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

发表于:2019-01-01 / 阅读(35) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

Do you ever watch the programs (programmes) on television that show the funniest international advertisements? They generally come out about Christmas time, and provide an hour of side-splitting* entertainment. Advertising is to be scrutinized*. Even

发表于:2019-01-01 / 阅读(33) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

There was a special day to celebrate, back in November. A friend of mine was graduating from a nursing program(me) which she had been in for two years. Normally, as a young student, two years of study isn't that much. However, she is in her forties,

发表于:2019-01-01 / 阅读(28) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

It's been such a mild Winter. There has been no sign of snow for weeks and weeks, which is very odd. Christmas didn't feel very Christmasy because of it. But there is an up side* to this strange weather. Everyone has been able to go for walks. Normal

发表于:2019-01-01 / 阅读(37) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

Paying bills can be such a pain. It's a necessary evil. It's also something that keeps us honest: when we have to look at our true expenses in the face*, it makes us consider our life styles, and whether or not we are being responsible. But still, it

发表于:2019-01-01 / 阅读(26) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

Those of you have been following my podcasts over the past few months, will know that my husband has recently 'got into'*hunting. He is now fully licensed, fully equipped, and on his way to becoming an experienced hunter. Today, instead of leaving at

发表于:2019-01-01 / 阅读(32) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

I hope that this never happens to you. You're driving along, minding your own business, when suddenly your car stops. It could be because of engine trouble, or because of something in the road that is preventing the car from moving. I spotted this po

发表于:2019-01-28 / 阅读(39) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

Today, I found in my bag forty stamps that I had bought around Christmas time, and not used. I had bought them for mailing Christmas cards, but this year, for some odd reason, I didn't mail out any cards at all. I usually do. I must have just complet

发表于:2019-01-28 / 阅读(28) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

图片1 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. B

发表于:2019-02-02 / 阅读(35) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

图片1 Fire up the barby! The good weather is here, minced meat is on sale in the supermarket, and the nights are longer. It's time to clean the outside furniture, put a tablecloth on the table, buy propane for the barbecue, and decide what's for di

发表于:2019-02-03 / 阅读(41) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

The weather is one thing, where I live, that is consistent. It is one of the attractions about living here. The tourist information about Wenatchee talks at once about the 300 days of sun each year, and the regular, consistent four seasons: Spring, S

发表于:2019-02-03 / 阅读(38) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

图片1 Helen the hippo is my friend at the moment. My little girl is learning how to read, and Helen is the type of character that is helping her to do so. It has been wonderful and fascinating to see the transition from knowing the alphabet to putt

发表于:2019-02-06 / 阅读(28) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

A badly broken arm. It was championship night on Monday. My son Cass and his team were through to the baseball finals. They had worked hard all season, and were about to face an equally good team. It was going to be the Blacks against the Greens. The

发表于:2019-02-07 / 阅读(50) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

Mummy, can I pet the horses? said my daughter as we crossed the road to the center of the town of Leavenworth. We had decided to spend a few hours in a nearby town, for a change of scenery. The horses in the road were attached to carts that were well

发表于:2019-02-08 / 阅读(23) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

图片1 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, a

发表于:2019-02-08 / 阅读(31) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

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

发表于:2019-02-17 / 阅读(126) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

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,

发表于:2019-02-17 / 阅读(105) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

It is very fashionable here for kids to have portable computer devices. My boys have Psps and Dsis. Their peers all have them, and, therefore, they expect at some stage to get them. The advertising on television doesn't help, as far as being a parent

发表于:2019-02-17 / 阅读(102) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

Stocking up for Winter. The bell rang today while I was tidying up after dinner. I wondered who it could be at eight o'clock at night. As I approached the door, the bell started ringing very fast, which made me guess that it was one of my children. W

发表于:2019-02-17 / 阅读(107) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English

appologies today for talking about one of my passions: gardening. It's that time again, whoopee! The weather has been perfect recently. Though there is snow on the tops of the nearby mountains, and the breeze is cold, the bright sun makes up for it.

发表于:2019-02-25 / 阅读(129) / 评论(0) 分类 英语博客 A cup of English