Halloween, Fall Back, November and U.S. Elections...

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Hello, Friends.

This is a busy week in the United States and Indiana! Can we pack  more in one weekend or even one week? 

• I hope that you are ready for Halloween! Do you have plans to celebrate? Be safe! Stay warm.
• Set your clocks back one hour (from 10:00 to 9:00, for example) when you go to bed on Saturday. Gain the one hour of sleep we lost in the spring. This time change coincides with Halloween and a Blue Moon! This article about Daylight Savings Explained tells you more than you may want to know about the time change, but it is very interesting. Indiana used to be one of the states that did not spring forward or fall back for many years. 
• Tuesday, November 3 is election for president as well as governor and various seats in national, state and local government. Buckle Up!

Music and Arts

Check out the schedule at the Palladium for the weekend and beyond. There are virtual and in person performances available. All poets and musicians should check out the Songwriting 101 class. I will see you there and we can learn how to write country music!

U.S. News

Amy Coney Barrett was elected and sworn on to the Supreme court Monday. Supreme Court Justices may serve in that position for life. While there is so much speculation about this new judge. One fun fact: she is a Hoosier! 

COVID-19 Ongoing

There is an ongoing uptick in COVID-19 cases worldwide. This was expected and predicted by medical experts. Pandemic fatigue is new term that has emerged that means that people are emotionally tired of staying in and worrying about potential hazards from COVID-19. How do we protect ourselves, families, community and still celebrate life? We talked about all the creative adaptations and solutions that have come from the restrictions. Meanwhile: wash your hands frequently and use your hand sanitizer, stay home when you are sick, maintain social distance (six feet minimum, 15 minutes of total exposure time in 24 hours), keep up your personal health with exercise, diet, sleep, wear a face covering to protect others. 

Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:30.

We got ready for Halloween with a Clifford the Big Red Dog story. Baby Shark for Halloween is so fun: instead of "doot do do do", sing "boo, boo boo boo".

November 2: Join us as we talk about all things November! Be sure to pick up your packet for all our fun crafts before Monday so you don't miss out!

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30

We talked about Jesus' coming of age story in Luke 2: 41-52. None of the other Gospels give us insight into Jesus as a child growing up. Jesus does the unexpected. He isn't with the family and friends traveling home after a festival when he is 12 years old. His parents don't discover this until after they had traveled for one day. They find Jesus in the temple. This led to many interesting discussions about the relationship between parents and their children and the expectations we have for them. We talked about where we would expect to find our children if they went missing. After this event, Jesus continues to be an obedient son to Mary and Joseph (which is a feat in teen years through young adulthood as children tend to rebel against their parents). 

November 3: Luke 3: 1-20 tells the story of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus as He begins his ministry or work as an adult.

International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00

We carved pumpkins into Jack o Lanterns. We are ready with our decorations now. You can't beat the classic Jack. Our Zoom captures our work!

To toast your pumpkin seeds, set your oven for 400 degrees and season as you like with salt, cinnamon sugar, or any other seasoning. Be sure to stir them occasionally. Alternatively, you can fry them in a frying pan on the stove. 

November 3: Join us and learn to make Chilaquiles from scratch. Here's your shopping list: epazote (either leaves or powder), cheese of your choice, sour cream, five or six tomatoes, one of each pepper: habanero, jalapeno serrano, onion, garlic, cilantro, prepared tostadas, protein of your choice: ham, eggs, chicken, beef cut into strips and marinated with onions, garlic and cilantro. 

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00
There were a number of parallels in our classes this week. Several classes worked with questioning. Below are highlighted ideas from our classes. As you think about your English study, consider how these tips from our classes can help you move along.

Organizing your ideas can be a challenge in any language. This Sunshine graphic organizer helps write detailed paragraphs. Try to answer "who, what, when, where, why, and how" when you tell a story or share information. Try to think and speak freely in English instead of translating from your native language. 

Drilling is a common strategy for memorizing something. Drilling can be boring, but if you have friends to drill along with you it becomes a 

Our Middle class reviewed -er/more (two things) and -est/most (three or more things) for making comparisons: "My Halloween costume was scarier than Kathy's, but Carolyn's costume was the scariest of all. My candy was more delicious. Hers was the most delicious." Be careful with adjective endings. Usually, -ed  describes how you feel: bored, excited, interested, tired. The -ing ending describes the cause of your feelings: a boring speaker, an exciting movie, an interesting conversation, a tiring job. Many words in English are easily confused: recipe/receipt, utter/udder, incident/accident. Some phrases we learned this week include: show off, in a panic, fashionably late, needless to say. Try to have fun with the complexities of English. Perfectionism can cause stress and interfere with learning.

Conversations:

Afternoon: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00

End of the Week: Friday: 10:30-12:00

Many factors influence our usage in any language: personality, audience, levels of formality, subject matter, intention, context. We agreed that civil discourse allows us to resolve conflict, explore cultural differences, discuss controversial topics, and ask questions about political correctness. We may think someone is "bossy, nosy, or messy." We may want to say: "Mind your own business;" "Stay out of it;" "Don't be a busybody;" or "Butt out!" Still, we can "take a deep breath," "get a grip" and "work it out". Try not to "assume," "presume," or "play the victim," but be respectful and resilient, resist "teasing, bullying, or shaming."

Food is always a great topic and our informal learning always leans toward food. Some fun facts:

Butter can be stored at room temperature for 30 days.

Flan from a package is easy to prepare and delicious. It is a favorite for all our students

Andrew Zimmern has some really interesting travelogue with delicious (and maybe unusual) foods.

Smorgasbord is another name for buffet. Neither are pronounced how they are spelled!

pack more: do a lot

Buckle Up: get ready for news

country music: an American style of music that has roots or origins in bluegrass and Celtic music

coincides: occurs at the same time

seats: positions held in senates or house of representatives

speculation: theory or hypothesis made without scientific evidence

uptick: increase

worldwide: across the entire globe

term: word
insight: accurate, deep understanding
went missing: when someone doesn't show up as expected
feat: accomplishment through skill and effort
event: an important happening
coming of age [story]: a young person's transition between child to adult

adulthood: the time of life spanning from 21 to about 60 years old when old age is reached; read more in Encyclopedia Britannica

rebel: fight against or resist authority (REE-bell)

rebel: someone who fights or resists authority (re-BUL)

from scratch: cooked with basic, fresh ingredients

drilling: practicing over and over

civil discourse: talking about political or social issues to share ideas and develop solutions
political correctness: language that is crafted not to offend particular groups