me and my garden. "Lay the tomato plant down, as if it is in bed, when you plant it. The more the stalk goes underground, the more tomatoes you will get." Wow! Is that true? Well, it's worth a try. My intention is to eventually grow the majority of the vegetables that we eat, so I need all the advice I can get. One thing that I would love to have as part of my garden is a green house, or perhaps plastic house would be better, so my kids don't break it. We have such snowy, freezing winters that it is impossible to grow anything. I could lose myself planting seeds, transplanting, tending, and harvesting.

Grammar notes.

More vegetable vocabulary: to tend, advice, transplant, percentage.

Exs:

The lady tends to her flowers while her husband tends to the sheep.

My advice to you is to go out and get a job.

Yesterday he transplanted a sapling oak to his front garden. The next day, he had a hair transplant.

I will give fifty percent of the profits to the local orphanage.

Beginners.

Grab your swimming trunks or your swimming suit and head to the nearest park to cool off this summer. Just up the road from here, a new park, paid for by Rotary, has been set up for the locals. It is in a residential area where there are lots of young families, so it is a perfect spot for kids to run around, play, and get rid of excess energy. The place is actually supposed to be a frisbee park. There is a large, oval, open area, similar to a valley, where people of all ages come and play with frisbees. Often dogs are there. Some of them are real acrobats. They jump expertly for the frisbee and return it to their owner. There is also a long cycling path all around the frisbee area. But the main attraction of this park is the huge water sprayers, a water cannon, and giant water flowers. When the temperature gets up into the nineties the children come out like bees, swarming all over. There are lots of squeals and screams, running around, laughing, and occasionally crying. In general, everyone has a great time getting wet. The parents usually avoid the water, and just sit and watch the goings on. However, every now and then, a giggling child will throw a wet piece of clothing at a mum or dad, just to make them share the experience.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: to grab, residential, acrobat, to swarm.

Exs:

Quickly, grab the child before he runs out into the road.

This area of town used to be residential, but now it is commercial; there are offices everywhere.

He climbs the tree just like an acrobat; he can jump, bend, swing, and, flip.

The bees were swarming over the field. It was a scary sight.

Advanced.

By the time we had arrived at the park, it was already full of people. I went there to meet up with my friend, Mijung, and her two boys. Two of my boys took bicycles, one took a ripstick, and my girl took her tricycle. For those of you who don't know what ripsticks are, they are similar to a skate board, but the two ends swivle in opposite directions, and that action drives the ripstick along. It's good exercise, very cool, and perfect for the frisbee park. They went around and around the park, heads down, helmets on, with look of concentration on their faces. But after a while they got hot. It was in the upper nineties, after all. So we headed over to the water area for them to cool off. Mijung and I didn't fancy getting wet, so we stayed in the shaded seating area, watching the children. After about a half hour, we heard some pleasant music. It was coming from an icecream truck. "Hey mum, can we have one please, please!" It had parked at the side of the park, and a line of children was forming to buy a cold treat. The little truck was actually painted like a cow, which was a cute idea. They brought their icecreams to the seating area and chatted with us until they finished eating. Then it was off to the playground area to climb and slide. They had cooled off enough, so they didn't need to go back in the water. It'll get hotter and hotter this summer, so there will be plenty of opportunies to come back and cool off.

 

 

Beginners.

Father's Day is celebrated here in the United States on the twenty first of June. It is a day when special attention is given to fathers. Shops are filled with cards of all sorts, thanking the fathers and grandfathers for being great people. Young children especially celebrate this day. Just as with Mother's Day, in school, the children will read about families, make cards, pictures, paintings, and small gifts for their parent. Sometimes songs will be learned and sung in a special assembly for the parents. As with any holiday here, the commercial side of it is huge. You can see this reflected in the advertisements in the newspapers and on television. "Father's Day sale at your local hardware store. All drills 50% off!" Fathers are supposed to like and use drills more than anyone else, so it is a good time to advertise and encourage gift buying. Restaurants, hairdressers, clothing stores, and even golf courses advertise special discounts on gifts or services for these special guys. My husband gets hand made cards from our children, usually with a gift of milk chocolate, his favorite. The words of appreciation in the cards are very cute. They range anything from, "I love you dad for playing baseball with me," to "When I grow up, I want to mow the lawn just like you do."

Grammar notes.

 Useful words: assembly, commercial, hardware, drill, discount.

Exs:

The children put on a special assembly for the end of school. They sang songs, danced, and read about what they had learned.

This national holiday has become so commercial that I don't like it any more. It's all about spending money!

I need to make a trip to the hardware store. I need a lot of tools.

I need to make some holes in the wall to hang the curtains. Get the drill, would you please?

There is a wonderful sale in the local clothing store. All the clothes are at a 50% discount.

Advanced.

Warning: the next section of this podcast is fast and crazy. Don't panic, I will slow it down the second time so you can pick up some of the slang and humor. This dialogue is actually taken from the Father's Day card that my children bought for my husband. The two characters are called Yo-yo and Hoops. They are reading a checklist of the father's good qualities. Try to read the text while you listen, especially the second time when I slow it down. Good luck!

"Okay, fertilize lawn in a timely manner."    "Check!"

"Sees to our plumbing needs."                    "Check!"

"Expert bug squasher."                               "Check!"

"Master griller of all manners of meat."        "Check!"

"Most loving, caring, do anything for us dad in the whole wide world?"

                                                                 "Check!"

"Duh! Man! Oh-ho! Checkarooni! Was that even a question? I don't know. Check waiter!"

 Grammar notes.

Yo-yo and Hoops' vocabulary: fertilize, timely, plumbing, squash, to grill, the whole wide world, duh.

Exs:

Our lawn is looking very yellow. I think we need to fertilize it.

They arrived at work everyday in a timely manner.

Our tap is leaking. Honestly, the plumbing in this house is terrible.

She accidentally dropped the bananas as she was walking. She squashed two of them.

Put the barbecuer on please. I want to grill some hot dogs.

Even if I travelled the whole wide world, I would never find someone who I love as much as you.

Person 1: "Is the weather nice?"

Person 2: " Duh! It's July. Of course it's nice!"

 

Beginners.

Ellensburg is a town that is about an hour and a half's drive from Wenatchee. If you take the main road towards Seattle, you will find it on the way. The town is situated in a very wide valley that is pretty and green, especially at the moment because of spring rains and snow melt. We spent this last weekend there because my second son,Cass, took place in the All Stars Championship tournament. It was all very exciting. There were quite a few other teams from different towns, all sporting their different colors. They all looked very smart. All the parents and other family members turned up in the seating areas with baseball hats, fold-out chairs, blankets, snacks, and lots of energy to cheer the teams on. The matches took place at a facility called the Rotary Park. Rotary had raised many funds to pay for this large area of fields to be converted into a sports ground for baseball and soccer. It was all very nicely done, neat, clean, and organized. Well, the matches took place, and our Wenatchee team got into the final. The boys were so excited! Oh, but the emotions were up and down. Sometimes the ball was hit well, and other times it wasn't. Sometimes the opponents' balls were caught out, and other times they were dropped. We parents cheered and moaned, moaned and cheered. Finally, the last inning came and went, and our team took second place. But well done to them! They had worked hard all weekend.

Grammar notes.

Preterite practice: to spend time, to take place, to turn up.

Exs:

We spent a lot of time with our cousins this vacation.

The concert took place out in the open, near a forest.

The guests turned up an hour early; the party wasn't ready at all.

Advanced.

 One sight that you may be lucky enough to see near Ellensburg, in Kittitas county, is that of wind turbines. They have become a familiar feature in that area, and are giving the town the reputation of green and forward thinking. On visiting Ellensburg recently, I realised just why wind turbines are a good idea on the surrounding hills. The wind, out on the plains of the sports facility, was unyielding. It literally didn't stop. Spring, I know, in many towns, is windy. But the wind around Ellensburg is a power to be reckoned with. That is exactly why state incentives have pushed for the setting up of these giant, white wind machines. There has, of course, been some resistance to the project. Some locals believe that some views are ruined because of these great whirling towers. But, the question is, are they worth it? How much clean energy do they actually produce? Bearing in mind that the average U.S. household uses 10,000 kWh of electricity per year, a 5-MW turbine can produce more than 15 million kWH of electricity per year. That is enough to power about 1,400 houses. Excess electricity can be sold back to the national power grid (which is the national supply). Apparently, if the wind speed is 12 miles per hour or more, it is worth installing a wind turbine. It is certainly a growing trend here in the U.S. There is a lot a land on which turbines can be placed, and a lot of windy areas, like the West coast and Texas, where this energy can be produced. With the need for alternative sources of energy, these large, spinning statues are quickly becoming a welcome source of power.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: a trend, a feature, unyielding, a force (power) to be reckoned with, to bear in mind.

Exs:

Jeans with a very low waist-line are still the trend in jeans.

Her eyes are her best feature.

The army was unyielding; it continued to press forward all day, inspite of casualties.

That boxer is a force to be reckoned with; he will be a challenge to anyone.

He will help you fix your car, but please bear in mind that he has a bad back.

Beginners.

Welcome back to The Tour of Homes. We are still in the kitchen, but today, instead of going over vocabulary related to furniture and appliances, lets get on with some cooking. Now, what is cooking without herbs and spices? They make our food so interesting! I have a variety in my kitchen cabinet, all in one place. Often people will have a spice drawer. It's a way to organize all of the spices so you can find what you are looking for immediately. Some of the dishes I cook are fairly simple and don't require herbs or spices, but the most interesting ones always need a few. My Spanish mother cooks a traditional tomato sauce which you may have read about. As far as herbs and spices, it has oregano, parsley, pimiento and chili powder. If you look further back on the blog page you will find a podcast all about it. Another dish that we eat often is a chicken and rice dish. I actually don't have a name for it, but if you listen more, you can learn the ingredients, and try it for yourself.

Advanced.

The ingredients you will need are:

2 cups of rice

3 cups of water

1/2 lb lean chicken breast

1 1/2 cubes of chicken stock

1 medium onion

3 tbs oil

salt, pepper, turmeric, and chili powder to taste

You start by peeling and chopping the onion into very small pieces, as small as possible. Cook on low heat in the oil, stirring occasionally, and cover with a saucepan lid. Do not allow to brown. On the chopping board, remove any skin from the chicken, and chop into very small pieces, slightly larger than the onion pieces. Optionally, you can cut into short slices. Stirfry with the onion until there is a slight browning. Add the dry rice and stir. Add water and chicken stock. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, and chili powder, reserving some turmeric and chili powder for the top. Stir thoroughly and let simmer with lid on top until rice is cooked. Do not stir while it is cooking. Every few minutes, check the water level, making sure that the frying pan does not lack water. Top up with water until rice is cooked. When cooked, sprinkle with more turmeric. Serve while hot or chilled.

This is the kind of dish that can be served as a side dish, with a salad, or even a main dish. If you can think of a good name for it, let me know.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to brown, to stirfry, reserving, thoroughly, to lack, top up.

Exs:

The mushrooms we ate last night were browned to perfection.

In my favorite chinese dish, about twenty vegetables are stirfried.

After I made the cake, I reserved some of the chocolate for shavings for the top.

We walked home in the storm. By the time we reached the house, we were thoroughly soaked.

I think, what this soup lacks, is salt.

At the service station I topped up the car with gas/ petrol.

 

Beginners.

Scotland forms part of the United Kingdom. It is the northern most country of the group, and takes up about a third of the overall territory. Its southern border is with England. On the east side, it borders with the North Sea, on the north and west sides with the Atlantic, and southeast with the Irish Sea. Scotland also has seven hundred and ninety islands. It is famous for the Highlands, a very mountainous area where you can find the highest mountain in the U.K, Ben Nevis, sometimes called The Ben, which is four thousand four hundred and nine feet above sea level. Many people visit and climb 'The Ben' every year. There are two ways to do so: a pony track, or the much harder seven hundred meter cliffs of the north face. Scotland is also famous for its lakes, or 'lochs', of which there are many. The most famous is Loch Ness where, legend has it, there is a monster. The Central lowlands are rich in minerals, and were the center of the industrial revolution of this land. The capital, Edinburgh is found here. Then there are the Southern uplands which are hilly with many valleys. Because of its location on the globe, Scotland is temperate and has oceanic weather systems. It is changeable weather. The western side is milder and sunnier because of the Atlantic Gulf Stream. The western highlands receive over 120 inches of rain every year, and certain, mountainous areas in the north experience a lot of snow.

 Advanced.

The history of Scotland is fascinating. The first settlers are believed to have built stone houses and communities about 9000 years ago. The first major invasion was by the Romans in the first century. However, the Romans didn't have a lot of luck with the scottish tribes who resisted them, first in the Highlands, and then in the Southern lowlands. The Romans built Hadrian's wall, a rock wall that still exists, partially in ruin, but that extends over the width of the northern most part of England. This was to establish control, and to protect the Romans against attacks from the scottish tribes. By the sixth century, the Kingdom of the Picks or Scotland was established, with English, Gaelic, and Norwegian settlers in the south, west, and north. The country was not yet united until about the thirteenth century. French and English influence because of immigration pushed back the Gaelic language from the south. After the last scottish king died, Alexander 3rd, and his only heir, England became involved, trying to claim a right to the land. This led to the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1320 Scotland finally pushed out the English and formed the first declaration of independence which forced the English crown to accept their nationhood. Scotland continued to suffer wars with England, a civil war, its own James V1 king of Scots inheriting the crown of England, and then finally in 1707 the formation of the United Kingdom of Britian.  Scotland now is self governing and has representation in the U.K governement.

Beginners.

For a few years, the city of Wenatchee has been introducing sculptures to the towns people. Every now and then, as I am walking along, I will see a new one. Some of them have been bought by the local council, but others are on loan; they will be in our town for a few months, and then go to another town for a while. It is a great idea. It is also something that is quite unexpected. As you are driving along, or walking through a park, you can randomly see very unusual and often beautiful sculptures. The most recent one that I noticed in a local park is a humming bird. It is appropriate for this area as we have lots of those birds in the summer months. If you have enough of the right kinds of flowers and bushes, you will certainly have a tiny, winged visitor come into your garden. I have a butterfly bush which gets big every year. They love it. If you are very still and quiet, you can sit and watch this little, beautiful creature dart from one flower to another. Its wings beat so fast that you can't even see them. It is like a visit from a fairy; it's quite magical.

Grammar notes.

Verbs in present and past continuous:

Exs:

They have been introducing art into the community.

She is wanting to find a second hand car; new ones are too expensive.

I (had been) was hoping to find a job immediately, but it took longer.

 

Advanced.

The other day, I went for a walk in the local park called Walla Walla. An interesting name, isn't it? It is actually the name of a town that is somewhere in this state, but quite far from here. It sounds as if it might be a native american indian name. Wenatchee is one of those names. Before settlers came this far west, there was a tribe of native american indians called the Wenatchi tribe. They lived nearby this desert valley, surviving on fish and mountain animals, such as deer, and smaller mamals. The Columbia river provided their water needs. Infact, the name Wenatchi means 'River that comes from canyons.' When the settlers came here, the indians were unfortunately dispersed, and, I believe, their tribe no longer exists. However, all over this state, you can find special land reserves for the tribes that still exist. There are also many museums, statues, and relics dedicated to the many different indian tribes of this state. In the nearby town of Cashmere, there is a museum with bone tools that are eleven thousand years old, showing that natives or nomadic tribes spent time here during the last ice age. There is another city, about an hour and a half away, that has a very native sounding name: Yakima. I think the original name had an accent, or an emphasis on the 'i', so the original word sounds like Yakima. It's fascinating what a name can reveal, isn't it?

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: settlers, tribe, native, to disperse, reserve, nearby.

Exs:

Many of the European settlers didn't know how to survive. They had to rely on help from the indians.

Their family is so big, it looks like a tribe.

She is a native of Norway.

The seeds of the plant disperse and become new plants quickly.

Just down the road from us is a nature reserve.

We don't have Italian restaurants in this town; there are two, though, in a nearby town.

Beginners.

The heat is definitely up, here in the eastern side of the North West. Even in the schools, cool activities are organised to keep the kids comfortable. Because this week is the last of the school year, Splash Day is one of the fun days available to the children. It is a day of putting on your swimming trunks and a spare t-shirt, and taking part in about 10 different water activities. Even though there is no swimming pool at the school, the playing field is organised into different stations where watery games are played. I went with my daughter to help out and take photos. We arrived after lunch, just in time to see the huge crowd of third through fifth graders line up and listen to the P.E. teacher give instructions. "No jumping on other people in the little pools. Tidy up your station when I blow the whistle, and follow normal school rules." And off they went. It was all very well organised, with teachers and volunteers helping out. The kids spent about fifteen minutes at each station, had fun, got wet, and then moved to the next station.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: definitely, available, spare, volunteer.

Exs:

That  boy is definitely the fastest runner in the school.

I don't need my car tomorrow, so it is available if you need it.

The kind gentleman helped me put the spare tire on my car; actually, he had his own spare tire on his stomach!

We need more volunteers at school to help in the classrooms.

Advanced.

 Station one was the 'Slip and slide'. This is basically a long, wide, piece of plastic that has been sprayed with lots of water. To make things interesting, it can be placed on a hill, and you can always add soap to it if you want to make it more slippery. The children line up and then take turns running and jumping on it. Woosh! They can get up to quite a speed. Look out below! The next station was called 'Chicken Delivery.' The aim of the game is to run with a rubber chicken, as fast as you can, past a line of people on either side of the track. The people on either side have large, soft balls that they throw at you while you run. If you get hit, you have to sit down, and you don't get a point. Somebody else from your team has to run up, grab your chicken, and continue to the end. If you don't get hit, you get a point. It's great fun. All the children get very excited, and sometimes the balls get thrown quite hard. It's just as well  that they are very soft. One of the other stations was the 'Water Balloon Station.' A willing victim sits in a chair with a water balloon hanging right over his head. The balloon is attached to a metal device that will pop the balloon if it is hit by a ball. The other children line up for a chance to throw the ball at the target. Most of the time, the victim (or, as we say the 'Guinea Pig') stays dry. But when the thrower has a good aim, splash! Cold water right on the head!

Grammar notes.

 Useful verbs: to spray, to slip, to aim, to grab.

Exs:

I had just sprayed some expensive perfume on, when I went outside and got sprayed by a skunk!

She slipped on a banana skin and broke her foot!

The gunman aimed his rifle, but he completely missed the target.

The thief (robber) grabbed my handbag while I was standing outside a shop. Lucky for me, I had my money in my jeans pocket.

Beginners.

The other day, I was driving along when I saw a man dancing on the side of the road. It wasn't something that I hadn't seen before. This man stands on the side of the main road and dances around waving a sign. This sign advertises pizza. The shop that he works for makes fresh pizzas by the dozen, and sells them for only five dollars each. Mind you, those pizzas are just plain old pepperoni. If you want anything special, like vegetables or chicken, you have to pay extra. It is an interesting sight, a man dancing away with earphones in his ears connected to an ipod, waving a big sign at the traffic. Infact, the other day, the temperature was very close to a hundred degrees. It was unbearably hot outside. Most people were staying in, out of the heat. Thank goodness for air conditioning! When it gets that hot, you stay inside a cool building, or a cooled car. You certainly don't go outside for very long, and if you do, you definitely don't dance. This man is quite incredible. And, you know, he does the business. Lots of people see his sign moving around, so a few feet further, they turn off the road, park the car, and go and buy a pizza or two.

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: by the dozen, away (to dance/ sing/ talk etc away), unbearably hot/ cold.

Exs:

I have been receiving bills every day by the dozen!

The two lovers danced away into the night.

The restaurant was unbearably hot, but outside was unbearably cold.

Advanced.

You know, the U.S is a highly commercial place to live. Everywhere you go there are obvious advertisements for something to buy, something to eat, or something to do. Our local pizza guy is a case in point. He must be one of the toughest men around. Not only does he have a job that keeps him moving, dancing all day, but he does it outside, in any weather, and in any season. That might not seem very drastic to you, but here in Wenatchee, the temperatures get to over a hundred degrees in the summer, and easily to below freezing during the winter. Since he first started working, I have noticed that he has lost weight and become quite muscular. He now also has a good tan. The other day, I drove past him and thought, "He would make a perfect subject for a podcast." So, I turned into the parking lot that was right next to him, parked, and  briefly asked his permission for a photo. He was very polite and agreable. Infact, he asked me how I wanted him to pose. I said, "Oh, you can keep on moving if you want," so he did. He twisted and turned, and spun around  and jumped. He is serious about his job. Either that, or he is addicted to it, and can't stop moving. Either way, I hope that he is paid well. His attitude, adopted nationally, would mean an end to the U.S. problem of obesity!

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: a case in point, not only, I have noticed.

Exs:

Crime is getting worse. Our town is a case in point.

Not only is he handsome, he is kind and intelligent!

He knows a lot about politics, but I have noticed that he doesn't have many friends.

 

After Thomas Black discovered the Whitcome grave, the church bell incident loomed large in his mind. He had been ready to dismiss the event entirely, but now he felt as though there was an intruder in the village, a prankster perhaps. Whoever it was, he was not welcome. The uncovering of the grave was deliberate, he was sure, and it had happened just when the village was settling back into its normal routine.

When Thomas walked into his workshop that same afternoon, Jeffrey Mullins, his head carpenter and delivery man, greeted him with, "I see the ladies are chasing after you, boss." Thomas just made a quick questioning nod but said nothing. "Oh, she was a beauty," continued Mullins with a stupidly wide grin, his teeth surprisingly white against his rugged, tanned face. "Wasn't she Pat?" he called to a man across the room who didn't look up from his work, but who replied in a monotone voice, "Oh yeh, she was a beauty alright, if you like them old, fat, and ugly." Mullins cackled loudly and slapped his thigh. "Someone came to see me?" asked Thomas impatiently. "Yep, she said she'd be in the cafe," said Mullins, turning over a table. "Why couldn't she place an order with either of you?" continued Thomas. "It's not an order she wants boss," replied Mullins eyes wide theatrically, "she's after you."

The cafe was empty when Thomas walked in. He could hear plates being stacked in the kitchen and a radio playing music. The room was warm, and smelled like fresh bread. A lady was sitting at a table in the far corner of the room looking right at him. He walked over, "Ma'm, Thomas Black. You wanted to see me?" She looked at him with beautiful, twinkly light blue eyes that searched his. "I'm sorry to take you away from your work, Mr. Black. But I have something tell you that might interest you. The name is Theo, Theo Whitcome. Please would you join me?" she said, offering him the chair opposite hers.

Thomas said nothing but sat down. "I'm surprised we haven't met. I live on the outskirts of town; got a few acres with sheep and crops. It's a small farm, but it does me just fine. It used to be bigger mind you..." she trailed off and looked out of the window. The afternoon sun accentuated the deep lines on her face and made her very grey hair glow. "Yes, I'm a Whitcome. There's no problem with that. But the story about poor Peter is true, you know. He was jilted by the loveliest silly girl in town. Oh, it's no new story, and it happened more than a life time ago. But the heart of that poor young man broke so badly, it destroyed our family. It was the shame of it. It drove most of the Whitcome's away, what with the loss of business and having to sell most of our land. My parents stayed; they were second cousins." Thomas hung on her words. He had completely forgotten about work, and no longer felt any irritation. "So it was you who uncovered the grave?" he asked. "The Whitcome's grave you mean?" asked Theo. Thomas nodded. "Ah! I know the fool who did that," she said banging the table. "There could be more trouble coming to the village, Mr. Black. Do you have an ear that's ready to listen?"

What an important place the kitchen is. Two weeks ago we covered some of the basic areas of the kitchen; do you remember them? Where do we store the cups and plates? The cabinets of course. And, what would we use if we wanted to make a milkshake? A blender. Good; I'm glad you remembered. Well, how about where all the action takes place? All the washing of vegetables, hands, and dishes, takes place in the kitchen sink. There is an interesting expression in English about this item. A humorous way of saying "everything" or "more than everything" we say "the kitchen sink". For example: I packed everything but the kitchen sink when we went on vacation." Obviously it means that the suitcase was packed with so many things, even unnecessary items.

