97 Rock House.
A Cup Of English
There is a place like no other for a brief get away from where I live. If you don't mind a twenty minute drive on a highway that goes into a deep forest, then this is the right place. 97 Rock House is the name of this coffee roasting, food serving establishment. It's not your average quick stop for a coffee. A lot of hard work went into its design and decor. The theme of 'rock' is carried into the interior, which has a stoney, wooden cabin (1)vibe. It has high ceilings, garage doors for windows, (2) heavy duty stringed lights, and even artificial gems embedded in its rock walls. Live music...
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Yoga and wine for New Year's.
A Cup Of English
It's already 2025. Can you believe it? The celebrations for the New Year came and went so fast! Typically I don't do much on New Year's Eve during the day, but this year, or should I say 'last year' I did a lot. I worked a little in the morning, and then, in the afternoon I checked online to see if there were any yoga classes available at my local gym. Most of the teachers at the gym were already on vacation, so my expectations were low, but there was one. "Great!" I thought to myself, "I'll be able (1)to stretch out my stiff hips, and get (2)nice and loose for the New Year." I quickly got...
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Photos of Christmas
A Cup Of English
Lights, decorations, games, there are so many photos in my camera of the recent Christmas celebrations. For me, it is one of the best times of the year. And it has been that way since I was little. A Christmas tree is a staple of the festivities. Strings of lights also keep the darker season jolly. Santa, on the other hand, (1)is a different matter. I've never liked him that much, to tell you the truth. My dad actually used to dress up as Santa and carry a big bag of presents to the tree, saying "Ho! Ho! Ho!" in a very dad voice. Well, of course I knew that it was him. It was very sweet of him...
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Happy Winter Solstice!
A Cup Of English
The sky, when I woke up this morning, was a blurry white all over, not of snow, just a layer of cloud with the light of the sun behind it. It was a dreamy look, nothing like the blue sky, bright sun, and streets and houses covered in snow that we have had recently. I was tempted to stay in bed. I remembered, however, that there is a Saturday morning yoga class just up the road at 9 o'clock. "Should I go, or shouldn't I?" went back and forth in my head. I realized that exercising first thing in the morning would be better than staying in bed, and I would feel energized probably for most of the...
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I love Turkey, part one.
A Cup Of English
I wasn't sure, starting this podcast, about the title. "I love Turkey, part one" is very basic, and sounds like a child is saying it. But, honestly, I can't think of another because my recent trip to Turkey left me both astonished and dying to go back. I had only done a little research about the country before I left, so I confess that I was quite ignorant about it. Unfortunately, (1)add to that the fact that in secondary school we were not taught anything about Turkey, and you get a picture of just how ignorant I was before my trip. My father had the good fortune of working in Turkey when I...
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Steamer's West.
A Cup Of English
I have discovered a local (1)haunt that I have (2)made my own: Steamer's West. It's a cafe/ restaurant I can pop into in between my interpreting jobs for a quick bite to eat. It's a simple place, actually a converted mechanical garage. It has been renovated to be appropriate for serving food, but has maintained the two large mechanic shop doors, and its very basic structure. It's only open until 3pm every day, and it swarms with customers until then. That's a good sign, I think. The simple, clean food and good quality coffee keep the humans coming back. There is a quaint outdoor seating area...
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Finley and the moon.
A Cup Of English
Peace. Imagine this: a cool evening, a quiet street, no one around, birds already asleep in the darkened trees, a blanket on the grass, the stars appearing overhead, and a cat by your side. Can you feel it? My cup of decaf is already cold, ignored. I'm too enthralled by what I can see and feel. The moon is not full tonight, but is extremely bright. My mind (1)wanders over the night sky, until I sense the warmth of the quiet feline who has placed himself gently next to me. The nights here in North Central Washington are like a sensory sanctuary, at least for me. When the farenheits dip down...
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Roll Out The Problems.
