Ava's English Lessons

February 2012 Schedule

2012-01-30T07:46:00.000-08:00

The location of our classes is changing from Riverdale Baptist Church to my house. Children are still welcome and we will still have the same type of relaxed classes. I hope you will join us here in February. Here is our schedule:

February 17, 2012--Friday Class at Ava's House at 9:30 a.m. We will study, "Jesus' Disciples and Siblings". Our English Lesson will be, "What Should I Call You?".

February 26, 2012--Sunday Class at Ava's House at 9:30 a.m. We will continue our study of the "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Our lesson will be "It Takes Time".

Please invite any new ladies to join us. I look forward to seeing you in February.

Your Friend,

Ava

January 2012 Schedule

2012-01-06T05:31:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm excited to get started with our classes again. I have attached our December lessons. The recipes from our Christmas Breakfast can be found at http://avasrecipes.blogspot.com.

Here is our January Schedule:

Sunday, January 15th, Sunday Bible Study Class at Riverdale Baptist Church at 9:30 a.m. We will study, "The Purpose of Temptations".

Friday, January 20th, Friday Bible Study Class at Riverdale Baptist Church at 9:30 a.m. We will study, "Jesus' Disciples and Siblings" and our English Lesson will be "What Should I Call You?"

***If you are a member of the Friday class and the 20th isn't good for you, please let me know and I will try my best to reschedule when everyone can be there.

I hope to see you soon!

Your Friend,

Ava

Christmas Song Lyrics

2012-01-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

Deck The Halls

Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.

Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

See the blazing Yule before us.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Follow me in merry measure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

While I tell of Yule-tide treasure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Fast away the old year passes.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Hail the new year, lads and lasses
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Sing we joyous, all together.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Heedless of the wind and weather.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, All is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so Tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!

Silent night, holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light!
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King!
Christ the Saviour is here,
Jesus the Saviour is here!

Silent night, Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord at thy birth;
Jesus Lord at thy birth.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town.

He's making a list
And checking it twice
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake.

Oh You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town.

White Christmas

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.

December Schedule

2011-11-18T21:35:00.001-08:00

Here is our schedule for December:

Sunday, December 4th, Bible Study Class at Riverdale Baptist Church at 9:30 a.m. We will study, "How Should We Respond To Problems?" from Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life".

Monday, December 5th, Bible Study Class at Riverdale Baptist Church at 9:30 a.m. We will study, "Christmas Prophecies" and the learn the words to some popular Christmas songs.

Friday, December 9th, Ornament Swap at Ava's House. You don't need to bring any food or drink to share. You do need to bring a wrapped store-bought or home-made Christmas ornament. If you have a child that will be with you and you'd like for them to participate, please bring a wrapped ornament for them, too. We will swap ornaments and enjoy a simple breakfast.

Here are a few more December activities and links for more information:

The Bethlehem Marketplace at Southeast Baptist Church--12/3 and 12/4 AND 12/10 and 12/11. The times aren't posted on the website, but it usually 1-5? If you are planning on going, let me know and I will call and ask for you.

http://www.sebaptist.org/tp40/page.asp?ID=171773

Christmas Lights--The Murfreesboro Post usually posts information about the best Christmas lights in Murfreesboro. This information will be on-line sometime in December:

http://www.murfreesboropost.com/

Santa in the neighborhood--Santa will visit several Murfreesboro neighborhoods and other locations. The 2011 schedule will posted on-line on Thanksgiving Day. You may check the schedule any time after Thanksgiving:

http://www.santaintheneighborhood.com/Santa_Express.html

Santa Downtown--Santa will be at the courthouse and carriage rides around the Square will be offered. Information and schedules are posted on-line:

http://www.downtownmurfreesboro.com/category/events

AFTER Christmas--if you want to recycle your Christmas Cards, you can send them to the St. Jude's Ranch for Children. They use the fronts of your old cards to make new cards for next year. I usually only send the fronts of the cards because it is cheaper to mail them that way. The address is below.

