For the past five weeks, I've been working on a very exciting project. It is something that I've wanted to do for years and years, but have not got around to doing it.(1) I have written my first ebook. It's called 'The Golden Whisper', and is free for one month at Smashwords.com. The book is for older children or young adults, and is a silly, funny story about a substitute teacher who gets involved in an adventure when she goes to work at a certain school. The story actually came to me(2) when I...
May 29, 2014•6 min
Do you find waiting frustrating at times? I do, especially when I'm waiting for someone else to complete their work, so that a project can be finished. Waiting for emails, paperwork, for someone to make his or her(1) mind up, or waiting for a telephone call, can all be exasperating(2). When I think about it, I realize that I always have a project going on. It's either one thing or another. I love projects; I love having an idea, doing some work, and seeing that idea become a reality. In my garde...
May 21, 2014•7 min
If you can see the photo of the bee that I recently took in my garden, you will see that it is right in the middle of a big flower. It is sitting on its target(1), working to get the pollen and the nectar. Bees are determined(2) little creatures that always make me feel lazy when I compare myself to them. I assumed that there were a few different kinds of bees, but I had no idea that there are 20,000 different kinds. Some live in communities, and some live alone. Some produce honey by gathering ...
May 16, 2014•8 min
Have you ever seen a diamond made up of circles? Or a mosaic(1) made up(2) of straight lines? Art that is based on geometric shapes can be fascinating. In Seatac airport near Seattle, I discovered a picture that uses only geometric shapes. It actually wasn't a painting; it was a panel of lights, each one having a color and shape in front. The main shape was a diamond or a rhombus, made up of multiple lines. Each line was a different color, and made up of many circles. The combination of colors w...
May 12, 2014•7 min
I have been in and out of the sporting goods store recently, as my children are all involved in sports. I had to get some soccer shoes for my daughter, and some shin pads(1), so we made another visit to the place. I don't particularly like to shop; I have to do it more than I would like to(2). My daughter, however, adores shopping. It's always a problem taking her to any clothes shop, as she sees many things that she loves and wants to have. I usually move around the shop as fast as I can, buy w...
Apr 29, 2014•9 min
As I was cleaning the kitchen sink yesterday, I saw something move outside. There is a red leaved tree right outside the kitchen window, so the movement could have been one of the leaves. I looked carefully, and through the shadows, the lines of lights, and the leaves that were rising and falling(1), I saw a bird. It was hopping about on a branch, and looking at me. In its mouth was a white feather, which contrasted with its own dark brown color. "It's nesting," I thought to myself. All of the b...
Apr 25, 2014•7 min
1. Peter: Hi Liz, hey great jacket. 2. Liz: Thanks Peter. It's new. What do you think? Does it suit me? 3. Peter: Yes, its the perfect color for you. 4. Liz: I decided that it's time for a new coat. My other clothes are for the winter, and I end up getting too hot, now that it is spring. 5. Peter: I know what you mean. The weather changes a lot; sometimes the wind is quite cold, and then the next thing you know, it's sunny. 6. Liz: Exactly. That's why I bought this jacket. It's a wind blocker, a...
Apr 24, 2014•14 min
On Saturday, I scrambled(1) to buy as much chocolate as I could. It had to be really good chocolate, Swiss. I had a project in mind(2), and I only had a few hours to finish it. I had decided to make an English style chocolate Easter egg for my children. Traditionally, in England, that is the gift that we give on Easter Sunday. The egg represents new life, and new hope; it's one of the main symbols of Easter. And you wouldn't believe the sizes of some of the chocolate eggs that you can find in th...
Apr 21, 2014•12 min
There is a bird in my back garden that has a special meaning for me. Here they call it a dove; in England its name is a wood pigeon. It isn't spectacular to look at, in fact it's quite difficult to see because it is mainly grey. Its looks vary from country to country. Here it is totally light grey, whereas in England, it has a blue-green head, and some pink on its belly. Both, however, make a haunting(1) sound that takes me back to my childhood. As I grew up in a small, rural town, surrounded by...
Apr 15, 2014•10 min
Today, as I drove my oldest son to High School, we got stuck in traffic. The road where we were stuck isn't usually a busy one. It is a windy road that goes through a residential area. The people in the traffic jam were not adults going to work; they were highschoolers. Here in the U.S, most students who are 16 years old or older have cars. Often they work after school to pay for the gas and insurance, and perhaps also to make the monthly car payment(1). They spend a lot of time working, so they...