Well, talking about the kitchen sink, there are many different materials one can be made out of: stainless steel, enamel, and plastic. The faucet or tap often has a spout that can turn the normal flow of water into a shower, or an aerated flow. This cuts down on wasting water, and often has a wider spread to touch more items than a narrow flow. The things we use in the sink are: sponges, scrubbing brushes, brillo pads (which are metal wool used for heavy duty cleaning of burnt on food), bottle washers, and wash cloths. We need all of these things to be well prepared for clean up.

Then there is the cooker, as we say in England. Here in the U.S, they generally call it the oven, even though that is just part of what it is. This is the most important appliance. On top, you have the range, with the heated rings. As you know, these can be either gas or electric. The oven is generally underneath. Sometimes, a separate grill or broiler (Am) is between the range and the oven, or the oven is multi-functional and will grill as well. A warming zone is often right under the oven. Here you can keep plates and larger dishes warm. The verbs that we use with the cooker are: boil, heat (up), simmer (which means to cook on low), fry, stirfry, stir, grill, bake, and roast. I'm sure there are more. I will let you know as I remember them.

Before we actually start cooking anything, we must do the all important preparation. For this we need a chopping board, mixing bowls, spatulas, wooden spoons, kitchen knives, a whisk, a cheese grater, a carrot peeler, and measuring cups and spoons. We can get the cook book out to follow a recipe if we don't remember what to do, or if we want to try something new. Now, do you fancy something sweet or savory? Do you have the necessary ingredients? How many people are you going to cook for? If you are lucky enough, you might have an oven that you can preset. That means that you put in a time for the oven to come on, so you put the food in it, go off and do something else, and when you are ready to come home and eat, voila, the food is ready. Oh, I'm in the mood to cook. I love to bake. I also love making roast dinners with loads of vegetables. Next time we visit the kitchen, we will make something together, but until then, I've got some washing up to do.

Grammar notes.

 Useful expressions: lucky enough, to fancy, generally, to cut down on, everything but the kitchen sink.

Exs:

I was lucky enough to get the job even though the other candidates were more qualified.

I really fancy fish today. I think the supermarket gets a fresh load today.

That restaurant generally serves high quality food. Only once have I been disappointed.

I must cut down on sugar. I have dental problems, and have recently put on some weight.

Whenever my mother comes to visit, she brings everything but the kitchen sink in her suitcase.

Beginners.

On Mondays, Domini has her music class after her normal preschool curriculum. It is an extra class that has been added on to the end of the morning, so children can learn a few things about the world of music. She has enjoyed it immensely this year. There are only a few children in the class, but they are all buddies, and they have certainly learned a lot. The teacher, Miss Laura, told us that the last day of class would be party day. Parents were invited to join in the fun and to see what the children had learned during the year. We sat in the sunny playing area of the school while teacher Laura got out all the goodies from her basket: cookies, apple juice, instruments, cards, and colorful scarves. She had everything planned. The children started by parading around, waving the scarves to a certain beat. Then she read a story about a bear which rhymed. Musical notes came next. And finally, the children told us about composers. We finished off the party with juice and cookies while we sat in the sun and chatted. Unfortunately, teacher Laura won't be back next year. I'm sure Domini will miss her.

Grammar notes.

Preterite: to sit (sit, sat, sat), to get (get, got, got)* american = gotten, to tell (tell, told, told).

Exs:

He sat and waited for the train, but when it came, he had fallen asleep.

I finally got the shoes I wanted. I had to wait until the end of the season for them to go on sale.

I told him to be careful with the china. Well, there's another plate in the bin!

Advanced.

My calendar has lots of check marks. They have been put there by my children who are counting the days until the long, long vacation starts. In many schools, teachers are wrapping up their classes and giving parties for the end of term. My daughter, who is still in preschool, had a party the other day. I was lucky enough to attend. It was an unusual party, a music party. She has been doing a music class once a week in her little preschool called Seeds. The curriculum was called Music and Me ABC. Each week the teacher read them stories that had something to do with music. They would move and dance to different types of music, and learn about music symbols, rhythm, and even composers. Sometimes, when I would turn up to pick up my daughter, they would still be finishing up the class. At the end of each class, they sing a "goodbye" song that has a great beat. Each child would be sitting on the floor, cross legged, swaying to the music, and singing along with the teacher. They would also have a special treat most weeks of being able to take home a percussion instrument. Great for the kids, - not so great for the parents!

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary and phrases: to count the days, curriculum, to turn up, to finish up.

Exs:

I am counting the days until the ballet. I can't wait to see it!

I am not very pleased with the school. It's curriculum is old fashioned and limited.

We were waiting at the restaurant for almost an hour! She turned up as we were leaving!

Please finish up the dessert. It won't keep until tomorrow.

 

Beginners.

Two weeks ago we learned about Andorra, one of the smallest countries on the planet. Today, we will get to know a little about the biggest country in the world, mighty Russia. It measures over six and a half million square miles, and takes up an eighth of the Earth's land mass. Because it is so huge, its coastline boarders on fifteen seas, two of which are the Pacific and the Arctic oceans. It shares some of its boarders with thirteen other countries. There are about one hundred and forty two million people living there, mainly in European Russia, which is the part of the country that is closest to Europe. There you can find a concentration of cities such as the capital, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Stalingrad, and also those of southwestern Siberia. The climate in Russia is difficult to summarize. Because there are vast areas of land which are far from the sea, these areas have extremely cold winters and extremely hot summers, with spring and autumn being short. The coastal areas are more regulated by the sea breezes. Siberia, to the north, has an obvious arctic influence, and has only one month of summer in the far north. However, in its sunny southern area, there is a very large population, and successful farming.

Advanced.

It is difficult to sum up history of such an enormous and ancient country as Russia in a simple paragraph, so I will just hit upon some of the major historical points. Russia, up until the sixth century, was inhabited by nomadic tribes. Peoples from Iran and Turkey settled in the south, but were overrun by Vikings who established power. In the tenth century, the Russian leader Vladimir was converted to christianity. For two hundred years, the Russian Orthodox Church thrived, until the Mongols took over. They were expelled in the fifteenth century and the first Tsar, "Ivan the Terrible" declared himself supreme ruler. The last of the Tsars, Nicholas the second abdicated and was assassinated in 1917, giving way to the Communist Party under Lenin. Russia then endured a civil war, huge losses in the Second World War, and then the Cold War. The Soviet Union was officially dissolved in 1991, and formed a Commonwealth of Independent States. Russia has the largest reserves of natural gas in the world, and is very rich in many minerals. Wealth is bringing transforming power, and infrastructural and social changes are being experienced as a result. This vast and rapidly changing country is closely watched by the rest of the world because of its 'super' status, influence, and modernization.

Beginners.

Well, it's time for a new dog. For the past year, we have been a one dog family. But, you know, our dog, Rosie, is a wildly social lady. She goes crazy any time she meets another dog, a cat, a mouse, or a bird, let alone a human. But, the trouble is, she's a pack animal like all dogs. They like to have company. During the day, when my husband is at work, the kids are at school, and I am out and about running errands, she is alone. She gets plenty of attention when we are back together, however. So, one of my sons nagged me into going to the pound for a visit. The whole family ended up going. After looking in the various rooms where dogs are kept, we concluded that there wasn't much to pick from. Most of the dogs were large, old, and of the type of breeds that have bad reputations. The poor creatures. I didn't want to imagine their fate; people usually want puppies, or at least a breed that looks cute. Anyway, just as we were leaving, one of the volunteer teenagers brought in a dog. They had just been outside going for a walk. I looked at her, and then looked again because she was a beautiful mix of colors, and looked very healthy and clean. My husband said, "That's the one. It's a Blue Heeler." Needless to say, after a walk together and a play with the family, we made our decision.

Grammar notes.

 Vocabulary: creature, to have company, breed, reputation.

Exs:

The tiger is such a magnificent creature. It is beautiful and powerful!

It's time that you had some company. It's not good to be alone.

That breed of dog is too violent. I want one that is quiet and gentle.

Advanced.

If, when you are learning English, you are lucky enough to visit an English speaking nation, one of the things you will notice is that people in those countries are crazy about dogs. "A dog is a man's best friend," is the saying. And you will see them everywhere. It has become an obsession with a lot of people. Even in this town where I live, there are doggy grooming salons and a doggy hotel! Perhaps it shows the trend in an affluent society of having less children and more money to spend on entertainment. Dogs have always been valued in farming communities because of the work that they can do, and, to a certain extent, the protection they can provide for their owners. Intruders are warned off by barking, as are predatory animals like cougars and bears. But, dogs nowadays are certainly pampered in ways that are quite unnatural. Having a hair cut is one thing, but beauty pageants? Having their nails clipped is necessary, but a manicure? Or should I call it a pawicure? Well, anyway, if people want to spend all their money pampering and spoiling an animal, that is their business. I was just happy to find a suitable playmate for Rosie. We ended up calling her Foxy because she looks like a cross between a fox and a wolf. She is very intelligent, and has beautiful markings. And her coat is soooo soft!

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: doggy hotel, to groom, trend, intruder.

Exs:

We are going on vacation next month, so we will leave our dog in a doggy hotel.

That man is poorly groomed. His hair is messy, his clothes are dirty, and he needs to brush his teeth.

The trend nowadays is to buy the largest house possible even if you can barely afford it. It is such a risk.

There was an intruder in the neighborhood last night. A police dog caught him!

 

Beginners.

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May. It is to remember all the soldiers that have died in the various wars around the world, even the Civil War which started in 1861 and ended in 1865. The tradition started in this country because of the Civil War, and was expanded after the First World War. Normally, people visit cemeteries and put flowers on the graves of loved ones, even those who weren't soldiers. The graves of soldiers are decorated with flags. It has become a tradition at 3pm local time, that a formal service of remembrance takes place. The President of the U.S will usually visit a famous cemetery and make a speech, and then all across the country, there will be similar services performed by officials of the local government. Though the official day for observing Memorial Day was May 30th, it has become a tradition of celebrating it early and making it into a three-day weekend holiday. Many people plan a short vacation get-a-way. The roads become very busy with families picnicking, travelling to different towns, and also flying to other destinations.

 

Related vocabulary: to observe, to expand, remembrance, cemetery, get-a-way.

Exs:

It is a tradition to observe that special day. We usually get together with friends and family for a barbecue.

Her waist has expanded quite a bit because she eats too many desserts.

Remembrance Day reminds us of the great sacrifices that some have made for us.

It was such a dark, windy night, that the couple didn't realize that they had stumbled into a creepy cemetery.

I need a get-a-way. Where can we fly cheaply just a few days?

Advanced.

Seeing a cemetery filled with flags fluttering in the wind is quite a sight. It makes you stop and think. And that, of course, is the point to the day, to stop and think. In England we celebrate Poppy Day which has the same reason as Memorial Day. Poppy Day, however, is observed on 11th of November, as that is the day that the First World War came to an end. Other countries such as Canada and New Zealand also use poppies to observe this day. But why poppies? The reason we use poppies is because a soldier of the First World War, John McCrae, who was a canadian, wrote a poem called In Flanders Fields. Flanders fields were full of poppies, and so, that flower, being a meaningful blood red color, became adopted as the memorial flower. McCrae wrote the poem after witnessing his best friend die in the trenches. He actually threw the poem away, but another soldier found the paper and sent in to a London-based newspaper called Punch. The rest is history. Here in the U.S, the flag is the most well known symbol for Memorial Day because of the reunification of the United States after the civil war. It is very patriotic, but the sentiment behind the symbol is just as strong as the blood colored poppy.

Letters on the grave.

Since the stranger's visit at Cranshawe's cafe, rumors were buzzing around the village. Was what he had said actually true? Who was he? How did he know so much about this old, sad story? And what had happened to Peter Whitcome's family?

"You know, it's really about time we put this whole incident behind us," said Reverend Holtworth in his church office. Thomas Black had come by to tell him the latest rumors. He actually felt a bit childish reporting the stranger's tale, but, on the other hand, he felt that the vicar should know what was being talked about. "I've no doubt some idiot was up there in the bell tower and disappeared before we got there. And now, well, you know village stories. They just get bigger and bigger," said Thomas appologetically, seeing a look of irritation growing on the vicar's face. "Well, we've both got work to do, Thomas, but I appreciate you letting me know. I've got a regional meeting in an hour, and a wedding to do out of town this afternoon," said the vicar putting on his overcoat. "I hear you," said Thomas, "I've got orders up to my ears; business is good at the moment. We can hardly turn out enough cabinets; everyone seems to want them." He followed the vicar out of the church and to the parking lot. "We've got a lot to be thankful for," said the vicar out of his window as he drove off.

Thomas stood and watched him leave. He considered him a good friend. The Black family had been church men for generations, vicars even. Thomas was the first to break that tradition. He had a passion for wood, and building, so as he was a straight forward man, he had set up his own business and done well. But he had an attachment to things of the church, and would help out where and when he could. He took a deep breath, taking in the view of the village that he loved so much. Everything was green or in flower, and the air was heavy with the smells of the season. As he turned his head to look at the trees in the graveyard, his eye caught a light, dry spot among the graves. He walked over and saw that a large clump of ivy had been pulled back from what looked like a very old grave. He bent down and wiped the earth away from the lettering. W-H-I-T-C-O-M-E. He stood up quickly, eyes wide, and he looked around, to see if anyone else was close by. It must have been a recent uncovering, because the ivy roots were not completely dry.

Where do we start with the kitchen? There is so much to talk about. Many people say that it is the center of family life. The kitchens that I will describe are those that I have seen and been in in England and the U.S. To start with, a kitchen will often have a water resistant floor: tile, wood, or vinyl. If you drop food or liquids, it's no problem. Just wipe it all up and wash with soapy water. Cabinets are a big thing here in the U.S. They are the cupboards and drawers that you find in the kitchen. I have noticed in the past few years, that the cabinets are quite a status symbol here. The kind of wood that you use, and the stain on the wood both determine the elegance of the kitchen. The most popular kinds of wood at the moment are cherry, fir, and maple, though the traditional oak is still used a lot as well. The hardware for the cabinets, the handles and hinges, also come in a variety of materials: plastic, glass, bronze, brass, chrome, ceramic and others. You can really make a statement with cabinets, or you can keep them simple and functional. The stain on a cabinet is a kind of permanent color wash. They are used to bring out the grain of the wood, and to add a touch of any color.

So, what do we put inside the cabinets? All sorts of things. Anything from the heavy kitchen equipment like the food processor, the blender, the juicer, the slow cooker, and the waffle maker. Then there are the pots and pans like the frying pan, the wok, baking dishes, and casserole dishes. If you know much about cooking, you will know that there are many other small pieces of kitchen equipment: the sieve, the cheese grater, cake pans, the garlic crusher, and the list goes on and on. Cutlery or the silverware are stored in the various drawers, and there is usually a separate drawer for the larger kitchen cultery, such as the wooden or cooking spoons, spatulas, carving or chopping knives, serving spoons and hand held whiskers. Gosh, we can certainly do a lot of cooking with all of this equipment. Of course, there is no point cooking unless we have something to put the food on. The dinner plates, side/ salad plates, dessert and cereal bowls, glasses, cups, saucers, china, and wine glasses all have to be stored in cabinets as well.

There is so much to talk about when we are in the kitchen. And we haven't even cooked anything yet! We will continue our Tour of Homes in the kitchen the week after next when we will spend some time talking about the main appliances that we use every single day, and the verbs and vocabulary that go with them.

Sorry everyone, there will be no podcast today as I haven't been feeling well. Tomorrow, however, I will be back with the fourth in the series of the Tour of Homes. Thanks!

Beginners.

Andorra is one of the smallest countries in Europe. It is high up in the Pyrenees. If you look at the map of Europe, you can see that it lies exactly between France and Spain. It is a very mountainous area that has spectacular views. Though it is snow-covered for six months of the year, summers are warm and dry. Its capital is Andorra la Vella. Its area is about 174 square miles, and its population is close to 80 thousand. Though Catalan is the official language, there are many French and Spanish speakers as well. The river Valira splits into two and flows south, traveling through valleys and gorges. Several things make Andorra very famous. First, it is a tourist destination. About 12 million tourists go there every year. Wow! That's a huge amount of income and traffic for a relatively small place. Most of the tourists go to ski. A lot of mountain climbing takes place all around, especially on the highest peak which is called Coma Pedrosa at just under 10 thousand feet. Its a healthy place to live! Infact, secondly, it is the country that has the highest life expectancy: 85 years.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: spectacular, official, to split, destination, peak.

Exs:

The performance was spectacular! What music! What special effects!

Their marriage is not official. They still have to sign the papers.

Let's split (share) our company's profits.

The last destination of the tour is the castle.

The climbers went up one peak after another. They enjoyed the tremendous views.

Advanced.

 The history of Andorra is interesting because of its geographical location. The original tribe of Andorra was apparently the Andosinos who lived in the area for thousands of years. In 1278, the government was shared between Spain and France. But then in the sixteenth century, control was handed over to France. However, in 1993, the first democratic elections were held, and the General Council of the Valleys was set up. Because Andorra is protected by both Spain and France, each has a representative on the Council. About one in five people there are Andorra citizens; the rest are mainly French or Spanish. Though tourism is the main source of income, and a tremendous one at that, there are others. Hydroelectricity is sold to Catalunya, and banking is also big business. One benefit of being a tourist in the area is that goods are tax free; it is a tax haven. Among the crops that are grown, tobacco is successfully turned into cigars and cigarettes. Many of the villagers are also farmers, having their cattle, sheep, and goats graze on the plentiful upland meadows.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to hold (hold, held, held), to sell (sell, sold, sold), hydroelectricity, income, meadow.

Exs:

The man was held at the police station all night.

Last year we sold a lot of household objects. This year, I don't know what we will sell.

The dam produces an incredible amount of hydroelectricity.

Finally our income has increased. It's about time!

We had a wonderful picnic in the meadow. It was full of wild flowers.

I'm interviewing Cass today. He's my second son, and he's nine years old. He's going to do something very interesting on Friday. "What is it Cass that you're going to do on Friday?" - "Uh, we're going to do something called Run for Reading, and that's how we sponsor money for our school." - "Oh, so you're raising money." - "Yeh, we're raising money." - "And, so it's like a running competition?" - "Uh, no. It's not a competition. We're just raising money for our school so we can get recess materials and different kinds of books." - "Oh, okay. And where are you going to run?" - "We're going to run in front of the school. And the laps, they're two hundred meters long." - "Oh, okay. Have you done it before?" - "Uh, yeh. We've done it for four years, kinder through third." - "And has it been successful?" - "Yeh, it has." - "Now, is it just the children who run?" - "No. Well, sometimes. But, during kind of like the middle the teachers come in and then they start running. Or usually they come in at the beginning." - "Is it funny to see the teachers run?" - "Sometimes." - "Now, who's the best teacher at running?" - "Um, he's called Mr. Hickenbottom, and last year he ran forty two laps." - "That's fantastic." - " It's a great way to raise money. Now how do you get sponsors?" - "Um, you ask your neighbors to get, - well, you give them a piece of paper, they sign it, and you ask them if they could sponsor money." - "Fantastic. So they give you like a dollar per lap, or twenty five cents per lap, or something like that?" - "Uh-huh." - "How much money, do you remember, did your school make last year?" - "Um, I think they made two thousand one hundred fifty something." - "That's great for schools. Yeh. So are there other ways that the school raises money?" - "Um, there's one way that doesn't include activities. It's when you, it's like the same as run for reading, but you just have a paper that time, and you go and ask if they would like to buy cookies or pies or cakes. And if you sell them, then that's how you raise money for school." - "Right. And do you get an award or a reward sometimes for getting sponsorships?" - "Everybody gets a small ribbon that says "I love running", and it says, and well it's different kinds of colors, and it's a rainbow kind of color, and it shows a boy and a girl running together." - "Right. And how about when you sell cookies, do you get any reward?" - "If we sell, let's say, fifty cookies, we would get, let's see, we would get, let's say, a really cool big ball that could bounce really high." - "So, there's a variety of things you can win?" - "Right, well good luck for Friday Cass, thanks a lot."

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: sponsor, to raise money, laps, kinder(garten), a reward, a ribbon.

Exs:

The popular drink company sponsored us. The money helped our cause.

We need to raise money for the Red Cross. There are lots of needs to be met.

We did ten laps around the field, and then fell to the ground, exhausted.

My little boy started school this year. He loves Kindergarten.

They got a reward for finding the lost kitten.

When she wears a ribbon in her hair she looks so pretty.

Beginners.

Doreen is a neighbor of mine. She also happens to be a good friend. She lives just three houses away. We joke that my children have adopted her as another grandma. My two youngest children go and visit her all the time, and she makes sure that they come home with a treat of some kind. "Now make sure that you use "please" and "thankyou", and don't be asking for treats all the time," I tell my kids. But Doreen spoils them because she wants to. They cheer her up and make her laugh, so she enjoys their company. She is seventy-five and a recent widow. For a few years, she looked after her husband who was quite ill. Now, she is alone. However, she is very active. She loves to go bowling, go to church, and take her dog for a walk. She also happens to be from England. She was born and raised in the same city as the Beatles. Liverpool, of course! Though she has lost her accent, and sounds quite american, she still seems very english in many ways. She was a war bride. That means that she married an american soldier during the Second World War, and came to live over here. I'll introduce you to her, so you can hear a little bit of her story.

Grammar notes.

Common words and expressions: happens to be, treats, to make sure, to spoil.

Exs:

 My neighbor happens to be a teacher in the school where I teach!

During Halloween and Christmas there are too many treats around, - too much sugar!

Make sure you turn the car lights out, or the battery will go flat again!

Grandparents typically spoil their grandchildren.

Verbs and the preterite: to look after, to be born, to lose, to marry.

Exs:

When I was in hospital, the nurses really looked after me.

They were born in California, but their mother was born in Geneva.

I had a terrible day yesterday! I lost my car keys, the mail man lost all of my letters, and then I lost my wallet!

"I married my first husband when I was very young. But, I was quite old when I married my seventh."

Advanced.

"Hello Doreen." - "Hello. How are you today?" - "Really well, thanks." - "Good." - "Thanks for agreeing to this interview. I'll just ask you a few questions. How long have you lived in the United States." - "Um, I came over on the General Patch. It took us about ten days on that ship. It was very nice. And that was in 1951." - "So, not that long after the Second World War." - "We were starting to do the cleaning up. You know, they had a lot of debris and bombed out places. I never got to go back and see it all done right away. I think it was 1982 when I went back." - "Oh, so you were here for quite a while before you went back." - "It had really changed a lot. Really nice though. New buildings and the old buildings were all washed. They used to be really black with the coal from the fires, you know. And they washed the old, old buildings. Yeh, they look really nice." - "So, where did you first live when you came to the United States." - "We landed in New York, and then we traveled to Denvo Kentucky. Um, then from there we went to Bloxy Mississippi. Um, and I really didn't like that. Too hot, too hot, too buggy." - "Lots of mosquitos?" - "Lots of everything. Big bugs." - "So you prefer Wenatchee?" - "I love Wenatchee!" - "Tell me, what is it about Wenatchee that you love?" - "I love the four seasons. I like the mountains, the streams, the rivers, the lakes. I love lake Chelan. That is a beautiful place." - "And I've heard that you have a little place there on Lake Chelan, don't you?" - "Yes, it's up above. It overlooks Chelan on the south shore. And it's a little dream place. It was a dream for me forever. I said, "I'm gonna save my money and buy a little place up there, 'cause we used to take the children to the little park up there, you know, the main road going in. And we'd get there and it would be pouring down rain, or cold and windy, and we'd be trying to make hamburgers on the little burger thing, you know," -" A barbecue." -"And then all of a sudden we'd......" bark, bark  "That's okay. That's Scooty her dog. He's part of the interview too. How long have you had Scooty?" - "I think we've had Scooter probably about, um, nine years." - "And how is he? Is he good company?" - "He's a very....good company and he takes real good care of me, 'cause he lets me know when there are bad people around." - "He likes women, but he doesn't like men." - "Absolutely does not like men." -" Even if they are good men who come to help you around the house?" - "No, it doesn't make any difference. There's something about them that he, you know, he knows man and woman, and when ahhhh, watch out, you know, he goes right after the guys. It's not fair really because he (a male friend) is pretty good with him, you know." - "Yeh. Well Doreen, that'll be the end of the interview, but I'm sure we'll be having lots more interviews in the future. Thanks so much." - "Oh, I could tell you so much more." - "Well, I'm sure my listeners would love to hear your stories." - "Thankyou so much." - "Thanks a lot, bye bye."      

