Lovely long weekends...
Hello everyone!
Wow that sounds like quite a journey to Kerala, Kiran! I’m sorry to hear that your friend has been in a coma. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the story.
You’ve used linkers quite well, especially in the paragraph starting ‘Our four hours journey…’ Well done!
It’s Bank Holiday weekend here in England and for once the weather has been not too bad… in fact it was even quite sunny! Ed had today off work as well (Monday is the Bank Holiday) so we’ve had a nice long weekend going for walks in the countryside and visiting family.
Today we went over to my mother-in-law’s farm and we all went out in their canoe on the lake which was lots of fun. Louie thought it was brilliant, of course, although I was a bit worried he was going to fall in! You’ll be impressed to hear that Ed’s Granny (not mine) paddled the canoe as well and she is 93 years old! She also played football with Louie… pretty good, don’t you think?! Our Grannies never cease to amaze me. Here are some photos in case you don’t believe me! 
Check out Ed sitting back and letting his Granny do all the work!
Here are some replies to our readers’ comments – I hope I haven’t left anyone out! Apologies if I have. Here we go…
Hi Pritam - no that’s not me in the picture, that’s my friend Hannah. Charity shops don’t really sell antiques, but some sell old pieces of jewellery. I haven’t seen these shops in India before – you’re right though, who needs them when we have kavadi-wallahs! Yes I miss India and Indian food! I made rajma the other night and it was delicious :-) Well done on the linkers homework.
Hello Bia - you’re welcome! I hope I’ll have time to do a blog about education, let’s see. Good job on the linkers homework!
Hi Mahjabeen - I think building laws are pretty frustrating in every country unfortunately, but I guess it’s important to have them otherwise there’d be no countryside left! Thanks for your blogging ideas!
Hello Wisarut - unfortunately I don’t think that my life is graceful or neat!! I wish it was! It feels very hectic. Well done on the linkers homework, just double check your answer to number 1.
Hi Filippo - yes you’re right, there’s a fine line between having a nice community to live in and having neighbours that are too nosey! I almost always read the Guardian – I get it on Saturdays and sometimes Tuesdays (which is the day they have the ‘Education’ section). Have you ever seen The Guardian Weekly? It’s sold internationally and is very good.
Hello Jorge - thanks for telling us the names of some of the flowers, it made me realise that I did know some of them after all!
On the contrary, Concetta, I think your English is very good! Your linkers answers were very good – although for number 4 I would say ‘because of’ rather than ‘for’. I liked your story about the mother ordering pizzas! And thanks heaps for the recipe, I’ll give it a try this week :-)
Yes Redouane, that’s a great idea to try and watch a film everyday. It’s definitely a good idea to use the subtitles to help you. If you enjoy the movie, why not try watching it again, but the second time without the subtitles?
Hi Ana Paula - you were very close – as you will have seen, ‘flesh’ in this context means the skin. I’m glad you like my mugs collection :-) I’ll try and post the quiche recipe this week. Excellent vocab definitions!
Hi Naweed - you’re welcome! Nice to hear from you again :-)
Thanks Habooba for your lovely comments. Well done on the linkers task – try comparing your answers to the ones I posted if you haven’t already, especially for number 2.
Hello Hanan - you’re very welcome! I will pass on your good wishes to my Granny too :-)
Hi Hyoshil - that sounds like such a great project (the evacuees one). Such a better way of learning about history than just reading about it. I have passed on your good wishes to my Granny and the hugs to my children and they say thank you :-) I try and entertain Louie and Oslo as much as I can, but I think they entertain me more!
Yes Guzin, I totally agree – it’s amazing hearing from people from so many different countries. And you’re absolutely right about charity shops providing the people who work in them with a sense of worth. I’m intrigued by the expression you mentioned ‘don’t eat them, sleep next to them’. Can you explain it a bit more?
Hi Beatriz - I usually go to the supermarket once a week but I also pop into town sometimes to pick up bits and bobs that I need and in that case I’ll go to different shops for different things, or sometimes the outdoor market. We also get a ‘veg box’ but I’ll tell you about that in my next post!
Hello Paulraj - no I haven’t seen the same kind of charity shops in India, but I have seen sales like you described. Yes I agree that “charity begins at home” as the saying goes.
Hi Schuyler - well done on the linkers task, but double check your answer to number 5. That’s interesting to hear about the charity carnivals… it sounds like there is something similar in most countries.