Apr 08, 2014•11 min
On Sunday, we had a family picnic. It was one of the rare days(1) when the children didn't have any sports tournaments, and the weather was perfect. We quickly made plans to go down to a local river to spend a few hours. The river was quite high because it is early spring, and there is a lot of snow melting(2) in the mountains, filling the rivers and streams. We walked along the riverbank until we found a flat, beach area where we set up our chairs, food, and equipment. When I say equipment, I m...
Mar 25, 2014•10 min
At this time of year, the schools have tests of all kinds for the children. Reading and writing tests, math skills tests, and tomorrow, there will be hearing and vision tests for the whole school. If you think about it, the two last mentioned tests are fundamental; if a child cannot hear or see properly, he will have a very hard time in school. My youngest son had a vision test today with an eye specialist. He had had a reading test the other day that raised a few questions about his eyes. His e...
Mar 18, 2014•7 min
Primulas are one of the first spring flowers to appear in this area. I was thrilled to see them this morning. Most people I know are excited about the spring, and hoping that the snow will not come back, and that the cold conditions will wait for next Winter. It seems miraculous and surprising when you spot a flower in an area where there are still dead leaves from the previous autumn, and when there are patches of ice still around. So, how is it that plants know when to grow? The science behind...
Mar 10, 2014•8 min
It has been some time since we had an episode of A Tour of Homes, so today we will take a close look at the dining room. It, like the kitchen and lounge, is a focal point of family life. A lot of good things happen here, and it is a place where we celebrate special occasions. This room centers around a table and chairs. Here in Western society, there are often more than four chairs around a table. When there is a special occasion, often friends and family come to celebrate, so more chairs are ne...
Mar 06, 2014•8 min
Recently, we gave our dog, Foxy, to another family. It was a difficult decision, but a necessary one. She is a working dog, very intelligent and very active, and she needs a job. The family that has adopted her has other dogs of her breed, a lot of land, and horses. She is in a much better situation, and is able to run over acres and acres every day. Now, my other dog, Rosie, has become more of a spoiled house dog. She has a very different personality, and it seems, her instincts are focused on ...
Mar 04, 2014•8 min
"Mum, I want to make a volcano," said my son Cass on Sunday morning. "You know, the kind that we can make out of paper," he added. That is an unusual request for a Sunday morning. Papier mache is what he was talking about. I remember making heads and masks out of papier mache in school. We would blow up balloons, and then cover them with a mixture of torn up newspapers, flour, and water, and then leave them to dry for a couple of days. Then, the balloons would be popped and removed, and we would...
Feb 27, 2014•8 min
You have probably heard that President Barack Obama signed into law his medical reform bill. 'Obama Care' is its nick name. Some people are very excited about this new development, and other people are not. The question of whether the U.S. needs universal health care has been debated for months. The government has been split about the idea. Democrats, in general, are in favor of it, but Republicans have not wanted it. The main problem is cost. The U.S. spends more on health care than any other c...
Feb 26, 2014•8 min
Liz: I came as soon as I found out. How is she? Parent: Thank you, Liz. She went straight into the operating theater when she got to the hospital, and now she's sleeping. She'll recover, but it'll take a while. Liz: Car accidents are so scary. Parent: I know. We're just so happy that she's alright. The person who hit her was busy texting, not even watching the road. He's also in this hospital, but not much happened to him. Liz: Oh my gosh! Everyone should ignore their phones while they're drivin...
Feb 25, 2014•12 min
Liz: I came as soon as I found out. How is she? Parent: Thank you, Liz. She went straight into the operating theater when she got to the hospital, and now she's sleeping. She'll recover, but it'll take a while. Liz: Car accidents are so scary. Parent: I know. We're just so happy that she's alright. The person who hit her was busy texting, not even watching the road. He's also in this hospital, but not much happened to him. Liz: Oh my gosh! Everyone should ignore their phones while they're drivin...
Feb 25, 2014•12 min
Easter Sunday, a day of family, celebration, and fun. Today, after church, my family and I got together with my in-laws in the East Wenatchee Country Club for lunch. The club is actually for golf, but even if you don't golf, you can go to the restaurant which is really very good. For special occasions, their kitchen puts on quite a spread. Today they had lamb, ham, and chicken with mushrooms. Often they will serve prime rib beef which just melts in your mouth. And for those of you who are vegeta...
