Latest Entries »


Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the WorldFluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World by Benny Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading this a couple days ago. No, I was not in the haze of wanting to stay with the story or characters. This is a non-fiction about learning other languages. I didn’t want to leave this one because it helped me so much and I want to re-read it a lot more times.

As many of you know, I have been working with Duolingo learning Spanish and German. I have taken two levels of both in school but would like to be fluent in both of them. Right now I can read a bit but I feel so very elementary in both of them.

There are so many good ideas on how to learn a language and get to the point of fluency! And I read this using the Audible with the author’s voice. What a delight to hear his accent and enthusiasm! And he is a polyglot. For those of you like I was, who don’t know, that means he is fluent in many languages, all learned since he was an adult.

The best part is that there are web-links to study certain aspects of each chapter. I didn’t follow those with the first reading, but I will with the next. And I will take notes and make flashcards.

This is the best book about languages I have ever read. If you are thinking about studying another language, this should be your first book to read to give you the best start.

View all my reviews

Kali Makes Friends


img_20170217_2101554_rewind

Sometimes you are sitting there minding your own business when someone says they like you.

img_20170217_2102116_rewind

Really?

img_20170217_2102116_rewind_kindlephoto-12986527-1

I’m so excited I can hardly sit still!

I learned about TINK (or Killer as he wants to be called–I think he’s a he–my nose is good but I can’t seem to pull TINK into nose range). They have a 4-legses meet and greet and tell about another one.

img_20170217_2102116_rewind_kindlephoto-12986527

Yeah, this looks like the same picture as the one before but I was so astounded by the news it was hard for MommaDar to get a steady picture. Anyway, the other meet and greet was set up by a 2-legses doctor. But that’s okay, she loves 4-legses!

img_20170217_2102116_rewind_kindlephoto-13040195

This was supposed to be a picture of the rain and snow I had to deal with on our last “outside” but it wasn’t coming down hard enough to show, so another me! I sure am pretty! And I love when MommaDar whispers sweet nothings in my ear! Especially if life is going to be only ‘inside’ for a few days. I don’t like the river at the bottom of my steps. MommaDar says there is nothing she can do to stop this wet weather. Not sure I believe her.

Anyway, glad to meet other bloggers, even if they’re doggers–Kali the poet!

Kali Goes to the Library


MommaDar didn’t bring her phone or camera so you’ll just have to take it from the dog’s mouth.

We live in a very small town. Our library is dog friendly. The librarian usually has treats for the dogs that come to visit but she had just run out. Even so a nice man, MommaDar seemed to know him, offered me a treat.

It didn’t seem right. I think MommaLaura wouldn’t approve of taking treats from strangers, so I smiled at him and smelled the wonderful library smells.

MommaDar doesn’t get books at the library. She turns in her hats and other things and picks up the donated yarn to make other things. She reads library books on her Kindle.

It doesn’t matter. I can tell that the library is MommaDar’s favorite place. I can’t wait to get back.

One Line Wednesday–Lapse of Reason


img_20170215_2223274_rewind_kindlephoto-2270029

One black cat (Rosie), one left-over Christmas tree trio, one lapse of reason.

Now do I put it up on the boxes again, just let it sit on the floor adding ambiance to a cold room, or give up and put it away for the year?

One-Liner Wednesday brought to you by Linda G Hill

Happy Valentine’s Day


In honor of Valentineโ€™s Dayย (click to see Joey’s answers)

Whoโ€™s older?
Me by six months

Who was interested first?
Hard to say. We met online, Prodigy July 1994. Sent tons of emails back and forth. Started talking for hours on the phone. Then finally he came to my house two hours away.

How long have you been together?ย 
Since 1995

Married?ย 
Yes
Happily, even

More sarcastic?ย 
I say him but he says both of us equal.

Who makes the most mess?ย 
He is. Though with all my knitting stuff strewn about it is hard to see table tops or bed tops.

Who has more tattoos?ย Neither

Better singer?ย 
Me. Voice Lessons–Music Major.ย He has a deep wonderful voice that I think would make his voice better if he had lessons.

