It's not often that(1) I find myself trapped, stuck in the middle of two things. However, I put myself in the middle of two things the other day deliberately(2). The two things were my dog and cat. The dog wanted to get the cat, and the cat wanted to test her young claws on the dog's nose. I have been training my little kitten. She is getting used to(3) the front garden, so when she's older, I can let her out by herself. I have a little harness(4) for her, (I call it her bra), which attaches aro...
Feb 26, 2013•17 min
Can I help you? Yes please. Which way is it to the college? You are on the right road. Keep going straight, and then take a right. Is it far? No, you're quite close. It'll take you about five minutes. Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. Join me on Monday's and Wednesday's for more basic pronunciation practice. My regular intermediate level podcasts are Tuesday's and Thursday's. I hope it helps! You are all welcome to join my FACEBOOK page called Anna Fromacupofenglish; just send me ...
Feb 25, 2013•8 min
Throw it, chuck it(1), give it away! All of this furniture can't possibly stay! Every room, cupboard, and closet is filled to the brim(2), But most of this stuff should be thrown in the bin!(3) So off to(4) the dump with these old, broken possessions, Chairs, tables, and computers that long ago were in fashion. Just look at this old sofa; it's seen better days,(5) Why do you think that keeping it pays?(6) The mattress, pillows, and table are on their last legs,(7) They're covered in stains, hole...
Feb 21, 2013•15 min
Do you have photos around your house? Perhaps photos of family and friends? I have been in some people's houses where there are photos in every room. The fridge, in the kitchen, is a place where a lot of people place photos of loved ones or fond memories. I have had our family photos in a huge box for quite a few years. The project of sorting through them, putting some in chronological albums, and others in frames, has been a project that I have avoided for all this time. Am I lazy? I don't thin...
Feb 19, 20130
These days(1) everybody seems to be trying to(2) save money. On the television, we hear about sales, discounts, and 'cash back'(3) on things that we buy. Most receipts now give opportunities to win money, or products. And the shops do the same. Have you noticed generic brands in your local shops? A generic brand is a line of products made for that shop, not a famous brand name. They are always cheaper than other brands. The question is, "Are they good quality, or of the same quality as(4) the br...
Feb 19, 2013•16 min
Over the years I have collected books and cassettes to learn different languages. I have them lined up(1) on my desk, all in a row: Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, and Russian. Unfortunately I don't speak all of them, only Spanish and French. I learned a little Russian as well, but only a few sentences. I would love to know all of these languages, but I know that it would take me years and years to both study and practice(2) them. I pick up the books sometimes and look at the Chinese and Arabi...
Feb 14, 2013•14 min
The subject of many people's conversations is the flu. Everybody is talking about it. The clinics and hospitals are full of people who have flu symptoms, and supermarkets have shelves full of medicines, tissues(1), and vitamin powders. I've been lucky so far(2); my children and my husband have had it, but not me(3). And I'm not going to, I keep telling myself. I'm using mind over matter(4). When I do go to the supermarket, I'll often hear a horrible cough in one direction, and a sneeze in anothe...
Feb 12, 2013•18 min
It's been a rough couple of weeks(1). My three boys have had the flu, and one of them has had two different kinds. As a mother, I try to do all that I can to make them comfortable: medicine, liquids, blankets, and peace and quiet(2). I try to give them some extra attention, if they want it. At times(3) I have taken their temperatures, asked them how they feel, felt their foreheads, and given them popsicles(4) for their sore throats. Sometimes, however, they have wanted to be left alone(5). I can...
Feb 07, 2013•12 min
Some state lawmakers are pushing to ban(1) potentially(2) cancer-causing(3) chemicals from children's products and sofas. The two flame retardant(4) chemicals are known as TCEP and TDCCP and are found in car seats, strollers(5), changing pads(6), other children's products, and furniture. Manufacturers often add the chemicals to foam(7), plastics and fabrics to prevent fires and to slow down fires if they have already started. The chemical industry says that flame retardants have been useful in r...
Feb 06, 2013•14 min
Farmers, ranchers(1) and county officials(2) from Eastern Washington said a plan to manage(3) wolves as they are re-established in the state has good ideas but doesn't go far enough to cover their potential losses(4) or protect their property. Wolves are making a remarkable comeback(5) in Washington. A year ago there were five confirmed wolf packs in the state: now there are eight confirmed packs and three more suspected (6)packs. But wolves will remain protected under Washington's endangered sp...