Spring makes Wenatchee come alive. Because there are so many flowering trees, like Dogwoods and Magnolias, the town becomes full of pink and white. There are also lots of orchards still; apple, pear, apricot, and cherry trees are grown in this area, so during the Spring, they too blossom. As we get more sun during the day, and the occasional rain, you see flowers popping out of the ground all over the place. During the weekends, as you drive through neighborhoods, the noise of lawn mowers fills the air, and men and women are in their gardens weeding, pruning, and planting. As you probably know, a lot of time and effort go into some gardens. It takes knowledge and planning to get the job done properly. I spoke to a local gardener who takes pride in his garden. Let's listen to what he has to say.

"I know that there is a lot of work involved in keeping a garden up. What are some of the jobs that you have to do?"

"Well, in Spring I aerate the lawn which gets it ready for the Summer months, and the aerator puts little plugs in the grass, ah, that opens up the soil to fertilizer, water and air. So it gets the grass growing; it jump starts it in the Spring."

"Right. And what about the trees? What kind of things do people have to do in the Spring?"

"Usually, prune the dead limbs, uh, shape the tree, so you'll prune certain limbs and some of the old wood off."

"Right. And does that encourage new growth?"

"Yeh. It gets the new, younger wood growing. And, it just makes the tree look nicer, more presentable."

"Okay. And what about vegetables and flowers? Do you grow vegetables?"

"I don't, nor do I grow flowers."

"Okay. What kind of equipment do you use apart from an aerator and a lawn mower? Any thing else?"

" Well, a weed eater to cut down the weeds and trim the edges of the lawn."

"Is that also what you use to cut the hedge and shape the hedge?"

"No, I use a multi-tool."

As you can see there is a lot of work and equipment involved in keeping the lawns and the gardens nice in this area.

A Tour of Homes 3, the lounge/ family room.

Join me again as we walk through a typical house, and observe all the every day objects that native speakers can name so easily. Before we get started, do you remember any of the vocabulary from the entry way and the powder room? Do you remember another name for an electrical socket? It's an outlet, isn't it. And what about the most important verb for using the toilet? To flush. I'm sure, if you make a list of the important vocabulary and think about it in your own home, you will soon know these words.

Well, let's get started with the lounge. I hope you realize that I had to tidy up my lounge before taking the photo for this podcast; that's how serious I am about you learning! The lounge is one of the places where we spend most of our time at home. Most lounges have quite a bit of furniture: a sofa, arm chairs, perhaps a love seat, a coffee table, side tables, lamps, reading lights, a television, and an entertainment center which includes a dvd player, a stereo radio, and maybe some kind of recording device like an old fashioned video recorder (that's what we still have). Windows either have curtains which you draw (to open and close), or blinds which you pull. To create a nice atmosphere, often homes will have recessed lights which are slightly hidden in the ceiling or in the walls. They create an indirect light which is softer on the eyes.

In these western homes, there tends to be collections of magazines and books on the coffee and end tables. Often the magazines are not read entirely; they are there to flick through. Usually, next to the chairs where the heads of the household sit, the all important remote controls will be within easy reach, on a side table, or in a drawer. This device is sacred. If it ever goes missing, somebody will be in trouble. If a wife innocently moves it from one table to another while she is cleaning, uh-oh, she's in trouble. That's how it is in the Wild West. To use the remote, you must know which buttons to push. Sometimes you must select an option, just like on a computer. Never forget to replace the batteries when the power is low. A telephone is found in a lounge. You talk in the receiver, you dial the numbers, and you hang up when you have finished your conversation.

Well, there is lots to remember about lounges. Obviously, some things that you find in the first rooms that I mentioned, you also find in the lounge, but you can make those assumptions for yourself. Electrical sockets or outlets, for example, would be found in this room, so I won't repeat an explanation of what they are. I hope that you follow me through the rest of the rooms of the house, and become an expert in the daily vocabulary of a native speaker.

History is uncovered.

It was a few days after the incident that Betsy Brompton came home from the hospital. The village was buzzing with rumors that she had lost her mind, or that she had made up the whole story. Anyone who knew Betsy didn't believe either. Nevertheless, homes, shops, and businesses were full of conversation about the church bell mystery. Reverend Holtworth and a regional Bishop paid Betsy a friendly visit shortly after her return. Again, the gossip shot around the village. The word "curse" was adding color to everybody's imagination, and since Betsy had uttered that word, the village had not been the same. In the pubs, stories of  battles, tragedies, and romances that had taken place in the village flowed like the beer, and the more the beer flowed, the more dramatic and ridiculous the stories. But everyone wanted to believe them, of course. Nothing this interesting had happened in the village since the daughter of a wealthy, local land owner had run off with a clown from a traveling circus.

Since the vicar's visit, Betsy had told whoever asked her that she had not felt well that day, and so had imagined that the bells were ringing themselves. As for the word "curse", well, she didn't remember saying it at all. She told everybody the same thing, and, though her story was consistent, nobody chose to believe her. It would be a disappointment to believe her story now. This mystery was far to juicy to give up. Perhaps Reverend Holtworth had had words with her about not stirring up panic or superstition in the village. Perhaps he had advised her to believe her new story. Either way, church was full the following Sunday. There wasn't an empty pew, and villagers were even standing at the back. The Rev. was delighted and surprised. The attendance had never been so good. His sermon was about God's order and how it should be reflected in our lives, how reason should control imagination.

By the end of the second Sunday, the church bell mystery seemed to have faded to simply an interesting episode. Mrs Brompton had gone back to work at the church, and though she looked over her shoulder more often, life seemed to be back to normal. But then he came to town. A stranger, who stopped in at Cranshaw's cafe on his way up north, upon hearing about the bells, told a story of the bell tower that took place exactly one hundred years ago. The few people in the cafe were silent as they listened. No one chewed, no one swallowed, no one even blinked. He said that a poor, shy bell ringer by the name of Peter Witcome fell desperately in love with a local beauty who promised to marry him. But she did so as a joke. When he discovered her cruelty, he rang the bells wildly and with such strength that the largest of them fell on him and squashed him as flat as a pancake. His family moved away, vowing that their son would be avenged, even if it took a hundred years. Silence hung in the cafe for several minutes after the stranger left. What would the village make of it all now?

Beginners.

Today I thought about tomatoes. You know when you have one of those days when you simply have to eat something in particular. I went out to my vegetable patch this morning to see if there had been any progress with my tomato plants. Not much. They were still alive, green, and standing up. That's okay; it could be worse. Spring in Wenatchee is quite windy, so if you put out your store-bought plants too early, often they get blown over. But mine were fine, ever so slightly bigger than a couple of days ago. I can be patient. I planned my tomato crop carefully this year. Last year I grew several kinds of tomato plants from seed, and it was a disaster. The plants that grew the best were the Cherry tomatoes. They grew abundantly and everywhere. My children weren't keen on them. They gave some to the neighbors, threw some around the yard, and ended up playing tennis with them. My husband and I ate as many as we could, but we prefer the huge Beef tomatoes. They are not only huge, heavy and fleshy, but they also have a rich flavor. Eating one is like having a meal. I remember going to the open markets in Spain and buying kilos of these large, odd shaped vegetables, taking them home, cutting them in half, and eating them with salt. Mmm, I can't wait for Summer.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: vegetable patch, store-bought, to be keen on something, fleshy.

Exs:

Everyone in our neighborhood has a vegetable patch; we hardly need to go to the shops for food!

My brother is a carpenter. He doesn't like store-bought furniture, so he makes his own.

I'm really keen on gardening, but my favorite hobby is traveling.

Her baby is so fleshy! Look how chubby and cute he is!

Advanced.

My obsession with tomatoes led me to become creative in the kitchen. I think the good weather has made me reminisce about eating fabulous food in Spain. My mother 'invented' a recipe that is tomato based. We ate it often growing up in England. She is a spaniard, and so her cooking is very spanish. She uses garlic, onion, tomatoes, and red peppers as often as she can. Thank God for spanish mothers! It makes my mouth water, just thinking about her cooking. This recipe of hers is called 'Pisto'. If she is asked about it, she makes sure that you understand that it is spelled with an 'i'. "It's nothing to do with Italy. It's not Pesto," she will say. "Anyway, this kind of sauce could only come from Spain," she will add. She has every right to be proud of her creation. I even suggested to her that she market it. It would sell like hot cakes, I'm sure. You can use it as a pasta sauce, a dip (hot or cold), or a side dish for meat or fish. We could be rich and famous....or should we keep it as a family tradition, and pass the secret recipe down from generation to generation instead? Well, that's up to her; she's the boss. Anyway, I have had lots of practice making it, and tonight it turned out very well. I got the thumbs up from everyone at home. My kids even asked for seconds at the dinner table. It is made from onions, garlic, tomatoes, a little olive oil, and a few other things that I won't tell you. If you're not part of the family, then you're not privy to that all important information.

Grammar notes.

Common sayings: to sell like hot cakes; to be privy to ...,  to get the thumbs up.

Exs:

The new tennis shoes were so popular, they sold like hot cakes.

I don't know what will happen with the family's gold mine; I am not privy to that information.

The union worker got the thumbs up from everyone who heard his speech.

 

Beginners.

We continue our study of different countries of the world with Spain. This fascinating country makes up most of the Iberian Peninsula that forms the southwestern tip of Europe. Portugal is on its west, and France is on its northeastern border. Though Spain is famous for its beaches along its three coasts, the rest of the land is very varied. More than half of the land is hot and dry, in the central region called the Meseta. It is surrounded by several mountain ranges, from which come three very important rivers: the Tagus, the Douro, and the Guadiana. This country has many mountainous areas, from the Pyrenees in the north, the Sierra Morena, and the Sierra Nevada with its highest mountain, Mulhacen, at about 3,500 meters. About one tenth of Spain is heavily forested. These areas are found in the north where it is wetter. Farming and crop growing are, therefore, mainly found in the north. Spain is one of Europe's biggest producers of wine. Other major industries are: car manufacturing, steelmaking, shipbuilding, chemical manufacturing, and fishing.

Advanced.

The history of Spain is no less varied than its geography. It's position on the map has made it vunerable over the centuries to invasion. The Romans first subdued Spain in the third century BC. It remained a colony until, during the fifth century AD, the Visigoths (Germanic) from the north claimed Spain. During this time, Spain was Christianized. In 711 the Moors invaded from Africa and established an Islamic civilization that lasted six centuries. In the ninth century, invaders from the north started the process of expelling the Moors, which was completed in 1492 when the royals Ferdinand and Isabella from the north unified Spain as a Catholic country. That same year, Columbus, under Spanish sponsorship,  reached the New World. Spain conquered much of Central and South America and other parts of the world, gained great wealth, and became a super power. This ended at the battle of the Armada against England.

For the past two hundred years, Spain has gone through tremendous changes: wars with France and the United States, loss of colonies, removal of the royal family, civil war, a fascist dictatorship, and finally the reinstating of the royal family and the establishment of a parliamentary democracy in 1978. Phew! That is a lot of history in a couple of paragraphs. The spaniards are known for their friendship, warmth, great food, and love of life, art, and music. Their historical turmoils, and all the cultural influences they have had, have produced a rich and colorful national culture.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: varied, vunerable, to claim, to expel, sponsorship, dictatorship, to reinstate.

Exs:

The school's curriculum is so varied; they have art, science, dance, music, and sports.

The baby Kangaroo is completely vunerable; it is tiny and defenseless.

He claimed that the car crash was the other man's fault; it was a lie.

They expelled the boys from school for destroying property.

I need sponsorship from someone to get money for this sports group.

Is this family a dictatorship, or can we all have a say?

The policeman was reinstated after he was found to be innocent.

Dialogue.

"Okay, we're interviewing Robert today about his bubble wand, and the other things that he likes to do outside. Okay Robert, what did you find when you came home from school today, that I had bought you?"         

"I found a bubble sword."                                                                

"A bubble sword. Okay. And how do you use it?"                          

"You unscrew it, and then spin around, and then bubbles come out." 

"Oh, okay. Is it fun?"                                                                   

"Uh-huh."                                                                                       

"Yeh? Have you had other kinds of bubble makers?"                      

"Uh-huh. One was a ma-, one was a hand-held, and one was a big gun."

"And how did the big gun work?"                                                 

"You put the bubbles, you put the bubbles, you pour the bubbles into the gun, and then you shoot it."                                                           

"Oh right, so you pull the trigger. So, tell me, do you like the Spring? What do you like to do outside apart from blow bubbles? What else do you like to do?"                                                                                

"I like to play with my friends at school."                                      

"Yeh, and when you come home, what kind of things do you like to do outside, now that it's nice weather?"                                                                                        

"I like to run outside, and go on the computer inside."                      

"Oh, okay. And do you have a bike?"                                               

"Uh-m."                                                                                            

"Yeh? And where do you ride your bike?"                                      

"Uh, usually to the stop sign, usually to the stop sign and the trampoline."                                                                                     

"Oh right. Okay."                                                                          

"Stop now" (in a whisper).                                                           

"Well, thanks for the interview!"

 

Advanced.

Because it's Spring, we spend a lot of time outside. We have even started to have barbecues on our deck. Often we will barbecue some steaks, chicken, or hot dogs, and have them with salad and baked potatoes. It is really a wonderful way to eat. The fresh air and the sunshine make the food taste even better. Mind you, it also depends on which way the wind is blowing. Our next door neighbors recently bought a miniature pony which lives in a triangular shelter right next to our hedge. It is a really cute animal, but when you are enjoying a mouthful of food, you don't want to smell horse manure at the same time. Thankfully, that doesn't happen very often. Now after dinner, the kids will run around in the garden and entertain themselves by playing different games. They have all kinds of equipment, from frisbees and balls, to chalk and bubble liquid. Blowing bubbles can be a bit tricky if you are small; it takes practice, good timing, and a bit of dexterity to get the maximum amount of bubbles. But, who doesn't love them? They make such a pretty picture, blowing around next to the trees and flowers.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: recently, manure, mouthful, tricky, dexterity.

Exs: This town is new to us; we moved here recently.

I mixed cow and chicken manure into the soil in my garden to help the vegetables grow.

Here, have some wedding cake. Take a big mouthful.

This project is tricky; if you don't let the glue dry properly, it will fall to pieces.

That boy has great dexterity; he can write with both of his hands and his feet.

Sorry folks, no podcast today. Please join me next week on Tuesday for more of English learning. Thanks and have a great weekend. Anna.

A Tour of Homes.

Welcome back to our tour where we discover each and every room and object in the home. Remember, if you can learn and remember this vocabulary, you will have the advantage of being able to use words and phrases that make you sound natural and in-touch.

The second room that you might come to after the entryway is the powder room or spare bathroom. Some homes don't have these, of course, but here in the United States, it is very common for new homes to have one powder room. For the sake of hygiene, the floors in the newer homes are not carpet. Do you remember the names of the other types of flooring? Tile, wood, and painted concrete; there are also plastic floors called linoleum which are great for cleaning. Any liquids or dirt spilt on linoleum are easily cleaned up.

So, what do you and I and almost everyone on the planet visit a few times a day? The toilet! What a magnificent invention! It is here that I get my greatest inspirations! Okay, let me get serious again. We sit on the seat which is located over the toilet bowl. The water that is contained near our backs is in the water tank. Then we have the all important flush. It even sounds like the noise it makes, doesn't it? Fluuushhhh! We need toilet paper or toilet roll which is held on a toilet roll holder. Then it's time to clean up. Move to the sink, reach for the faucet or tap, turn it on and wash your hands. You need soap and water. The soap can be a bar soap, liquid soap, an anti-bacterial soap, or perhaps a pleasant smelling moisturizing soap. You apply the soap or pour it, work it into a lather with a little water, rub your hands together, and then rinse. I do know that you know how to wash your hands, but the terminology of how to do it is, I think, important. Fluency with these everyday words and phrases will give you confidence.

After you've dried off your hands with a towel, you might want to look in the mirror, brush or comb your hair, brush your teeth, use some dental floss to clean between your teeth, or just admire yourself. Another thing that we use a lot of in the powder room is air freshener for obvious reasons.

 

Once upon a time, in a land far, far way....no, hang on a minute, that's no good. All stories start like that. How about we have something different for this story. Mmm, I know: Very, very recently, in a place that is close to where I live, something strange and fascinating happened. It is a tale of mystery, that has changed our village forever. It all started on a warm Spring Sunday. It was a glorious, lazy afternoon. Church was over, and people were relaxing on their porches and in their gardens; children were running around playing, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. It was approaching three o'clock. The bell tower of the local church overlooked the whole village, and when the hour was chimed, the sound would ring out in a clear and familiar way. Today, however, it was different. At first, the bells rang rhythmically, normally; nobody really took any notice as the sound was so well known and expected. But, suddenly, there was a huge crashing of metal, like the bells were being thrown together. High notes and low notes were screaming in a violent, angry chaos. It went on and on.

      Everybody looked up, stood up, and turned their heads towards the church on the hill. What on earth was going on? Who was up in the bell tower? Was this some kind of joke? A couple of men ran up the hill to see what was happening, but the angry noise continued until they were almost at the church door, when suddenly it stopped. Running out of the church, with a crazed look on her face, came Mrs Brompton, the church bell ringer and cleaner.

"Help!" she cried, her face pale, and her hair sticking up in all directions. "Ooo, it's horrible! Just horrible!" she yelled, grabbing the beard of one of the men, and shaking his head, as if to make him understand. "Ow!" exclaimed Mr. Meads, prying her hands off of his beard, "Now, Mrs Brompton, what on earth is going on? What's happened?" At those words, Mrs Brompton went very quiet, she wanted to speak but she couldn't. She grabbed Mr. Mead's beard again with one hand and tried to say something. "....a curse!" came out in a whisper, and, at that, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted, falling to the ground like lead.

After the ambulance took Mrs Brompton, the vicar and a group of men searched the church, every room, every nook, every staircase. They found nothing unusual. Even in the bell tower, nothing was out of place. The huge, metal bells hung silently, expressionless, but something about the room felt different. The group of men had assembled here again. Having found no clues at all, they automatically came back to the room where the chaos had started. They stood silently thinking. "Oh, Mrs Brompton's off her rocker, I'd say," said Jeffrey Mullins with a wave of his hand. But his humor wasn't reflected in the other faces. The vicar, Reverend Holtworth, had a particularly serious expression; his face was grey, and his eyes were heavy with thoughts. "It'll be nothing to worry about, I'm sure, vicar, "said Thomas Black. "I bet Betsy just had a funny turn and got tangled up in the ropes." But Rev. Holtworth said nothing in response.

      The sun was low in the sky as they left the church. The men headed down the path back to the village. Thomas Black stayed behind to talk to the vicar. Standing there, they could hear Jeffrey Mullins, "The old bat has given everybody something to talk about, hasn't she?" he said with a loud laugh, and the others joined in. Black and the vicar stood in silence for a few moments. "I'm sure when we hear from Betsy it'll all turn out to be nothing," Black said as if asking a question. The vicar said nothing in response, but gave Black a weak smile and a quick nod, as if to reassure him. "If you need anything, you know my number," called out Black as he headed down the path. The sun was setting now, and the birds had fallen silent. Rev. Holtworth stood staring at the bell tower, and uttered under his breath, "There was nobody in the bell tower this afternoon."

A Tour of Homes.

What is the name of the first room that you come to when you walk into a house? It's the entry way. This room varies from house to house. Some are big; others are small. Either way, it is a space in the house which is used as an introduction to the rest of the house. In Western homes, the entry way is not usually an enclosed room. There could be several openings that lead to other rooms. We walk through the front door. There are many types of these: solid wood, glass, a windowed door, double doors, arched doors. And part of the door that is important for its style is the hardware. That is basically the metal parts: the hinges and the door handle. Occasionally there will be a knocker which is metal and with which you knock. Nowadays, most people have a door bell instead. These are the 'ding-dong' type, or an electric buzzer of some kind.

Often there is a door mat infront of the door, to wipe your feet on. You walk through the doorway and into the entryway. As you look around you will see a place to hang up coats, perhaps a closet or a coat hanger. Sometimes there is a mirror on the wall, and a long, slim table under the mirror which is elegant or, at least, decorated in some way. The entryways that I have seen have flowers in pots or baskets, framed art on the walls, and even chandaliers hanging from the ceiling. Often, there are photos of family members here and there.

The floors could be any of various materials: wood, tile, carpet, or even painted concrete. The most popular rugs that one tends to see on the floor are called Asian, Indian, Persian, Traditional, or Native of some kind. Lighting is important, of course, to create atmosphere, and so you don't crash into something and get hurt. So, apart from the occasional chandalier, there might be a standing lamp, or a table lamp, and some are touch on touch off, clap on clap off, or plugged in to a timer. The lamps usually have a switch that you flip or turn, or a button that you press. There are even hallway lights or 'night lights' that one plugs into the electrical sockets, so when the other lights are off, you can still see the floor and where you are going. Electrical sockets or outlets are so useful, especially for plugging in the vacuum cleaner or decorations at Christmas time.

Some people keep their keys in the entry way, so it is easy and quick to pick them up on the way out in the morning. There are key holders of various types and shapes that do the job.

If shoes are taken off in the entry way, then they are put either on a shoe holder, on a shelf, or in a closet. A beautiful thing to have in your entry way also is a chest. This is a big box, usually made of wood, in which you can store anything you need.

My entry way is quite simple, relatively small, and empty. It has a mirror, a glass table (which, by some miracle is still  in one piece), a standing lamp, and tile floors. Think about your entry way, and if you have words to add to this list, let me know.

 

Beginners.

I love doing this podcast every week. What I enjoy most of all, is getting feedback from my listeners. Recently, some of my listeners have sent me E-mails asking how they can improve their English. It's a very good question. I think about how I can improve my language skills when I study French or when I practice Spanish. Being half spanish, I speak the language well, but I do realise that there are holes in my knowledge. How much do I really know? And, probably a more important question is: 'Do I know the most usable and natural sounding parts of the language?' In my effort to speak Spanish to my children, I find myself looking, time and time again, for words that I have never learned before. For example, the other day, one of my children was helping me in the kitchen. We were baking. Oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies are a great favorite in this house, and my two oldest boys are experts; they know the ingredients, the method, and even the cooking time. As we were talking, I wanted to say in Spanish, " Get the sieve for the flour." Well, did I know the word for sieve? Unfortunately not. It made me realise that there are hundreds of ordinary, everyday words that we should know if we want to feel confident and also if we want to sound like a native.

Grammar notes.

Useful phrases: most of all, recently, time and time again, hundreds of.

Exs: My favorite holidays are spent in the countryside, but most of all, I enjoy hiking through forests.

I am usually full of energy, but recently I have felt so tired.

I asked the telephone company time and time again to come and check our phone lines, but they haven't yet.

At the concert there were hundreds of people.

Advanced.

It's an exciting time for my podcast, my dear listeners, as I have decided to make a few changes. I am making these changes with both you and me in mind. Going to New Zealand has made me consider other countries that I have never visited. If it were up to me, I would go to every country on this planet, but obviously that is impossible. So, why don't you and I visit each country through my podcasts? Together we can get to know the geography, history, and culture of each unique country, and, perhaps, along the way, get a greater understanding of this wonderful planet that we share. It will be our way of traveling. So, every other week, or, as we say in England, 'every fortnight', I will bring you a brief but concentrated view of a particular country.