St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Card Recycling Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

If you have questions about any of these things, please let me know. Enjoy all of these fun things and remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!

Idioms XVI

2011-11-18T17:55:00.001-08:00

1. hit the nail on the head—describe a problem exactly—A good newsman can hit the nail on the head when he is telling a story.

2. hit the roof—get really mad—When the owner of the company found out that his workers were napping in their offices, he hit the roof!

3. hit the sack—go to bed—At the end of a long day, it always feels good to hit the sack.

4. hold down the fort—look after a place while the usual person in charge is away—A lot of secretaries have to hold down the fort when their bosses go on business trips.

5. hold your head high—feel proud about something—You can hold your head high when your children do well in school.

6. hold your own—do as well as others at something—Masae and I aren’t professional tennis players, but we were able to hold our own at the city tennis tournament!

7. hot under the collar—get angry or annoyed at a situation—It’s easy to get hot under the collar when someone is cheating you.

8. an ivory tower—a place that is separated from normal life—Celebrities live in ivory towers and don’t know what it’s like to work and raise children without help.

9. I owe you one—say this when you need to repay a kindness or favor to someone—I told my neighbor I owed her one after she let me borrow some sugar.

Famous Quotes About Thanksgiving

2011-11-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. ~Cicero

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily." Gerald Good
If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get. Frank A. Clark

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. Estonian Proverb

God gave us our relatives; thank God we can choose our friends. Ethel Watts Mumford

November Schedule/Future Lesson Plans

2011-10-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday, November 6th, 9:30 a.m. at Riverdale Baptist Church. We will study, "The Purpsoe Behind The Problem".

Friday, November 18th, 9:30 a.m. at Riverdale Baptist Church. We will study, "What Does The Bible Say About Thankfulness?". We will also have 2 English lessons, "Famous Quotes About Thanksgiving" and "Idioms XVI"

In December, the Friday class will study, "Christmas Prophecies" and have English lessons about Donations and Fundraising.

In January, the Friday class will study, "Prophecies That Haven't Been Fulfilled, Yet"

Childcare is provided for all the classes. Children are welcome to stay in the class with us. Japanese translation and Japanese Bibles are provided for all class members.

Halloween Safety Tips

2011-10-21T20:04:00.003-07:00

1. Stay with your children at all times. Only go to houses that have their porch lights one or are homes of people you know. It’s okay to let your kids walk up to the door alone, but make sure you are watching them at all times.

2. Be careful walking up and down the streets. It will be dark and people will be pulling in and out of driveways. Make sure your children are walking on sidewalks or near the curbs. If you are driving, drive at slow speeds. There will be a lot of people on the streets on Halloween night!

3. If it rains on Halloween night, many people will drive their children around for trick-or-treating. If you do this, use your hazard lights so that other people will know that you will be stopping and starting a lot. Also, be very careful passing a car that has stopped with their hazard lights on. Children could be running around the front or back of the car and not be able to see you.

4. If you or your children are wearing masks, make sure you will be able to see properly with them on. If you or your children are carrying any kind of costume props, make sure they don’t have sharp points and that they are flexible enough to bend if you fall on them. Also, make sure your costumes aren’t too long so that you won’t trip when you are walking. It’s a good idea for at least one person in your group to have a flashlight. It’s also a good idea to have some reflective tape or material on your costumes.

5. Don’t eat any treats until an adult has inspected them. Adults should make sure the candy is in original, untorn, wrappers. Don’t eat any homemade treats. Stay in familiar neighborhoods when you are trick or treating. Also, it’s best to trick or treat with a group of friends.

Halloween Traditions

2011-10-21T20:04:00.001-07:00

Halloween is a contraction of a Catholic holiday, “All Hallows Eve”. “All Hallows Day” is November 1 and that is a day to honor saints. So, Hallows Eve is October 31st.

