Halloween is almost upon us. There is so much you can to do to get into the spirit of this favorite holiday with your family:
- Friday, October 26 at 8:00 pm watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown on ABC. Read more about this 52 year old Halloween classic.
- Don't forget to enjoy the Headless Horseman at Conner Prairie over the weekends through October 28. This is just a little scary and a great way to enjoy the fall weather.
- The Children's Museum has a "Grim-nasium" with a lights on option sponsored by IPL (Indianapolis Power and Light: a very funny joke!) with a "dare to be scared" option.
We had a very interesting conversation about water here in the Midwest. In this area the water is hard. When rain falls on the ground it doesn't contain minerals, but as the water percolates through the ground and into the aquifer here in the Indianapolis area it picks up minerals like lime, calcium and magnesium. These essential minerals are often preferred because they make water taste better and have health benefits. Unfortunately, these same minerals cause shower doors and other surfaces turn white and look dirty. Hard water spots can be reduced by using with water softeners that add salt to the water to "soften" it and adding Jet Wash to your dishwasher. Tap water is very safe to drink and is beneficial to your health.
Municipalities are responsible for maintaining the quality and safety of the water within their city. They often add chemicals to the water for the community's safety and health. These can include fluoride and chlorine. Fluoride is added to public water to prevent and reduce cavities by reducing the rate for tooth enamel to demineralize. How much is added (or removed) depends on how much occurs naturally in the water. The World Health Organization sets recommendations. The amount of fluorine in bottled water isn't known.
Chlorine is often added to public water to kill diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, bacteria, viruses etc. that commonly grow in water supply reservoirs and grow in the walls of water mains and storage tanks. While there could be risks from exposure to this addition are much less risk than the potential disease from contamination. Chlorine boils out of water. Additionally, it will evaporate from water exposed to air. It can also be filtered out of water, but filters need to be changed regularly because they can become contaminated and grow the bacterial and diseases they were intended to remove.
One last concern in water is lead. Water from a city is regularly tested for lead. Pipes in older buildings and plumbing systems may contain lead either in the pipes or in the solder that holds the pipes together. This is mainly in older homes. You can reduce your exposure from lead in your home a good number of ways including using cold water or cooking and running the tap before using the water for drinking or bathing.
Ultimately, tap water in the greater Indianapolis area is very safe to drink. You may have difficulty cleaning lime scale off of shower doors and other surfaces that get a lot of water exposure. Vinegar is a great way to dissolve it. Spray surfaces with vinegar water with a drop or two of dish detergent (which helps the vinegary water stick to the surface). After a while, wipe the area clean. you may have to repeat this a few times. Adding vinegar to your washer helps also. Some people have water softeners to combat the effects of hard water and to maintain their household appliances.
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
Thank you to our Friends who taught us to make Takoyaki. I know that I want one of these makers in our home. I think these tasty treats could become a great tailgate snack! Sylvia told us about a Danish style of balls that are created in a similar way. These are called Aebleskiver. Here are three other recipes that are trendy with current cuisine. We were glad to celebrate a birthday with one of our Friends. It is always special and rare to have a meeting coincides with an actual birthday!
October 23: Join us for one of my favorite topics: Swearing Class. Come and learn words not to say. Talk about words in your home language that can be mistaken for salty language to English ears.
October 30: Let's carve pumpkins into Jack o' Lanterns. Bring a large pumpkin to carve, a sharp knife and old newspapers. We will carve our pumpkins and toast pumpkin seeds. You can find pumpkins at reasonable prices at most grocery stores. I was told that Meijer has carving pumpkins two for $5.99!
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
We talked about the court of public opinion which is when the due process is influenced by the news media or social outlets rather than through the judicial system. Even if someone isn't found guilty through due process, their reputation may be damaged even though they win the case. We talked about these concepts as a result of Jesus statements in John 3: 16-18. We talked about the English words for people who don't believe in any god or that haven't make a judgement or formed an opinion about their beliefs: atheists are people who believe there are no gods and agnostics are people who haven't made a decision. Both these words begin with "a" which means not
We finished the chapter where John the Baptist testifies about Jesus and John's role in the work that was being done through him and then through Jesus. We talked about succession management which is the formal plan for people to take roles and responsibilities to get a job finished or to maintain a community or business.
October 23: Join us as we read further in this great story.
Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.
We had a nice conversation on Wednesday including some topics in the Easy English newspaper. We asked our resident Doctor about whether we should get the flu vaccine. He said, "yes, if you are healthy." Getting the vaccine protects you from the disease and protects those around you from catching the flu.
October 24: Join us as we talk about articles in the Easy English News and other topics.
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms
We continue to roll along with our classes. I hope you are enjoying our new text book series.
We kicked off our Parents with Children. This month we are learning the song Five Little Pumpkins and reading stories and books about Halloween. We worked on pronouncing "clown" and "Clifford".
Sign up for Parents With Children: Please click to reserve your preferred spot in our sessions for these classes so we can be sure to have enough materials for our activities. Also, check our
get into the spirit: join in the mood and fun
over the weekend: on Saturday and Sunday only
essential: something that is necessary or important
risk from exposure: danger from coming in contact with someting
contamination: poison or make dirty
regularly: often
percolates: filter slowly through a porous surface
aquifer: rock that can transmit groundwater; as water seeps into limestone it can leave behind impurities and pick up healthy minerals
mainly: more than anything else
tap water: water from faucets and sinks
dissolve: turn something into a liquid form
carving pumpkins: large pumpkins that are used for decoration rather than eating; they are also edible, but the quality of the flesh isn't as good as other pumpkins and squashes.
due process: a system where citizens have rights that can not be taken away or deprived without legal procedures
judicial system: the branch of the government that interprets and applies the laws to situations
reputation: a general belief or opinion about someone or something, good name, character
roll along: continue
kicked off: started, began
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