Oh No! You get two weeks for one!

My apologies, Friends.

I did not click the publish button last week...I pressed the save button. I'm sure you missed hearing from me! Luckily you got the word out about our yoga session with Selina and we had a nice turnout and everyone was prepared in spite of my ineptitude.

Weather panic TV had us getting 12 inches of snow on Tuesday. Today it was down to a maximum of six inches. Who knows what will actually end up. That's the great thing about winter in Indiana and the weather. It is always a surprise. Will we get ice? Will we get snow? Will there be wind? Let's wait and see.

...and we did get ice, snow, and wind. We lost a tree in the event.

With of temperatures dipping way below freezing with a wind chill in the negative numbers. Be sure to protect your home from freezing pipes by opening cabinet doors under your sinks in bathrooms and in the kitchen if they are on exterior walls. Leave your water tap dripping so that water continues to flow to discourage freezing.

Remember we will cancel our meetings and classes whenever Carmel Clay Schools have a two hour delay or cancel classes. Check this webpage or watch the news.

Stay warm! Have fun in the winter wonderland.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100.
January 15: In John 8:31-32 Jesus tells the Jews who had believed in him, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ”They were a bit insulted! Reminding Jesus that they were Abraham’s descendants, they boasted that they had never been slaves of anyone. They hung onto that identity. Never mind that they were living in a country that was occupied by the Romans! A large part of our identity comes from our ancestors and the beliefs and values they have passed on to us. These Jews were claiming to be children of God, but they did not recognize God’s son when he came into their world. Their anger began to rise, and they picked up stones to throw at Jesus, but he hid himself and slipped away from them.  His time had not yet come. ~ Jan

January 22: We read all of chapter nine the story of Jesus healing a man who was born blind. This is a great story full of drama and political intrigue. Read it for yourself. One very interesting discussion revolved around the man's parents' response to the legal system: they say ask him yourself, he's an adult. Because the word "fear" is used here, what is your initial reaction? Do you think they are throwing their son under the bus or do you think they are wise in having him answer for himself and not providing hearsay commentary that could be libel. We run into this situation as we raise our children. American culture and laws give our children privacy and full legal responsibility from the age of 18. If they sign a contract, liable. Their grades, health records, etc. are all protected by privacy laws. So much good stuff in this chapter! Enjoy the story. ~ Carolyn

January 29: Join us as we read chapter 10. The drama continues with analogies and discussion.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, Room 100.
January 15: We brought in favorite things from our kitchen to show and tell. We had a great variety of different gadgets that make our work easier or our life more pleasant. We enjoyed some of the results of our gadgets including fresh mochi and Mexican hot chocolate lattes made with cold brew coffee. You can see our favorites in the picture below. You can find them at Bed Bath and Beyond, Viet Hua or Japan!

January 22: We did yoga! Selina led us in a beginner, light yoga lesson. What a great way to begin the day!

January 29: Let's make dumplings! Bring your favorite filling and we will finish making them taste each other's favorite tastes. Sylvia and I will bring what comes to mind when you say dumplings to a Midwesterner or Southerner.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30.
Even though its cold outside, its a good time to practice your English. Bundle up and come out! You don't know what great thing you will learn.

Parents with Children: Thursdays, see our schedule
This month we are concentrating on staying healthy. We read Richard Scarrey's Nicky Goes to the Doctor to learn about going for a well doctor visit. The children made doctor cases. The morning flew by with cutting, coloring and painting.

January 24: Join us as we read about Johnny Lion and his terrible day. We will learn about germs and how they spread and how to get rid of them. We will practice finding things and play shapes "bingo" and wash our hands. We will have a splashy and sparkly fun time!

January 31: Join us as we expand our shapes study. We are reading Mothers Don't Get Sick.

apologies: you can say my apologies instead of "I'm sorry" and "my deepest apologies" is a formal way of saying "I'm very sorry"
luckily: it is fortunate that

ineptitude: lacking skill or ability; having incompetence (this is most often used when you would expect someone to be able to do something better than they do, especially someone trained in their field)

lost a tree: no, the tree didn't wander off or get stolen...it fell down and my husband and I ventured into the storm with saws to chop it up and make some big piles in the front yard...now we have a hedge!

wait and see: be patient
negative numbers: numbers below zero (for example, -1, -2)
exterior: on the outside of something, in this case these pipes are in walls that are in the walls on the outside of your house as opposed to pipes in the interior or inside of your home

tap: faucet

discourage: cause to stop
insulted: offended; demeaned
descendant: child; offspring
identity: the condition or character as to who a person is
ancestor: a person from whom one is descended

intrigue: planning in secret to hurt someone

revolved around: the conversation pertained to something

man's parents' (response): the apostrophe in both of these cases shows possession or something: the parents belong to the man and the response belongs to the parents. We leave of the additional "s" after the apostrophe when a noun is plural (more than one)

he's: there's the apostrophe again, but this time it is for a contraction: he is

throwing their son under the bus: of course there were no busses in Bible times...this isn't literal, but slang meaning someone blames someone else

hearsay: rumor, not something seen or heard in person

libel: an untrue, unfavorable comment about someone that is subject to legal consequences

liable: legal responsibility

comes to mind: a thought image that appears when hearing something