Thank you for a great 2020-2021 year on Zoom

Dear Friends,

Thank you for a great 2020-2021 year with International Friends! We made it!

Here we are at the end of our school year. When we began Zooming in the fall, we were not sure what the future would bring! While we don't have pizzas to celebrate, we have so many Zoom memories. We are reaching the end of the pandemic here in the United States. I know this because so many of you are ready to put a pause on our regular meetings and get out, travel and enjoy the summer and live the life!

COVID -19

We are wrapping up the school year with great news from the United States Federal Government and the CDC: people who are fully vaccinated can meet indoors, outdoors and up close without masks. Will masks become a thing of the past? Probably not in all situations and that is likely for the better! We are ready to put this pandemic behind us!

Stories and More

We wrapped up the year with a meet up in the park. 

Old McDonald Had a Farm is a family classic as well as road trip song. How fun to sing this with our friends and family. We laughed as we shared how dogs, cows, chickens and other animals talk in English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish! When you play this game at home take turns calling out animals and the sound. Usual animals are cows, horses, pigs, chickens, goats, cats, dogs. Old McDonald might have a tractor, kids, a mom. At our house Old McDonald had a T-Rex, spiders, bunnies (who are pretty quiet and wiggle their noses), fish.

Look for Meetups on Mondays.

International Bible Study

We wrapped this year of Bible study with two stories of faith. When we look to God for help, we can expect him to save us. But do we trust and look to him? Wisely: "This is a vertical problem. We keep our minds and eyes on the earth when we should be looking up to the heavens!"

Luke 8:22-25 Jesus is asleep in a boat. A storm kicks up and waves swamp the boat threatening the lives of the disciples. Jesus calls to the storm and the raging wind and waves subsides. Jesus asks the disciples, "Where is your faith?"

Numbers 21: 4-9 The Israelites are in the desert and complain of their circumstances. God sends poisonous snakes and many are bitten and die. The Israelites apologize and ask Moses their leader to talk to God. God has Moses fashion a brass stick on the top of a snake. Anyone bitten can look at the snake on the pole and live.

As we come out of the pandemic, will we stay indoors and in fear or will we trust and live? 

Our Bible Study is breaking for the summer! Look for announcements in the fall.

International Friends

We talked about food and cheese: Shanklish is delicious and very popular in Brazil! The cheese has it's origins in Lebanon. This is very much like the fresh cheeses we made earlier this year. Try this recipe! 

We are breaking for the summer...but we plan to meet face-to-face in a park every so often. See you soon!

Reading with Friends

We wrapped up our reading with chapters 14 and 15. In chapter 14 a shepherd is buried. We shared traditions and thoughts on cemeteries and the changing or not so changing ways that we honor and remember people who have passed. We observed the roles of the different characters as observers and as friends. 

In chapter 15 a beautiful woman defends herself. We all expressed some surprise over this and wondered whether about women's rights and voice. We laughed that Don Quixote chose to continued to chase this woman.

The chapter ends with Don Quixote and Sancho Panzo getting in a brawl and ending up at an inn that Don Quixote thinks is a castle. Oh no! Here we go again!

We are breaking for the summer, but we will meet for a "glass of wine" on June 16. Watch for a specific time and a Zoom link.

Afternoon Conversation

We are looking forward to spending our afternoons in the sunshine! We touched on most of our topics: COVID, vaccinations, music (and performing), and wrapped up with food.

English Classes

We wrapped up the year with Bill's Tips Jam Packed and Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth. You may hear these. We expanded on the pronunciation of "t" or not. Now that masks can become the thing of the past we can see "t" being said when we don't get to hear it.

Our formal classes are breaking, but we are offering shortened American Accent and a Grammar Workshop. Look for announcements.

Kids' Conversation

We finished up with our identifying animals beginning with the letters V-Z. 

We are taking a break for two weeks and meeting again on Zoom on June 3 at 4:00-4:30. Email to get the Zoom Link if you don't already have it!

When we meet again we will share the results of our sugar crystal growing experiment! Here is a great link to try growing sugar crystals.

End of the Week Conversation

We closed the week talking about summer plans. Everyone is ready to travel. Staying domestically is our best option, but there isn't anything wrong with that. One place to visit is Mackinac Island in Michigan. You have to take a ferry over. There are no cars, only bicycles and carriages. Mackinac is pronounced mac-in-naw. 

