What is in the air?

Hello, Friends.

Have you seen the greatest sign of spring? The turkey vultures are back! These great, migratory carrion eating birds can be seen circling the area to clean up after the winter.

Corona Virus vs the flu. For us in the United States, the Corona Virus poses little to no threat at this time although the CDC has announced that testing for the virus will begin with patients with flu-like symptoms. To date, the flu statistics in the U.S. from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Preventions):

• 26 million flu like illness have been reported
• 250,000 hospitalizations
• 14,000 deaths

Regardless, your best defense against upper respiratory diseases (colds, flu, etc.) are to wash you hands and/or use alcohol based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, eyes, ears, etc. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze to prevent spreading germs.

... and in the community and at the church:
This coming week kicks off the Lenten season for Christians. The 40 days before Easter are a time of reflection and anticipation.

• Tuesday is Fat Tuesday or the last day to feast before the traditional time of fasting. Laissez le bon temps rouler!
• Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. Don't be surprised to see people with black ashes in the sign of a cross on their foreheads. This day is the first day of Lent. 

CLC has services on Wednesdays at noon and 7:00 every week from now until Holy Week (the week before Easter).

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30, room 100.
We enjoyed reading and talking about a great miracle story about the feeding of more than 5000 people with just five loaves and two fishes. Many food pantries are named for this miracle. This is a good example of the same story being told in all the Gospels. We also talked about when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding (his first miracle). What a great skill to create food and drink to make sure that people are happy and satisfied.

February 25: Jesus walks on the water. This is another great miracle story. Join us as we talk about the story that originated the label for doing something that is impossible or extraordinary.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30, room 100.
We had a great time trying out a few games. We played a hand/eye coordination game where tap your hand around the table in a circle. This video shows the explanation for a camp councilors. So fun to get your whole body into it!

Pig Mania originated in 1977 and you can get it on Amazon for $164.92! If you want a more reasonably priced version, look for Pass the Pigs which costs about $5-12.00. We also played Chinese Checkers. This was one of my favorite games growing up and I totally forgot about it! When I went on line to shop for it I found out that it is also called Halma or Sternhalma and is from Germany.

February 25: We will continue our board game playing and play Mah Jong. Rumor has it that there are many rules and regional ways to play this game. This is a true Chinese game. Tuesday is also Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Get ready to taste a delicious Cajun dish (Ahh Mudbugs, we miss you! It was so much easier to go out!)

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 123.
We had some freewheeling conversations around the Amendments to the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. What was to start as a conversation about freedom of speech became a conversation about the right to keep and bear arms leading to gun control and eventually voting and candidate selection. We looked at the statistics for the world Corona Virus and compared them to the statistics for the flu.

February 26: Bring a topic to talk about or text the group with your ideas.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-11:30, upstairs classrooms.
We finally made it back to classes. I enjoyed my visit to the Level 3 class. What a great way to spend the morning talking about interviewing for jobs and building a case for hiring that included practical application of factors that effect job decisions and practices around negotiating salary and extrinsic factors and benefits. This tough crowd are very loyal to their teacher and wanted my credentials before entrusting me with teaching them.

Level 2 practiced some great tongue twisters to practice short vowel sounds:

• That cat in the flat hat went and sat on the last mat.
• When I met my wet pet I sent him to the vet.
• When the little kitten bit me, it hit its little chin.
• Sitting at the brook, I took a look in the book.
• What luck a duck stopped the truck, it was going to smash up that cup!

February 27: 

Level 3 homework: You will be conducting interviews of each other. Write five interview questions. Also, I am looking forward to reading your resumes. There are many templates out there to get you started. Here are two free sites that help you to write an attractive resume: ResumeGenius or LiveCareer. Email me yours before Thursday to get it back with a review. Include employment, volunteer activities, education, interests, countries where you have lived, goals, anything else it is important to know about you and tell your story. This history goes a long way for helping you to consolidate your life story and set your direction for future endeavors.

American Accent Training: I am looking forward to sitting in for Kathy in American Accent class and spreading my perfect broadcaster English skills on the "aw" sound (pages 11-12, lesson 8). I hear that you would like to talk about politics in the United States. I am tickled to officiate this discussion. We should have a mock caucus...I can't think of a better way to practice persuasive American Accented English and experience this unique method of choosing.

English for Kids: Thursdays, 9:30-11:30, room 123
Our preschool finally got to celebrate Valentine's Day! They made ice-cream sundaes and bee crafts.

February 27: We will enjoy chilly activities, stories and crafts with adorable penguins.

in the air: usually means going on and happening; in this case, it is a pun...get it? Vultures fly in the air and germs travel in the air...
migratory: travel to survive following weather, food, etc.
carrion: dead animals
food pantry: a nonprofit organization that gives groceries to people in need
named for:
get your whole body into it: to get your whole body involved
growing up: maturing from a child to an adult
totally: completely
right to bear arms: the right to own guns or other
extrinsic: outside factors
credentials: qualifications
entrusting: put someone in the care of someone else
goes a long way: helps you achieve something
consolidate: combine a number of things into a single, more effective whole
officiate: act as a judge or referee in charge of an event
mock: not authentic
caucus: a method for deciding a political candidate
adorable: soooo cute!