Another regular podcast will be called, 'A Tour of Homes.' Once every two weeks, I will walk with you through a typical home, from room to room, object to object, to really make sure that we know the ordinary and very useful words. Knowing this vocabulary makes you feel and sound confident. Just like when I was looking for the word 'sieve' in Spanish, I will spend a podcast or more in the kitchen, so one day, you will be able to look around your own kitchen, and say most things in English.

A third and final podcast that I will add to this list is 'Story Time'. Oh, I love stories. I also love to write them. Sometimes what I write becomes very silly, but, you know, that's okay. Being silly is a good way to learn a language. If it is funny, you will remember it much better than if it is boring, don't you think? So, expect stories of all kinds from Anna: goofy, scary, annoying even, but I promise you that they will catch your attention and improve your English.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: in mind, if it were up to ...., along the way.

Exs: I had my mother in mind when I bought those flowers; I knew she'd love them, they are her favorites.

If it were up to me, the bus driver would be fired. If it were up to the bus driver, he would be driving a limousine.

I walked with my cousin to the restaurant, and along the way, we discussed our plans for the next vacation.

 

Beginners.

"Oh, no!" you say, "she's going to talk about New Zealand again." Well, in a way I am. This part of today's podcast is about a perfect day in Christchurch. A day when I experienced many of the things I like most: good company, historic buildings, great music, quiche, gardens, and tea! Ah, what a dreamy day. It was one of my last days in New Zealand, my brother didn't have to work, so we decided to hang out in the center of town and enjoy ourselves. We walked around quite a bit, went back to visit the Botanical gardens again, and window shopped. I got hungry after a while, so we found a cafe just a couple of streets away from the main square. I ordered a quiche, a juice, and a pot of tea, and we chose a table outside. The weather was perfect, sunny, a slight breeze, and joyfully bright. We sat there and watched the world go by. Then a lady with very red hair who was standing on the sidewalk*started to sing. She sang jazz. Wow, she was good. She sang many songs that we recognized. She stopped often and played the saxophone. It was wonderful to sit and be entertained. " Just think," said my brother, "if you had a voice like that, you could travel the world and make the money you need by just singing."

Grammar notes.

 Preterite: walk-walked, go-went, get-got, find-found, watch-watched, is-was, start-started, have-had.

Exs: She walked down the street, went into a shop and found a dark corner to hide in. She watched to see if the man was following her. He was. She started to panic. She had to find a way to escape unnoticed.

* Sidewalk (Americanism) = pavement (British).

Advanced.

While my brother and I were listening to the talented, red headed jazz singer outside the cafe in Christchurch, I remembered something. A chapter of my youth came to mind, and I was reminded of something I did in my teens. I must have been only 19 years old, and in college. I joined a rock band. One evening, in the college bar, I had met a very friendly group of German students. We chatted for a while, and then they told me that they were looking for a backing vocalist for their group. "I'll do it!" I said, not knowing  at all just how much work was involved. Well, I tried out for the position, and they said that I would do. It was very exciting. I had never done anything like that before. I had an idea of fame, and lots of record contracts. Well, one of the young men on the group had met a music manager who said that he had been one of the managers for the famous Ozzie Ozborne. Mmm, I don't know if that was a good thing, but, at least it was a connection to the music world. He arranged for us to have three performances in different pubs around London.We actually got paid for it. I don't even remember what our group was called, but I do remember that we would dress in black, and look very cool. Our sound was not so cool, thanks, in part, to me. It wasn't until we played in my own college, in front of my friends and other students, that I realized that being a famous singer was not for me. It was very embarrassing. One of the electric guitar strings broke half way through the concert; I sang a very corny, romantic song that I had written, which sounded terrible. And, afterwards, when we listened to the recording, we laughed so hard that we cried. You could say that it was our final debut. There is no substitute for talent. So, we decided to stick to studying, and leave the singing to the naturally talented.

Grammar notes.

Preterite continued: remember-remembered, remind-reminded, join-joined, chat-chatted, pay-paid, realize-realized, try-tried.

Exs: My friend reminded me to go to the acting audition. I remembered to practice my lines. I joined the line of other actors and we chatted nervously. Many had paid a lot to travel here. I realized that I just had to relax. I tried my best and got the part!

Related vocabulary: vocalist, backing vocalist, recording, contract, manager, debut, encore, performance, concert.

Beginners.

I know that you podlisteners have heard about my trip to New Zealand, but, I'm afraid, you will have to hear more. There is much more to tell. One of the things that it is interesting to learn about when you go to another country, is the wild life. My brother, Richard, as well as being a teacher, is a photographer, and, as such, is a wild life fanatic. Every chance he gets, he will take a picture of a bird or another creature. In fact, it is not unusual to find my brother totally dressed in green and brown camouflage clothes, hiding in a bush in a forest, sitting for hours on end, waiting for an opportunity to take the perfect picture. He's a perfectionist, and his photos reveal that about him. He enouraged me to go with him to a wild life sanctuary just outside Christchurch to see some native and non-native species. We had a great time. One of the cutest things we saw was a Wallaby. It is just like a Kangaroo but much smaller. The ones in this sanctuary were quite tame. My brother was able to pet one of them, and it didn't seem scared at all. We walked along a quiet, forest-like path  and saw lots of different birds and other animals. Then came the most special experience of the trip. A Kiwi sanctuary. They are nocturnal and very shy. It was quite a thrill to see one.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: camouflage, fanatic, sanctuary, species, native.

Exs: The soldier in the forest was dressed in camouflage, but we could see his red underwear.

My cousin is a fanatic about cleaning; her house is always spotless.

That church is a sanctuary; a safe, quiet place to think and pray.

There a many species of snake in this country. Some are even poisonous.

Some of the flowers in my garden are native of Nepal.

Advanced.

I knew nothing about the Kiwi bird until I went to New Zealand. I didn't realize that it is a nocturnal bird that is completely defenseless. It doesn't fly, so if there are any predators near them, they don't stand a chance. Apparently, before the European settlers arrived in New Zealand, it was a country of birds. There were no predators of any kind, so the birds were safe. There are still no major predators like wild cats, bears, or wolves. However, with the settlers came rats and stoats, both of which eat birds and their eggs. This severely reduced the amount of Kiwis. Because they don't have sharp teeth or strong claws, they are weak in a fight. Also, they have a huge disadvantage of being flightless, so they can not escape. The poor things are sitting targets for the rats and stoats. But now, they are very much protected. All out war has been declared on their predators. Anyone who wants to kill a rat or a stoat at any time, is more than welcome. Also, science is being used to get the Kiwi numbers up and into full production. One of the small coastal islands that form part of the territory of New Zealand is being cleared of all rodents, and will be dedicated to the Kiwi. I think it is significant that such a gentle creature is the national symbol of this beautiful and humane country.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: predators, defenseless, rodents, disadvantage, a sitting target.

Exs: In this country, there are some pretty scary predators: Grizzly bears, and Cougars.

The poor little butterfly was quite defenseless against the spider.

I hate rodents; they carry diseases and are very aggressive.

Peter realized that his lack of humor was a disadvantage.

The duck was frozen on the pond; it was a sitting target.

 

Beginners.

Chess is a board game that my whole family likes to play. Even my youngest child likes to move the pieces around the board. She doesn't understand the rules at all, but copying us is fun. My mother bought us a beautiful chess set a few years ago. The board is actually a box, in which you find all of the pieces for both chess and drafts. They are made out of some kind of stone, a beautifully smooth stone that is cool to the touch, - probably soap stone. We spend ages playing against eachother. My husband and I rarely play together; it's usually one of us and the kids. It's a perfect game for long Winter evenings. We have a collection of other board games as well: Monopoly, Scrabble, Taboo, and other mathematical type games. Taboo is an interesting game, and great fun. The object of the game is the following: a word is read out loud to the players. It is a real word, though not normally used. Each player must invent a definition secretly. All the definitions are then handed back to the reader; they are shuffled, along with the correct definition, and then read out loud. Each person votes for the definition that he or she thinks is the right one. The reader, who knows which one is correct, must have a neutral face, or what we call a 'Poker face' while reading. It's a hilarious game that uses your brain, and reveals a lot about each player.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to shuffle, to define, to play against, to read out loud/ silently, to reveal.

Exs: Before we play cards, could you please shuffle them?

How would you define the sky? Would you call it a place, or gas?

The local rugby team played against the favorites from the capital, and they beat them!

In class we are told to read silently to ourselves; the teacher reads out loud when she teaches.

The archeologists' spade broke through the earth to reveal the handle of a golden sword.

Advanced.

During my recent stay in New Zealand, I had the opportunity of spending time in the center of Christchurch. If you ever get the opportunity to go there, you must. It is like a huge garden town. Right in the center is an enormous park with a botanical garden in it, surrounded by historic buildings. The river Avon works its way through the whole city, and cuts right through the park. If you walk from the park to the cathedral, you will find yourself in a very large square, surrounded by shops, offices, and places to eat. It was here, one day, as I was looking for the tourist information office, that I found an enormous chess set. Each piece was about three feet tall. There were huge tiles on the ground which served as the board. As I approached, I realized that a game was being played; people were standing around watching and waiting. The strategy was very public. From what I could see, a group of three Argentinian young men were playing against a local man. It was their move, but they were stuck. They talked and gestured and moved around pointing to this piece and that piece, but still no ideas came. Because I speak Spanish, I felt comfortable enough to offer some advice which proved to be totally useless. I shouldn't have bothered. But, hey, I tried. So I said a friendly "Adios!" and left thinking, "What a great way to bring people together in a public and beautiful place."

Grammar notes.

 Verbs: to approach, to realize, to gesture, to feel.

Exs: A man approached me on the street and asked me to sign a petition.

I needed money immediately, but I realized that the banks were closed.

This awful man made a rude hand gesture as I passed him in the car.

I was feeling confident this morning, but just before the interview, I felt quite sick.

Beginners.

The weather has finally changed from dull and freezing to warm and sunny. Everybody I meet when I go about my daily activities seems happy. Winter feels very, very long by the time we reach March. So, hurray for April! One of the greatest things to see at the moment is new growth. All over the garden there are signs of plants and flowers beginning to grow. Most of them are mainly underground, and just a little green is poking through the earth. Daffodils and bluebells have already flowered, of course; they are the typical early Spring flowers. Some people have loads of them all over their front yards; we don't. I'll have to buy some bulbs this Fall and get to work on that. Even the supermarkets have shelves full of different colored Spring flowers in different colored baskets and pots. The down side to this season is that there is lots of work to do in the garden. I don't mind it, though, as I am a gardener at heart. My husband does most of the hard work. This weekend, he worked like a mule in the garden. Because we have a lot of lawn, he had to hire a couple of machines to aerate and thatch the lawn. He then fertilized it. We have about an acre of land, so it took him most of the weekend! I just do the fun stuff, like plant flowers and vegetables, weed, and dig. Yes, I love to dig. I have inherited a love of gardening from my grandmother on my father's side. In our family, we all have strong backs and green fingers.

Grammar notes.

 Useful expressions: Hurray for ......, to have green fingers, (I, you etc) don't mind, loads of .....

Exs: Hurray for Superman! He has saved us again!

I don't have green fingers at all; I only have houseplants, and I manage to kill all of them. My neighbor has really green fingers. She can grow anything and everything.

I don't mind if you finish all of the milk; just buy some more as soon as you can, please.

In the shop there were loads of bargains, and the whole shopping center was full of loads of people.

Advanced.

This lunch time when I came home from picking up my little girl from preschool, there was a loud, mechanical noise in  the neighborhood. It wasn't the usual moan of a lawn mower; it was much louder. I went out into the back yard and saw that some men were up in the neighbors' high trees with chainsaws. "What are those men doing up there, Mum?" asked Domini. "They're pruning, by the looks of it," I replied. "What's pruning?" my daughter asked. "They are cutting the trees." I replied. At this, Domini pulled a cross face, ran onto the lawn, and yelled, " Hey, you bad men, you stop cutting those nice trees!" "It's alright, babe," I said quickly, " I think the neighbor paid them to do it. The trees need a bit of a hair cut; some of the branches are too long." I was pleased that the noise of the chainsaws was loud enough to drown out the noise of my very loud daughter. As I looked at the men in the trees, I could just about make out that they were roped up. This enabled them to swing around from branch to branch, Tarzan style...., well, a very slow, heavy Tarzan style, and without the monkeys. They chopped and chopped, bringing down big limbs of the tree that is one of the biggest in the neighborhood. "What a shame!" I thought as a huge branch fell to the ground. But then a thought occured to me. This very old tree hangs right over my vegetable patch ; it's probably good for me that the weakest, old branches get cut off so they don't land on my head while I'm gardening!

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to prune, to yell, to drown out (noise), to enable.

Exs: I get confused about the best times to prune different plants,- some plants need it in the Spring, others in the Autumn.

He was so mad that he yelled for five minutes; when he finished, he realised that nobody was listening.

The dump truck's engine drowned out the noise of the awful music, thank goodness.

Having a regular babysitter enables me to go out and to participate in interesting events.

Beginners.

 It's very interesting going to another country and experiencing the culture, even if the people from that country speak the same language. Among English speaking nations, there are well known differences. Our accents are different, of course, and even expressions that we use are quite different from one country to the next. I picked up a few expressions when I was in New Zealand. 'Sunnies' is the name they give to sunglasses, which I think is very cute and cheery. Also, if you like to go hiking or walking, they call it 'tramping'. The word gives the action a different feeling. If you think about it, a tramp is a homeless person who wanders around, so 'tramping around' gives a feeling of being free and unattached. Well, I am interpreting the expression from the point of view of an English person. A person from the U.S, Ireland, or Scotland, might have a different interpretation. Another thing that I found out which is not an expression, but a physical fact, is that the water in the bath or shower goes down the plughole the opposite way compared to countries in the Northern hemisphere. How curious! Up here in the U.S it goes down the plughole in an anticockwise direction. In New Zealand, I noticed that in the shower, it goes down in a clockwise direction. It's one of the little differences that makes us all interesting.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: even if.., among, from one....to the next, to pick up, a tramp, point of view.

Exs: Even if we go to the city, we won't have enough time to see everything.

Among my neighbors, Mary is the most friendly.

They passed the evidence from one member of the jury to the next.

From what he had said, I picked up that he didn't like me.

There is a tramp living under the bridge next to the park.

Well, I understand your point of view, Sir, but I do not agree.

Advanced.

 My time in New Zealand was very short, but, in that time, I picked up on the tremendous friendliness of the Kiwis, as the New Zealanders are known. They are a very laid back nation, not rushed and stressed. They are also very polite, and have endearing expressions. "No worries," is a common expression that is used in many circumstances, such as when you ask for something, or as a way of saying "You're welcome". While I was there, I listened carefully to try to see what it is about the Kiwi accent that makes it different from the English one. One main difference in pronunciation is in short words that have the letter 'E' as the main vowel, such as 'yes', 'bet', 'egg', 'pest', 'leg', and 'rest'. The vowel is pronounced like an 'I', so the words sound like 'yis', 'bit', 'igg', 'pist', 'lig', and 'rist'. Also, words with the long 'I' sound like 'I', 'I'll', 'sky', 'fly' etc sound like they have an 'O' next to the 'I'. So, a sentence like, "Yes, I'll eat the rest of the egg," is pronounced, "Yis, oil eat the rist of the igg."  I was quite proud of myself for making that observation; I had never before been able to speak like a Kiwi or an Australian. Now, I can goof around at home and speak in a Kiwi accent to my family. It makes you wonder why different accents develop in the first place, doesn't it?

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: in that time, to goof around, to make an observation.

Exs: I lived in Spain for a year, and in that time I ate lots of delicious food.

My children insist on goofing around in the supermarket.

That student is very good at making observations, even about the teacher making mistakes!

*Verbs in pluperfect:

I had never eaten caviar before. I tried it at her birthday, and hated it.

He had never been polite, so when he said "Please", I was surprised.

We had driven on the left all our lives in New Zealand, but then we moved to France and had to drive on the right.

 

 

Beginners.

Have you ever been told something by a person of authority that made no sense at all? Or, have you ever been in a situation that made you wonder if someone was playing a joke on you? A few occasions spring to mind when I think of that question. The other day, my mother had her U.S citizenship interview. There were many questions to answer, and thankfully, the lady interviewing her was friendly. She tested her English, her knowledge of U.S. history, and she also looked at all the papers my mother had filled in. Then came the character history questions: "Have you ever overthrown a government?" the lady asked. My mother was shocked and amused at the same time. "Sweetheart, I'm sixty-five years old. Do I look like I've overthrown a government?" she replied. No, she doesn't look like she has overthrown a government, and I'm sure if she had, someone would have heard about it. The interviewer looked at her appologetically, and continued with other, similar questions: "Have you ever been a drug traffiker? An arms dealer? A member of the Communist party?" Of course my mother answered "no" to all of the questions, but she couldn't help but laugh. The poor lady was just doing her job, but what a ridiculous one!

Grammar notes.

Verbs: Have you ever......? (very useful). To play a joke on someone.

Exs: Have you ever been to Miami? Has he ever paid for anything? Has it ever rained in the Sahara? Have we ever given her a reason to dislike us?

My brother always played jokes on me when we were growing up.

He was offended; they had played a joke on him.

Important vocabulary: authority, something springs to mind, to overthrow, a dealer.

Advanced.

When I left New Zealand to come home, I had to catch a connecting flight in Brisbane, Australia. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait at the gate very long. After a while, one of the airport security guards announced to the group of us who were waiting, "Could you all move back behind the security screen, as we are going to run an extra security check of the plane before you board." We all did so, only a few people complaining. Then came the time to move back to the gate. As we did, they checked our carry-on luggage. I only had one bag: just a weeks worth of clothes, and presents for the family. "What's this?" asked the man as he unzipped my bag. "It's a candy snake; you know, a chewy one," I replied pointing to three others and a tarantula that I had bought for my children. "You can't take these on the plane. New regulation: nothing that seems threatening to anyone." "Are you serious?" I asked with a smile. "But it's obviously candy." "Yes, I know Miss, but someone on the plane might not think so." "Well, what about the tarantula? I think that's more scary." "New rules, I'm afraid. You can only take them if you bite their heads off?" "You've got to be joking! My kids wouldn't eat them if I did that. Anyway, I bought them here in the airport," I said, seeing no sense in the situation. One of the guards went back with me to the shop where I had bought the candy and appologetically spoke with the shop owner. I traded the snakes for tarantulas and went back to the gate. As I arrived, one of the other guards informed me that because I had bought them in the airport, I could take them with me. So, I went back to the same shop and exchanged my tarantulas for snakes. What a performance. I appreciate people following rules and keeping us safe, but that was ridiculous!

Grammar notes.

 Important vocabulary: security guards, a connecting flight, a weeks worth of ..., to unzip, a regulation, appologetically, a performance.

Exs: The security guards checked the plane before we took the connecting flight.

I have a week's/ month's/ year's worth of bills to pay.

It's a new regulation that everyone must unzip the bags.

The man appologetically cleaned up the soup he had dropped.

The dinner was a disaster. The food was burnt, I had a headache, and the guests got lost and never turned up! What a performance!

Beginners.

I'm back from a wonderful trip. Do you want to hear about it? Do you know anything about New Zealand? I'll give you some of the most important details. It is situated in Oceania which is in the Pacific Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere. It's population is about four million, so, it is not very populated. It is about one hundred and four square miles in size, spread out over two main islands, North and South, and a few smaller islands. English is the main language, though there is a second, native language of Maori, from the people of the same name. The Maoris arrived from Polynesia about a thousand years ago. They were hunter gatherers who lived off of the land and sea. In 1642 the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted* the land, then in 1769 Captain James Cook, the English explorer, landed. Many Europeans came soon afterwards to hunt whales and seals, others to farm and develop towns. Of course, there were conflicts and wars between the Europeans and the Maori over land. In 1840 the British crown gained control of the country, but still there are disputes over who really owns 'Aotearoa' which is the Maori name for the country. The Kiwis, or natives, are extremely proud of their country, especially of its natural beauty: the Snowy Alps, sunny beaches, massive fiords, volcanoes, lakes, forests, and quiet rolling hills.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: population/ populated, language, hunters, explorer, conflicts, natives, crown, to gain, to know something about..., to sight.

Exs: I don't know anything about mechanics, but my brother does.

Do you know anything about the subjunctive? It's really not too difficult in English.

The sailor sighted an island that had never been seen before. * Though 'to sight' is related to the verb 'to see' it is used in terms of search and discovery.

Advanced.

I wish that I had had more time to discover the amazing land of New Zealand. In total, I only had about one week there, from arriving to leaving. I did, however, make the most of it. I whizzed around at 100 miles per hour, trying to see as much as possible. "You travel really well, Anna!" said my brother, observing me after I had been there for a couple of days. I had not experienced any jetlag, and I was determined that I wouldn't. I didn't want anything to spoil my treat! I spent two days in Christchurch, where my brother lives. What a beautiful city! It is like a spotless park. The Kiwis take pride in keeping their country clean, and they recycle just about everything. Then I flew South to Queenstown. I stayed at a Youth Hostel right on the lake which had 'The Remarkables', a line of mountains, to the side. I toured Fiordland which you can see a little of in my photo. Then, on my last day there, I treated myself to a helicopter ride over part of the Alps. Wow! Can anyone say spectacular? What views! We flew over dense forests that I have seen before in some of  the Lord of the Rings. The whole experience was like being in a story book. My last few days were spent with my brother. We went sight seeing* to wineries, beeches, and even a thermal spa. I was sad to say goodbye to my brother, but after being in New Zealand, I fully understand why he has lived there for the past eleven years.

 Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: to sight see, to make the most of ..., to whizz around, spotless, to take pride, to treat oneself/ a treat.

** With the expression 'to sight see', the word 'see' only changes slightly with a change of tense. We never say "I sight saw" for the past. And it sounds awkward to use 'seen', as in "Have you ever sight seen?" It is best to use the past of the verb 'to go:

We went sight seeing all over the place.

Have you ever been sight seeing?

We will need to sight see some more before we leave this city.

 The Pluperfect:

Exs:They hadn't had enough time to study, but they took the test anyway.

He had lived in the South for twenty years, but he got married and has lived in the North for the past year.

Beginners.

On my recent trip to New Zealand, I met lots of different people. In Los Angeles, where I waited to catch the plane to Aukland, I met three older ladies who were going on the same trip. We sat in the airport and chatted. They were very interesting. Each was retired, a widow, and interested in traveling. They told me that each year they take a trip somewhere new and go on a cruise. The cruises that they go on are organized especially for old people. I have never been on a cruise, but I imagine that it would be very comfortable. You can see a lot of coastline and islands easily, - no driving or walking necessary. Each day, their ship stops in a port somewhere, and they have the choice of getting out and exploring, or they can stay onboard and relax. I was surprised  that they were willing to make such a long journey. The flight takes fourteen hours. If you have a good book, and watch several movies, it's not too bad, but still, it is exhausting. It's also hard to sleep when you are in a sitting position. But, I am not going to complain. I actually got the trip for free because of air miles. I think the three old ladies who I met were adventurous and brave. Good for them! Their bodies were not young, but their spirits were!

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: recent, to catch a plane, cruise, no ... necessary, onboard, to be willing, air miles.

Exs: The recent James Bond film was not as good as the previous one.

We caught a plane this morning. We need to catch another one tonight.

This cake recipe is easy: only a few ingredients, and no mixing necessary.

I am only willing to fly to the reunion because I have accumulated air miles.

Advanced.