Trick or Treat

The custom of trick or treating probably has several origins. One explanation is that early Catholics would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes" made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. Catholics believe that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.

Jack-O-Lanterns:

Irish children used to carve out potatoes or turnips and light them for their Halloween gatherings. They commemorated Jack, a shifty Irish villain so wicked that neither God nor the Devil wanted him. Legend says Jack wanders the world endlessly looking for a place to rest. His only warmth is a glittering candle in a rotten turnip. The Irish Potato Famine (1845-50) prompted over 700,000 people to immigrate to the Americas. These immigrants brought with them their traditions of Halloween and Jack o'Lanterns, but turnips were not plentiful in America. So, the Irish immigrants used pumpkins as a replacement.
Halloween Masquerade Mask and Costumes:

From earliest times people wore masks when droughts or other disasters struck. They believed that the demons that had brought their misfortune upon them would become frightened off by the hideous masks.

Idioms XV

2011-10-21T20:03:00.001-07:00

1. hang in there/hang on—words of encouragement—When I found out my neighbor was trying to give up smoking, I told him to hang in there because I know that’s a hard thing to do.

2. hard to come by—difficult to find—Good husbands are hard to come by. So, if you get one, treat him well.

3. hard to swallow—difficult to believe—Stories about UFO’s are hard for most people to swallow.

4. have a heart to heart talk—have an honest talk and share your true feelings with someone—Having a good heart to heart talk with your husband can help your marriage.

5. have a soft spot for—have a warm feeling or affection for—Grandpas usually have a soft spot for their granddaughters.

6. have second thoughts—have doubts—Bill was having second thoughts about marrying Susie. So, he postponed the wedding.

7. have your hands full—be busy—Young mothers always have their hands full.

8. have your head in the clouds—be unrealistic—Every time I hear the President speak, I think he has his head in the clouds.

9. have your work cut out for you—have a challenge or difficult task to do—Kindergarten teachers really have their work cut out for them.

10. hit it off—meet someone for the first time and get along really well with them—I knew they would be a cute couple. They really hit it off when I introduced them to each other.

Pronouncing "ed" words

2011-09-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Pronouncing “-ed” words can be tricky. Sometimes “-ed” sounds like a “d” (warned). Sometimes “-ed” sounds like “id” (wanted). Sometimes “-ed” sounds like a “t” (worked). The pronunciation rules are complicated, but usually the sound of the syllable before the “-ed” decides how the “-ed” is pronounced. Let’s try some:

1 Started
2 needed
3 reached
4 regarded
5 decided
6 propped
7 locked
8 realized
9 noticed
10 bolted
11 descended
12 glanced
13 looked
14 renovated
15 closed
16 discovered
17 examined
18 painted
19 permitted
20 pulled

Idioms XIV

2011-09-18T18:34:00.001-07:00

1. grin and bear—accept a difficult situation and make the best of it—If you don’t like your job, you have to grin and bear it until you can find a new one.

2. gift of gab—natural ability to talk to and persuade people—A good salesman usually has the gift of gab.

3. your hands are tied—you are unable to control a situation—The banker wanted to approve the loan, but his hands were tied due to the new regulations.

4. your heart goes out—you have sympathy for someone—My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one.

5. your heart is in the right place—you are trying to do the right thing even if you don’t always do it—I don’t always agree with my son’s coach, but I know his heart is in the right place.

6. your heart isn’t in it—you don’t want to do something—I agreed to work in the yard with my husband, but my heart really wasn’t in it.

7. a head start—an advantage over other people—If you can graduate from college with good grades, you will have a head start over other job seekers.

8. a hidden agenda—a secret motive—We thought the Susan really loved Bill, but she had a hidden agenda to get his money.

9. half-baked—not well thought out—It’s hard for me to deal with people who have half-baked ideas.