We talked about wearing and not wearing masks, whether there is enough evidence that the vaccines are efficacious against all the COVID-19 variations (so far they are holding well). We talked about outcomes from the pandemic that we hoped we would continue as a culture into the future: pick up from stores, people giving other people a little more personal space, people wearing masks in doctors' offices (because you are sick when you go in!), Zooming with friends and family far and near. We are ready to appreciate getting together for summer concerts outdoors (since there is little to no transmission outdoors). 

We are breaking for the year, but plan to meet in the park or on Zoom over the summer.

every so often: once in a while

look to: depend on someone or something

touched on: talked about briefly

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, Friends!

In the United States we celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May. People often give cards, gifts, flowers, candy, go out for brunch or celebrate with meals in the home. This year families may be Zooming and many are even traveling to see mom.

Best wishes to all of you moms and to your moms!

Wrapping Up the Spring Semester

Thank you to everyone who hung in there this year! We made it through the entire year on Zoom. When we met in person, we met three days a week with:

• International Bible Study
• International Friends
• Afternoon Conversation
• English Classes: Four Levels, American Accent Training and Preschool

And thanks to Zoom, this year we increased our meetings to include all of the above AND five to six days a week across many time zones. 

• International Preschool Stories and More
• American Sign Language
• Reading with Friends Book Club
• Kids' Conversation and More
• End of the Week Conversation

Look for our Summer Schedule and registration as well as our Fall Kick Off. If you don't live locally (in the Indianapolis area) we plan to continue many of our meetings and classes on Zoom in the Fall.

COVID-19

Vaccination and Variant News

• According to the most recent data, the approved vaccinations are holding up against the variants! This is great news. If you want to learn more about how these vaccinations seem to be faring with boots on the ground research, check out this NPR article or this Forbes article. Overall, the vaccines help people from having severe reactions to COVID-19 even if the disease is contracted.
• Clotting risk is always a factor. With the vaccines the clotting risk is four to five people in one million whereas the clotting risk is 39 in a million when getting COVID-19. Prevent Blood Clots from the CDC has advice for everyone regarding risks and avoiding blood clots.
• U.S. Vaccinations Are Slowing. What's To Blame? This New York Times article has some lovely charts comparing states and the various rollouts. Rationale for the slow down include that we are starting to run out of people to vaccinate. Regardless, most people weigh the risk vs. the reward of vaccination and decide whether to be vaccinated: Some people are waiting for more data to feel comfortable, some people are being advised by their physicians to wait on more data given their personal health considerations and some people just generally do not get vaccinations. 

Masks or No Masks

As herd immunity is becoming the norm, things to keep in mind:

• Mask sign posted: please wear your mask. Currently in Indiana, all official government buildings still require a mask as do medical offices.
• Camps and such: some children's programs may drop the mask requirements. Be sure to check to be prepared with a mask as necessary.

International Stories and More

We met for our last time on Saturday/Sunday and closed this exciting opportunity to learn English American Style. We are ended with the classic nursery rhyme: Humpty Dumpty! Thank you to all the parents and children who helped us with this pilot adventure. We loved meeting with you and look forward to continuing International Stories and More in the Fall!

Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:00 A.M.

We had a fun time with Humpty Dumpty!

May 10: Party in the Park! The weather looks to be a little chilly, but let's meet to party in the park and learn Old McDonald Had a Farm! 10:30 at Carey Grove Park: 140001 North Carey Road.

American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30 P.M.

We met to practice our conversation skills in this dynamic language. We are becoming more confident with our signing. Whether this because we have a vocabulary or because we are comfortable remains to be seen! 

May 10: Join us and dip your toe in the water.

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

We talked about Luke 8:16-18 where Jesus uses the image light to explain how behavior. He says, "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a clay jar or hides it under a bed." Anything we say or do is out there for everyone to see. We noticed that this is for the good or for the bad. Jesus advises that we need to listen carefully.

We also talked about Luke 8:19-21 where Jesus refers to the crowd around him as his family. We could all relate to this. We can find love and compassion in the people around us when we are separated from our blood relatives!

May 11: Join us as we talk about Luke 8: 22-25 where Jesus calms the storm. This hopeful story shows us how God is able to bring us peace in all circumstances.

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

We talked about many things including the origin of Cinco de Mayo and the value of having Friends to care for us and help us not to be lonely.

May 11: Join us for our last official Zoom meeting of the year!

Reading With Friends: Wednesday, 10:00-11:00 A.M.