 I don't remember the names of the three older ladies I spoke with in Los Angeles international airport, but I still feel that they made an impact on me. It is interesting being with people who are much older than yourself. In a way, they seem to be a world apart. It's probably because of the fact that they have accumulated so much more life experience than ourselves. I find older people fascinating because, more often than not, they are very sure about their feelings. "You have to be who you are, and you have to live while you can," said one of the ladies wisely. Their eyes were young and lively, and their enthusiasm for the trip was obvious. They seemed very single minded. It was just the shell of their bodies that was old; they actually weren't. They had to take their time when they stood up, or bent over to get something from their bags. In fact, one of the ladies, who was quite bent over, took out, at one point, a huge bag of pills. I looked in horror as she checked that she had all that she needed. "I hope that most of those pills are vitamins!" I said, staring at the large, plastic, zip-lock bag. "Oh honey, most of them are. But I need more the older I get. I had a prescription for my eyes, but now one is worse than the other, so each needs a separate medication..." she went on about her different ailments. "Gosh, I hope I stay in good shape as I get old," I thought to myself as I listened. Well, I will try my best. But, bearing in mind their age and physical condition, I have even greater admiration for these bony, wild, old ladies.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: impact, to accumulate, to bend (over), pills, vitamins, prescription.

Exs: The drought had a terrible impact on the whole city.

He accumulated so much wealth during his youth, that when he got older, he didn't need to work.

After the operation, he couldn't even bend over.

In my prescription, the doctor gave me pills that are too big to swallow.

Beginners.

Traveling is a passion of mine. I can't imagine staying in one place for many years without going off to explore another country. Well, I've done it! My brother has lived in New Zealand for eleven years. He has flown out to the U.S many times to visit me, but for all those years, I have never been to visit him. I have been busy. Having four children is a lot of work. However, now my children are old enough for me to have a break for a few days. I am looking forward to seeing something new and meeting new people. When you go abroad, you need to be organized. First, you must make sure that your passport has not expired. Without that, you won't get anywhere. Then, you must book your return flight. This can be done over the internet, of course, but you must know what you want. Do you want to fly during the day or at night? Do you need to be super comfortable with lots of leg room, or can you cope with being a bit squashed in a cheaper seat? And then there's money. How much will you need to take with you? If you plan on shopping, eating in nice restaurants, or buying gifts for friends and family, make sure that you take enough. All this preparation can be a fun part of the journey. Then the day of departure comes, and you have to ask yourself, "Do I have everything? Am I missing anything?" So you check and double check until you feel confident that you have everything. And you're off! Have a great trip! Take care, and have fun!

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: passport, expiration date, leg room, departure, arrival, the internet, reservation, booking.

Verbs: to explore, to look forward to, to have a break, to fly,.

Exs: The divers explored the coral reef and discovered a new fish.

I look forward to meeting up with you in New York at Christmas.

We had a wonderful break during the Summer.

To fly (fly, flown, flown). The time had flown; we were too late to catch the train.

Advanced.

I remember when I used to travel with my family from England to Spain, what excitement I felt. Being on a plane is a huge thrill for children. Interestingly enough, the things that I remember most are the packages of milk powder that we were given with our parents' tea and coffee, and the tiny wrapped rectangles of soap that we would 'collect' from the bathrooms. These treasures were all over the plane, so it seemed. It's funny how children pick up on the details that adults barely register. Another thing that fascinated me was the curtain that separated the kitchen from the passengers. What a great mystery that was. It reminded me of something that you would find in a theater. I half expected a clown to jump out of it, or a magician to slowly open the curtain and start doing tricks. It was sufficient, though, for the stewardesses to appear and disappear, as they did. I would look with admiration at these pretty women, all well groomed and smelling clean. They always smiled, and wore make-up in ways that my mother never did. I wanted to be one of them. They made the flight go much quicker with their pleasant gestures and happy faces. Mind you, the flight from England to Spain isn't exactly long. A couple of hours and we were there. With my family so spread out around the world now, the flights are substantially longer. But, you know, I still love it. Though,  it would be nice to have a magician jump out and entertain me.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: excitement, thrill, package, to register, a clown, a magician, sufficient, steward/ stewardess, admiration, gesture, substantially.

Useful phrases: ( Interestingly) enough, a couple of, barely, substantially ..... .

Exs: Interestingly enough, the castle was built only recently.

Ironically enough, the thief had his car stolen.

A couple of years ago, we decided to move house.

How many sugars do you want (in your tea)? Oh, just a couple.

I could barely see the mountain; there was so much mist that day.

She barely had enough strength to lift her head from the pillow.

The exam was substantially longer than expected.

 

No podcasts today, or for the next few days I'm afraid. I'm off to New Zealand to visit my brother and to see that wonderful country. When I get back, I'll have lots to tell you, so don't go away!

                              Take care,

                                              Anna.

Beginners.

On the highways here in the United States you will find some signs that say, "Buckle up! We love you." The message is to remind people to fasten their seat belts to stay safe. It's a good idea. Another thing that is available on the highways is free coffee. In certain areas on the long roads, there are places where you can stop to get a  free cup of coffee. This helps to keep people awake when they drive at night. It saves lives, and also money. Another good idea. Today, as I was driving my kids to school, I noticed a lot of police cars . I passed one of their cars that was flashing. This was serious. Suddenly, a policeman on the side of the road waved me over. I opened the window and he said, "Hi Ma'm, we're doing a safety belt check today." "Oh, good idea," I said. "Are all your children strapped in?" he asked, looking in the car. I looked behind and saw that none of my three boys had their belts on. Oh great! My daughter did. I always strap her in. On the way to school, I always tell the boys to do up their belts, but obviously today they didn't. The policeman pointed out the problem. He asked me for my driver's license. Guess what? I had left my bag at home, so I didn't have my license either. He informed me that it is illegal to drive without the license. I actually didn't know that. Oh what a morning! The policeman was very kind, and let me go with just a small fine. The experience was a good reminder, and a warning.

Grammar notes.

Important vocabulary: driver's license, seat belt, buckle up, to strap in/ to do up, illegal, message, sign, warning, reminder.

Verbs: to remind, to guess, to strap in/ buckle up, to point out.

Exs: Please remind me to pay the bill tomorrow.

He guessed the answer; he didn't really know it.

Strap yourself in/ buckle up, we're going to drive on a busy street.

He pointed out that the speed limit in town is thirty miles an hour.

Advanced.

"If you don't strap yourself in, I'm not going anywhere." That is something I say regularly to my three boys when we get in the car, especially when I tell them to put their seat belts on and they don't pay attention. They look at me with impatient eyes, as if they want to say, "Mum don't nag us; it's too early in the morning." Well, sometimes I don't nag enough. This morning I got into trouble with the police for three of my four kids not being strapped in. The policeman was perfectly reasonable and calm, which I appreciated. If you get one in a bad mood, the situation could be more unpleasant than necessary. We live only a four minute drive from the school, so it is a temptation, I confess, to just get there quickly and to not double check the seat belt situation. Well, when I agreed with the policeman that their project was a good idea, he seemed surprised. "Most people don't respond like that. We usually get a lot of excuses." There is no point being dishonest, is there? It's all about the safety of the children, so we should comply. I felt quite comfortable in the situation, even though I was the one at fault. Probably I was still too tired to imagine myself behind bars, or having to pay a huge fine. I hadn't had my morning coffee yet, so my imagination was not awake enough to scare me. Anyway, I don't have to wear a stripey suit and get locked up. Just a small fine is the only punishment. Let's all stand corrected!

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to pay attention, to nag, to appreciate, to be honest/dishonest/at fault.

Exs: I wish the students would pay attention.

He says that his wife nags him about his spending habits.

I appreciate all the hard work you have done.

He has to make a choice between being honest or dishonest.

When I'm at fault, I say so.

Beginners.

My mother told me that when she was a young mother, my older brother would never leave her alone. He always wanted to be held. She would hold him even when she vacuumed. Clingy is the word. I was different. I always wanted to do my own thing and be independent. It is funny how different two children from the same family can be. I am preparing to go on a trip soon to New Zealand, so when I am gone, my parents-in-law will look after my kids and take them to school. My mother tells me how different things are now for mothers. In her day women just stayed with the children all the time. The expectation was that you didn't go off by yourself. Gosh, I'm glad things have changed. Now it is normal to "have a break" from the kids. It is normal practice to get a babysitter so you can go out and do something fun without worrying about the children. We fortunately have a wonderful babysitter. She lives opposite us; she could easily walk from her house to ours in her slippers in one minute. She is sixteen and happens to be a good friend of our children anyway. What a bonus! When it is time for my husband and I to go out on a Saturday or Friday night, we never have any trouble leaving. Even my youngest is so happy that 'Sammy' has come over to play, that she doesn't even tell me goodbye.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: clingy, vacuum/ hoover, parents-in-law, to go off, babysitter, bonus, slippers, expectation, gosh.

Advanced.

"Mum, where are my shoes?" "Mum, can you play checkers with me?" "Mum, why aren't we having homemade macaroni and cheese instead of from a packet?" "Mum, what did you do with my Pokemon cards?" Guess what this podcast is about....How many questions like these could you hear everyday without going crazy? I tell my children sometimes, "It's just as well that I love you, otherwise I would throw you out of the window." I picked that one up from my mother; she used to say the same thing to me. Kids are amazing, wonderful blessings. And they are our future, of course. Though it sounds like a cliche, it is true. But, my kids, in particular, seem to have a talent for wearing their mother out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining; I can't imagine life without my children. At the moment, I have enough energy to keep up with them, but sometimes I wonder. Today, I was on the phone to my credit card company. I will be taking a trip to New Zealand this Saturday to visit my brother, so I had to inform them of this. Anyway, the lady on the other end was asking me for some important information when, suddenly, my two youngest ran into the room and let off several blown up balloons. You can imagine the noise. I was immediately cross and impatient, so I barked at them to go away, "For goodness sake you two, I'm on the phone!" I appologized to the lady who chuckled and said that she has three kids, so she understands. Well, they did it two more times, and laughed their heads off loudly. I gave up and started chuckling aswell. It must have sounded like a circus over the phone. I actually managed to finish the call. At least the customer service lady had a good laugh.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: homemade, guess, cliche, to chuckle, to inform, to take/make a trip, a circus, talent, to complain.

Verbs using 'would'.

Exs: What would you do if he complained all the time?

If she would just appologize, then everyone would feel better.

Wouldn't it be nice if it was quiet?

If money grew on trees, I wouldn't have to go to work, would I?

Beginners.

The other day, I was looking in the kitchen for a cookie. It was mid-afternoon and I was having a 'snack attack'. I opened the cupboard hoping to find a few oatmeal cookies (my favorites), or perhaps chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately there were none, just a few crumbs where the last packet had been. I had nothing to dip in my cup of tea. I thought, "Why don't I quickly make some?" Immediately, I realized that I didn't have any chocolate chips; we were out of them. I didn't want to jump in the car and go to the shops just for a bag of chocolate; it would be easier to buy a packet of cookies. As I was thinking, I rememered an embarrassing accident I had many years ago because of chocolate chips. My husband was making cookies. "Anna, we're out of chocolate chips. Can you run down to the store to buy some?" So, I did. I parked the car, his pick-up Chevy truck, outside the supermarket, and ran in. There were just a few people in the store. I bought the chocolate and walked out towards the truck. It wasn't where I had parked. It was about five meters away, and right next to a car. There was a group of people around it. U-oh. I understood what had happened. I had not put the truck in 'park' before turning it off. So, when I was shopping, it had rolled backwards and hit a car. I was in big trouble.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: cookie, snack-attack, cupboard, chocolate chips, crumbs.

Typical expressions: to run to (by car).

Ex: I ran to the store and bought a jacket (means by car).

We made a quick run to the library.

To jump in (the car)/ on (the bike).

Ex: He jumped on his bike and got to school on time.

You're going to be late! Jump in the car and get going!

Advanced.

So, you heard about my oops incident. It was a nightmare, truly. The funny thing was, I had just learned to drive, and I was very proud of my effort to go to the store by myself in this Chevy truck. I thought that I had done very well to drive on the other side of the road; in England we drive on the left. It was a pleasant *Autumn evening, already dark, and the supermarket was quite empty. I quickly found the cooking aisle, chose the bag of chocolate chips, and went to the cashier to check out. Over the loud speaker I suddenly heard, "Could the owner of the green and tan Chevy truck please report to customer services." A bad, sinking feeling rose is my stomach, but I convinced myself that there must be one other person in the store who drove a green and tan truck just like ours. There wasn't. I finished with the cashier clerk and went outside to find the truck. I was horrified at what I saw. My truck had rolled backwards quite a few feet, and hit a parked car. At the time, a man was napping in the car, waiting for his wife who was shopping. Eek! The poor man must have had quite a shock. Fancy being hit by an empty car when you are parked in a parking lot! My first instinct was to walk straight past the two cars and the crowd that had gathered around them. But how could I do that? I had to confess, and call and let my husband know about the incident. That bag of chocolate chips ended up being a lot more expensive than ususal. That's why I prefer oatmeal cookies.

Grammar notes.

 Common expressions: Oops! Eek! What a shock! Fancy that! Fancy + gerund, the poor man/woman/thing/etc, a sinking feeling.

Verbs (plu-perfect): I had just learned (how) to drive.

The car had gone off the road and crashed into a tree.

She had not studied enough for the final exam, so she felt nervous.

Hadn't he had enough fighting for one day?

Beginners.

Some people say that it must be easy for me to live here, because of the language; it is the same as in England. Yes, that's right. But, there are some interesting differences. There are many sayings and spellings that are different. If you don't know the differences, you can get into trouble sometimes. When I first came here, I took my driving test. First, I took the written test. A man asked me afterwards if I had 'missed' any of the questions. I looked at him and said, "Of course not, I did all of them." "Oh," he said, "you're sure of yourself, aren't you!" After talking a bit more, I realized that 'to miss' a question, in the U.S., means to get the answer wrong. In England 'to miss' means to not attempt to answer. The two meanings are very different. On another occasion, after meeting a group of people I commented that the lady was very "homely". Most people frowned and said, "No she's not homely at all." Again, after some confusion, and trying to explain myself, I learned that homely, in this country, means ugly. Oops! In England it describes a person who likes to be at home, makes pies well, does domestic things well, .... you get the meaning. Even though I have been here for seventeen years, I am still learning expressions that I have to be careful with......

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: saying, spelling, to get into trouble, to explain oneself, to comment, to frown.

Advanced.

One minute from my house, by car, is a large shop, Walmart. It is very convenient for me; I go there at least three times a week. I am constantly running out of basic essentials like milk, bread, cereal, and toilet paper. Well, I make my quick trips there, grab what I need, and leave. Occasionally,  I will spend some time looking, browsing. It can be relaxing. The trouble is, when you browse, you are more likely to buy an extra something that you don't really need. The employees in Walmart are very friendly and helpful. One thing that I've noticed about them, is that there are many older people working there, people who look like they have been retired for a while. One day, when I was standing in line waiting for a cashier, I found myself observing the gentleman who was at the till. He was tall, elderly, and very polite. His hair was dyed black, so black that it was a blue black. His face was wrinkled, and his eyes looked almost closed. Then it was my turn. "Hello, did you find everything that you were looking for?" he asked, robotticly. "Yes, thanks," I replied. "The trouble is, I always buy too much," I continued. He looked at me, and then at his watch and said, "It's ten forty-five." Oh, he must have misheard me. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?" I said just to make conversation. "Oh," he said quickly, as if I had corrected him,"well, I can put your stuff in paper bags instead of plastic bags." "No, that's fine," I said, trying not to cause more confusion. I noticed that he was wearing a hearing aid. That explains it. I should speak louder. "Could I borrow a pen?" I said loudly as I took my cheque book out. "No, we don't take American Express," he replied without looking at me. Hm, amazing that we could have two separate conversations, and somehow manage to get the job done.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to grab (reg.) used commonly as to get, pick out etc.

He grabbed his coat and ran into the rain.

To browse (reg.). Ex: I browse the internet everyday.

To notice (reg.). Ex: I noticed the other day that she was crying.

To hear/ mishear (hear, heard, heard). Ex: I misheard the directions, so I got lost.

 

Beginners.

I have a very special friend who lives in the *neighborhood. She is seventy-five years old, and actually comes from England, just like me. She was a war bride during World War two. She is originally from Liverpool (where the Beatles came from), and still has a little bit of an accent, even though she has lived here for nearly sixty years. We chat on the phone every few days, talk about politics and families, and occasionally get together. She called me today for help. She had been sent an important package, but could not unlock the delivery box with the key that the *mail man had left for her. It was already late at night, but she was worried about not receiving her package. So, I went to her house to get the key. "You're not going alone in the dark are you?" she asked as I was leaving her house. "Well, yes I am," I replied. "Alone in the dark?" she continued. "Sweetheart, don't worry. I like the dark," I replied and went on my way. As I walked down her driveway, I realized that it really was dark outside. The temperature was a comfortable cool, and nobody was around. What I had said about the dark made me feel braver than usual. The words "Own the night" came to my mind, as if I was in a small adventure, moving through the darkness to get a secret package.

Grammar notes.

 Neighborhood (Am.) neighbourhood (Eng.)

Mail man (Am.) post man (Eng.)

Related vocabulary: warbride, originally, politics, delivery, brave.

Advanced.

Dark is the night. As black as night. The secrets of the night. Have you noticed how there is something sinister in many night-related sayings. Our imaginations go wild with the subject of the night. The world seems to completely change, if you think about it. We, as people, head toward rest and sleep. The sun, which is everywhere during the day, is no longer available, and shadows and the unknown take over. Even a different set of animals appear on the scene as the world darkens: owls, rodents and cats. All the other day time animals, like us, are sleeping. I don't seem to be too scared of the dark. I like to walk around in the back garden at night. It is so fresh and still. Everything feels so different when your dominant sense of sight is no longer useful. When I walked to the mailbox tonight, in the dark, it occured to me, that if you have the right perspective, you can feel comfortable and confident in the dark. You must own the night. I moved quickly to the mailbox while I thought of these things. Really, noone would see me unless they had a flashlight. If you walk quickly, you give an air of purpose and power. "What is there to fear?" is what your body is saying. I also have short hair, so, in the shadows I probably look like a man. Plus, I was carrying a sharp key and a cell phone. So, I was safe. I owned the night. I chose to see the night as a cloak that I put around me, and that I could move freely with. Our senses can be alive and sensitive at night, though we cannot see, and we can initiate and move effectively in this time that is not officially our domain.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: sinister, available, unknown, dominant, rodents, confident, noone/nobody, flashlight, purpose, sharp, cloak, initiate.

Beginners.

Life in a small town is very quiet, some would say boring. However, one good thing about living here is that there is not a lot of crime. It is something that you get used to. On a few occasions, I have left my handbag in the shopping cart when I am buying groceries. It is not until I get home that I realize what I have done. Thankfully, the times that this has happened, I have been able to drive back to the supermarket and find the bag, still in the shopping cart. When I lived in London, that was not the case. Though most people are good, and mean well, you have to be careful. I suppose it is just one of the many differences between a big city and a small town. When a crime does take place here, it makes the front page of the local newspaper, The Wenatchee World, and the whole town talks about it. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine told me that there had been a burglary at a pharmacy in town. I don't often read the newspaper, so I was not aware that it had happened. I looked through our pile of unread newspapers and found the February 26th edition, and sure enough, on the front page was a picture of the suspect. The man has not been found yet; the police and crime task force are still looking, and have offered $1000 reward for information leading to an arrest. How exciting! I will keep my eyes peeled.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: crime, handbag, groceries, local newspaper, burglary, pharmacy, reward, task force.

*Would. Ex: Some would say that the governor is wise, but I think he is foolish.

To mean well. Ex: They mean well, but they are very unhelpful.

(Not) the case. Ex: The land was to be protected, but that was not the case.

Advanced.

So there has been a robbery in town, a double one. It's a shock for the community, especially considering that everybody seems to know eachother. The reward has not been claimed, and so far there are no leads. Mind you, the picture in the newspaper is pretty awful. The suspect looks like an alien. I think if there was a creature like that in this town, he would be spotted immediately. Thankfully, no one was hurt in either robbery. It would be very scary to be the one behind the counter who has the gun pointed at his face. I would not like to be in his shoes. Perhaps the criminal will be caught by making some kind of mistake. They are human, so they are prone to errors, just as we are. There are stories of criminals who are not so bright, who give themselves away. Apparently, one man decided to rob a quick stop foodmart. The trouble is, he was on his lunch break from work, and he had forgotten to take off his name tag from his place of employment. As soon as he had taken the money and left, the cashier phoned the police and told them the name of the criminal and where he worked. The poor guy, how embarrassing! It must have been his first time on the dark side. It sounds like he was nervous and unprepared. Well, hopefully the embarrassment of the situation stopped him from ever trying it again. As they say here, "If you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime."

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: creature, to be prone to .., mistake, error, lunch break, cashier, embarrassing, foodmart.

* Claim. Ex: The lost puppy has not been claimed.

Embarrassing. Ex: His pants fell down infront of everybody. How embarrassing!

Lunch break. Ex: I would not like to miss my lunch break. It's the only time that I have free.

 

 

Beginners.

There are some special times in our lives when we come into contact with greatness, with people who have done great things. My husband experienced one of those special moments about a week ago. He had flown down to California with a couple of friends to watch the Tour of California. He was fortunate enough to have a friendly, business connection with Rabobank which is a major cycling sponsor. Because of this connection, he and his friends were able to travel in a Rabobank car close to the professional riders. They were able to get close to these famous athletes before and after the rides. One other thing that they did, was to ride some of the same routes as the professionals, but several miles behind them. This gave my husband and his buddies firsthand experience of the difficulty of this competitive sport. I think the trip will become an annual event, something to look forward to and to plan for during the year. I might go with him next year, even though I am not a cyclist. The tour obviously takes place along some beautiful countryside, so it would be worth going at least once.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: to come into contact (with), a business connection, before and after, firsthand experience, annual event, even though, at least.

Related vocabulary: sponsor, tour, connection, route, professional, event.

Verbs: To come into contact.Ex: The diver came into contact with the strangest kind of squid that he had ever seen.

To be able. Ex: I will not be able to come to the party. She had not been able to find her passport in time for the flight.

*Subjunctive: It would be worth going, even if it rained. ( you can swap the clauses). Even if it rained, it would be worth going.

Advanced.

 What does it mean to be a fan, to be an enthusiastic follower of a personality or activity? Have you ever experienced the thrill of hero worship? It's quite common. My sons are fans of certain sports personalities and actors, and my daughter is a fan of Hello Kitty. My fifth child, my husband, also has certain idols, but he hides his enthusiasm better than the children. On his recent visit to the Tour of California he was lucky enough to see some of the big names in cycling like Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, and David Zabriskie. It was, of course, a complete thrill for him and his group of friends who accompanied him. I'm sure that being a fan shows a desire to have achieved that which we are admiring. The funny thing is, last year when he went to the Tour, they did actually experience being worshipped by fans. Let me explain. They had spent a large part of the day cycling behind the peloton,-a long way behind. Nevertheless, they crossed the finish line where fans were still applauding, yelling, and waving flags. Little did the fans know that these very late athletes were nothing to do with the race. So, my husband and his buddies were celebrated as professionals who had just completed the Tour of California. Cameras were flashing and devotional pats on the back were given. It was like an accidental dream come true. Hey, if you can't be a professional cyclist, you can always trick a few fans into believing that you are.....

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: fan, personality, hero, thrill, worship, idol, recent, the finish line, buddy, devotion.

Verbs: To hide (hide, hid, hidden); to accompany (reg); to admire (reg); to applaud (reg.).

 

Beginners.

