Tag Archives: grammar

Jul10

It Finally Rained Last Night

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It Finally Rained Last Night

Finally some relief from the heat and the fire risk. Thunderstorm overnight. Of course now the sun has come out again and the temperature is sure to soar. Summer in Washington.

On the nightstand. Finished reading Too Much And Never Enough and almost finished The Reckoning. Both excellent reads from Mary Trump.

I watch ME TV occasionally. This morning I was watching an old Perry Mason, the days when attorneys defended the innocent and didn’t spend their time finding loopholes to get the guilty off. Quite refreshing. And then there are the old Leave It To Beaver shows. Life was more wholesome and more simple back then.

We went to see The Little Mermaid on the weekend. Very different from the original animated Disney version. But the music is beautiful and the coral reefs and other scenery were also spectacular. Not sure if I’d want my five year old granddaughter to see this one though. For now I think the old animated version might be the way to go.

Last part of my travel reservations is done. Booked the shuttle from Wenatchee to Sea-Tac. Three weeks from today I’ll be on my way.

I’ve been struggling with the perfect tenses on Duolingo. I wish I wasn’t such a grammar freak. Mexicans don’t have good grammar so I don’t know why I work at it so much. Probably because I used to teach English grammar. And I’m afraid even that is lacking now because I’m not in the classroom anymore.

Time to do some writing – editing my novel and working on a piece for my writers group.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Apr16

Writing

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Writing

As much as I enjoy writing today, there was a time when I absolutely detested writing. It began in middle school where I had an English teacher who absolutely lived for character sketches. I never could get into those.

Then there were the teachers who wanted you to summarize chapters. I didn’t want to regurgitate. I wanted to create. And I was never free to express my opinion which quite often differed from the author’s.

Anyone out there remember iambic pentameter? Why was that one chosen to be the norm back in the 60s? Thankfully times have changed.

In college I got to take a course in Creative Writing. Finally a place where I could safely express myself! Even the write your own obituary allowed for creativity. That was a pretty awesome course and I’ve taken one or two more online over the years

But one thing I really wish schools would bring back are classes in grammar and spelling. Back when my kids were in high school I used to cringe when I read some of their assignments.

Having taught ESL in Mexico for several years, I became very conscious of grammar. I became known as the grammar guru in more than one school. But since I’ve retired my grammar has somewhat fallen by the wayside. I’m really struggling with grammar in Spanish although my friends remind me that most Mexicans aren’t fastidious when it comes to grammar.

Write your hearts out people. Be creative. And most importantly, enjoy the writing experience.

Have a great Sunday!

Jan30

It’s Been A Fun Week

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It’s Been A Fun Week

There is no such thing as a typical week for me here in Aguascalientes, or for that matter anywhere I live. I do not thrive on routine. To me the word “routine” is a four letter word, along with the word “normal”, neither of which can be used to describe my life.

My characters are still talking to me so I’ve been doing a lot of writing, sometimes at 4 am. I do prefer to write during the day, but after experiencing writer’s block for several months, I’m extremely grateful for writing time regardless of the hour.

I did my usual morning run to the lavenderia. The day varies as I’ve grown quite accustomed to sipping that first cup of coffee and lounging around in bed checking emails and playing Candy Crush before I head out. But when I get close to running out of clean clothes, I brave the cold 40 degree mornings and go to the lavenderia. My reward is to pick up my clothes a few hours later, clean and neatly folded and ready to be put away.

I had a four hour fitness training on Zoom the other day from Washington. It was great to connect with everyone again and I’m looking forward to teaching again when I get back.

Joanne and I hit Costco the other day and here are two of my treasures……cheddar cheese and everything bagel. No idea how many steps we got in, but it was quite a few.

Joanne and I go for some pretty wild drives and have seen some really interesting areas in this city where I’m guessing most gringas don’t venture to. But we do!😜

Went for a haircut the other day. Last one with Paulina until I come back in the fall. Delighted to find a stylist here who actually knows how to layer hair like they do in the USA. And I also enjoy the banter all in Spanish.

I went to the park with Gloria and her daughter Romina. Gloria moves to Tulum next week. I will miss our intercambios and, of course, her delicious empenadas.

A project I’ve been working on this winter is condensing eleven plus years of notes on Spanish grammar and vocabulary into one notebook. And I’m almost done! It’s been a tedious task and I’m grateful to Gloria, Raul and Pedro for their help with grammar. I really understand why my students struggle with learning a second language.

I introduced my friend Carole to Country Break. We had a delightful lunch and I picked up a salad to take home. This amazing salad lasts at least three days and has become a staple in my fridge.

Time for internet church. Have a great Sunday!