We had a great discussion about a lot of stuff including Don Quixote and Chapters 12 and 13. Did our young man commit suicide? What happens to the beautiful woman? Our two chapter a week pace is slow and steady. Let's not pick it up.

May 11: Chapters 14 and 15 are up! There is a nice long poem here. What is the response of the beautiful woman? How does Don Quixote respond to all this unrequited love? Let's see!

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00 P.M.

Days are getting longer. Our last meeting is May 11 for this year. Meet and bring your cocktail to Zoom.

English Classes: Thursday, 9:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

We all joined together under one Zoom. As Friends joined the group, we had a nice "get to know you" before breaking into our smaller classes. Sharing this time together is great because we get to see each other's faces and find out what we all have in common this year.

May 12: We are wrapping up the year! It is nice to be under one Zoom roof and end as we started the year. Come for this last official class of our 2020-2021 year.

Kid' Conversation and More: Thursday, 4:00-4:30

It was nice to meet and share something with each other. We found out we had a lot in common including playing the game chess. We played a fun naming game: call out animal names by alphabet.

We talked about some favorite books: Through the Looking Glass by Louis Carroll (which features chess and nursery rhyme characters) and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (which isn't really a book?) and click through this unusual site.

May 12: Join us as we continue our animal game beginning with the letter V. Be prepared for these last letters. They aren't easy, except for Zebra!

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

Thanks to everyone who joined in to help us reflect on International Friends as a whole and how we grew this year. Thanks to everyone who had suggestions for the Summer and suggestions for continuing next year. Almost everyone wants to meet in person one way or another. Almost everyone wants to meet and learn on Zoom. We are excited and looking forward to planning a program that encompasses everything we learned from Zooming and technology and are looking forward to this new chapter in International Friends.

May 13: Join us on Zoom to wrap up the week and to wrap up our 2020-2021 official calendar year! Cheers!

and such: etcetera; other things like this
becoming the norm: become common
dip your toe in the water: try something out without a risk
faring: performing in a situation
holding up: maintaining (not robbing)
hung in there: stuck with it
pick it up: increase speed
pilot: test
rationale: reasons
slow and steady: consistent
unrequited love: love that is one sided

Yay! May!

Click here to go to our webpages and learn more
All meetings are GMT-4 or Eastern Standard Time

Hello, Hoosiers and Friends!

May is an exciting month to be in Indiana. May First kicks off the 500 Festival. In non-COVID years there are parades, mini-marathons and so much more to enjoy. Because of the Virtual Events, Hoosiers near and far can join in the fun!

500 FESTIVAL 2021

Other less exciting May dates:

May 1: May Day

May 4: Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you...get it?!)

May 9: Mother's Day

May 16: National Mimosa Day (our girl's family favorite)

And here are some other Off -Beat Holidays

Wrapping Up the Year

As we wrap up this virtual year of International Friends, we are seeking your opinion. Be on the lookout for an email from us with a Survey Monkey. Survey Monkey is a preferred platform to collect information for schools. Please feel free to forward the survey to others not currently participating so we can meet other people and provide programs to meet their needs.

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

We had a great time with the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Most people only learn the first verse, but there are more! 

May 3: Humpty Dumpty day. 

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

Jesus teaches using an allegory. In this story He tells how the seed (God's Word, Gospel) is sown. The seeds land on different types of soil and in different conditions. Our questions and comments:

Seeds are sown every year by the farmer. You can have another chance if you are not in a good condition to grow and mature in your love for God and others.

Who are you in the story? Ask yourself:

• Am I a sower sharing the message of love and grace? 
• Am I the good ground growing the message? 
• Am I a bird, grabbing the good news for myself?
• Am I rocky ground, excited at first and then easily distracted by trouble and hard times?
• Am I a weed to choke out the goodness and love in others by my actions and behavior?

There is so much wisdom in this story.

May 4: Luke 8: 16-18 is the topic of our next conversation.

International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30 A.M

We had a great introduction to Atatürk who is the "father" of Turkey. Here is the report for you to learn more about his life and contribution to the world and society.

Atatürk’s Life

Atatürk’s full name is Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He was born in Salonica in 1881. His father was Ali Rıza and his mother was Zübeyde. Atatürk‘s four of five siblings died at young ages. Only Makbule lived until 1956. When Mustafa was school-aged, he started to study at Hafız Mehmet Efendi Local School. Then, he transferred to Şemsi Efendi School at his father’s instigation. He lost his father in 1888. He started Military High School (Askeri Rüştiye) in 1893. His mathematics teacher added “Kemal” to his name. He went to Samsun in 19th May 1919 and war of independence started. He was given the surname “Atatürk” by Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1934. He died on 10th November 1938.