Jan 31, 2013•14 min
Do you ever check your bills? It's a good practice(1), but sometimes seems unnecessary. If you do, however, you might find the occasional odd charge, or you might have a question about something on the bill that you don't recognize. That is exactly what happened to me last week when I took my dog, Rosie, to the vet. The poor thing had a skin infection of some kind. Apparently it was the result of an allergy. She obviously felt itchy because she would scratch herself all over. Well, the vet got t...
Jan 29, 2013•12 min
Nationwide(1), metal theft has become a serious problem since about 2005, according to(2) a 2010 report on metal theft by the U.S. Department of Justice. That's when metal prices rose substantially(3). In 2002, for example, copper prices hit a record low(4), falling to 65 cents a pound. By 2006, it was worth $4 a pound, prompted mainly by the industrialization(5) of Asian countries. One figure(6) was available for copper losses. According to a survey, about $20 million worth of copper was stolen...
Jan 25, 2013•13 min
"Mum, can you put in your password?" is a question that I hear almost on a daily basis. My kids are into apps in a big way(1). We are slowly getting sucked(2) into the app market. I allow my daughter to play on my iPhone every now and then(3). That's fine. There are lots of fun, creative apps that you can download for free, so we do(4). After a few days, however, the credits, or ammunition, or points, or whatever currency it is that you need to play the game, run out. Then my children look aroun...
Jan 22, 2013•14 min
Facing powerful opposition to new gun laws, President Barack Obama is considering(1) 19 steps that he could take through executive action(2). The steps could include punishing(3) people who lie on gun sale background checks(4), getting more complete records in the federal background check database(5), more federal research into gun use, ordering tougher(6) penalties against gun trafficking, and giving schools flexibility to improve safety. "My starting point is not to worry(7) about the politics...
Jan 17, 2013•16 min
We have a new addition to our house. It's a furry, playful little thing that, at the moment, is fast asleep(1). Lilly is her name, but I'm not sure if it suits(2) her. Most of the time 'mini monster' would suit her, as she hides around the corners, waiting for us, and then jumps out and attacks our ankles. Thankfully, she doesn't use her claws very much, and she's not big enough to do any damage, though she seems to think that(3) she's as big as the local mountain lions. We bought her a few week...
Jan 15, 2013•12 min
This following paragraph was taken from a home magazine that focuses on storage and using spaces well in the home. It might seem, in this age of electronic books and computer tablets, that a library is an outdated (1)room to include in a home. But, it could be argued(2), that it is because we have so much noise and technology in our lives that we need a quiet room of books. Libraries are places of peace. When we are in them we need to whisper (3)and walk quietly. Sometimes they are the perfect p...
Jan 10, 2013•10 min
One of the great consolations(1) of the end of the year is a New Year's Eve party. We don't always go to a party on New Year's Eve. Sometimes we prefer to stay at home, by the fire, with good food and drink, family and maybe a few friends, and welcome the new year quietly. This December 31st, however, was different. We were invited to two parties, and we decided to go to both of them. The first was quiet and relaxed. A friend of mine, Barbara, was hosting(2) it, and she had decided that it shoul...
Jan 07, 2013•12 min
Now that the Christmas vacation is coming up, we will probably play some board(1) games in the evenings. We have so many of them! There is a big collection of them, stuffed(2) into a closet in the lounge. Monopoly, Axis and Allies, and Scrabble are three of the more well known ones. My favorite is probably Monopoly; I love games that lead you along a path to a destination, with question cards, and unexpected(3) opportunities or problems along the way. I was actually playing a similar game this m...
Dec 14, 2012•13 min
In a recent interview with Howard G. Buffet, farmer, philanthropist, and son of billionaire Warren Buffet, he commented on the relatively unknown problem of hunger in the U.S. Studies show that one in five children don't always know where their next meal will come from. Interviewer:You've supported global(1) hunger relief for years; what made you turn your attention(2) to America? Howard Buffet :Before, I never understood how difficult things were in this country, and how they were getting worse...
Dec 03, 2012•16 min
Recently, when I went back to England, I indulged in(1) something that I don't often get to indulge in; fruit cake. It might not seem very important, in fact, it might seem like a joke, depending on where you come from. Here in the U.S, for some reason, fruit cake is a joke. People joke about receiving a fruit cake at Christmas, and then trying to find a secret way of disposing of (2) it: put it in someone's mailbox, disguise it as a pet, or leave it in a basket outside a hospital......I've even...