Idiioms XIII

2011-08-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

1. go for broke—risk everything—It’s not a good idea to go for broke in Las Vegas. You could lose everything you have!

2. go out of business—close down—A lot of stores have gone out of business during the past couple of years.

3. go out on a limb—put yourself in a risky position—If you mortgage your house to buy a car, you’re really going out on a limb!

4. go over someone’s head—ask a person’s boss because that person won’t help you—When the clerk wouldn’t give me a refund, I had to go over his head and get the manager.

5. go overboard—be overly excited or do too much—A lot of parents go overboard and have really big birthday parties for their kids.

6. go with the flow—not put up any opposition to other people’s plans or ideas—Sometimes, it’s easier to just go with the flow than to try to change somebody.

7. going down/going on—what’s happening at a particular time or place—We heard sirens, but we didn’t know what was going down/going on.

8. grease someone’s palms—bribe people—Unfortunately, there are a lot of business owners who grease politicians’ palms and get laws passed in their favor.

Raising Children In America

2011-08-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

America is a great place to live, but sometimes people do bad things to children. It’s important to protect them. Here are some things to remember:

1. Never leave your children alone in the car.

2. When you are out in public places or in other people’s homes, always watch your children at all times.

3. Don’t let children go in public restrooms alone. When mothers are in public with their sons, this can be tricky. Try to make your sons use the ladies restroom for as long as possible—and always go with them. When your sons are too old to use the ladies restroom, try to find a family restroom. If a family restroom isn’t available, wait outside the door until your son comes out of the restroom. (I still do this with Paul and he’s 13!)

4. Don’t let your children stay home alone until they are at least 10 or 11 years old. Even then, they should only stay home for a short time by themselves. Tell them not to answer the door or the phone for any reason. Teach your children what to do in case of an emergency (call 911, call a neighbor, or call a friend).

5. Don’t let your children undress, scream, or run wild in public. Also, don’t spank your children in public. Someone may call the police and report you as an abusive or negligent parent. This is rare, but it has happened.

August Schedule

2011-07-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the schedule for our upcoming classes:

9:30 a.m. Sunday, August 21st--Sunday Bible Study Class at Riverdale Baptist Church--We will study, "Real Fellowship" from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.

9:30 a.m. Friday, August 26th--Friday Bible Study Class at Riverdale Baptist Church--We will study, "Delilah" and have an English Lesson after the Bible Study lesson.

I hope you can join us!

Ava

Friday The 13th

2011-06-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

1. There are superstitions about Friday and the number 13.

2. A lot of sailors refuse to set sail on a Friday. Some people think it’s bad luck to get married on a Friday.

3. Most buildings in America don’t have a rooms or floors with the number 13. Many people won’t eat at a table with 13 people. If they do, they think the first person to leave will be the next person to die.

4. In ancient times, the number 13 represented the unknown. Even now, children are taught their multiplication tables through 12 X 12.

5. When Friday falls on the 13th day of the month, some people think it is an unlucky day. One of the main reasons has to do with Jesus’ death.
Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Before Jesus died, he had the Last Supper with His 12 disciples. He said one of them would betray Him:

７０「あなたがた十二人を選んだのはわたしです。だが、なんということでしょう。悪魔が一人まぎれ込んでいます。」７１イエスが言われたのは、イスカリオテのシモンの子ユダのことでした。ユダは、十二人の弟子の一人でありながら、イエスを裏切ろうとしていたのです。(John 6:70-71).

Judas did betray Jesus. Judas was also the first person to leave the Last Supper and the next person to die.

6. Many people think a lot of other bad things in the Bible happened on a Friday.
(For example: Eve eating the fruit, Abel’s murder, Stephen’s stoning) There is no way to prove what day these things happened.

7. Personally, I don’t think Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. I believe God is in control of every situation.