Atatürk’s Ranks

• He became a lieutenant in 1902.
• He was promoted to the rank of captain on 11th January 1905.
• His rank was changed to lieutenant colonel in 1914.
• He became a colonel in 1915.
• He was promoted to the rank of major general in 1st April 1916.
• He became the general of the army in 1921.

Atatürk’s Principles

• Republicanism: support a republican system of government
• Nationalism: patriotic feelings
• Populism: support the concerns of ordinary persons
• Statism: a political system where the state has central control of economic affairs.
• Laicism: to become secular
• Revolutionism: revolt or overthrow a government

Atatürk’s Sayings

• Peace at home, peace in the world.
• Our true mentor in life is science.
• Sovereignty is not given, it is taken.
• Sovereignty, without any condition and reservation, belongs to the nation.
• Teachers are the one and only people who save nations.

anıtkabirAnıtkabir / Ataturk’s Monumental Tomb

May 4: Cinco de Mayo: Let's talk about this party day and have a cook-along for Taco Tuesday! Grab a pound of ground beef, lettuce, an onion, shredded cheese, a tomato, and a taco kit from the grocery store. We will make a Taco Bar American-style!

Reading with Friends: Wednesday, 10:00 -11:00 A.M

We had a great conversation about poetry and whether it translates across languages. 

May 5: We will talk about Chapters 12 and 13.

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00 P.M.

We took a look at two Excel reports produced by Square. Trying to reconcile the information was impossible. This ended up being because one set of data did not include a particular set of fees! As we always say: Don't trust Excel! It is a tool 

May 5: Hopefully we can recap some of our Excel learning...

English Classes: Thursday, 9:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

We only have two more official meetings to the year. Look for our summer workshop with Kris covering English Grammar.

May 6: I am looking forward to leading American Accent Training for the next two weeks. Join us on the International Friends Zoom Link. In addition to a Bill's Tip Classic, we will talk about page 30.

Kids' Conversation and More: Thursday, 4:00-4:30 P.M.

We met for the first time and got to know each other with ice breaker games. It is fun to get together and meet new friends! Telling people about yourself is important. Remembering things about other people shows that you care about them. 

Parents: Why is it important to meet and make Friends in our age range, especially as children? During the pandemic, we have had a very limited chance to meet new people and just chat with each other. This is so important. 

• Learning to introduce yourself and choosing quickly what you think the other person or people need to know about you is a skill that everyone needs to practice. In the not too distant future our children will be applying for jobs or promoting their company. They will be talking to customers, patients and clients. That moment of first impression gives us a critical edge to open communications and opportunities.
• Learning about each other builds bridges. Being able to ask each other questions about our lives and things we prefer helps us to build relationships and understanding of each other. Remembering details about each other shows that we care. 

Email if you have school-aged children to join. You don't have to live in Indiana! This is a private Zoom to protect our kids' security.

May 6: Bring a favorite thing to show us and be ready to talk about animals...and NO HOMEWORK!

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

We were back to food: What herbs do you use? What sausage do you like? What tea do you love? How does your husband cook? What's your favorite color? What is your "toasting word"? If you would like to know the answers to these questions...

May 7: Join the conversation! We talk about anything you want.

be on the lookout: watch

Gospel: news that the creator God loves His creation. He is full of grace and wants everyone and everything to have a relationship with Him and have an eternal life with him and others. John 3:16-17

ice breaker: 

seeking: looking for

Winding up April

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All classes and meetings are GMT-4 unless otherwise noted.

Hello, Friends.

Just in case you thought our weather was going to be a little less changeable, we had Tuesday and snow. Wednesday we had wind, rain, snow, fog and sunshine all within 30 minutes! There is an adage: if you don't like the weather in Indiana, wait five minutes and it will change. That was the case on Wednesday. We had all the seasons all at once! The weather should be improving over the next week Hopefully this is winter's last hurrah. 

Some fun vocabulary came out of our discussions: sun shower (when it rains while the sun is out; this is a great opportunity to find a rainbow) and sun dog (a shiny spot or spots in the sky around the sun).