Thanks Jim Shaw! I’m glad you’re enjoying the blogs!
Hi Zaya - yes, yard sales are great too, we have them in England as well but they’re not so common. Your linkers homework is very good. I would reword the beginning of number 5 like this though: ‘The disadavantage of using a metal sheet for the roof is that is heats up the top floor, but people…’
Hi Tanya - I LOVE that: ‘’burrow and dig’ what a great name. I think shopping in secondhand shops is much more fun than normal ones because you never know what you’re going to find!
Hi Dino - nice to meet you! Thanks very much for your comment and I’m glad you’re enjoying the blogs!
Hi Leila - yes we have those kinds of flea markets here too but we usually call them ‘car boot sales’. People turn up with old stuff to sell in their cars and set it all up on a table for people to rummage through and buy. Great fun!
Hi Mauricio - did you have a look at the answers to the linkers task? What did you think? I expect you could have done at least some of them :-) I’ll try and give you the quiche recipe this week! Mr Benn is a cartoon from the seventies… you can have a look on Amazon if you like!
Hi Sheila - well done on the linkers task. Just double check your answers to numbers 3 and 5 with the ones I gave you. People often do bric-a-brac stalls to raise money for charity here as well.
Hi Anita - that’s interesting about the secondhand shops. What makes them English? Are the clothes from England? Yep rummaging through charity shops is lots of fun!
Hi Cristina - that’s interesting about the school markets. I think schools do similar things here to, to raise money for charity. I wonder why people from different cultures eat at such different times?
Hello Maryam - well done on the linkers homework, number 5 was especially well written. You don’t need the word ‘substance’ in number 1 though :-)
Hello Diema - I worked in a charity shop for a while when I was a student and it was a lot of fun, especially because you get to meet lots of different types of people. Glad you enjoyed the post!
Yes Madhav, I agree – it’s very interesting thinking about how our societies have developed over the last few decades. Well done on the linkers task, just double check your answer to number 5.
Hello Min - yes you’re right, you have to look carefully but you can find some great stuff in charity shops. Yes I think as usual we British have just adopted and adapted a dish from another country rather than coming up with something completely new! I read the Guardian – have you tried the crosswords from there? I sometimes have time to do them but I rarely finish them!
Hi Josette - yes, I’ve heard about Emmaus. We’re planning to go camping in France next month and I’m hoping to get to some Emmaus shops! I like that French saying about big and little worries, I think it’s very true. I still can’t quite believe that my sweet little children will grow up to be teenagers!
Hello Silwal - I’m sorry to hear about the computer trouble you’ve been having :-( Excellent work on the linkers task – try to link the sentences together into one in number 2, though. Your correction is almost right: ‘I am eager to know if you have ever been abroad’ – no need for ‘that’ :-)
Hi Paulo - ooh gerunds! I’ll see if I can squeeze it in :-) Yes it’s true, even beautiful children can be little monsters sometimes!
Hello Marianna - yes I can understand not wanting to read the newspapers… the news is quite depressing these days! I’m trying to knit Oslo a blanket but it’s taking forever as I don’t have a lot of time to do it… hopefully it’ll be finished before the winter!
Okay, time for bed. I’ll post the vocab definitions from last time, next time.
Take care!
Amy
Comments
Hi Amy! Thanks for answering my message :-). Wow! Ed´s granny is very healthy and active :-). Besides, I really wish I could be just like her when I turn this age :-). Anyway, I´m looking forward to seeing your mugs collection ( oh... I just love these kind of things!) and I´m also looking forward to reading your quiche recipe. Yummy! Good night and take care you too, Ana Paula.
Wow Amy!!! Your hubby's mum did surprise me. I can't believe she is 93. My hubby's mum is 85, she is in a good shape but I think she wouldn't be able to paddle a canoe or play football. It seems that you all have a great time :-) See you, Cris
Amy, It's amazing to see 93 years old lady paddling canoe and playing football. btw, does Ed's granny consume special nutrients in order to keep her condition?..
It is amazing, Amy. I wish the best to your Grannies! Thank you for corrections, too.
Hello Amy, first of all many thanks for the replies. I was really impressed to see that you read all comments as well as the assignments! It's really a hard work!Thanks again for that. By the way, the pictures of Ed's Granny were amazing. I believe you could arrange an interview with her to ask her about the secrets of having a long and especially healthy life. I'm sure she'd have a lot to share. Take care, H.