Learning a foreign language can be a difficult thing. Any language has a huge amount of information. On top of that, there is also the pronunciation and fluency that need to be practiced. English can be a pain to learn. Even the word "this" is difficult to pronounce for a lot of people. So, what is the solution? The answer is accurate practice, and lots of it. I have been learning the violin for just over a year, and I can tell you that there is no substitute for accurate practice. My three boys, who are in elementary school, use different techniques to practice new information. My youngest boy, in particular, has started using flash cards. They are rectangular pieces of thin card, each with a word written on it. You look at one at a time and try to read the word. It is a very simple system. Some people don't like to use it. It never suited my two older boys,  but my youngest loves it. Another system that works, especially for children, is to write about things that they are familiar with but in a very funny context. Apparently, humour, repetition, and familiar details all help a person learn. So, when you are practicing English, try to create sentences with those three ingredients. You'll have fun at the same time.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: information, practice, pronunciation, substitute, technique, accurate, rectangular, square, circular, triangular, humour* (Eng. sp.), familiar, on top of that.

Verbs: to write (write, wrote, written). The rules were written in stone.

To start + gerund. Exs: I have started using a new shampoo. It's better!   

He started driving really fast; we were all very scared.

Advanced.

What can we do to rescue our brains? What on earth do I mean? Do our brains actually need to be rescued? Well, apparently, yes. As we get older, we tend to forget details. Sometimes our long-term memory is better than our short-term memory. Have you ever walked into a room to get something and forgotten why you went there? Being over occupied is sometimes to blame. Women typically get that way when they are pregnant. Two other reasons for forgetfulness are anaemia and tiredness. They say nowadays that mental exercises are the key to keeping a young, fresh brain. Have you tried any? Crossword puzzles can stretch your word abilities, and your problem solving skills. One activity that my mother enjoys is Sudoku. You are probably familiar with it. You have to place the numbers one to ten in ten lines without having any duplicates. It can be very taxing. Another way to stretch your brain is to undertake an activity which is very different from anything that you have ever done. If you are musical, then perhaps you could try a new physical activity. If you are very physical and sporty, maybe learning about computers would be a good way to make your brain cells grow. Believe it or not, this podcast has stretched my brain a little. Let's hope its effects will last.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to rescue, what on earth, long-term memory, short- term memory, mental, crossword puzzle, believe it or not, occupied.

Exs: Believe it or not, my neighbours* won the lottery. (Eng. sp.).

       The helicopter was called out to rescue the people at sea.

       What on earth did you do with my new hand bag?

His long-term memory is amazing; he remembers what he used   to do as a baby. 

Beginners.

The other day I was walking by my children's bedrooms, when I saw a sign on one of the doors. It said, "Domini and Robert, DO NOT ENTER!" One of my two oldest boys had become impatient with sibling intrusions. Sometimes they walk into their bedrooms and find a terrible mess. Colouring* pens often will have their tops missing, so they will be dry. Lego creations are in pieces on the floor, and, some things are just missing. Hudson and Cass, the oldest boys, get furious. They storm into their siblings rooms and create another kind of trouble. I, of course, being their mother, have to get involved to sort out the fights and the conflict. Oh, for peace and quiet!. Well, now my six year old is learning how to write, so he also puts signs on his door. We have three doors with 'Do not enter' signs. My little girl doesn't know how to write, so, I suppose, she still feels free to be the intruder and mess maker. One day, there was a big commotion upstairs, with lots of screaming and running. I ran up to see what was going on. It turns out that Domini had stolen one of my son's favourite*toys that he had had since a baby. He was chasing her to get it back. It was like an episode on Tom and Jerry, the cat and the mouse. I think it is about time that I left some notes myself.

Grammar notes.

*Colour/ colouring and favourite are English spellings. U.S spellings miss out the 'u'.

Related vocabulary: the other day, sign, door handle, lock, key, mess, peace and quiet, intruder/ intrusion, impatient, conflict.

Advanced.

"This place feels like a prison," complained my husband one day. He had caught his foot on a metal gate that I had put up between the kitchen and the dining room. The gate is for the dog, to keep her in or out. It is a necessary evil that is supposed to make life easier for everybody. The trouble is, the gate is small, and my husband is large. We have a similar situation upstairs. My two older boys have, according to them, precious possessions, intricate legos that took a long time to build, and other breakable objects. So, because there had been so many incidents of little siblings sneaking in their rooms and wrecking the place, we put locks on the doors. Everything worked for a while. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Both boys left the keys to unlock their doors locked inside the rooms, along with the duplicate keys. Oh dear. It was time to get the tools out and huff and puff, and bash and bang, until we managed to take off the door handles completely. Well, they haven't had locks for a while now, and wreckages are taking place in the bedrooms. Today a little friend of my daughter came to play. He sneaked into Hudson's room and poured his lizzard's food all over the carpet. A few people were not happy about that. Needless to say, I have locks on my list of things to buy.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to complain, to catch (catch, caught, caught), to leave (leave, left, left), to manage, to sneak.

Exs: They complained about the poor service.

 He caught my eye, and then asked me to dance.

 I caught my sweater on a rusty nail.

I left my keys in the car.

He managed to lift the heaviest weight.

The burgler sneaked into the empty house to steal the silver.

Useful expressions: the trouble is, to have a situation, according to..., to wreck the place, needless to say.

Beginners.

To be a film 'buff' is to be a film enthusiast; a person who loves to watch films and who follows film production quite closely. I am a film buff, but a choosy one. There are certain films that I love, and others that I cannot stand. A film series that I have followed closely is The Lord of the Rings. When the first of the three films came out, it was immediately popular. The films are based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkein who was British, but born in South Africa. The genre of his books is fantasy. At the center of the books is a fight between good and evil. The story is set in a place called 'Middle Earth', a fictitious country with incredible countryside. The films were directed by Peter Jackson in New Zealand, where he comes from. If you watch the films, you will see why New Zealand is the perfect Middle Earth. There is a huge variety of landscapes in that small country. The incredible Alps, large rolling grasslands, rocky hills, and wind swept valleys are all places where the filming took place. I never get tired of watching the movies; infact, I have watched them so many times that I know a lot of the dialogue by heart. I also have the music score from the films. When my family find me watching the films or listening to the music, they just roll their eyes and say, "Oh, she's at it again."

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: fantasy, historical, drama, adventure, romance, war film, documentary, cinematography, dialogue, play, special effects, script, themes.

Verbs: Past perfect: I have watched that film many times. We have watched his moves very closely; he is suspicious. They have played tennis so much in their garden that they have worn the lawn thin.

Advanced.

Sometimes my children give me little gifts. They are often items that they have made at school, a picture, a collage, occasionally a bracelet made out of paper or beads. The other day, though, my oldest son gave me a metal ring that he had acquired from a friend of his. He had traded a small toy for it. He presented it to me with great pride; he knew that I would like it. It was a replica of the 'ring of power' from the Lord of the Rings. My kids know how obsessed I am with the trilogy, so this gift was quite meaningful. I wore it with pride for a few weeks; I even showed it to a few people. I noticed, however, that my finger was developing a brown patch under the ring, so I promptly took it off. I didn't want to get poisoning from a cheap quality paint. Anyway, it made me think about the concept of having a ring of power. I suppose it is an age-old idea, possessing an object that gives supernatural power. What would you do if you had one? Would you bring about world peace, or world domination? Would you help all of the needy people, or oppress them? Would you replant all of the rainforests, or chop them down and turn them into toothpicks? There would be lots of decisions to make and, I'm sure, lots of tempation to resist. Life could be a lot more comfortable, though, couldn't it? What do you think?

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to present, to resist, to acquire, to trade, to wear (wear, wore, worn), to suppose.

Would: pronounced the same as 'wood'. Easy to use; simply place infront of infinitive. Exs: I would go to the doctor if I were you. She would help you if you asked. They would get a new car if they could afford it.

Beginners.

Do you love to shop? Some people are addicted to shopping; they love to go out and buy things. Others enjoy window shopping, which is safer  for your wallet. I am not a big shopper; I have to love something before I am willing to buy it. However, window shopping is a great past time. You don't even have to take any money with you. It can be fun to see what shops have to offer from the outside. Nobody inside the shop can put pressure on you to buy anything, and if the weather is nice, you can hang around for as long as you like. I came across a shop the other day which looked very interesting. It was a hat shop. Obviously, it was full of hats. But these hats weren't just ordinary hats; many were extraordinary. The window wasn't very big, but it was full of hats of all different colors and shapes. As I looked through the door, I could see that the shop was long and narrow, and from the floor to the ceiling it was full of hats on shelves. There were very elegant hats, party hats, crazy hats, warm hats, and even historic looking hats. The people inside the shop were trying them on and laughing as they looked at eachother. It must be a very fun place to work, seeing people amused all day long.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: addict / addicted, wallet, to window shop, a past time, shelf/ shelves, to come across, floor, ceiling.

Verbs: to laugh (reg.), to come across (come, came, come) Exs: I  came across a hundred dollar bill in the road. They came across as very rude. To buy (buy,bought,bought).

Advanced.

When I was a student in London, I bought a hat one day in Camden Town. I still have it, though I haven't worn it for years. It is a light, comfortable hat that is black and has golden sequins all over it. Right at the front, above my forehead is a golden elephant. It is quite an eye catcher. Sometimes when I am organizing my closet, I will come across it. It takes me right back to London, the sights, sounds, smells, and experiences of being a student in that great city. When I first moved out to the United States, I became a teacher in a local High School. One day, everybody in the school was allowed to dress up, so, amongst other things, I wore my hat. It got a lot of attention, and my students became curious about where I had bought it. It is surprising how one piece of clothing can tell a story. I suppose what we wear does reflect something about our personality, our choices, perhaps our preferences. Well, I wear many other hats now, but they are figurative, not actual hats. Some of the hats I wear are: wife, mother, podcaster, language student, bill payer, and world citizen. I like my hats; they are the ones that I have chosen. I look forward to a variety of new ones that I will pick up in the future.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: to wear (wear, worn, worn), closet, to come across, to dress up, curious, preferences, choices, figurative, bills.

Verbs: To take back, exs: The book took me right back to where I used to live. Seeing her again after so many years, took my back to my childhood.

 

Beginners.

When you learn English, the verb 'to be' can be a bit of a problem sometimes. It is irregular, so it doesn't follow a regular pattern. But, that is okay. Lots of verbs in English are irregular. I am, you are, he is etc should be familiar if you are serious about learning the language. And, what about the past tense, was and were; do they drive you crazy? Don't worry, any language learner will sympathize. Let's try a few sentences. It's a good idea to read the text and listen at the same.

Hello, I am your English teacher. How are you all? The snow was heavy today and there were several accidents on the road; I thought that class would be canceled, but it wasn't. Was your homework okay? Isn't it nice to understand verbs? It wasn't always easy, was it? I know that your text book isn't cheap,but it is a good one. The other books were very expensive; this one isn't confusing either. My other students aren't as far ahead as you are; they weren't happy with their test results. Yours were the best.

Do you see that with a bit of condensed practice, you can get used to this little but important verb?

Advanced.

 "To be or not to be; that is the question". Those aren't my own words, of course. They were written by the genius himself, Shakespeare. They are quoted all the time, in different contexts, and, I'm sure, misquoted sometimes. The verb is such a short, insignificant sounding verb, but it is essential and weighty in meaning. Shakespeare wrote the sentence at the beginning of Hamlet's solliloquy, when he questions the meaning of life and the decisions we must make. What a fantastic piece of writing it is! Maybe, one day, I will treat you to the whole speech; I'll have to practice it quite a few times first. But, until then, we need to practice the little verb 'to be'. Isn't that a wonderful idea? Would it be necessary to practice if you knew it well? Probably not. But it will be necessary if you wish your English to be polished and natural. It wasn't always fun as a French and Spanish student to be chained to verb practice, but the teachers were undeterred. Verb practice is, was, and will be part of my life style. So, what do you think? Am I a sneaky teacher, fitting in the verb all over the place without you realizing? I'm assuming that you are all good students who love the verb 'to be', are you?

Beginners.

About half an hour away from where we live is the town of Leavenworth. It is a fairly small place, near very tall mountains and lots of forests. Nearby is a river called 'The Icicle' which is popular with tourists, kayakers, and campers. It is the perfect spot for a day trip. We chatted on the way, so the journey seemed short. When we got there, it was cold and dull, but the color of the shops and people walking about gave a cheerful appearance. We went into a restaurant that had exposed brick walls, large mirrors, and greenery everywhere. It was cozy and busy. Just right. We had a delicious meal of crepes filled with vegetables and a creamy sauce. The food disappeared quickly. And then it was time for dessert. My mother had creme brulee, and I had yet another crepe, but this time stuffed with banana, chocolate, and cream. I haven't eaten like that for a long time! What a treat, and what a lovely time I had with my mother. After lunch, we spent about an hour wandering around this touristic town. One of our favorite shops was a high quality gift shop that sold, amongst other things, German Cukoo clocks. They were very expensive, intricate, and they made a lovely, soft tick-tick noise. We didn't buy anything, but we had fun just window shopping.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to chat (reg.), to wander (reg.), to browse (reg.).

Useful expressions: the perfect spot, just right, what a treat, amongst other things, a cheerful appearance.

Advanced.

If you have ever been to Leavenworth, you would say that it is a fascinating creation. Let me explain what I mean when I say 'creation'. It was first established as a town around 1892. The Great Northern Railway had its headquarters there, and there was a large sawmill which was used for the logging industry. However, when the headquarters were moved to Wenatchee, the town suffered economically. People lost their jobs and left. The big turn around came in the 1960's when an initiative to reinvent the town was agreed upon. It was to be transformed into a mock Bavarian town. The experiment worked; the buildings had facades put on them, and the tourists started to visit. It was a success. Now it receives hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. There are seasonal celebrations, like October-fest and the Christmas lighting ceremony, which bring in floods of tourists. There is even a Nutcracker museum which houses five thousand nutcrackers. What an amazing adventure it must have been to turn a run down town into a tourist attraction. The surrounding countryside gives it an authentic Bavarian feel, and even though the buildings are obviously not original, the town has the pull of a center of entertainment.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: established, headquarters, economically, industry, initiative, to reinvent, tourists, seasonal, countryside.

* It was to be transformed into a mock Bavarian town. Exs: Nobody knew it yet, but she was to be/ going to be crowned Queen in two years.  Before he reached adolescence, he was to have all of his teeth extracted.

Beginners.

Black, red, green, light blue, silver, orange, swords, lazers, helmets, shields, flying machines, underwater vehicles. The list could go on. What do these words refer to? Bionicles. They are a type of lego. You can buy them in boxes to put together and admire. The idea is based on an advanced civilization in which are found good and bad creatures. There are a couple of films about them, and, of course books. There is even an encyclopedia of the bionicles and bionicle terms. It is really quite fascinating. I have a son who is crazy about them. He started building legos when he was very young, and has worked his way up to these guys. When he gets a lego set, he will build it immediately. But, then he takes it all to pieces and builds something different. I think he is very creative. Sometimes he will put all of his bionicle figures together in a row, his brothers will do the same, and they will have a huge battle. Who knows who will win? They all have super powers, special protection, extra senses and cool weapons. It is fantasy at its most powerful.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: lazers, helmets, shields, vehicles, creatures, encyclopedia, fascinating, pieces, a row, battle, powers.

Verbs: to take to pieces.

Exs: He took the train set to pieces. He was devastated; the critics had taken his work of art to pieces. (fig.)

Advanced.

"Ouch!" I yelped the other night as I was climbing the stairs. I had stepped on a hard piece of who-knows-what that was tough enough to not break underfoot. It was a familiar experience, and one that had been generated by my kids. It was the same kind of object that suddenly makes its presence known by clattering up the vacuum when I am trying to clean the carpet. Legos. Everybody loves them. My children are crazy about them, to the point of obsession. I suppose it's a healthy hobby, so I can't complain. There is a particular type of lego that is my oldest boy's prefered. Bionicles. This set of advanced, technologically savvy, mechanical beings, is what lights his candle and keeps him up at night. They are pretty impressive, I must admit. The two films are very inspiring:  great special effects, a very bad baddy, and goodies who are flawed enough to be approachable. I tried to build Bionicles with my son once, just to be a good, involved mother, but after a few minutes he told me that he'd rather do it himself. It's obviously not my domaine or expertise. My job is to admire them, and, of course, remove them from my kitchen countertop, my lamps, and even the Christmas tree, after my son has waged his battles against the bad guys, but forgotten to put them back in his bedroom.

Advanced.

Verbs: to yelp (reg.), to generate (reg.), to clatter (reg.), to admit (reg. but double the t: admit, admitted, admitted).

Related vocabulary: to climb the stairs/ to go up stairs, who-knows-what, underfoot, special effects, approachable, domaine, expertise, countertop.

 

Beginners.

How are you feeling? Are you well? I hope you stay well for the rest of the year, but that is not likely, is it? We all get ill sometimes. Here in the United States, people use the word 'sick' to mean ill. That word in the UK means vomit, so it is important to know which word to use. It is wonderful to be healthy, to feel strong, to have energy to do lots of activities and to think clearly. However, when we are ill, which is common, it is certainly not wonderful. The common cold typically gives us symptoms like: a runny nose, a cough, and perhaps a temperature. The flu can make us feel even worse. Aches and pains, fatigue, headaches, and nausea are things we have to deal with. The best thing to do is to get good rest, sleep, and lots of fluids. It is a great thing that our body can fight illness very well. Sometimes, though, if we have an infection, we will need medicine. Antibiotics are useful at killing infection, but we should only take the minimum amount necessary. Too much will make them ineffective. So, eat your fruits and vegetables, sleep a lot, exercise, and stay well!

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: the rest of the..., unlikely/not likely, healthy, strong, energy, common, certainly, typically, even worse/better, the best thing to do is/ the worst thing to do is, however/though.

Related vocabulary: to be ill/ to be sick, the common cold, cough, runny nose, a temperature/fever, aches, pains, fatigue, nausea, sore throat (and other body parts) ex: he has a sore leg; I have a sore lip.

Advanced.

 There is a famous film called 'Mary Poppins' in which a magical nanny sings a song called 'A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down'. I suppose she is right. Some medicines are downright ghastly. Thankfully, I don't have to take them very often, and even if I do, I don't. I'm not what you would call a pill-popper, a person who enjoys the drama of illness. For me, it's a complete waste of time. Mind you, illness has it's place, for sure. It can certainly make you stop and think. Being generally strong and healthy can make one feel invincible and in control, whereas a bout of sickness certainly makes one remember our fragility and mortality. But, right now, I don't want to be too morbid. In retrospect, illness, and everything related, can be quite funny. The other day I was in the walk-in-clinic waiting to see a doctor. I felt awful, and, as is usually the case, I had to wait for quite a while. Well, I had the opportunity to people watch. There was an old man with a terrible cough; I didn't sit near him. There was young man with a bad limp, obviously from a recent accident. And then, a person with his head almost completely bandaged up. He looked like he had escaped from a museum of Egypt. A poor lady rushed in crying, holding her wrapped, bloody finger up high. She had chopped the end of it off. Oooo! I certainly couldn't feel sorry for myself anymore. And what a sight we were! Gosh, it's nice to feel well again.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: Nanny, downright, ghastly, pill-popper, waste of time, invincible, awful, limp, recent, bandage, to wrap, to chop.

Verbs: to feel (feel, felt, felt),. Exs: He feels dizzy when he is up high. She felt ugly in her new dress. They felt it was unfair of the coach to not let them play on the team.

Expressions: Sunrise at the Taj Mahal is spectacular. What a sight!

She wore polka dots and I wore stripes; what a sight we were!

Sorry everyone, I've been ill for a few days, so there will be no podcast or blog today. Hopefully tomorrow I will be much better and available to you. Take care! Anna.

Beginners.

My children love Scooby-Do. I love Scooby-Do. In fact, I have not met a person who does not like it. The happy gang of friends consists of: Shaggy, Scooby, Wilma, Daphney, and Freddy. They travel around in the 'Mystery Machine' and get into scary escapades. During their adventures, they meet monsters, ghosts, and other creepy creatures who they must try and escape from. It's not too scary, most of the time. The villains always turn out to be people who are dressed up. At the end of each episode, one of the gang unmasks the bad guy. There is always a happy ending. I was a child in the '70's, so I also used to watch the series. And the style of that era is still seen in the dress and music of the famous five. Of course, there is a lot of humor. Shaggy and Scooby-Do are cowards who will only get involved in an investigation if they get 'Scooby snacks'. They eat enormous amounts of food whenever they can, even strangely combined foods, like chocolate covered corn on the cob! Scooby-Do is definitely a staple cartoon for my children. If they fight or are grumpy, I put one of the videos on, and suddenly, everyone is happy.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: To meet (meet, met, met), to try (try, tried, tried), to unmask (reg.), to eat (eat, ate, eaten), to fight (fight, fought, fought).

Related vocabulary: gang, mystery, escapade/adventure, episode, era, famous, to get involved, coward, investigation, staple.

Advanced.

So, what's new Scooby-Do? Have you come across any villains today, maybe a headless snow monster, or a slimey zombie called Creeper? No? Oh, so business is slow, huh? I heard that you solved a mystery last week. It made the headlines. The mayor of a small town decided to stimulate the economy by dressing up as a ghost and terrorizing the townsfolk. It worked. Tourism took a big leap. But a bunch of meddling kids uncovered the scoundrel; he was thrown in jail, and all the recent tourist business unraveled. I admire the skills of your group. You all seem to have the most amazing running abilities. When being chased by monsters, you very rarely get caught. And somehow, you find yourselves running through the longest hallways that I have ever seen. Fifteen doors, outside of each a small table with a plant pot, is the record, I think, that Shaggy and Scooby have run past, before they find an escape. Wow. You must eat a lot of carbohydrates to keep up that pace. Well, yes you do, don't you? I know of a few pharmaceutical companies that would love to bottle your light speed metabolisms. Well, if I hear of any hauntings or scary tourist booms, I'll give you a call.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: Villains, scoundrels, zombies, mummies, ghosts, mystery, headlines, unravel, ability, escape, carbohydrates, pharmaceutical, metabolism.

Verbs:To take a leap. Exs: He took a giant leap over the wall. The company's business took a big leap. She took a leap of faith and asked him to marry her.                                                                     

To find oneself....Exs: I found myself alone, in the rain, with no transportation. They find themselves in great difficulty each time they use the car. He told me the end of the story; I would like to find it out for myself.

Beginners.

Art is all around us. There are many forms of art, such as paintings, sketches, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, stained glass windows, and even wood burning. Art is a personal thing, also. If somebody loves to grow flowers, their work in the garden could be considered art. Life without art would be very dull and quite strange. Think about never seeing pictures or photos in buildings. No statues, no water fountains, no interesting details. And what about fashion? You could say that fashion, hair styles, make-up etc are forms of art because they are personal tastes to do with color and shape. Music is a huge subject that is related to art. It makes you think, doesn't it? When someone is very good at being creative in some way, people say that he is "an artist". My recent visit to a bakery made me realize that baked goods can also be works of art. Let me know how art is important to you, my listeners. Drop me a comment or an E-mail, and I will share your thoughts in a future episode.

Grammar notes.

Could be considered: His language could be considered rude. His interview went well; he could be considered for the job.

Art vocabulary: paint, paint brush, shade, form, style, arts and crafts, exhibition, genre.

Advanced.

The other day, I found myself gazing at a painting, and enjoying the contact that my eyes were making with the work. Nothing more. Something about the arrangement of the colors and their differing tones, pleased a part of my brain, and had me not wanting to look away. That's how it is with art. In the deep recesses of our grey matter, just left of the hypocampus, is the art appreciation gland, better known as artemilikus. Every time a person is in contact with art that appeals to him or her, it is stimulated. Well, okay, I just made that one up. But, my point is, we humans can get transfixed by any kind of art without understanding why it is so satisfying and important. The picture on this post is the kind of art that I love. Impressionistic? Perhaps. Modern? Maybe. Well, I'm sure many influences have flowed into the mind of the artist, Majka Sadel, but the end result is that it just is. So, hmm, what do you think? Is it a river reflecting in the water? A busy street on a rainy day? It could be. Though its title is 'Cityscape', it could be, and conjure up, anything for any person.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: Arrangement, differing, recesses, appreciation, gland, impressionistic, influence, to be in contact.

