March is an exciting month. There is a saying: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. We have a cold day today and several inches of snow are predicted over the weekend. The weather isn't mild but continues to be fierce. The average snowfall for the greater Indy area during March is 2.6 inches. Additionally, we add 1:16 of daylight during the month.
Be careful out there:
Marion county police and the adjoining counties are conducting a crackdown on aggressive driving safety blitz. This is part of a nationwide safety effort. People tend to drive faster and in a less safe manner when weather conditions improve causing more accidents. Officers want you to know that this isn't a revenue generating campaign; its a safety campaign since deaths caused by aggressive driving increased by 55% from 2016 to 2017. The penalties for driving faster than the speed limit or conditions cost you a ticket:
- A basic speeding could cost $175
- Speeding through construction and school zones: a ticket costs $300
Did you know that there is so much more to these notes? You can dig deeper to learn more by clicking on the links that are included. Most of the time I embed the links in a sentence. You can tell that the words are a link because they are underlined and another color. Check out the links in the International Friends portion of this update: the links are obvious. Conversely, the Bible Study links are embedded. Vocabulary words are just underlined and are not a different color.
Learning a new skill:
We discovered that it isn't easy to learn a new skill. Working with our hands and trying to understand crochet takes concentration and the willingness to make mistakes. Learning any new skill (or language) is like that. The more you practice, the better your skills become. As adults, so much of what we do has become second nature. When we are faced with a new challenge or opportunity, we forget that there is a learning curve. Things aren't as simple as they look. Language learning can be frustrating (just like learning crochet). It's rough to start and even harder to persevere. Just go for it! Expect to make mistakes and keep trying.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
The 14th chapter of John is full of comfort! In a matter of a few short hours, Judas Iscariot will betray Jesus. Jesus is spending these final hours teaching his disciples about the plan of salvation that is about to unfold. He is like the teacher who is helping his students “cram” for their final exam. So much to learn, so little time!
The opening verse begins, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” In verses 2-3, Jesus tells his disciples that there are plenty of rooms in his Father’s house, and that he is going there to prepare a place for them, a permanent place in heaven, where those who believe in him will live with him forever.
He breaks it down into the simplest terms. How can a person get to heaven? Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He then tells them, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” Obedience to God follows naturally if a person believes in God. Jesus finishes this lesson with a promise: he will send his Holy Spirit to be their Comforter and their Helper.
One of our Bible Study participants said that John 14 was his “go to” Bible passage when he was in college and was facing difficult final exams. The message of peace and comfort reminded him that God was in control and that he didn’t need to worry. Another participant remarked after reading this chapter, “You can sleep very well! No worries!” God loves you and will always take care of you. ~Jan Heimann
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00, usually room 100
We tried our hand at crocheting. We had the option of four projects where the same row is repeated over and over again until you get the length you want (short and it's a coaster, longer and it's a washcloth, longer and it's a scarf). The different stitches provide for different textures. The density of the fabric is determined by the thickness of the yarn and the hook size. While yarns have recommended hook sizes, you can choose to use other sizes to get a looser or denser effect.
Here is a good video and instruction for starting a crochet project:
How to Begin Crocheting from Instructables
Here are great instructions for learning how to crochet that includes videos as well as step.
Basic Crochet Stitches from All Free Crochet
Once you get the hang of the stitches in a row, crocheting is pretty easy. It is a matter of keeping track of where you are. For me, a variety of stitches is easier to keep track of because I don't have to count my stitches. One thing you can be sure of when learning to crochet: it is very, very easy to start over when you aren't sure and make a mistake: take out the hook and pull the yarn and unravel your stitches. You can practice over and over again with the same yarn as you learn.
Studies show that crocheting and knitting have great health benefits:
- They help relieve stress because of the relaxed, repetitive motion (especially ripping out mistakes or miscounts!). There are cases where people have used fiber arts to beat depression.
- Crocheting and knitting help with fine motor skills and keep your hands nimble.
- Reading patterns requires problem solving skills and most patterns require some aspect of math including counting and calculations which allows for real world application and keeps your mind sharp.
- Because these arts are often practiced in groups, there is a great social aspect that helps with mental health.
Health Benefits of Crocheting and Knitting
March 5: Let's celebrate Mardi Gras (also known as Fat Tuesday) at Mud Bugs: 20 West Main Street, Carmel. Meet at the church to touch base. The restaurant doesn't open until 11:00, so meet at the church to chat and get information about our change in plans next week.
March 12: Sylvia is inviting you to her home for brunch. Bring a dish to share. Please RSVP.
Parents with Children: Thursdays during English classes
We had a nice time wrapping up our health unit with Moms Don't Get Sick. This picture book explains a truth we all know.
March 7: Join us as we start our month of Fairy Tales. Fairy Tales are old stories that have been handed down through the generations. They are full of fancy and often have a dark theme. The purpose is to give us the opportunity to talk about real life dangers and to plan and make solutions in a non threatening way. Fairy tales are repetitive and use literary devices that help to teach English patterns and rules. Unfortunately, many times these stories are left untaught because people feel they are old fashioned and not relevant, but education research shows that they are important culturally, for reading readiness and language development.
March 7: The Three Little Pigs
March 14: St. Patrick's Day celebration and a leprechaun story
March 21: The Princess and the Pea
March 28: Jack and the Beanstalk
crack down: severe measures to stop illegal behavior
aggressive: forceful, bold; this can also mean violent and argumentative which is how some people
respond to being pulled over by an officer for breaking the law
blitz: when resources are focused on a certain effort
campaign: work organized for a particular goal
revenue generating: an action to gain money
pulled over: stopped by a police officer for breaking a traffic law
defensively: in a manner that protects you and others
dig deeper: learn more; investigate
embedded: buried or contained in something
conversely: as opposed to
persevere: continue in a direction even though it is difficult
unfold: to develop
second nature: part of our being
learning curve: a progression to learning where what we learn becomes easier as we go along
things aren't as simple as they look:
frustrating: something that is annoying or upsetting because you can't change factors
persevere: keep trying, keep working
cram: to study for an examination by memorizing facts at the last minute
final exam: a comprehensive test at the end of a class
breaks it down: reduces, present in small pieces
go to: someone or something you can turn to for expert knowledge, advice, or reliable performance, especially in a crucial situation
tried our hand: tried to do something
looser: relaxed or not tight
density; denser: thickness
get the hang of: are familiar with a performing a task (I can't get the hang of making rice balls...they are rice rocks)textures: the feeling of a fabric or surface
pretty easy: not hard, but not second nature
get the hang of: get accustomed to something, ablt to do things
variety: different kinds of things
unravel: when you pull a string and something comes apart or untangles
repetitive: something that appears again and again or in a pattern
nimble: able to move easily
real world application: something that is used often in life
keeps your mind sharp: focused, alert
handed down through the generations: a legacy from parents to children
full of fancy: not realistic
dark: not positive
repetitive: over and over
literary devices: turns of word that make a language interesting
unfortunately: sadly
old fashioned: not current; from the past
relevant: appropriate, useful
"I enjoy reading your post guys,,, just keep posting. BFF Quotes
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