Wrapping up February

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Meetings and classes are GMT-5 or Eastern Standard Time.

Hello, Friends,

When you consider weather here in Indiana you can always trust that it will change. The end of February brought us snow and ice and temperatures in the teens followed the next week with weather in the 40s and 50s and even the 60s (Fahrenheit that is)! The Sandhill Cranes are on their way North and so are many water fowl. 

We had some great news this week! Because of the lower COVID numbers in Indiana, CLC is opening the classrooms and meeting rooms. I will be asking your opinion about meeting in person. Please let me know if you are interested in this. Also, as we plan for the upcoming year, please be thinking about how you would like to meet in the future. Zoom is always a great tool for us to get together. It is particularly useful for our friends from out of state.

Wrapping up February and Marching into March! 

We love to try and predict our weather. The saying goes that if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb but if March comes in like a lamb it will go out like a lion. Expect the weather to swing from warm to cold to warm and from blustery to gentle to blustery. Click for a page of poetry about March and lions and lambs. Poetry helps with pronunciation, cadence and rhythm of our language.

• March Madness: GO B-ball! The NCAA basketball 🏀 tournaments take place
• March 15: Daylight Savings Time 
• March17: St. Patrick’s Day
• March 20: First Day of Spring (equinox)
• March 24, 7:30 P.M.: Virtual Concert The Warrior Kings, Free!
• March 28: Palm Sunday (the beginning of Holy Week) and the first day of Passover 

Finger Names

We had a very interesting conversation about fingers. We have talked about how different cultures use their fingers differently when counting, pointing and gesturing. Some gestures that are ok in one language are extremely rude in another. 

• Thumb 
• Index finger or pointer
• Middle finger
• Ring finger
• Pinkie or little finger

English

Pronunciation or accent? This is a conundrum. We talk about how we run into trouble when we are trying to understand or being understood. Pronunciation refers to being able to say a word so it is understood by the listener--as you intended it to be understood. An accent refers to the stress or emphasis within a word. Sometimes our natural accent causes mispronunciation and misunderstanding. We enjoyed comparing words that have caused problems for us in the past. Long "e" is sometimes pronounced like short "i" causing some confusion: beach and sheet are two that are two that can cause people to give you a strange look. 

Don Quixote

The second most sold book ever is Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (the first is the Bible). This book was originally written in Spanish, but has been translated into English and many other languages. 

• Here is the Ballet by the Russian Bolshoi which needs no language.
• Here is the opera sung in Spanish performed in Paris.
• Here is the movie from 1957 in Russian.
• Here is the preschool Donkey Hodie by Fred Rogers.
• Project Gutenberg has pdf versions to read in Spanish and English as well as other languages. 

Join us as we read and talk about this wonderful book that has captured the imagination. Stay tuned for the day and time we begin!

COVID-19

Indiana statewide COVID numbers dropped below 5%. Now people 60 years and older can schedule to get the vaccine. News about the Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations continue to be positive. Johnson & Johnson is waiting approval. 

Concerns about vaccines being wasted because the scheduled patient didn't show up for his or her appointment has become a hot topic. People eager to get the vaccines wait outside clinics to get leftover shots. Different facilities have wait lists for people to get these vaccines. You can get your name on a wait list if you meet current eligibility (for example: 60 or older, a health care professional, a first responder) and you can be called. If you can be at the site within the time specified (usually 30 minutes). People working the vaccination clinics can be offered the vaccinations first. Some sites were not following the guidelines by the state. The state has made these guidelines clear.

• This Article from the South Bend Tribune explains more: Want to Get on the Vaccine Standby List in Indiana? Here's How. 
• The standby lists help. How to Get on the Waitlist from WISH TV also explains the list. 
• Vaccine Hunters tells about the Facebook page that was started to help get vaccines in arms.
• Indiana Clamps Down on Covid-19 Eligibity, Clinics tells the story about how people outside the parameters were getting Indiana vaccines.
• This article from CNN tells more about booster shots, mask wearing, distancing, quarantining for 10 days, visiting out doors and washing your hands. 

Mental Health

Staying physically healthy is a priority. Disease and worry can take a toll on you mental wellbeing. This great page from Asbestosis.com has a great resource page about mental health and coping with mesothelioma both as the patient and the caregiver. Additionally, within the site, there are resources to help people with this disease all over the world.

Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:30 A.M. 
International Stories and More: Saturday, 7:00 P.M. EST or Sunday, 9:00 A.M>

We had fun with penguins! Check out these great stories and songs.

Count the penguins one to ten and ten to one with this song.

Penguins Make Bad Pirates story.

March 1: Wow! We start a new month. Get ready for St. Patrick's Day and other fun holidays. March's color is green!

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

There are different communities and dialects of ASL. In the black community there is a distinct "accent" to the signing. There are particular words or signs in

Deaf U on Netflix follows the life of some students as they go through

Black ASL or BASL is a dialect of ASL. This YouTube explains What is Black ASL. 

Black, Deaf and Extremely Online is a great NY Times article that tracks the development of this language into the contemporary expression on line. Conceptually, BASL is a great a "family" language that helps people communicate with one another.

March 1: Join the conversation. Learn to talk with your hands!

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30 A.M.

Luke 6:27-36 tells us Jesus' teaching about loving your enemies. This is such a difficult and counterintuitive lesson. There is a great deal to learn about this topic and to learn about ourselves:

It is easy to think abstractly about national enemies that we have little contact. We noted:

• Justice is the job of of the government and authorities. It is not our job to exact retribution.
• Life is more about things, it is about feelings. 
• Jesus teaches this for personal peace.
• Enemies are not far and distant; they can be neighbors and family.
• It is important to identify our enemies and not let them control our lives. By showing love we show control.
• This teaching keeps us from breaking laws both legal and moral. We can have no regrets when we act from a position of love.

As we talked we discovered the wisdom in not acting with revenge or anger. 

March 2: Join us as we read part two to this lesson Luke 6:37-42: Don't judge others!

International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00 A.M.

We shared life hacks. Great advice comes from our friends to simplify life and keep our house spic and span.

March 2: Let's talk about allergies. Do you have any? What remedies do you use?

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

We delved a little deeper into Excel. This program had wonderful capabilities. Most people barely scratch the surface of what can be done. Excel (and other spread sheets) offer capabilities to automatically display your data in a variety of graphs. Pick the option that best displays what you want to convey.

March 3: We will open with conversation and then get back to learning Excel and pivot tables.

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

 It is great to visit each of the class. Overhearing what is on everyone's mind is always helpful.

March 4: Join us on Zoom to learn about each other and to learn to us our English to be understood.

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

Discussion around education, education history and practice in Indiana and the United States. It was interesting to talk about whether

additionally: and

barely scratch the surface: hardly touch, start to cover a topic

caregiver: someone who is responsible for the health and well being of another

comedy: funny

convey: show or tell

different/differently: not the same

out of state: not from the state 

spic and span: squeaky clean, spotless

take a toll, exact a toll: something that causes damage

talk with your hands: use gestures to make your point

that is: a phrase used to explain something

tragedy: sad event or story

water fowl: ducks, geese, etc.