Feb 21, 2014•9 min
Leavenworth is fast becoming my favorite local place to have lunch. I took my mother up there today for a yummy trip to Pav's restaurant as an early Mother's Day gift. It was a perfect day, sunny and cool. Actually, they had had a heavy snowfall a few days previously which everyone thought was a bit crazy, but considering that it is a mountainous region, it's not that surprising. We wandered around the main streets a little and window shopped, until we got hungry enough for lunch. Pav's opens at...
Feb 20, 2014•8 min
I was just listening to a Swiss podcast about health. The presenters were talking about free radicals and how to fight them. They first of all listed all the situations in life that cause free radicals to be produced in our bodies: emotional and physical stress, pollution, medicines, a poor diet, alcohol, smoking and more. Jokingly, one of the presenters asked, "What doesn't produce free radicals?" because it seems that everything does. A discussion developed about a healthy life style, the impo...
Feb 18, 2014•9 min
I heard today that eating nuts helps to lower bad cholesterol. That's good news because I love nuts of all kinds. I always have a stash of almonds and walnuts in the fridge. Apparently, in order to have the full benefits of these nuts, they should be plain: not salted, not sugared, and obviously not roasted. There are some naturally occurring chemicals in nuts that counteract the LDL (or low-density lipoprotein which is the actual name of the bad cholesterol). You probably all know that here in ...
Feb 12, 2014•8 min
Liz: Thank you guys for all your help. I couldn't have organized this event without you! Mary and Peter: You're welcome. Mary: There's no way that one person could do all the work, and get it done on time. Peter: It's a pleasure to help. I really think that the concert will be a success. Mary: Yep. I've heard that the community is buying a lot of tickets. The way things are going, we'll be able to raise all the money we need for our health and safety campaign. Liz: Let's hope so. We've tied up t...
Feb 11, 2014•12 min
Liz: Thank you guys for all your help. I couldn't have organized this event without you! Mary and Peter: You're welcome. Mary: There's no way that one person could do all the work, and get it done on time. Peter: It's a pleasure to help. I really think that the concert will be a success. Mary: Yep. I've heard that the community is buying a lot of tickets. The way things are going, we'll be able to raise all the money we need for our health and safety campaign. Liz: Let's hope so. We've tied up t...
Feb 10, 2014•13 min
What do you feel like eating in the morning? Are you a breakfast eater, or do you just have a coffee or tea? There are so many things to choose from when it comes to the first meal of the day. Traditionally, in England, we have what is called the 'great British breakfast'. It is a substantial meal; if you happen to miss lunch, it doesn't matter because you will still be full with breakfast. Normally it includes: bacon (meaty not fatty), eggs, toast, stewed, skinless tomatoes, sausages, sometimes...
Feb 05, 2014•9 min
As I was going to the recycling center today, I passed the postman (or, the mail man in U.S). He was sitting in his cute little mail van, next to the mail boxes where he was inserting all of the letters, cards, and junk mail. I pulled over and asked him for our mail which he very kindly gave me. Back in the car, I had a quick look through the collection of things that he had given me, and I found two official looking envelopes from the U.S Department of State, - the place where you get important...
Feb 04, 2014•7 min
Do-it-yourself is more than a hobby in this town. It is more like a craze. When a job needs to be done around the house, a lot of people will do it themselves, instead of hiring someone else. You don't always need to be an expert to fix a pipe, to paint a wall, to hang a door, or to replace a window. You just need to know how to do it, and you also need the right tools. There are a couple of stores where I live that supply those two things. They have employees who are very knowledgeable about al...
Jan 31, 2014•9 min
My children have begged my husband for years to build them a tree house. He has said "No," for a long time, but in 2013, for some reason(1), he changed his mind. I always agreed with the kids, because secretly, I think it would be very exciting to have a tree house. So, when he told us that he wanted our ideas about the project, we were all surprised and excited. The kids drew all sorts of designs, some realistic, and some pure fantasy. As Tom and the boys were going to do all of the building, t...
Jan 27, 2014•9 min
At the radio station. Greg: Today we have a special guest from the university who is here to talk to us about the Student Union, and some of its important activities. Welcome, Liz. Liz: Hello Greg, thanks for having me. Greg: Congratulations on becoming the Student Union President. What are your goals for the students for this year? Liz: Three things really. I'm working with the other elected students to increase safety on campus; we'll have visiting speakers from the community who will educate ...
Jan 24, 2014•18 min
