Thanksgiving Week! Buckle Up!

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 Hello Friends,

The feasting season is here! My sister posted this reminder in her kitchen. Traditionally, Thanksgiving includes:

• Dinner with turkey and all the fixings.
• Macy's Day Parade on the television: 9:00-12:00 on NBC.  Preview the floats, see the entertainment line up! The webpage is wonderful! Be sure to visit.
• It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without football to sleep off your feasting! Check out the schedule!
• Plot your Black Friday shopping. Get ready to shop the Black Friday deals. While we are warned to stay out of the crowds, I think we can still figure out how to shop for the best deals!
• Plot your Cyber Monday deals. Don't get too shopped out...You can safely shop on-line on Monday.

Now the fun really begins. Maybe we are stuck at home, but maybe this is the very best way to celebrate!

Virtual Free Fun

Tour the new Fishers Fire Station virtually.

COVID 19 Advice and News

The US Government advice for COVID 19 over the holidays remains the same: wash your hands, socially distance, wear your mask when you can't socially distance. Thanksgiving has put a little more strain on our decision making: to gather or not? Here are CDC Guidelines for the week.

A  Light at the End of the Tunnel

Pfizer applied for emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccination. This vaccination has proved to be 95% effective (which is really, really, really good) and safe. The vaccination by Moderna is close also. Timelines could see the vaccinations rolling out to vulnerable populations and healthcare workers before the end of the year! Read about Operation Warp Speed goals, partners and processes.

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

We missed our Friends this week. Be sure to make your Indian headdress for Thanksgiving! Keep a lookout for an email to pick up your December and January packets.

November 23: No Class. Happy Thanksgiving week!

American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30

We reviewed and attempted conversations using our vocabulary. It is intriguing to apply English in a new way. Fingerspelling and reading fingerspelling can be challenging. It is great to learn new ways to communicate as well as enhance our communication skills.

November 23: Let's meet to touch base, review our new vocabulary and chat about week 6.

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

Luke writes in the fourth chapter that after Jesus was baptized he was filled with the Holy Spirit. This  marks the transition of John the Baptist's baptism to a baptism in the name of Jesus (for the gift of the Holy Spirit Acts 2: 38). Luke then tells about a supernatural encounter between Jesus and Satan. Jesus goes into the desert for 40 days (where he eats nothing) and is tempted by the devil in three ways:

1. In the first test (Luke 4:3-4), Satan attempts to appeal to Jesus' ego and physical hunger with a taunt. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 3:8 where God has provided Israel food in the wilderness.
2. In the second test, (Luke 4: 5-8) the devil's lie promises power if Jesus worships him. Jesus' quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 that says to only worship God.
3. In the third test, the devil quotes Psalm 91 to turn faith into a challenge. Jesus has had enough and answers: "It is said: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Deuteronomy 6:16. Jesus turns a warning into a threat.

The devil leaves Jesus until an opportune time... 

November 24: Join us as we talk about how Jesus is treated when he returns to his hometown.

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

We talked about making new traditions. The significance of this holiday is that it celebrates freedom of religion by being thankful for the gifts of food, family and home and the country. How we celebrate is by getting together with friends and family and sharing a feasting meal! This year we are being encouraged to not gather together but to gather apart. We talked about how many of us are separated from family and make a new family and traditions while here in Indiana.

November 24: Join us for a cook-along. We will prep turkeys, stuffing and cranberry sauce...We will talk about our pitch-in recipes and maybe prepare them, too.

Here are our recipes: make your shopping list and let's cook!

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00

We are all working hard on developing our knowledge and skills in English as well as living in the United States and the world during COVID-19. Advantages of learning in our homes: 

• Learning in the place where we are continually reminded (and distracted) helps us to apply what we are learning to our everyday life.
• We are saving time in travel: it is easier to sit down in front of our computers and spend a few hours together.
• We can study close and far away. We are only limited by time zones (but do we really need to sleep?).
• We don't have to miss a class or meeting when the weather is bad.

November 26: No Classes. Happy Thanksgiving!

Conversations

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00

End of the Week Conversation: Fridays, 10:30-12:00

Keep the conversations going! Talking to your Gen Z friends and family. The Gen Z Dictionary compiled at IU (Indiana University) can help you keep in touch. Here is a great news clip from WTHR to listen and learn.

And speaking of books...Tsundoku is the Japanese word for buying books and not ever reading them. This great article talks about this obsession or affliction! There is even a support group on Goodreads (which is pretty funny since that is a website that encourages this behavior!)

November 25 and November 26: No Meetings. Happy Thanksgiving!

buckle up: get ready, things are going to start hopping!

fixings: side dishes

floats: 

lineup: a grouping (not to be confused with the command to "line up" or get in line)

plot: plan secretly

intriguing: interesting, fascinating

put a little more strain: stressful

headdress: ornamental covering for special occasions

keep a lookout: watch for something

transition: change of situation

supernatural encounter: a meeting with or between gods and or demons

tempted: to entice someone to do wrong for pleasure or personal gain

appeal: cause an response

ego: sense of self

taunt: sarcastic challenge; insult

power: right or authority over someone

faith: belief or trust in God

had enough: was finished

turns: changes or implies

warning: 

opportune: better 

treated: how someone acts or thinks about another

significance: why something deserves our attention

pitch-in: bringing food (dishes) to a party

continually: always or often

keep the conversations going: make sure people are talking

compiled: brought together

keep in touch: talk to or 

support group: meeting of people to help each other overcome personal problems or addictions

pretty funny: really funny or humorous

obsession: compulsion; idea or thought that is always in the way

affliction: disorder or disease