International Friends Meetings Over the Summer

We have two more official meetings to our 2020-2021 school year. Our last official meetings are May 9-15. We will begin our more informal and relaxed summer programming using Zoom or in-person over the summer. Watch for announcements. 

Fairy Tales Are For Everyone

Fairy Tales are an important literature and cultural component. While Fairy Tales can be enjoyed by people of all ages, not all Fairy Tales are written for children. These stories that begin with "Once upon a time..." and often end with "And they lived happily ever after." have lessons and morals along with dire consequences told in a fanciful manner that has talking animals and other magical events that help people to digest the message. This Resource from American Literature has a great list that breaks down the different stories and their origins. Click on an age range and then on the title to read. I am sure you will enjoy these stories!

Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:00 A.M.

We told the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This is a particular favorite of mine. This is the story of a girl that helps herself to someone else's home. It is a great story for using the word "too". Children can "read along" with the pattern making this story a fun interactive game. Hot and cold, hard and soft, big and little are all tested until Goldilocks finds what is "just right". Here is a printed version to tell.

April 26: We start our unit on nursery rhymes with Little Miss Muffett

May  3: Yay! May!

May 10: End of year get together!

American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:00 P.M.

We continued with our hand shape alliteration sentences. It is fun to get creative! 

April 26: We will expand our conversation skills. Be prepared to carry on introductory conversation and small talk in ASL for the first 10 minutes of your appearance into our meeting.

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

Luke 7:36-50 tells the story of a "sinful woman" who crashes a party and washes Jesus' feet with her tears and perfume and dries them with her hair and kisses. Jesus is reprimanded by the host. Jesus answers that the host did not offer Jesus the opportunity to wash his feet. Jesus declares to her that her sins are forgiven. With this proclamation, Jesus clears up all question of her integrity from this point forward.

April 27: Luke 8 contains teaching stories by Jesus. The first is the parable of the sower. How appropriate as we begin thinking about our gardens!

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

We met and chatted.

April 27: Join us to learn about Ataturk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey.

May 4: Star Wars Day and Cinco de Mayo Eve.

May 11: Gardening Day. Pick up a packet of salad mix seeds from Carolyn's porch. We are considering an outdoor meet-up to plant our container gardens.

Reading with Friends: Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 A.M.

Our Don Quixote reading group had a great time comparing current events with Don Quixote. We also had fun comparing our translations. We discovered that some translations are word to word and other translations attempted to provide a parallel adage in another language (an maybe culture). At that point, Cervantes decided to include an introspective chapter about the cost and the abilities of his Arabic translator. So distracting and funny since we were having the same conversation around our issues following the story.

April 26: We are talking about chapters 10 and 11. 

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00 P.M.

We looked at an Excel spreadsheet to determine a practical problem from a Butler University student groups. We continued to chat about other miscellaneous topics including great international food options from Costco. 

April 28: Join the conversation and maybe a little Excel.

English Classes: Thursday, 9:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

We are heading into the homestretch for our classes. Our classes continued with little break since the COVID pandemic began. The staff is planning for our upcoming summer months and then further into the next year. Join the conversation with your summer plans.

April 29: Classes continue regularly through May 13.

Kid's Conversations and More: Thursday, 4:00 P.M.-4:30 P.M 

Join us for our first Kid's Conversation and More Zoom for our elementary aged Friends. Email Carolyn for the Zoom Link to have your child(ren) join us. Parents are requested to join in this meeting to establish our summer schedule.

April 29: Our first meeting. Email Carolyn for the link.

End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

The conversation ranged from names for Grandma and Grandpa culturally and by family to our preferred convenience stores and food. Every country has it's favorite ice based snacks and beverages. Here they are called Sno-Cone and Slushies or Slushes. We compared whether we liked books or movies. 

One favorite book that might as well be a movie is The Invention of Hugo Cabret. This is an innovative take on . Is isn't a picture book or graphic novel, it isn't a flip book or a movie; yet it it all these things. 

April 30: Meet to end the week and reflect or jumpstart the weekend.

 International Stories and More: Saturday, 8:00 P.M. EST/Sunday, 9:00 A.M. JST

We we started our nursery rhymes unit with the Itsy Bitsy Spider. We talked about BIG and little. It is always fun to meet across the time zone.