Hogs the remote?
He does. I am so busy with the knitting and other stuff that I really don’t care what’s on.ย I just like the background noise.

Better driver?ย 
He is. I like to go faster than the speed limit and sing at the top of my voice. But the point is moot as we don’t have a car.

Spends the most?
Both of us but we have a serious budget so as to stay alive we watch it carefully.

Smarter?ย 
โ€œWhoโ€™s smarter?โ€
That depends on the topic or which intelligence we are using IQ or EQ.

Most common sense?
He says the cats. It’s rather the same as the smarter question.

What are your middle names?ย 
He doesn’t have one. Mine is Mary.

Whose siblings do you see most often?
My brother lives with us. Soooo….

Do you have any children together?
Nope. But 6 cool adults between us. 4 for me 2 for him.

Did you go to the same school?ย 
Nope

Who is the most sensitive?ย 
He is. I am so ADD I have no clue but he is always sweet and can tell when I need help or need to talk. Don’t tell him but I think he’s adorable!

Where do you eat out most as a couple?ย 
Not often but we love Del Taco or Dominoes. But there is not either in our little town.

Where is the farthest you two have traveled together?ย 
Alaska on a cruise!

Who has the worst temper?ย 
We’re equal. We both have issues but hate conflict so find it better to wait and talk it out.

Who does the cooking?
I hate cooking! He is pretty good. But mostly we cook for ourselves, individually. I’m a vegetarian, he’s a carnivore.

Who is more social?
Mostly I think me. But the fibro has put a damper on that. Now he is the one that has to go out and take the bus for shopping. Maybe in the spring…

Who is the neat freak?
What’s that?

Who is the most stubborn?ย 
He says him–or maybe me.

Who hogs the bed?ย 
The dog or the cats.

Who wakes up earlier?ย 
Him. I prefer to go to sleep at around 2 and wake around 9.

Where was your first date?
Bookstore–Barnes and Noble, I think.

Who has the bigger family?ย 
Me

Do you get flowers often?ย 
Not so much now but he used to get me flowers lots. No place to get them here.

Who does the laundry?
Well, that is like cooking. We each do our own. We are retired so he needs something to do! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Whoโ€™s better with the computers?
Him! I call him my IT guy.

Who drives when you are together?
The bus driver, Debbie. When we had a car he would do most of the driving, he knew his way around the town more than I did. (He worked for the newspaper and they had him all over that city and the ones nearby)

Who picks where you go to dinner?ย We both decide on Del Taco.

Well, thank you Joey for the fun blog prompt!


Painted Doll (Only In Tokyo Mystery, #4)Painted Doll by Jonelle Patrick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this author’s work. Though I am not a fan of mysteries, I do find that I love how she presents her stories. I always feel like I have been to Japan and visiting with old friends when I read this series. There is just enough education of the culture and a few words to make you feel like you are there. Yet it isn’t over done.

When I finished this book, I didn’t want it to be over so I just left my text-to-speech going as it read all the glossary of Japanese terms and English definitions and then the first chapter of Jonelle’s first book of the series. That made it worse because I already read that and knew how it would turn out. Yet I got to stay with my friends in Japan just a little longer.

Please, if you get the chance, try this series. There is a lot to learn about Japan and about writing from Ms. Patrick.

View all my reviews

Share Your World Feb13, 2017


Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?ย 

I only have a bottom sheet. The duvet cover and comforter are washable so no need for the top one.

Have you stolen a street sign before?

NO!

Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?

That about sums it up. Lots of cutting and organizing but forget to take them to the store, or it wasn’t on the list of what we need in the house. Seems a waste of time for our household.

Do you have freckles?

Tons on my arms. The rest of me is rather sparse.

Optional Bonus question: ย What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?ย 

Gosh, last week was so long ago. Husband and I convalesced. That’s always good! Hubby goes to the VA to see if he’ll need surgery on Friday. So I suppose I am looking forward to actually knowing what’s next. He’s feeling better so I’m hoping his shoulder is healing on it’s own.