Verbs: to gaze (reg.), to make (make, made, made), to flow (reg.), to conjure (up) (reg.).

Beginners.

The D'Anjou bakery is a special place to visit that is located quite close to Wenatchee. A quick drive on the highway, past the town of Cashmere, will take you to this place of delights. If you are not careful, you will miss the turn-off, so you need to keep your eyes peeled. I drove there the other day to meet a lady who works in the bakery. She is from France. I wanted to introduce myself, and practice a bit of french. We had a very pleasant conversation and exchanged phone numbers, but then she had to get back to work. I had some time to spare, so I bought three yummy pastries and a coffee. I sat down, relaxed, and looked around the room. It is similar to the inside of a log cabin. The style is relaxed, and reminds me of European cafes. People came and went as I drank my coffee; everyone seemed cheered by walking into the place. I don't eat much candy, but what I love to have instead is some free time, a good coffee, and a freshly baked pastry. There's nothing better!

Grammar notes.

Located: Spain is located South of France. The rescue team located the man. Scientists have located where the ship sunk.

Exchange: They exchanged glances; I think they like eachother. There is a student exchange program in our school.

To get back to: I had to get back to studying. I have to get back to the ironing. They had to get back to the hotel. * Multiple meanings - to return to/ to continue/ to dedicate oneself to.

Useful expressions:Quick (sometimes means short), keep your eyes peeled (ouch!), spare time (extra time).

Verbs: To drive (drive, drove, driven), to buy (buy, bought, bought), to come (come, came, come), to go (go, went, gone).

Advanced.

Atmosphere. What is it when you think in terms of a great place to be, where you feel comfortable, relaxed, interested, and inspired? Are you lucky enough to have anywhere like that close by? Well, I'm a lucky person. The D'Anjou bakery is a discovery, or, at least, feels like it. If olde worlde appeals to you, not over done I might add, but subtle and self explanatory, as olde worlde should be, then, you might just like it too. I'm an olde worlde gal myself. I miss, at times, the sense of rich, deep history in buildings around me. It's comforting. To walk down a street where history unravels itself at each step, and the buildings seem to tell their stories of people and events, places you in the middle of a story book that happens to be real. Newness and plastic can be quite repulsive. So, with these feelings in mind, I go to the D'Anjou bakery and smile. What can I say? It's a little fix. Good coffee brings people back, of course. Even when they vow to give the stuff up, they are helplessly hooked. And then there are the baked goods. When made with quality ingredients, easy on the sugar, liberal with the cream and butter, eating them is like absorbing a piece of fine art. But I have said too much. I've given away my vice. Bakery? What bakery?

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: in terms of, close by, at least, I might add, with this/ these....in mind, a vice.

Verbs: To absorb (reg.), to unravel (reg.), to appeal (reg.).

Useful vocabulary: inspired, olde worlde, subtle, self explanatory, events, newness, repulsive, a fix, fine art.

Beginners.

Are you musical? Which instrument do you play? There are so many to choose from: piano, flute, vioin, guitar, trumpet, drums and percussion instruments. I could go on and on. It can be fun to play an instrument, especially if you practice enough to become good at it. I started to play the violin last year. There are many pieces of music that I love which have main violin parts. Two of my favorites are Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings. I can lose myself in the music. I take a class once every two weeks. My teacher told me that it is important to practice every day. I try to, and when I do, I can see that I am improving. However, if I go for a week without practicing, my playing certainly does not improve. And if you play the violin badly, it sounds terrible. I suppose it is like all hobbies; you get better and better with practice. The hard work does pay off. My children are taking piano and guitar lessons, and we hope that next year, at Christmas time, we can all play carrols together. Perhaps we could play for my podcast listeners too.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: woodwind instruments, stringed instruments, percussion instruments, concert, piece of music, composer, to practice (reg. verb), hobby.

Questions: Are you musical? Is she sporty? Are they flexible? Are we ready? Is it necessary?

Future: We hope that next year we can (will be able to) play together. They think that, in three years, they can (will be able to) buy a house.  *Will be able to is grammatically accurate, but 'can' is commonly used.

To go for (time) without: If I go for a week without practicing, my playing sounds terrible. We went for a month without milk. She had gone for several months without paying her bills.

Advanced.

When it comes to being musical, my family is just starting out. My children are signed up to take their first piano and guitar lessons, and I have been playing the violin for only a year. But, I suppose, it is never to late to start, especially if you are willing to put the time and the practice in. The violin is quite a complex instrument. Not only do you have to position your fingers correctly to create the notes, but the bow has to move just right to create the right tone. If you are uptight or badly positioned, it can sound horrendous. So, needless to say, practicing is one of our family's routines. Any time, after the kids come home from school, you can hear sounds of guitar, violin, or mini organ echoing through the house. And, believe me, it often doesn't sound good. Even the dog will move away to another room to get away from the racket. But, it is all good. With practice comes progress; progress leads to skill, and skill should sound good at some point or other. I'm trying to encourage my busy husband to take up an instrument also. He tried the violin when he was in Kindergarten, but after several months, his parents couldn't stand the squeaks and grinds any more, so he was obliged to stop. The poor guy, he could have become a great violinist. Mind you, being a parent myself, I know the value of some ear plugs. At this stage, I think I will be using them quite a lot.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: notes, bow, echo, squeaks, grinds, progress, skill, to stand (to not stand) something, to be willing, ear plugs.

Exs: I can't stand pork. She couldn't stand the noise. My parents can't stand their neighbors (neighbours).

'Racket' = colloquial British for bad noise.

 

Beginners.

Announcement: "The cold weather is back." Why would I say that in the middle of Winter? Surely, it has been cold since the beginning of the season? Well, not exactly. We had a break for about two weeks, when it stopped snowing and warmed up. How wonderful! I love the snow, but I do love to see the green grass again, and feel the warm sun on my skin. Yesterday, however, the real Winter weather returned. The air is moving down again from the North. It is icy. A tiny amount of snow fell during the day. Everything was cold and quiet again outside. Well, we went to bed, thinking nothing more about the weather. When we woke up it was freezing in the house. Our heater had broken down. Before the kids woke up, I built a fire in the fireplace, and my husband brought in an electric heater from the garage. That helped to warm the rooms so I could get the children off to school comfortably. I even turned the oven on for a short while to heat up the kitchen. It was, actually, a bit exciting, like we were camping. When things like that happen, it makes you appreciate electricity and how it makes life easy.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: announcement, not exactly, to warm up, tiny, freezing, to brake down, fireplace.

Verbs: to brake (brake, broke, broken), to wake up (wake, woke, woken).

* Would: Why would you say that? ( can mean "Why are you saying that?" or "Why did you say that?" )  Why would he spend all of the money in one store? I would run if I could. Would you pass me the salt, please?

Advanced.

I had a flash back this morning. I remembered my father's house in Scotland, and how he chooses to heat it. It is a two hundred year old building that used to house monks. The kitchen, as in many old farm houses, is central to the house. Though there are fireplaces in each room, the kitchen fireplace is active most of the day, and highly useful. Dad's routine in the morning is to get a fire going, using scrunched up newspapers, small bits of wood, and then logs. The heat quickly fills up the kitchen dining area. Then, the water tank, which is located somewhere above the fireplace on the second floor, heats up and provides plenty of warm water. Of course, my father and his wife have electrical heating and all the modern amenities, but they choose to have fire as a main heat source. Their previous house, in the South of England was the same, but two hundred years older. They renovated it, putting in radiators which were heated by the fireplace. It all worked really well. The reason I thought about this is because our electrical heating system broke down last night, and we don't have a backup. The house was very chilly this morning, so I lit a fire, turned on the oven, and got my children off to school quickly. How we take our amenities for granted! The ease of flicking a switch at a whim can make us lazy. Let's hope that the workmen get here soon...

 Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: a flash back, to house, central, fireplace, routine, to scrunch up, water tank, amenities, a heat/ light source, to renovate, a backup, chilly.

Verbs: To backup. We only have gas in our house, and no other backup. Why didn't you back me up in the argument?

To get .... going/ on.  Let's get a fire going/on. She will get the dinner going/on as soon as she's ready. (Both colloquial British).

 

 

Beginners.

Are you scared of anything? Spiders, perhaps? Monster masks? Being high up on a cliff's edge? Most people are scared of something. I'm sure that if you think long enough, you will be able to name something that spooks you or gives you the 'creeps'. I know some people who do not like to be in small spaces or places where there are too many people. That is called claustrophobia. I thought of this word today because some workmen came to my house to work in the crawl space. The crawl space is an area under the house. It is so low that you cannot stand up in it. Often it is unfinished, so there is just hard earth on the floor, and the walls are unpainted, just concrete. Water pipes and electric cables can be found in a crawl space, so it is a useful place to have if you need to fix one of them. I felt really sorry for the three men who worked under our house; they did a fantastic job, but they had to do it on their backs. When they came out, they were really dirty and exhausted. They must be so happy when their work is finished.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: unfinished, unpainted, incomplete, exhausted, crawl, scare, spook, the creeps.

* 's  Exs: Mary's car is being repaired. The children's bedroom is a mess. The people's voice has been heard. The Jones's have invited us to dinner.

Advanced.

Last Summer, I had the opportunity to go to Scotland with my two oldest boys for a family reunion. My father had rented a Landmark Trust property which happened to be a castle. My brother flew in from New Zealand, relatives came up from London, and we all met up at this remotely located, beachside, crumbly looking castle. Wow! What a place it was! It had a spiral, stone staircase, creaky wooden floors, and even turrets at the top. It had been built in the fifteen hundreds, but recently renovated to be very liveable. No phones, no television. Surrounded by a misty forest and overlooking the beach, you can imagine, it was the ideal place to catch up with eachother and to have adventures. One of the games that we loved to play was 'Sardines'. It is similar to hide and seek, but only one person hides and everybody else has to seek. As people find the hider, they stay quietly with him until only one person is left. Now, if any of our group happened to be claustrophobic, that person would have had a problem. The castle had false panels that led into secret rooms, nooks and crannies gallore, and even a real, small dungeon. We squeezed our way in together, trying not to giggle as our numbers grew. At times it was hard to breathe in those tight, dark places. It was no problem for the spiders whose webs were often left on our hair. I could go on, but I don't want to give you the creeps.....

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: spiral, staircase, false panels, nooks and crannies, tight, overlooking, remote, turrets, reunion, opportunity.

Subjunctive: If anyone is claustrophobic, he won't appreciate the small plane. If was claustrophobic, he wouldn't have appreciated the small plane.

Beginners.

Well, I can't believe that it is that time of year again. How sad. It is time to take down all of the Christmas decorations and to put them away in boxes. Usually, people do that a few days after Christmas, around the first week in January. But, I love decorations. Some of my friends laugh at me because we have five Christmas trees. Nearly everywhere you go in our house, you can find a tree. But now, even I realize* that it is time to put away the trees, the ornaments, the lights, and the extra bits and pieces that I have all over the house. Outside is different, though. The lights that I have put on the pine trees have to stay for a while. My reason, well, Winter is dark, and sometimes gloomy. So, why not have some pretty lights outside to make the neighborhood look cheerful throughout the Winter? For now, though, it is time to get out the packing boxes, fill them up, and put them in storage where they can sit quietly for another year.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: Though = however/ but. Very useful addition to a sentence. Inside/ outside, gloomy, storage, packing boxes.

Realize = realise in British english.

Advanced.

The thought of putting away something beautiful and not seeing it for a whole year isn't really appealing to me, especially when the days are short and often gloomy. If I were a disciplined person who followed tradition, there would be no Christmas decorations in the house because they would have been put away straight after New Year's Day. What can I say? I have a penchant for anything that smacks of Noel. Yes it is true, once I kept the decorations up until April. Yes, it is also true that we have not one Christmas tree but five. And yes, once, when I was teaching High School, I kept a miniature Christmas tree up in my classroom until June....say no more; I obviously have a problem. Anyway, this year, one of my resolutions is to put my family's concerns about my sanity to rest, and get the decorations put away before February. I have scattered evidence of my new way of thinking all over the house: storage boxes. No, they are not filled yet, but their presence shows my willingness to get on with the job. Us addicts need to take baby steps. I will get there eventually. I'm sure that ninety nine percent of the stuff will be packed and stored away within a couple of weeks. The one percent? Um.....perhaps I'll indulge myself with a tiny trinket still in the house until, say, July......

Grammar notes.

Subjunctive: If I were a disciplined person, I would have..... Exs: If I were President, I would improve education. If he was more considerate, he would probably have more friends. If they weren't so expensive, we could buy them for the children for Christmas.

Vocabulary: trinket, eventually, addict, willingness, sanity, concern, miniature, concern, to appeal, penchant.

 

Beginners.

Today was a very special day here in the U.S. Do you know what the special occasion was? It was the inauguration of the 44th President, Barack Hussein Obama. It is a time of excitement. Everybody wants to see changes. We all wonder what Obama will do. Will he change the politics in Washington? Will the economy improve? Who knows? Time will tell. The inaugural ceremony is an important tradition. It is a huge celebration; a time to welcome the new President and to say goodbye to the previous one. Do you think that George W. Bush is sad to leave the Oval office and to retire? Perhaps. I think that it must be a relief to retire after being in such an important position for eight years. Phew! It makes me feel tired just thinking about it!

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: inauguration, ceremony, celebration, to retire, the President, politics.

Questions: Do you know what the special occasion was? Exs: Do they know what the problem with the car was? Why don't you tell me what the problem is?

Do you think that he is sad? Do you think I look fat in this dress? Don't you think (that) it is time to go? * the word 'that' is optional.

Advanced.

Yesterday and today were auspicious and significant days for U.S. history. Yesterday was Martin Luther King day. It is a national holiday to celebrate that great civil rights leader who forged a deeper, more equitable national conscience about civil justice. And today was the inauguration of Barack Obama. What a tremendous ceremony and celebration it was. Talk about expectation and hope becoming almost physical as the event took place. High hopes have been placed on the shoulders of the new President. But, does he represent more than racial progress in this country? One would hope so. The economy needs to turn around before too many become unemployed. Is this achievable in one term of office? Obama said throughout his presidential campaign that it would take years to correct the underlying errors of government that have led to this financial crisis. This seems to be the main concern; it is uppermost on people's minds. The health service and national security are also huge issues that will be dealt with. I cannot even begin to imagine how taxing and exhausting the job of President must be, especially if you are a person of conscience. How could you detatch yourself sufficiently from work to remain sane, yet remain in-touch and sensitive enough to be an effective change maker? There is no doubt that Obama faces huge challenges, but hopefully he has the strength of character needed to meet those challenges honestly.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: auspicious, significant, equitable, conscience, achievable, underlying errors, uppermost, issue, sensitive, in-touch, exhausting.

 

 

Beginners.

Some people say that the weather is changing all over the world. Do you believe that? What do you think? I'm not sure if it is true, but sometimes the local weather does something unusual. Here in Wenatchee, the weather is normally very regular: very hot Summers, very cold, snowy Winters, and short warm Springs and Autumns. No shocks, no surprises. Well, this year has been a little different. A couple of weeks ago, a warm wind blew up from Hawaii. It blew all night. For twenty-four hours, all you could hear was the woosh of the wind and 'drip, drip, drip' of melting snow. The grass and bushes are green again, and we have had no new snow. Instead, a thick fog has appeared. For some days it has been so thick that the traffic has had to move very slowly. It is quite a change for this town; everybody is talking about it. My dog is happy because she can go for walks without getting icy paws. It is a relief for local pets, but you drivers be careful!

Grammar notes.

Questions: Do you believe that/ this? Exs: Can you believe it? Don't you believe me?

Verbs: This year has been very different. Exs: This year has been the best so far for the corn harvest. She has been ill for three months. All the castles in France have been renovated.

To have to. Exs: I have to study more. I had to clean the kitchen last night. You will have to wait. They had to practice for the concert all year. We have had to fix the floor several times.

Useful vocab and expressions: people say that, normally, a couple of, instead, it's a relief, be careful!

Advanced.

Having lived in London, I am quite used to fog. Please don't think that it is always foggy, though. There are plenty of days when the air is perfectly clear and sunny. Also, because it rains often in England, the air after the rain is quite clear. Because England was a large producer of coal, it was burned in every city. The mixture of smoke and fog would make what is called 'smog' or 'pea soup'. In 1956, however, a Clean Air Act was passed which prohibited the burning of coal in public areas. Consequently, London's air is much cleaner. Also the buildings have been cleaned of the dark residue that had been left by the coal smoke. I have been to some countries where there is still smog in certain cities: Los Angeles has bad smog, and so does Mexico City. Fog, on the other hand, is not a health threat. It is simply another type of precipitation. Actually, I think that it is a beautiful phenomena. It certainly conjures up ideas of mystery and romance. Perhaps that is why so many great writers and poets have come from England.....

Grammar notes.

Verbs: Having + past participle. Exs: Having lived in Dubai, she has a great understanding of Arabic culture. Having found the fossil, they preceeded to clean and examine it.

Useful expressions: consequently, a phenomena, another type/kind of, to conjure up, coal, smog, precipitation, fog/ foggy.

 

 

 

So sorry, my faithful listeners. I have had some Internet problems and have, therefore, been a little late in my podcasts. The problem is now resolved, and I look forward to being regularly available to you. Thankyou for your patience!

Beginners.

The U.S. is definitely a shopping culture. There are so many things to buy, and so many advertisements on television that it is hard to not buy. Unfortunately, my children see the advertisements on television, and think that they need all of the toys. "You have plenty of toys," I say to them all the time. They have toys in their bedrooms, in the lounge, and even in the kitchen. But still they think that they need more toys. For Christmas, Domini, my daughter, got a huge, mechanical dog called Biscuit. She had begged me for it. Well, perhaps it wasn't a good idea. The toy is amazing, though. It makes all kinds of noises; it sits and lies down, moves its paws and tail, and even pants. However, Biscuit's magic must have disappeared because the kids don't play with it at all. They did for two or three days. Now it is in a corner with other unwanted toys. Perhaps I should wrap it up and save it for another child's birthday.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: It is hard to (not) .... exs. It is hard to say "no"; it is hard to not laugh; it is hard to drive at night; it is hard to not get angry.

Perhaps it wasn't the best idea. More exs. Perhaps, it was for the best. Perhaps it wasn't the right time. Perhaps it was a mistake.

Verbs: To beg (reg); to buy (buy, bought, bought); to wrap (reg); to save (reg).

Advanced.

Do you ever regret having bought something? In retrospect, I have a mental history of objects that I acquired at some stage, usually with enthusiasm, only to wish later that I had never bought them. Yard sale finds are definite objects of guilt. When I first discovered the practice of yard saling, it became an indulgence, and soon the bric-a-brac, or "junk" as my husband calls it, started piling up at home. "Oh, but this is sooo useful," I would say, after spending a few dollars on a wobbly coffee table. "I just need to fix the legs and give it a lick of paint..." The fate of the coffee table was, of course, to be resold in my own yard sale a year later. It wasn't always the case, though. A few items have been put to good use...I actually can't remember which ones at this moment, but I'm sure there are some somewhere in the house. The latest 'oops' of comercialism in this family was the buying of Biscuit, the giant, mechanical dog. It does everything apart from making the tea and driving the kids to school, and of course it is fluffy. My older kids told me that it's a bit scary, sort of crazy and robotic. Either way, it is sitting in a lonely corner with the other unwanted toys that cost too much. Do you think that I could accidentally, on purpose, make it disappear? Maybe Ebay is the solution....

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to regret (reg); to acquire (reg); to discover (reg); to become (become, became, become); to give (give, gave, given); to cost (cost, cost, cost).

Useful expressions: To regret having done something. Exs. I regret having trusted him. She regretted visiting the cemetery at night.

At some stage = once, once upon a time, at a time in the past or future.

The practice of... exs. They devote themselves to the practice of prayer. They are famous for their practice of mud slinging.

A few items = a few things.

It's slightly/ a bit/ a little scary/ dark/ noisy/ rusty etc.

 

Beginners.

Snow keeps us busy. It needs to be moved and removed. If it is not moved, life becomes difficult. Cars, trucks and buses have difficulty driving along the streets and up the hills if there is too much snow. Around our house the snow builds up higher and higher. A few nights ago it snowed all night. It was silent, beautiful, and non-stop. When we woke up in the morning, we were quite surprised at the height of the white stuff. We felt surrounded. After my children went to school, I got out the snow blower to clear the driveway. Usually my husband does that. But, it really needed to be done. I carefully read the instructions and started up the motor. It was noisy, but fast and effective. The whole thing took me about one hour. When I had almost finished, I saw something infront of me. It was a deer. It was very close and looked quite calm. It was a female. It walked past and looked at me. Then it went on its way. What a beautiful surprise on a snowy day.

Grammar notes.

Regular verbs: to remove, to build (up), to snow, to clear, to finish, to look.

Irregular verbs: to have, to become, to wake up, to feel, to do, to take, to go.

Useful vocabulary: busy, difficult, up hill, higher, a few, snow blower, driveway, fast and effective.

Advanced.

Because the snowy Winter lasts for about four months here, animals who normally live in the surrounding mountains come down into town to find food. Food is scarce up in the hills for animals like the deer. It is plentiful for them, however, in the town. Hedges, bushes and other plants provide all the meals they need for the Winter, plus they have sheltered, wind-free gardens to bed down in. Us gardeners are generally not too happy about our prized plants being gobbled by these night time eaters, but, that's just how it is. Generations of deer have come and gone through this town. They are so plentiful that they actually become a nuissance. As we drive through the snowy neighborhoods, we have to keep a careful watch for deer families crossing the roads. Often, a little one will be found bounding along a side walk or hesitating right in the middle of the road. The other day, while I was snow blowing our driveway, a doe calmly walked right past me. She completely took me by surprise. She looked as comfortable in the neighborhood as I feel. Off she went, without even checking over her shoulder to see if I was following or could cause a threat. She knew better. I was the one caught off guard. Another magical occurance that comes with the season. 

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: snowy, normally, surrounding, scarce, plentiful, sheltered, a nuissance, a doe, a buck.

Verb expressions: to bed down (reg), to be scarce (irreg), to gobble (reg), to keep watch (reg), to bound along (reg), to take by surprise (irreg), to know better (irreg).

 

Beginners.

We keep busy in the Winter. We play in the snow and do sports, but there are other things to do inside the house. Because we live in an older home, there are projects to do. These are small changes that need to be made to the house. Why do we do these things? Well, for improvement, of course; to improve the house and how everything works. My husband's project this Winter is to move the laundry room from downstairs to the upstairs. It sounds simple, doesn't it? Well, there is alot involved. For it to be a success, we need the help of an electrician and a plumber. The electrician works with the wiring and electricity. A plumber works with all of the water pipes. The new laundry room will be where three closets were. And a mud room will be where the old laundry room was. It will take, perhaps, two weeks, and then, hey presto, it will be ready. It will make life quite a bit easier for me, so when it is finished I will definitely celebrate.

Grammar notes.

Comparative adjectives: old, older, oldest.

Verbs: to do. Exs: Why do we do these things? Why did you do that? When will they make dinner?

Useful vocabulary: to be a success; wiring (wires); plumbing; laundry room; closets; hey presto.

Advanced

When you buy an old house, it is often necessary to do some renovating. That is the case with our house. By European standards, what I'm used to, this house is not old at all. It is thirty years old. However, in this part of the world, the houses are made mainly out of wood, and so it is easy to knock down walls and have a bit of necessary mess for the goal of having a more efficient house. My husband enlisted himself to " get it done", and has been at it for several days now. It started out with all sorts of banging and crashing, followed the next day by loud electric saw noises, more banging, and then loads of dust. I was impressed. I like a bit of destruction every now and then, as long as it is controlled. Well, the project is taking place. Walls have come down, and new ones have gone up in different places. My youngest boy helped to pull down some of the sheet rock, which made him feel very manly and useful. So what will be the end product? A new laundry room. I know, it doesn't sound very exciting, does it. But for me, a domestic goddess, it is a must, a more efficient place where the necessary evil of laundry will take place.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: to renovate; that is the case with ....; a goal; efficiency; to enlist oneself (eg in the army); loads of......; an electric saw; ...........is taking place; necessary evil.