May 8/9: We meet again to enjoy or time with rhymes.

adage: common saying (you can lead a horse to water but can not make him drink)

breaks down: classifies, analyzes

came out of: was the result
clears up: solves, puts something in order
integrity: completeness, moral right
introspective: self analyzing or looking back 
jumpstart: get something off to a quick and exciting beginning

just in case: if something should or should not happen
last hurrah: final appearance
might as well: a situation is the same as if a hypothetical is true

noted: mentioned
pronunciation: official statement

take: interpretation, execution
this/that was/is the case: the situation is
winding up: ending (winding rhymes with finding)

OH NO SNOW! Look out Tuesday!

Click here to see our webpages and more information.

All meetings and classes listed are GMT -4 unless otherwise noted.

Hello, Friends!

What a great week to get back together. I did miss seeing all of you and being able to touch base and find out what you did over the break. This week back posed a few challenges because getting back in the groove can is not all that easy...and then add the unexpected moments in life.

COVID-19 

Vaccinations in Indiana are up. If you signed up for the J&J one-and-done, you didn't lose out this week because the Speedway served Moderna. 

Grammar or Pronunciation

In very casual or hurried conversation some our Friends fall back to saying what sounds like: "Is no" to American ears. For example, "Is no time for lunch, yet." Is this a grammar or pronunciation issue. We probed the idea further and discovered that this form does not match a direct translation form of any language. When we slowed our conversation to a more precise speed, we discovered it is a pronunciation/perception. "Is no" = It is not or it's not. Casual American Accent pronunciation: its (think itch only with a ts hiss) no (think nah because the "t" is not said).

Doctors and Medical Care

Healthcare in the U.S. comes with some vocabulary. Knowing what each means and what kind of care you need is helpful in making your decisions about who to see when you have a health concern.

• Primary Care: a doctor or medical office that is responsible for basic medical care and for managing overall healthcare for a patient
• Family Practice: a doctor or medical office that specializes in the medical care of all ages in the setting of a family (because we all pass stuff around).
• Specialist: a doctor/medical office that works specifically to treat and heal specific problems. Gynecologist, podiatrist, orthopedic surgeon, oncologist, dermatologist, ENT (ear nose and throat), etc.
• Pediatrician: a doctor that specializes in caring for infants and children
• Urgent Care: Immediate access to physicians, nurse practitioners, etc. These services are particularly helpful on weekends 

• Minute Clinic: Urgent Care housed in a CVS. You can book in advance through their website
• IU Health: Urgent care offered in stand alone or hospitals provided by IU Health
• Walgreens
• OrthoIndy Urgent Care: Urgent care seven days a week for orthopedic injuries and treatment. Where was this when my kids played sports?!
• Emergency Room: The department in a hospital that is dedicated to emergency care; because of the unexpected nature of emergencies all imaginable equipment and staff is powered on and ready to save lives; patients are triaged and cared for in their order of severity and mortality. 
• Hospital: A building dedicated to the medical care of people
• Telemedicine: medical consultation over a video application like Facetime
• Pharmacy: where you go to get your prescriptions filled

After you get to the office, here is a great vocabulary resource to understand medical terms Medical Terminology Information Sheet.

International Stories and More: Saturday/Sunday, 8:00-8:30 P.M. EST/9:00-9:30 JST

We celebrated Easter by reading the traditional story of Easter. Easter Egg Hunts are a fun way to celebrate with your Friends and family. Best of all, we can play this game any time of year!

April 24: We will read the Three Little Bears: a very favorite tale.

Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:00 A.M.

We met at Carey Grove for an Easter egg hunt, play games and make a watercolor craft. While it was gray and a little chilly, it was fun to see each other and spend some time together in person.

April 19: Join us as we reZoom our meetings and read The Three Little Bears!

American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30 P.M.

After some technical difficulties, we practiced our sentences that use similar hand shapes. Check out the Reverse Look Up to discover the meaning of a sign you have seen but do not remember the meaning.

April 20: Email your 10 to the class to practice together. It is fun to see how we combine these familiar and unfamiliar words.

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

 We discussed Luke 7:18-35. This is a longer story for Luke. In the story John the Baptist sends his disciples to ask if Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus commends John the Baptist and then further points out that the least are greater than John. Jesus muses on the fact that people are never satisfied with the behavior of others. Jesus comments: "But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

April 20: We will talk about Luke 7:36-50.