９神様の考えを無視して、計画を立ててはいけません。Proverbs 16:9

神様は全人類を、一人の人間アダムから造り、すべての国民を全世界に散らされました Acts 17:26

７ばかばかしい理論や、くだらない作り話を、あれこれ議論し、むだに時間を費やしてはなりません。むしろ、時間と労力とを有効に使って、いつも霊的に高められるよう、自分を訓練しなさい。 1 Timothy 4:7

Telling People About Yourself

2011-06-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

When you meet a new friend or you are asked to introduce yourself, here are some things you can say:

1. My name is ___________________. I am from ______.

2. I came to America _____________weeks/months/years ago.

3. My husband is a/an _______________ at ___________.

4. We will stay in America for ______________ months/years.

5. I don’t have any children.

OR

6. Or, I have ____________ child/children. My child/children goes to ________ school.

7. I have many hobbies. I like to ______, ______, and ______.

8. I don’t have a pet.

OR

9. I have a pet. It is a _________. His/Her name is __________.

10. When I lived in ______, I used to _____________. That is one thing I miss about ______.

11. My favorite thing about America is _________.

12. When I go back to _____, I will ________.

13. In my country, the weather is different. It is _______.

Idioms XII

2011-06-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

1. get away from it all—escape from your daily routine—Sometimes a long, hot bath is all you need to get away from it all.

2. get cracking—do something faster—We need to get cracking or we’ll miss our plane!

3. get it off your chest—to tell someone something that has been bothering you—You usually feel better once you’ve gotten bad news off your chest.

4. get off on the wrong foot—make a bad first impression—It’s never a good thing to get off on the wrong foot with your husband’s boss.

5. get to the bottom of it—find out the true story—A good reporter will always get to the bottom of any rumors.

6. get your act together—improve your attitude and performance—Sometimes, teenagers need to be reminded about getting their act together.

7. give it a shot/whirl—try something for the first time—I’ve never played golf, but I should give it a shot/whirl sometime.

8. give it your all—try as hard as you can—I love to see people give it their all when they are playing a sport.

9. give someone a hard time—make things unpleasant for someone—Do you give your husband a hard time if he forgets your anniversary?

10. give the green light—give permission—I gave my son the green light to go to a concert with his friend.

Infinitives--Using "to" and "ing"

2011-06-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we need to decide whether to use a verb in its “ing” form or its infinitive form (with a “to”).

When to use -ing

The -ing form is used when the word is the subject of a sentence or clause:

• Swimming is good exercise.
• Doctors say that smoking is bad for you.

The -ing form is used after a preposition:

• I look forward to meeting you.
• They left without saying "Goodbye."

The -ing form is used after certain verbs:
- avoid, dislike, enjoy, finish, give up, mind/not mind, practice

• I dislike getting up early.
• Would you mind opening the window?

When to use the infinitive

The infinitive form is always used after adjectives, for example:
- disappointed, glad, happy, pleased, relieved, sad, surprised

• I was happy to help them.
• She will be delighted to see you.

This includes too + adjective:

• The water was too cold to swim in.
• Is your coffee too hot to drink?
The infinitive form is used after adjective + enough:

• He was strong enough to lift it.
• She is rich enough to buy two.

The infinitive form is used after certain verbs:

- forget, help, learn, teach, train
- choose, expect, hope, need, offer, want, would like
- agree, encourage, pretend, promise, recommend
- allow, can/can't afford, decide, manage, mean, refuse

• I forgot to close the window.
• Mary needs to leave early.
• Why are they encouraged to learn English?
• We can't afford to take a long holiday.

Some verbs can be followed by the -ing form or the infinitive without a big change in meaning: begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, prefer, propose, start.

• It started to rain.
• It started raining.
• I like to play tennis.
• I like playing tennis.