Hello Amy, thank you for the answers and many thanks for your encouragement. Thank you for sharing the pictures of this lovely lady. You know what I did. I just put them both on my desktop. They can fuction as a great boost throughout the day...By the way Amy, is there any difference of usage between "photos and pictures"? Can we always use the word "pictures" instead of "photos"?Regards, Maryam
Hi Amy i am really happy to see your reply in your blog,i very nice to meet you too!!my Grannys were all dead in last year(my mother's mum and my father's mum),when i came back through the front of the gate of my granny's house i always felt thant i could cry"Granny Granny i am back",then i can see my Granny came out with big smile!!i study and work out of my hometown, i come back to my hometown one time in one year,so i have few times to see my Granny but now it is too late!!!so i admire at your husband's luck,i wish Granny health and happiness!!!sincerely!! I have to work!! Dino
Hello Amy! Should we believe that? Who was behind your meet with Eddie? Yes he (and other BOYS) is again amazingly well dispose! When my Grandpa passed away in his almost 91 since then my safe world has ended up. Congratulation on your luck!
My days are hectic and my response is swift, but your blog Amy was enjoyable. A term “car boot sales” was a new one to me. Thanks…
Hello from Pakistan, I’m really impressed by ED’s Granny. She looks so pleasant and energetic. And on top of everything she played football, wow! In Pakistan, generally, elderly women are unable to enjoy life. On the contrary they got to do a lot of thankless jobs which make them even unhappy. In this backdrop, I really feel good to see Ed’s granny happy and cheerful.
Hi Amy, this must have been a weekend in heaven. You all look so happy. And your husband's granny... You have to ask her what her secret is. 93 and paddling a canoe. I hope I can do that when I get there. By the way, would ask her if she has had her gall bladder taken out (laugh). I'll have to do that and I've been asking people about it. Well, by the way things are going I'm not likely to get to her age as well as she is (laugh). I saw the answers to the linking exercise and they did clear things out for me. Next time I'll give it a try. Amy, thanks for the nice posts you've been giving us. Bye for now.
Hi! I've been reading Teachers' blogs for a few months now without writing any comments. They all are enthralling! A lot of subtle things! I've actually a lot of fun. From time to time I read Students' ones,they make readers travel. Very pleasant! And I've just discovered!? Staff's blog. Compelling as well! Thanks a lot. Now I'm getting back to your own blog...What a lovely great-grandmother for your children! And she looks so fit as it makes me dream..I hope I'll be as full of beans even at..seventy!When our children were younger we used to live about thirty kms awayfromfather in law's farm.He' s got a large pound so we every so often went for a row and in summer we couldn't help swimming. As for relationship between generations, it's nice isn't it?That makes good memories for the future and some roots.We made the most of this simple, cool and calm life.We actually had great time altogether! My own grannies were well different, you know, around forty years ago. They were a kind of more discreet and so on. But so kind, affectinate towards us, their grandchildren. I did really love them.
Hi! I've been reading Teachers' blogs for a few months now without writing any comments. They all are enthralling! A lot of subtle things! I've actually a lot of fun. From time to time I read Students' ones,they make readers travel. Very pleasant! And I've just discovered!? Staff's blog. Compelling as well! Thanks a lot. Now I'm getting back to your own blog...What a lovely great-grandmother for your children! And she looks so fit as it makes me dream..I hope I'll be as full of beans even at..seventy!When our children were younger we used to live about thirty kms away from my father in law's farm.He' s got a large pound so we every so often went for a row and in summer we couldn't help swimming. As for relationship between generations, it's nice isn't it?That makes good memories for the future and some roots.We made the most of this simple, cool and calm life.We actually had great time altogether! My own grannies were well different, you know, around forty years ago. They were a kind of more discreet and so on. But so kind, affectinate towards us, their grandchildren. I did really love them.
Hi Amy, I am wonder with your Ed'granny what marvelous!, I'd like listen her stories. Respect to the flower's name, you wrote bouganvillae, in spanish is very similar "buganvilla" in some other places is called "trinitaria". best wishes and thanks for your grettings
Hello Amy, Granny look so healthy and vivacious, doesn't she? What's about her food? Does she eat mostly fish and veggie? If you get answer, please reply me all of sudden. I just need to know, but from time to time I will tell my mother and granny to do so. Take care.