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

We got back together and shared what we did over the break. We learned a little about fasting and Ramadan that began on Tuesday. We talked about the role of sarcasm in conversation and society. It is not always easy to catch what is intended to be a sharp and humorous observation when we are not sure of the social or verbal subtleties or context and how our sarcastic comments can backfire or break the ice. We agreed that sarcasm is best used with friends and family who understand our sense of humor during these very sensitive times. We are reading: Don Quixote, With Open Hands, Rediscover the Saints and A Walk in the Woods (about the Appalachian Trail) by Bill Bryson.

April 20: What to do with your family over the summer. Join us to share your ideas and get new ideas!

April 27: Let's start a container garden. Spring is in the air, it it time to start our gardens and what better way than with a lettuce garden. Go to Goodwill and find a container for your plants. Salad seed mix will be available to pick up from Carolyn's porch.

Reading with Friends: Wednesday, 10:00-11:00 A.M.

We talked about Don Quixote's friends coming over to address his "problem" by purging his library. This led to some great comparisons and discussion about censoring and deciding what literature is good for people to read. In their zeal, they destroyed and stole his property all the while feeling self-justified, self-righteous, self-satisfied in their actions.

April 21: We will look into Don Quixote's next sally and allies in chapters six through nine.

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00 P.M.

Learning conditional formatting was super easy with so many opportunities for short cuts to analysis in both format and color. 

We talked about name conventions and when in a list putting a comma after the "first (listed first)" name implies that it is the person's last (family) name! 

• Carolyn Willard
• Willard, Carolyn

Which leads to some important naming terms:

• First name: given name or name given when someone is born
• Last name: family name or the name that a family shares as a group

We talked about the ease of opening and operating a business in America. One first step is getting an EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the Federal Government. Getting a number is free from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). Use this official site from the U.S. Government to choose the type of business you wish to open and follow the prompts. 

April 21: We will continue to enjoy bite-sized Excel lessons. What else will we talk about? You tell us!

English Classes: Thursday, 9:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

Our basic meeting centered on pronunciation and defining "mom" terms. U

End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

We talked about platforms or the media that conveys information or news. We had to rely on word of mouth to tell us what was happening. This was followed by print (books, then magazines and newspapers), then radio, then TV, then cable TV, and now many places on the internet. Platforms on the internet can be any of the above forms. Apps like Twitter, Tic Toc, Reddit, Instagram allow people to post their perspective either in 

We talked about planning for trips and the AAA or American Automobile Association and the benefits of belonging 

Vocabulary for this Update is situational or in this context. These words may have more than one meaning, but these descriptions are best in these situations.

censoring: remove all or part of a book, movie, article, etc. that someone decides to be harmful

commends: approves; formally praises

fall back: retreat or substitute

for: in this case this for is used as comparative word; Luke's stories are short and to the point (direct)

further: in addition

hop on: board a vehicle, join an online meeting

least: less that; lower than

mortality: threat to life

over: during

pass stuff around: tend to share our colds, flu, strep throat, etc. with each other in a family

prescriptions filled: medications that are specifically written and prepared for you and no one else

prompts: questions or buttons on a page that guide your through a process on a webpage

probed: look into, study

purging: clearing out

sally: a trip with a purpose, a military campaign

see: go to, visit

subtleties: differences and 

touch base: connect with someone briefly; catch up with you; get an update

triaged: classified

Welcome Back From Spring Break!

I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing break! Meetings and classes resume this week, so we are looking forward to hearing all about your break adventures.

Stories and More is meeting in person to have our Easter Egg Hunt at Carey Grove Park at 10:30, Monday, April 13. Remember your mask and Easter baskets.

Happy April

Click here to get directed to our website. (and your best virtual experience)

All class and meeting times listed are GMT-4 

Hello, Friends.

April 1 is April Fools Day. The weather played a great trick on us by snowing this year! Pranks, practical jokes and teasing are a fun part of this day. Here is a really fun video of twin pranks.

April is famous for rain showers that bring may flowers! Look for wet days to water all the beautiful plants. As the weather warms, we may be in for severe weather as the 

If you are looking for Indiana Spring Break ideas look no further! Here are 13 Indiana Destinations Perfect for Spring Break Get Away without going too far from home. These ideas are perfect day trips.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms are in bloom!

• See Cherry Blossoms in Japan
• Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Watch
• Cherry Blossom Cookies
• Cherry Blossom Milk Pudding

Kids Connecting

We are to starting a Zoom group for children in elementary school. This group can meet to have conversation (in English) as well as read and talk about short (or maybe longer) stories.

