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 ass...
Jun 24, 2009•5 min
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 sport...
Jun 22, 2009•5 min
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 si...
Jun 17, 2009•4 min
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...
Jun 15, 2009•5 min
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 beautifu...
Jun 12, 2009•5 min
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 sta...
Jun 10, 2009•5 min
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 inter...
Jun 08, 2009•5 min
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 car...
Jun 05, 2009•5 min
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 ...
Jun 03, 2009•6 min
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...
Jun 01, 2009•5 min
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 f...
May 29, 2009•5 min
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...
May 27, 2009•5 min
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 de...
May 26, 2009•5 min
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...
May 21, 2009•4 min
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 ki...
May 20, 2009•5 min
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!
May 19, 2009•51 sec
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...
May 14, 2009•4 min
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 materi...
May 13, 2009•5 min
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 sh...
May 12, 2009•6 min
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 ...
May 07, 2009•4 min
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 i...
May 06, 2009•5 min
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 ...
May 05, 2009•5 min
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...
Apr 30, 2009•5 min
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 ...
Apr 29, 2009•5 min
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...
Apr 28, 2009•5 min
Sorry folks, no podcast today. Please join me next week on Tuesday for more of English learning. Thanks and have a great weekend. Anna.
Apr 23, 2009•41 sec
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 th...
Apr 22, 2009•5 min
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 garde...
Apr 21, 2009•7 min
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...
Apr 16, 2009•6 min
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 quest...
Apr 15, 2009•6 min