Most of my FaceBook friends/family know about my fall today so no need to tell it twice (I’m okay, just bruised ego): ย https://www.facebook.com/Sanddar/posts/10210811873069033?comment_id=10210815053548543&notif_t=feed_comment&notif_id=1487020663423084

 

041514-sywbanner

Share Your World is brought to you by Cee’s Photography

I learned about this fun challenge on Joeyfullyย Statedย Both have blogs that are fun. Come join the fun and Share Your World!

Ghost Busters Warned Us


img_20170212_1501474_rewind

Dog and cats napping together. Teddy, Rosie, and Kali enjoying snooze time. It’s been a little over a month and they are starting to hang out and even play together. At first, they were quite upset when the other was on their blanket. But that is over. Rosie is on the cat blanket. Teddy is on the dog blanket. Kali is touching her own blanket but mostly on my top comforter. It’s so fun to watch them start a friendship.

Happy Linconln’sย Birthday. All about how we can get along. Above is how that can happen to what should be mortal enemies can feel comfort in each other’s company. It is possible.


socsbadge2016-17

So here is what I know. And this ties in well with yesterday’s blog

That you reap what you sow

And you rip(ped) what you sew (or knit).

Not quite a poem with rhythm and rhyme

At least this stream didn’t include a dog.

I’ll have to try this again sometime.

<<giggle>>

This Stream of Consciousness Saturday comes to you via Linda G Hill

Mistakes


What can you do? They are there. Some mistakes like the one I just typed can be fixed by hitting backspace and retyping. Others take lifetimes to make right. This blog is about a simple one. But it is so frustrating.

20170210_213832

See just above the huge safety pin ย (cable holder)? Who knows when or how I did it but since this is a shawl for a chilly patient, I don’t want to ignore it and hope no one else sees it. Maybe if it were for me I would ignore. But for no one else. Hmmm, that seems a concept I need to look at. Why wouldn’t I want it as perfect for me as I would want it for others?

Anyway, this means I have to Tink rather than Frog. For those who might not know: Frogging is when you ‘rip it’ out. Get it? Rip it (ribbit). That means pulling on the yarn and undoing the whole thing and starting over again. Well, this particular shawl has seen 4 complete frogs. Not because of a mistake but because, for some reason, the neck part kept rolling. This time I am purling the last stitch of the row and the first stitch of the next row. That seems to be helping that problem. I was going along quite well when I saw that hole. UGH! So I am Tinking back to the row below the mistake. TINK is KNIT backward. It is slow. Not as fun as ripping it all out, but will get to the finished product a lot quicker. The big picture is that it will look nicer and I will feel proud to give it to someone who might find comfort from it.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all mistakes could be fixed so easily?

Godinterest

Godinterest for Churches, Ministries, Businesses, Creators, and Believers Worldwide

moon.child โ™ก

๐˜š๐˜ค๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฑ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด

venture

"Collect moments, not just destinations. Travel well."

Sebastian Stead - My Photography Blog

Hi! my name is Sebastian (You can call me Seb!) ...welcome to my Blog. I'm a photographer from Worcester, Worcestershire, England. Thanks for dropping by! I hope you enjoy my work.

My Awesome Blog

โ€œLog your journey to success.โ€ โ€œWhere goals turn into progress.โ€

THE AVOERIA ARCHIVE

The Depth Behind The Ordinary

Life of Chaz

Books, games, music, and life โ€” filtered through the mind of a writer, drummer, and philosopher who thinks too deeply about all of it. If it moves something in your chest, I'm interested.

Pieces Of My Heart

"Words & Wonders - Where thoughts meet art

๐Ÿ’ซThe Afterlove Voice๐Ÿ’ซ

Poetry, Justice,Spiritual,Astrology,Tarot,Healing

Amin Academy

Education, Information, Motivation

Luso Loonie โ€” Devin Meireles

Exploring Portuguese Culture, Azorean Heritage, and Luso-Canadian Identity Through Writing

UNDER THE WILL... OVER THE DRAMA...

Inheritance. Narcissism. Turf. Welcome to the family.