A Cup Of English
"My soul has been tested today," is a saying that a friend of mine uses on a regular basis. Sometimes, when problems pile up, it feels that way, doesn't it? Of course, some are more serious than others; we know that. Some, however, are just downright bothersome, annoying, frustrating. I could go on. So, I am nearing the end of the renovation of my condominium. I still have a lot to do in the garage in order to transform it into something wonderful and useable. The last few steps needed inside my living area are to carpet the stairs, and to put the shower in my bathroom. For a year I have been...
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A Reading Haven.
A Cup Of English
I'm sitting in the local library writing this podcast, and honestly, it is one of my favorite places to be. There are so many reasons to feel this way too. The Wenatchee library is situated in the center of town, close to the court house, the jail, and the other older, significant buildings. The south side of the library (1)overlooks Memorial Park. I wrote a podcast once which you might remember, about a spectacular tree in that park. It is truly an elegant green space. Even though there is a constant flow of traffic around it, the mature trees and their shady spaces provide an instant sense...
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Things Are Looking Up.
A Cup Of English
I thought I would start this podcast with a cheery English idiomatic phrase: (1)Things are looking up. This, (2)as you can probably imagine, means that the general situation at the moment is looking positive, or better than it has been. I've been looking up a lot recently, partly because of the new, green leaves on the trees, the very blue sky, and also partly because of my ceiling. I should actually say, "My lack of ceiling." Some of you know that I have spent the last year doing a total remodel of my condominium. Everything was stripped down to the bare wooden frame. It is a different story...
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I've been busy for a few weeks, as you might have noticed. I didn't mean to abandon you, but I had to for a short while. As you can see from the photo, I have been spending time with a boney friend. He has helped me learn about the body, and understand more about all of the body systems. I was really ignorant about these before I started the Nurse's Assistant course. I went to the local college for about a month, twice a week, to practice serving ill and elderly people. The other days of the week, we had classes via Zoom, to keep a social distance. It all worked very smoothly, and I believe we all passed. However, we were supposed to have two weeks of clinicals in a local retirement center, to get real, practical experience of working with patients. The Coronavirus interrupted that, unfortunately. As many residents suddenly got infected, the clinicals were postponed. Never mind! Washington State government is allowing us to do our clinicals while we work, that is(1), if we manage to get a job. That will be my next goal: to get a job. It's not the easiest job in the world at all; you have to be tough. But as I am a tough Brit, I think it will suit me. There are lots of people in retirement homes in this area who need good, kind care. My parents are elderly now, and I think that if I were(2) not available to help them, I would want them to have the best, efficient, and kind people to look after them.
The course was taught by an excellent teacher called Tina. She has been a nurse for over 20 years, and has such insight into the job! I liked many things about the course. Firstly, getting to know the body on a level that I was unfamiliar with was very exciting. I don't have a science background, and I had never taken the time (3)to learn anything about anatomy. So, a new world opened up to me. Then came the practical application of the nursing process: observing patients, diagnosing problems, and forming a plan. Again, very exciting stuff. It's a tremendous responsibility to do these things with weak, ill people. They are so vulnerable. And then, at the end of the course, Tina worked her teaching magic, and made the knowledge we had gained very personal. We had to do a project, imagining ourselves as 87years old, living in a retirement center, and dealing with normal age related body changes. It was the perfect way to end the course, by developing empathy and understanding of patients. I will let you know if I get a job; I'm sure that will be quite an adventure.
1. 'That is..' is a little phrase that shows that we are going to restate something, or add pertinent detail, or a condition.
a. I will find out what his plans are, that is, if he ever calls me!
b. Economies should open up in a couple of months, that is, if everyone social distances in the mean time.
2. 'If I were not available to help them, I would want them to have the best.' This is subjunctive, right? Let's see some more:
a. If they wore masks (if they were to wear masks), they would be safer.
b. If he spoke that way to my mother, I would give him a piece of my mind!
3. 'To take the time + infinitive'. This idiomatic phrase is self-explanatory. You have spent some time deliberately doing something: studying, planning, thinking etc.
a. Why don't you take the time to read that book; I think you'll find it worthwhile.
b. We took the time to get to know our new neighbors. I'm so glad that we did. They are now our best friends!