Nov 29, 2012•15 min
When I travel I feel really alive. There is something about getting away from my daily routine that helps me see things from a different perspective. I find it exciting, refreshing, and inspiring(1). Even when I travel to familiar places, such as England, I'm open to learn, and I thoroughly(2) enjoy observing. Another thing that I love about traveling, is the unpredictability(3) of it. Sometimes the unexpected happens. Recently, I went back to England for a couple of weeks to visit my family. Wh...
Nov 21, 2012•15 min
Halloween is a time of screams and fright, horrible faces and hideous (1)costumes. It's a time when people who love to be scared can fill up on that experience(2). Those of us who don't like witches, skeletons, zombies, and Draculas hope that the day of Halloween passes quickly. Though the roots of this holiday are ancient, it has become a very modern celebration. By this, I mean that each year Halloween is updated. My almost daily(3) trips to Walmart showed me that that is very true. If you wan...
Nov 06, 2012•15 min
My sons love anything to do with survival. I have often seen them playing in the garden, pretending(1) to be lost in a forest. They act out a story(2) of being three brothers, helping eachother to survive by building a cabin, finding water, catching fish, and making tools. Usually, in my garden, they only get as far as(3) digging a big hole in my vegetable area, and propping up(4) odd bits of(5) wood in it for the cabin walls. By the time they do that(6), they're hungry, so they come into the ho...
Oct 22, 2012•16 min
I have been trying to think of ways to save time recently. I even read a book once on how to save time, but that took too long. I really admire people who are efficient, can plan well, and can get lots of things done. It takes a lot of thought. My children and my husband have been telling me to get a smart phone for a long time. I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that more technology in my life would take up(1) more time. It wasn't until last Saturday that I realized that my family ...
Oct 17, 2012•14 min
"Practice makes perfect" is a saying that I've heard ever since (1)I was a little girl. To become good at something, you must practice. We all know that. Those of us who are naturally disciplined are quite happy with that saying. Those of us who are not find it annoying. Academics, hobbies, sports, and languages all require loads of (2)practice. Tonnes of practice(3). Here, a recent fashion has appeared that needs a lot of practice. It is the hobby of playing with a Kendama. A Kendama is a Japan...
Oct 11, 2012•14 min
It's time you had an update(1) on the fire situation here in Wenatchee, and the rest of Washington State. Most of the month, we have had smoke in the valley. We have been told that the air quality is hazardous(2). The local shops have been selling face masks for people who need to be outdoors. I actually bought a box of them the other day, and used one for the first time in my life. The smoke was really thick that particular day, and I found myself holding my breath as I went from the car into s...
Oct 05, 2012•12 min
"Mum, please don't buy me any clothes. I just want to go shopping for clothes with Dad." This request was made by my almost thirteen year old, and echoed(1) by my fourteen year old. It was totally unexpected. In fact, I have never heard anything like that before(2). I've shopped for my children's clothes all of their lives, and now, suddenly, I've been told not to. Did their request hurt my feelings? Not really. I understand that my two oldest are adolescents; they have what we call a 'mental fo...
Sep 19, 2012•17 min
Do you remember a few episodes ago, a podcast called Smoke to the North? We learned how to say that something is going on in a particular direction. Well, recently, we have had very bad fires to the West which are still burning. The photo on the blog page was a late afternoon view from my back garden, unusually dark, with a beautiful but very unusual sun. That was taken a few days ago. Now the hillside is completely black, and the fire has swept up(1) to the forests and hills behind our valley. ...
Sep 11, 2012•13 min
We're back in business! In fact, I'm back in business. This is an English expression, an idiom(1). And what does it mean? It means that things are working again as they should. I decided to call this podcast 'Back in business' because I am beginning to do my podcasts again, after missing several weeks. I do apologize for disappearing during the summer, but life became very hectic(2). Now that there is more of a routine in my home, I can take time to work on my podcasts, and enjoy bringing you th...
Sep 06, 2012•12 min
Oh, I'm frustrated. I haven't seen the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. I've been searching on the internet, but all I can find are a few highlights(1). NBC, here in the U.S. refused to show a live stream (2) of the event. They had their reasons. They said that, because of the time difference, not many people would watch it, plus they would make more money if they waited until prime time(3) the next day. Because they paid $1.3 billion for the rights to show the games, the National B...
Aug 10, 2012•12 min