Hi Amy, What a nice way to spend some days off! You all look really happy and laid back on the photo and it seems that you couldn´t have had a more experienced, wise and energetic pilot! And who is the co-pilot at the end of the canoe with the toddler? By the way, where are you? Are you the photographer on the bank of the river, or are you in another canoe? What a sporty grannie your kids have!I was also a lucky kid to have had a lot of contact with my grannies and grandpas, although they were not that athletic!This sharing between different generations is such an enriching experince! I still have vivid images of those days I spent with my grannies and grandpas.I loved the wooden gate on the photo and the lake too, or is it a river? It seems to be a picturesque place! On the second photo, grannie seemed to be having a "big" ball. I could not show up last week but managed to find some time to catch up with the latest entries! I had a good laugh with the joke, although jokes like this are not very common here! Is this play on words that you call a pun? Well,it´s no laughing matter your new hectic mummy life! It reminds me of mine over a decade ago! Now I do look back on those days with fond memories! So, make the most of those hours cause the pass really fast and soon your kids will be teenagers! But don´t worry, if you give them a lot of love and attention they will be healthy rebellious teenagers! As for charity shops, here in Brazil, they are not very common, especially where I live. What we do have, instead are fairs organized by the churches. People donate their goods which are then sold at a symbolic price to raise money for the needy! I myself have the habit of having a clear- out, every single year, before Christmas. It is when I give all the good goods to the lady, the maid, who works at home-she has been here for 20 years since when my kids were toddlers. She then has the freedom to choose what she wants and take the other items to be given to the ones who need in her neighbourhood. I like helping the ones who are nearby cause you have the guarantee that your donations are being well used. When reading your blog my mouht was full of water, I´m, crazy for quiche!It would be great to have your recipe! Love, Monica
Hi Amy - thank you for your nice reply, your praises are encouraging. Ed's Granny looks lively and full of energy, and yours too. They are really amazing. I wonder what's the secret of this enviable longevity, DNA and what else? See you soon
Hi, Amy! Ed's Granny is really amazing! These old ladies are full of energy. Sometimes more than young people! My granny is 94 and until the beggining of the year she used to do everything in her house. But, unfortunetly, she broked the hip-bone. Despite the age she is recovering very well. We belive she will walk again! What wonderfull place is your mother-in-law's farm! I'd love to live in a place like that to plant organics vegetables and fruits. And in a farm I could care some abandoned or mistreated animals. Amy, thanks a lot for your attention! Kisses, Sheila
Hello Amy, this is the first time that I write a comment, first of all thank you for this great oportunity that helps us all to improve our english and enrich our lives with others daily experiences. My grandparents passed away a long time ago but I still keep great moments with them in my heart. My husband's grandfather is 86 and from time to time he climbs to the top of the trees in his garden to cut off the old branches !! It's amazing the energy he still has. Everytime he does this his wife shouts at him "come down you old man, you're going to break a leg or something, you are too old for that, or at least put a sweater on because it must be colder up there and you're going to catch a cold", he looks down, puts his hand over his ear like if he can't hear her and keeps on doing his work, isn't this great?... they are just awesome...
Oh dear! I'm really ashamed of myself. I should put this amazing lady as my example!
Hello dear Amy, I think you British people are really amazing! Pray tell me, are all elderly ladies like this? Ed's Granny is so lovely!-:)
Hello Amy, Ed’s Granny is amazingly fit for her age and she looks so happy and cheerful. I wish I would be so fit when I’m over 90; if at all I will ever be over 90, because for a man it’s very improbable. I’d like to give a suggestion to everyone: children should wear life jackets before getting into a boat. I am a very good swimmer, but I myself very often use life jackets. I suggest to everyone to do the same. Some people think that it’s a shame to wear life jackets, but most are proud of wearing them; we’ve got only one life. Bye for now and take care.
She is bravo. How does she keep in such a good health? Perhpas you shall have an interview with her too.
Hello again! I am back from my two weeks camping and I enjoyed updating the reading of your blogs. We discovered that in England the way of camping is different from home. We have a motorhome and choose to stop for a couple of days then change location for another couple of days and so on. In England most people have caravans, BOOK a pitch for two weeks and visit the area by car. This caused a bit of a problem to us..one day we have tried 6 campings before finding accomodation for one night..my two years old Maria Sole could not stand it anymore. We anyway enjoyed all the way from Dover to Cornwall where we really meet too much rain and bigger problems in finding pitches..Cornwall is lovely but we decided to take the ferry back to France and visit Cornwall when English people are not all on holiday there!!!!
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