The purpose of this group is to make friends and maybe work on English and literacy skills or talk about culture and customs (or anything else you can think of). Email for a Zoom link and to register your children. In the email provide your child(dren)'s name and age.

Where: Zoom

When: Twice a month, Fridays 4:30-5:00

Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-1:00 A.M.

Fairy tales are fun for all ages and are a great way to spend time with your children and learn some life lessons. These stories become a part of our language and our culture.

Reader's Digest has this list of 10 Fairy Tales for you and your children to start with along with some background behind the stories and 

April 12:  Celebrate and Easter hunt and get together at Carey Grove Park 10:30-11:00.

American Sign Language: Monday, 5:00-6:00 P.M.

We have a lot to review and learn over the break. There are many signs that have the same basic shape. Watching, practicing and memorizing does not help us to practically learn and apply. Creating is a great way to plug these foundational ideas.

For the break we have homework: create 10 sentences that use the same basic hand shapes. Be sure REPLY TO ALL to share your sentences with the class to enjoy and practice.

April 12: Welcome back after break! Let's talk with our hands and sign each other's sentences.

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

This is a beautiful story of life and death and relationships and compassion. Luke 7: 11-16 tells the story of Jesus coming across a funeral for a young man. His heart goes out to the mother and he tells her "Don't cry." Jesus touches the bier and tells the young man to get up and he gives the son back to the mother (verse 15). We talked about the difficulties of letting our children go to live their lives, but the pain of having to let them go in death. We talked about how we all need someone to take care of and someone to take care of us in our stages of life. Finally, we talked of how only Jesus could bring our loved ones back to us. This story 

April 13: Luke 7:18-35 is a story about Jesus and John the Baptist. Luke this account is very long, for Luke.

International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30 A.M.-112:00 P.M.

We talked about secular Easter customs in the United States (that have absolutely nothing to do with religion). These customs including dying eggs and hunting for surprises that were left by the Easter bunny. Neighborhoods and parks host Easter Egg Hunts for children. Families may have the tradition of hunting small gifts, candy, and money (hidden in plastic eggs). 

Traditional Easter dinner in the U.S. varies from household to household, but they typically include ham, lamb, duck, or even turkey. Of course deviled eggs are on the menu (after dying all the eggs, you have to enjoy them). 

We made a delicious cod dish that is a traditional Easter dish in Brazil. You can find the recipe here.

This week was Holy Week in the Christian church. The week ends the period of Lent or 40 days of reflection and repentance before Easter. Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus' triumphant ride into Jerusalem for Passover. This week churches have services on Maunday Thursday celebrates his last supper before he is tried and put to death on Good Friday. Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus' resurrection from the dead. If you have not attended a Christian service, this is a great service to visit. 

April 13: Join us as we return from all of our spring breaks. 

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00 P.M.

We learned to make pivot tables in Excel! Wow! This application is an exciting addition to our skill set. 

April 14: Join us to learn more about Excel. What else do you want to teach and learn from each other?

English Classes: Thursday, 9:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

We had a group discussion and generated key points for improving our English:

• What is the goal? To understand others and to be understood.
• Accents are quirks in our speech, but people still can understand us.
• Pronunciation is when a word is said correctly including sound and cadence. If someone doesn't understand the word, then it is usually mispronounced.
• Slow down and give yourself time. Speed doesn't mean you are a better speaker.
• Think about how you might sound to others.
• Watch how people are listening to you. 
• Most people want to understand and talk to you.
• Know the prepositions and how to use them. Remember that Hoosiers (and many other Americans) like to add prepositions at the end of sentences that really are not necessary. 
• Use your articles: a, an, the. These little words are important.
• Know the differences between your home language and English. Be ready to correct yourself.
• When you study, avoid translating from one language to another. Instead, create concrete examples: write sentences, draw pictures.
• Be patient with yourself. You are already fluent in another language and it is easy to give up just before you make a big leap.

April 15: Back to class!

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

We continued talking about our tips to improve our English skills. Knowing what works best for you is a important when developing any skill. Comparing yourself and your progress with others is not as productive because each of us has different needs as well as different careers so our "survival" language is different for all of us. We talked about how people try to be helpful by offering translators, not because they could not understand us but to set us at ease.

April 16: Welcome to the end of the week conversation group. Take time with us to share your thoughts from the week and get ready for the weekend!

bier: frame to carry a dead body or coffin

heart goes out: feel compassion

skill set: ability to perform a group of tasks