Exs: He enlisted himself in the navy two years ago.

       A wedding is taking place in the hotel.

       Good education leads to good jobs; that has been the case with all   of my children.

Beginners.

In this part of the world, we need to heat our house for three quarters of the year: Winter, Spring, and Fall. Of course, now is the time of year when the freezing temperatures outside make us turn up the heat inside. It is so nice to get cozy, and there are so many different ways. Sometimes we light a fire, sometimes we put on woolly clothes, and other times we snuggle up together. The other day I walked into the kitchen where our puppy spends a lot of time. I found her lying on her bed with a best friend. Both of them were wrapped in a cozy blanket. They looked like two puppies, and the one I know best was asleep. It was a cute picture, so I took a photograph. After playing outside in the icy weather, you warm up and feel sleepy. Shh, don't wake up the puppies.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: a quarter, a half, three quarters; to turn up the heat; wool, cotton, silk, nylon, fleece (all common materials); to wrap (presents/ oneself in clothes).

Advanced.

What expressions do you have for cuteness? Every language that I have come across has words to express that idea. In England we use the words sweet, cute, dear, and I'm sure many others, regionally, that I am not aware of. Here, we say cute, precious, and darling. Well, we can all think of occasions when they are used. Winter time, for a few reasons, generates scenes of cuteness on a regular basis. Snow clothes bundling little children up can make them look cute. Christmas colors, decorations, and parties, can all show cuteness off to a full extent. One day recently, after the children had come in from playing in the snow, my daughter wrapped herself up in a blanket and laid down with her best friend, our puppy. As warmth was generated she quickly slipped into la-la land, and without realizing, created a wonderful photo opportunity. Most of the time they are both running around, making noise, and getting into mischief. But this occasion was a golden one. When dogs and children are quiet and still, it is a momentary gift.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: locally, regionally, nationally, internationally; to be aware of..; to generate; to a full extent; recently; la-la-land; a photo opportunity; mischief ( to get into/ to create).

Beginners.

This is a busy time in the US for many people, especially for those who celebrate Christmas. It is a time for buying, buying, and buying. After we have bought or received presents, we realize that our homes will have more stuff in them. Do we need all of this stuff? Will the children play with their new toys for more than a week? How about selling somethings? There is a buy and sell website called Craig's list where you can sell all kinds of things. A friend of mine told me about it. She sold many things. She even sold a broken sofa! " You can sell anything on Craig's list," she said to me. So, I tried it. I took a photo of a tv, a microwave, and a pair of roller blades. A few days later I had sold the first two things. I couldn't believe it. That was fast. I am still waiting to sell the roller blades, though. You are not interested, are you?

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to buy - we buy, we bought, we have bought, we had bought.

To receive - we receive, we received, we have received, we had received.

To need - do we need this stuff? Do you need all of this?

To sell - she sells, she sold, she had sold, she was selling.

 

Advanced.

What do you do with your spare things? After you have outgrown certain objects, after they have served their purpose, where do they go? In this country, if you don't want to throw the object away, you have a few other options. You can give the item to one of many charitable shops, such as Goodwill, or the Salvation Army, where they will be sold inexpensively to whoever is not too fussy about buying second-hand goods. Another thing that a lot of people do here is to have a yard sale. Yard, here, means garden in England. And so a yard sale is an informal sale of household, garden, sporting, and craft goods. Usually they are laid out on tables, the clothes hang from racks, and miscelaneous objects are here and there in boxes or propped up against the walls. Treasures can be found, actually, but you must be willing to search and be patient. Hosting a yard sale requires some work and forethought. Sometimes it is worth it, if you advertise sufficiently. I have been to some yard sales where I have been able to load the car up with wonderful finds. At other times, I have walked away empty handed and disappointed. Craig's list is now very popular, and in many ways, easier than having a yard sale. I have already managed to sell a few unwanted things from my home, and so, I've caught the bug. The roller blades that some friends gave me are still hanging around; nobody seems to want them. Perhaps if I take a super attractive photo and ask for just a few bucks, I will some day be able to sell them. There must be somebody out there somewhere who desperately wants them......insn't there?

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to outgrow, charitable, second-hand, yard sale, forethought, treasure, unwanted, to catch the bug, to hang around, a few bucks.

 

 

Beginners.

White, white, white, that is mostly what I see these days. But, it is a beautiful white. It is a white that covers everything outside: houses, cars, streets, trees, even the thinnest sign posts. It is a white that brings quiet with it. Snow is, of course, like a blanket; it covers and it quietens. Now, in the morning, instead of hearing the busy 'swush' of cars and buses going to work and school, we hear nothing. Even the snow plough is quite quiet, until it lowers its plow and scrapes along the icy road. The big white blanket also brings entertainment with it, lots of entertainment. You can ski, sled, or just goof around in the snow. The children bundle up in lots of warm clothes for play time; if they don't, they will pay for it later with icy toes, fingers and ears.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: sign post; to quieten = to make quiet; instead of; snow plough; to scrape; entertainment = activities that are enjoyable.

Advanced.

There is a bird house just outside our kitchen window which sits, pretty as a picture all year long, reflecting the changing seasons. In Spring, it is a flurry of activity, with noisy, twittery birds who seem like complete maniacs in constant motion. And, oh, the noise! For a light sleeper, like myself, it is a challenge to control myself enough to not pull out the bird house just to get some peace and quiet. Mind you, whenever I am tempted to get rid of the thing, I see what a haven it is for our beautiful, dainty feathered friends. I couldn't possibly! Well, the babies grow, learn to fly, and leave the nest, and before you know it, the house is empty again. As the seasons change, many of the species of birds that live here, fly South for warmer climates. A few stay and brave the long Winter. They are adept at finding just the right spots for building nests and finding food. We help them along by putting seeds out for them, but I think that they would probably manage by themselves. As the snow quietly covers everything day after day, the little house gets more and more insulated. I think it will be a part of our garden for years to come.

Grammar notes.

Vocabulary: a flurry = lots of activity; twittery = noisy bird chirping; maniac = crazy; a haven = a place of refuge; dainty = delicate; to brave something = to put up with (especially weather).

Verbs: to be able: I couldn't possibly!

Ex: Have some more cake. Oh, I couldn't possibly.

To be adept at something = to be very good at something.                     

Beginners.

This morning was an ordinary morning. I woke the kids up. "Wakey, wakey," I said gently to them, as usual. I brought the two youngest their breakfast drink that they like to drink in bed. They are spoilt, I know. The oldest two get themselves up and ready. They make their lunches, get their backpacks, play a little with the dog, and then it's time to get in the car. Today was a bit different, though. The car didn't start. Uh-oh! What had happened? Maybe a light had been left on last night, so the battery had no power. Well, I found the battery charger, hooked it to the battery, and plugged it in. We waited, waited, and waited. Finally, there was enough power to go. I called the schools to say why we were late. No big deal! The kids had extra time to play and to watch Tom and Jerry. Sometimes plans must change.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: ordinary, gently, as usual, to spoil, to get ready, though, battery, to charge, to hook something onto something, to plug in.

Verbs: to wake (up) (wake, woke, woken); to bring (bring, brought, brought); to find (find, found, found).

To happen. Exs: What's happening? What happened? What had happened?

Advanced.

Sometimes mornings are quite smooth in our household, but at other times, there are surprises or 'bumps in the road'. This morning was one of the bumpy ones. Everything had started out normally: wake up the kids, get their breakfast, find their shoes and coats etc etc. The dog was on her best behavior, - no accidents anywhere, and no chewing things that shouldn't be chewed. Everyone was in a good mood as well, which is a great plus on a school day. We got in the car, as usual, I turned the key, as usual, and ...silence. Not even a click, click. Uh-oh, a flat battery. Well, that wasn't in my plan for this morning. Okay, what should I do? In the garage is a battery charger that you can plug into a socket. Perfect. I carefully, very carefully, hooked everything up, responsibly avoiding electrocution, and waited. Gosh, each time I tried to start the car I only got a happy little click, click, click. So, I called the schools to explain our delay. I did some laundry. I even did this podcast. The kids didn't mind hanging out at home a bit longer; they played with the dog and with the Wii. Well, finally, the battery was charged. We were saved. We had regained our connection to the world. Hurray! So, off to school with no excuses.

Grammar notes.

Words to remember: household, to be on one's best behavior, a flat battery, a charger, a socket, a plug, laundry, bumps in the road, a change of plans.

Verbs: What should I do? What should be done? What would you do in my situation.

Beginners.

In our area, some birds will stay for the Winter. They make their nests cozy , fluff up their feathers, and search for food every day. But, they have a problem. Because everything is covered with snow, it is hard to find food. It is too cold for insects to be out and about, and most seeds on the ground have been covered up by Winter's blanket. Berry bushes make great meals for the birds, but something that we, and many other people, do every year, is to put out seed cones. You mix together bacon fat, seeds, and nuts, if you want those also. Then, you tie a string onto a pine cone, spread the mixture all over it, and put it in the freezer. When it is hard, you hang it from a tree. Then, sit back and watch the birds fly to it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's good to look after cute, flying friends.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to make (make, made, made). To make a nest/ mess/ the bed/ a basket ( in basket ball) etc.

To search for = to look for. To cover up = to cover completely.

Related vocabulary: to hang up; to spread; to tie a string (shoe lace); pine trees, pine cones, branches.

 

Advanced.

One thing that keeps us entertained in the Winter is doing crafts. It seems to be a therapy of sorts that distracts us from the cold, dark evenings. Approaching Christmas, at home, as well as in school, the children will make all sorts of crafts: stars, nativities, gingerbread houses, and photo frames, to name but a few. One thing that we try to do each Winter, is to make seed cones for the birds. We have pine trees in our yard which drop alot of pine cones during the year. We collect them. We use them in our fire place to start fires, and also to hang on trees to feed the birds. I collect bacon fat in a bowl over a few weeks. It looks quite disgusting, but it really serves a purpose. On a plate we mix the gross looking fat with seeds and non-salty nuts. Then we spread the mixture all over pine cones to which we have already attached a string. Off to the freezer they go, to harden. Then, we hang them from trees all over our yard, especially those that are next to a window. That way we can sit inside and watch the scene develop. Once one bird has found the food, word quickly spreads. Within minutes their is a crazy fluttering of wings, little bodies hovering, fighting, chirping. It's a Winter feeding frenzy, and great entertainment!

Grammar notes.

Important expressions: Approaching (a time); to serve a purpose; off to ... = common expression when going or taking something somewhere. Ex: Off to the dentist for you, boy. Off to your kennel, spot. I'm off to the shops. Off to the mud room with those dirty boots!

Related vocabulary: seeds, nuts, to chirp, to hover, to flutter, a frenzy, crafts, therapy, to distract, nativity, gingerbread house, to name but a few, gross, disgusting.

Beginners.

Well, the snow is finally here. It came two days ago. From now on, it will be snow, snow, snow for about three months. My two little ones wanted to go sledding. I took them to a local park. There were a few people already there. All the children had plastic sleds. There were happy faces everywhere. Parents, holding cups of hot coffee, stood around chatting. It was great. My two youngest slid down the hill a few times. The trouble is, the wind got colder and colder. Little toes and fingers got colder and colder. Noses turned red, and lips turned blue. I finally said,"That's it, we're off. It's too cold. Let's go home and get warm." There will be many more days of snow and sledding. For now, though, I think tonight will be a perfect night for an open fire.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to come (come, came, come). Ex: The snow came yesterday.

        :  to be (am/is/are, was/were, been). Ex: There were a few people.

        :  to stand (stand, stood, stood). Ex: The soldier stood still.

Related vocabulary: to sled, to chat, to slide, cold/colder/coldest,   though from now on.

Advanced.

Well, when you've got to play, you've got to play; or should I say,"When you gotta play, you gotta play." That means, come rain or shine, heat or chill, you've got to get outside and play about. My two youngest children insisted on us sledding today, even though it was perishingly cold. I obediently bundled everybody up efficiently, or so I thought, and off we went. The poor kids sat like Michelin men in their car seats as we drove to the park; they could barely turn their heads to look out of the window. Anyway, we got there, and joined in the whizzing kids who were lining up at the top of the hill, and flying down with colorful smiles, and,"ooh" and "woah!" After a while, though, my children slowed down and started to look pale with cold. We decided to go back to the car and drive to pick up some hot "curly fries" at the nearest fast food drive-through. On the way home, my six year old boy took off his coat and boots to 'warm up'. To my horror, he had no top on, and no socks. I'm not surprized he got cold. He is quite hot blooded normally, probably because he is so active; but this was ridiculous. From now on, all the kids will get a thorough inspection, army style, before they are allowed out.

Grammar notes.

Related expressions: come rain or shine. Ex: Come rain or shine, you will find him gardening.

Perishingly cold/ bitterly cold = extremely cold.

To bundle up = to put lots of warm, thick, clothes on.

To fly = often used to mean moving very quickly. Ex: That car was flying!

Curly fries = french fries made in spirals and slightly seasoned.

To pick up food from a fast food drive-through is very common in the States.

Beginners.

Recycling is something that I do willingly. My children know all about it. At school the teachers tell them about how to not be wasteful, and how they can become involved in recycling. About every two weeks, my daughter and I load up the car with our large recycling boxes. One has glass jars, another metal cans, another has cardboard, and the last has plastics. It has become a real habit. If we don't do it, our garage will be full of garbage. Just think what a huge amount of things we throw away, when we could be recycling it all. It's alot of stuff! It makes me happy to think that we can save many trees, and help to keep the air and water clean if we make the effort to recycle. In most towns there are areas or large containers where you can take materials that you don't need anymore. It's a great idea.

Related vocabulary: recycling, waste, wasteful, involved, dumpster, garbage, materials, effort.

Verbs: to do (do, did, done); to know (know, knew, known).

Advanced.

It's funny, in retrospect, how you can become absorbed in an activity without realizing. I wish sometimes that I could see myself more objectively, as others do. I say this, because, I believe that often we could catch ourselves doing good, a good that we don't recognize anymore. Take recycling, for example. It has become, out of necessity, a bi-monthly habit in our household. If we didn't do it, our dumpster would get twice as full as it already does. It is truly amazing how many materials we use and throw away. Often, they pass through our house without even showing signs of use or damage. And out they go! Well, all this useful stuff, thankfully now is being transported down to the local recycling center. I usually do it with my daughter. She is only four, so it is like a game for her, as most things are. She loves to throw the plastic bottles into the huge, metal containers. Children love to throw things around, and often get into trouble for it. But there, it can be encouraged; and they love it. Occasionally, a fellow recycler is doing his or her duty down there, with whom I will exchange a smile or a hello. It's as if, without knowing eachother, we have some good things in common. I'm glad that it has become a normal activity for my kids, a little easy well-wishing for the earth.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: in retrospect, to become absorbed, objectively, out of necessity, to show signs of damage/ life/ illness etc; a fellow .... ex; a fellow painter.

 

 

Beginners.

One of my boys collects nutcrackers. Do you know what they are? They are very colorful, soldier dolls. They have become popular in the United States around Christmas time. You can find them in all sizes. Cass, my son, has a few small ones, and one big one. In the stores I have seen a variety of huge ones also, in different colors, and different uniforms. Sometimes they have a theme, like music, or nationality. One store has a packet of several nutcrackers, each one dressed in a national costume from a different country. I suppose they are called collectibles, just like snow globes, stamps, or keys. I have already finished my Christmas shopping, but I know that my son will be happy if he finds a new, shiny nutcracker in his stocking on the 25th of December.

Grammar notes.

Verbs:To collect (collect, collected, collected); to become (become, became, become); to find (find, found, found); to have (have, had, have)

Related vocabulary:soldier, doll, costume, uniform, nationality, country, tradition.

Advanced.

The other day I was browsing through the newspaper when I came across an announcement that the Nutcracker ballet was coming to town. It was going to be in town for only a few days, but what an exciting event! My husband and I had been to a spectacular performance of the Nutcracker in Seattle a couple of years ago. It was quite a modern rendition of the ballet, but just as jaw-dropping as the traditional performance. I think that my children are ready for exposure to such an artistic event. Perhaps we could make a real evening of it, dress formerly, go to a nice restaurant, and end up at the ballet. And, even though our town is small, we are beginning to get very good performers and artists visit and show their tremendous talent. My kids have all heard Tchaikovsky's music, but to see the ballet, if they can sit still that long, would give them some great insight into the volume of creative work from around the world that we can enjoy. Perhaps it could become a family tradition.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: Performance, rendition, theater, art, ballet, opera, family tradition, exposure, creativity, composer, conductor, spectacle, jaw-dropping/ awesome, talent, event.

Verbs: to browse (browse, browsed, browsed); to hear (hear, heard, heard); to come across = to find/ to stumble across.

 

Beginners.

Do you know what a Pointsettia is? It is something that grows in the ground and is sold here in the United States at Christmas time. It originates  from Mexico and Central America. Often when you go into a supermarket, they are the first things that you see, along with the fruit. The plants look like they have huge flowers, but actually, the colors come from leaves, not petals. You can find Pointsettias that are pink, red, white, and mottled. Not many flowers grow in these areas at Christmas time; gardens and farms are dormant because of the cold. So, truck loads of these flowers are transported from Mexico and Central America to our supermarkets, by the thousands. Christmas trees are a very special part of Winter, but Poinsettias are a pretty, traditional touch to the season's decorations.

Grammar notes.

Verbs: to grow (grow, grew, grown).

Ex: Carrots grow well here. They grew well last year. They are grown nearly everywhere.

To come (come, came, come).

Ex: He comes from China. They came to our house yesterday. Has Santa come down the chimney yet?

Related vocabulary: along with, actually, often.

Advanced.

You have probably noticed by now that I am a Christmas fanatic. The snow, the decorations, the traditions, and the actual meaning of Christmas, are all cherished by my family. Well, there is a little part of this season which definitely puts an annual smile on many faces. The Poinsettia. You can pick them up just about anywhere this time of year. Even the craft stores sell fake ones. They come in quite a variety of colors: red, pink, white, and mottled. A recent fashion has been sprayed Poinsettias; so now, they even come in sparkling blue and purple. That's not exactly my cup of tea; I prefer the natural colors. The flower was introduced to the United States by the first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Robert Poinsett. Legend has it that two poor children, Maria and Pablo, wished to decorate a local nativity scene with presents. They brought only weeds, and were picked on and humiliated by the other children. Then, suddenly, miraculously, the weeds burst into color, forming the shapes of stars. Their humble gift had been accepted and blessed. Love and well meaning triumphed. Poinsettias as a result are also known as the 'Flower of the Holy night.'

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to cherish (to be cherished).

Exs: I cherish our time together. She is cherished by the whole family.

Annual = yearly; to pick on = to bully; just about anywhere/ anybody; fake = artificial; it's not my cup of tea = I don't like it.

The flower was introduced = subject + to be + past participle.

Exs: The car was made in Japan. The jewel was stolen in the night.

                                          

 

Beginners.

Do you enjoy shopping? Do you do it very often? Are there many shops where you live? Here in Wenatchee, a small town, we have a few shopping areas. Some stores are well known; others are privately owned, small businesses. I like shopping when I have plenty of time. Sometimes, though, it is stressful. One of the most stressful days to shop is the day after Thanksgiving. Most stores have big sales. The word is BARGAIN. On every shop door you can see numbers: fifty percent off, seventy five percent off, even ninety percent off! Because the sales are so good, most people do their Christmas shopping. They can save a lot of money. The main problem is that there are too many people. Crowds, noise, traffic, pushing, tired children crying, oh it's a crazy day. It is a part of this culture, the way people live here, but, I must say, it can be quite stressful.

Grammar notes.

Questions: reverse verb and subject, exs: Do you enjoy/hate/go....?   

Are there trees/ books/ people/ many (s.t.)...?  Is there a person/ toy/ telephone/ bus etc?  

Related vocabulary: bargain, sale, price, cost, expensive, cheap, change, dollars, percent, percentage.  

Advanced.

Have you ever been around so many people that you felt trapped? It's a feeling called claustrophobia. It is unpleasant to say the least. You want to run away into an open place where there is quiet and fresh air. You could get this feeling in lots of places: airplanes, boats, trains, hospitals. But, what about shopping? Last year, in an effort to get my Christmas shopping out of the way early, I tried, for the first time, shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I regretted it. It's not that it is a bad idea, it's just that I didn't have the correct system. You really need to know what you are doing. Veteran shoppers get up early, about five o'clock, dress themselves in several layers of warm clothes, so they are never too hot or too cold, - they can always peel off a few layers if they need to. They have the car full of gas, and equipped with tissues, hand sanitizer, a charged cell phone, cds of tranquil music, and vitamin C snacks. And, last but not least, they have the all-necessary list of coupons. This year, I did all of that,....well, okay, apart from the getting up at five o'clock. I also discovered a secret weapon that defended me against the onslaught of noise and stress. My iPod. Thanks to the iPod, I sailed smoothly through the chaos, taking my time, selecting items calmly, and totally distracted by my wonderful downloaded programs. Do you think I should let the secret out?

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: claustrophobia, trapped, anxious, nervous, escape, system, to regret, to peel off (skin of fruit and clothes), tissues, coupons, weapon, secret, onslaught, stress, chaos.

Verbs and phrases: Have you ever....? Exs: Have you ever been to St. Petersburg? Has he ever tried smoked salmon? Has it ever snowed here?Did they ever return your call? Did she ever repay you?

 

 

 

Beginners.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. It is a tradition that is very important for most Americans. It is a yearly celebration that reflects on history. Americans celebrate this special day in remembrance of the first settlers from Europe, the Pilgrims. They suffered during the first years of living here. The Winter was very cold; there was very little food. Many of them died or got sick. Those who survived were helped by the Native Indians. They were shown how to grow native foods, and how to look after themselves. As a result, they gave thanks to God and to the Indians for their survival. Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to think of the good things that we have in our lives. Most people get together with family or friends to have a big turkey dinner or lunch. It is a time, also, when children learn in school about the beginnings of the United States.

Grammar notes.

Useful vocabulary: yearly = annual; in remembrance = to remember; native = of the present country; the beginnings of something = how something started.

Verbs: to suffer (regular verb) = suffered in the preterite; 'was' and 'were' ex: The Winter was cold; they were helped. To die (died in past); to get sick (got sick in past).

Advanced.

The day of Thanksgiving, twenty-two people came to my house for lunch. It was a little crazy, but, on the other hand, it was a delight. The people were all family: my mother, in-laws, nephews and nieces. The ages ranged from sixty-nine to two. Thankfully we have enough room to cope with so many people. We spruced up the house a couple of days before, rearranged furniture and tidied up. Of course, I put a huge turkey in the oven to cook for about five hours. Everybody who came brought a dish or two of food, so the preparations for me were not overwhelming. Before we ate, the oldest of the family, my Father-in-law, said a prayer of thanks for all the good things, or 'blessings', in our lives, and then we dove into the food. Plenty is an appropriate word for this holiday. The plenty from the harvest comes to our table and is enjoyed. Cornucopia, or a horn of plenty, is a symbol related to Thanksgiving. Afterwards, we had an open fire, we lit candles; the kids played and ran around making all kinds of noise and mess, and the adults sat and chatted. There was always someone making an extra trip into the kitchen for 'round two' or 'round three' of desserts. I resisted the temptation, but I certainly lingered over my pumpkin pie and cream.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: on the other hand; to spruce up s.t.; a dish (of food) * it is often not necessary to mention the food; a 'dish' implies food. Overwhelming = too much / too exhausting; to dive into s.t. = to indulge fully. To chat = very common expression for light-hearted talking. A trip = a journey of any length (even extremely short). To resist temptation / to give in to temptation.