Now, let’s try a few:

1. We like (to visit, visiting) our grandmother on Sundays.

2. I might want (to borrow, borrowing) your cookbook.

3. My husband hates (to wear, wearing) a tie.

4. We can’t afford (to take, taking) a vacation this year.

5. My grandmother was happy (to receive, receiving) your letter.

6. Would you mind (to open, opening) a window?

The Legend of the Dogwood Tree

2011-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew
To a towering size with a lovely hue.
Its branches were strong and interwoven
And for Christ's cross its timbers were chosen
Being distressed at the use of this wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
"Not ever again shall the dogwood grow
To be large enough for a tree, and so
Slender and twisted it shall always be
With cross-shaped blossoms for all to see.
The petals shall have bloodstains marked in brown
And in the blossom's center a thorny crown.
All who see it will think of me,
Nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree.
Protected and cherished this tree shall be
A reflection to all of my agony."

Is This Legend True?

The Bible doesn’t say what kind of wood was used for Christ’s cross and Dogwood trees aren’t native to Israel. So, this legend probably isn’t true. Dogwood trees and this legend are nice reminders of what Jesus did for us on the cross. People think the tear shaped petals are a symbol of the sadness of Jesus’ death. People think pink dogwoods are a symbol of the shame of shedding Jesus’ innocent blood.

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

2011-05-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

There’s a lovely little legend
That I would like to tell,
Of the birth and death of Jesus
Found in this lowly shell.

If you examine closely
You’ll see that you find here,
Four nail holes and a fifth one
Made by a Roman’s spear.

On one side the Easter Lily,
Its center is the star,
That appeared unto the shepherds
And led them from afar.

The Christmas Poinsettia
Etched on the other side,
Reminds us of His birthday
Our happy Christmastide.

Now break the center open
And here you will release,
The five white doves awaiting
To spread Good Will and Peace.

This simple little symbol
Christ left for you and me,
To help us spread His Gospel
Through all Eternity

２０世界が創造されてからこのかた、人々は、天地や、神様がお造りになったすべてのものを見て、神様の存在と、その偉大な永遠の力をはっきり知っていました。ですから、彼らには弁解の余地がないのです。Romans 1:20

April 2011 Schedule

2011-03-24T16:22:00.001-07:00

Friday, April 8th--Bible Study Class--We will study, "Easter Questions". We will meet at Riverdale Baptist Church at 9:30 a.m. If you have a child in the nursery, please bring an Easter basket or bag for them. We will have an Easter Egg Hunt for the children after the class. Also, I'm planning on going to Cracker Barrel for lunch when we are finished. I hope you can join me. :)

Sunday, April 17th--Bible Study Class--We will study, "4 Ways To Worship God". We will meet at Riverdale Baptist Church at 9:30 a.m.

Thursday, April 21--English Conversation Day at Ava's house from 12:00 (noon) to 2:00--Please eat before you come. You don't need to bring any food this time. We will study, Easter Traditions and Symbols. Then, we'll dye Easter Eggs.

Japanese translation and Japanese Bibles are provided for the Bible Study Classes. Children are welcome to join our classes or children's classes are provided at the church. Please invite any new ladies to join us.

If anyone is interested in playing tennis, we are going to play on either Mondays or Wednesdays for a while. Please let me know if you want me to add you to my tennis email list. Sometimes we will play at noon and sometimes we will play 10:00 a.m. depending on my schedule and the weather.

I hope to see you soon.

Your Friend,

Ava

Knock Knock Jokes VI

2011-03-24T16:18:00.002-07:00

1. Knock Knock. Who’s There? C’s. C’s who? C’s the day. (Seize the day.)

2. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Pig. Pig who? Pig up your feet or you’ll trip. (Pick up your feet or you’ll trip.)

3. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Aaron. Aaron who? Aaron on the side of caution. (Erring on the side of caution.)

4. Knock Knock. Who’s There? UCI. UCI who? UCI had to knock because the doorbell didn’t work. (You see I had to knock because the doorbell didn’t work.)

