Guy Fawkes Day. Beginners. November 5th is an important day in England. It is called Guy Fawkes Day. We have fireworks and big bonfires every year to celebrate parliament in our country. Guy Fawkes was a criminal. He tried to blow up the government a...
Elections are over. Beginners. Tuesday was the fourth of November, election day. Many people went to vote. They chose the person they wanted for President. There were two choices: John McCain and Barack Obama. The two men have been campaigning for mo...
And the rain came down. Beginners. Yesterday it rained most of the day. Last night it rained all night. And now, this morning, it is still raining. It doesn't often rain in this valley. Wenatchee is called a desert, and I suppose it is. However, abou...
Hey Mom, technology is amazing! Advanced. The other day when I picked my children up from school, my oldest boys handed me their school pictures. Once a year, as in most schools, the children have their photographs taken. It adds some importance to t...
The upcoming elections. Advanced. With the upcoming elections just around the corner, the United States is abuzz with discussions, arguments, accusations, and predictions. I think that it is actually a good thing. Whenever people get together and air...
One of the ways in which my family and I relax during the evening is watching movies. It is more an occasional treat than a daily activity. Life in a big family is very busy, and often there is very little time to sit down, let alone to watch a film....
Don't step on my shadow. Advanced. Have you ever noticed just how bright the sun can be in Autumn. The angle of the sun, or perhaps its proximity to the earth, seems to make the sunlight intense, in a way that is different from Summer. As we were wal...
What a scruffy puppy! Advanced. Rosie is the name of a member of our family. She is a female who does not quite reflect the beauty of her name. She is scruffy, hyper-active, and demanding. Yes, you've guessed; she is our dog. A boarder terrier is the...
Advanced. One of my favorite hobbies is gardening. I suppose I must have inherited the gardening gene, because, apparently, on my father's side, my grandmother had tremendously green fingers. That is what we say in England for someone who is adept an...
Advanced. As the seasons change from Summer to Autumn, a certain recipe that I use starts to appear more often. Chicken soup. Ah, what a concept! It has been used for centuries by people who are ill; runny noses, coughs, and aches and pains disappear...
Beginners. Pumpkins, pumpkins, big, fat, and round. Children love them, and adults too. They grow all Summer; turn color from green to orange. Some stay small, but others get bigger and bigger. I have some in my garden. One, two, three, four. One for...