英语博客(A cup of English):023 The Nutcracker.

Beginners. One of my boys collects nutcrackers. Do you know what they are? They are very colorful, soldier dolls. They have become popular in the United States around Christmas time. You can find them in all sizes. Cass, my son, has a few small ones,

英语博客(A cup of English):022 Poinsettia glow.

Beginners. Do you know what a Pointsettia is? It is something that grows in the ground and is sold here in the United States at Christmas time. It originates from Mexico and Central America. Often when you go into a supermarket, they are the first th

英语博客(A cup of English):021 Crazy sales.

Beginners. Do you enjoy shopping? Do you do it very often? Are there many shops where you live? Here in Wenatchee, a small town, we have a few shopping areas. Some stores are well known; others are privately owned, small businesses. I like shopping w

英语博客(A cup of English):020 Thanksgiving.

Beginners. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. It is a tradition that is very important for most Americans. It is a yearly celebration that reflects on history. Americans celebrate this special day in remembrance of the first settlers from Europe, t

英语博客(A cup of English):017 Keep fit

Keep fit, even when it's cold. Beginners. Winter is just about here in Wenatchee. The air is cold; we have heavy frost most mornings. Thankfully, the days are still quite sunny, even though they are short. What do children do in the afternoons, after

英语博客(A cup of English):016 A gargantuan doll.

A gargantuan doll. Beginners. The other day, my mother came to visit with a special present. It was something that she had bought at an auction. She often buys presents for my children; she's their grandmother, so she spoils them. It was a special gi

英语博客(A cup of English):014 The mouse hole

The mouse hole on the stairs. Beginners. Our house has one flight of stairs that goes up to the bedrooms. There is a small landing half way up. This area is in the middle of being decorated. I have taken down some wall paper, and soon the walls will

英语博客(A cup of English):013 Do you have gas?

Do you have gas? Beginners. What kind of a question is that? Are you talking about my body or my car? Well, actually, I am talking about your car. Gas, or petrol, as it is called in England, is a big subject at the moment. Driving a car has become re

英语博客(A cup of English):012 Goodbye Spooks.

Goodbye Spooks. Beginners. Halloween was 31st of October. It is a huge holiday here in the States. It is celebrated in many other countries, and sometimes has a different name. It has become more popular through the years. Shops sell lots of Hallowee

英语博客(A cup of English):026 Seed cones for the birds.

Beginners. In our area, some birds will stay for the Winter. They make their nests cozy , fluff up their feathers, and search for food every day. But, they have a problem. Because everything is covered with snow, it is hard to find food. It is too co

英语博客(A cup of English):073 A family tradition.

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 mu

英语博客(A cup of English):072 Spain.

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 bor

英语博客(A cup of English):086 Part 5, The Kitchen

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 b

英语博客(A cup of English):085 Music party.

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

英语博客(A cup of English):084 Russia.

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

英语博客(A cup of English):082 Memorial Day.

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.

英语博客(A cup of English):081 Story time, part 3.

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

英语博客(A cup of English):080 The Kitchen.

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 o

英语博客(A cup of English):079 Andorra.

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. Thoug

英语博客(A cup of English):078 Run for reading.

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 h