5. Knock Knock. Who’s There? I-8. I-8 who? I-8 lunch in the cafeteria. (I ate lunch in the cafeteria.)

6. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Honey Bee. Honey Bee who? Honey Bee a dear and bring me a drink. (Honey, be a dear and bring me a drink.)

7. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Ally. Ally who? Ally gator. (Alligator.)

8. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Iguana. Iguana who? Iguana hold your hand. (I wanna (want to) hold your hand.)

9. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Who. Who who? Is there an owl in here?

10. Knock Knock. Who’s There? Ear. Ear who? Ear you are! I’ve been looking for you. (Here you are! I’ve been looking for you.)

Idioms XI

2011-03-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

1. for the time being—for a limited time—Tyler’s truck is in the repair shop. So, Paul and I are sharing a car for the time being.

2. forty winks—a short nap—Sunday afternoons are a good time to catch forty winks.

3. friends in high places—people in powerful positions of business or politics—If you want to run for President, you need friends in high places.

4. from all walks of life—diverse groups of society—Music concerts attract people from all walks of life.

5. from now on—starting today and going into the future—I am going to take a calcium supplement from now on because I want my bones to stay strong when I am old.

6. from time to time—occasionally—We usually eat at home, but from time to time we go eat at a restaurant.

7. full of himself—thinks he’s better or more important than he really is—Even though he runs a very small company, my boss is very full of himself.

8. gut feeling—a sense of something that you know is true even though you can’t prove it—Sometimes, I get a gut feeling that someone is lying to me.

9. get a word in edgewise—not able to speak because someone else is talking too much—It’s hard for anyone to get a word in edgewise when they are with Sally.

Syllable Rules

2011-03-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

1. When a word ends with ing, er, est, or ed, those endings usually form separate syllables.

Examples: ski-ing, dark-er, long-est, crook-ed

2. When two or more consonants appear in the middle of the word, the syllables are divided between them. This rule does not apply if the two consonants are ch, tch, ph, sh, or th. These consonant combinations aren’t separated for syllables.

Examples: syl-la-ble, rich-er, watch-ing, graph-ic, dish-es, bro-ther, trig-ger

3. When only one consonant appears between two vowels, divide the word before the consonant.

Examples: bi-king, hi-king, ta-king, sho-vel, vo-wel

4. When a two syllable word ends in a consonant plus le, the consonant and le form the last syllable. If the preceding syllable ends in a consonant, use the short sound of the vowel. If the preceding syllable ends with a vowel, use the long sound of the vowel.

Examples: wig-gle, pur-ple, peo-ple, ta-ble

5. When a two syllable word ends in a consonant plus re, the consonant and re form the last syllable. If the preceding syllable ends with a vowel, usually the long sound of that vowel is used. If the preceding syllable ends with a consonant, usually the short sound of that vowel is used.

Examples: a-cre, me-di-o-cre, mas-sa-cre
6. Never break apart the following vowel combinations:
ai, ay, ea, ee, oa, ow, oo, oi, oy, ou, ie, and ei.

Examples: wait-ing, may-or, teach-er, keep-ing, coach-ing, cow-boy, cook-ing, poi-son, joy-ful, doubt-ful, friend, nei-ther

7. Syllables that end in a consonant usually have a short vowel sound.

Examples: rab-bit, bal-lot, with-in

8. Syllables that end in a vowel usually have a long vowel sound.

Examples: ti-ger, li-on, ma-king

9. When a vowel is followed by an r, the r usually affects the vowel sound and appears in the same syllable. (Elementary school teachers call this the “Bossy R”.)

Examples: par-ty, per-son, whirl, morn-ing, turk-ey

10. When a syllable has a consonant/vowel/consonant/”e”, usually the long vowel sound is used.

Examples: hope, di-ver, bi-ker, lo-cate, mo-ment

11. Divide compound words between the two smaller words. If either or both of the two smaller words have more than one syllable, follow the general rules above.

Examples: side-walk, house-wife, grand-mo-ther, af-ter-noon