Archive for 'Culture'
The English Language Blogs of 2021, Part 2 Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 30, 2021
We’re going to continue our wander through memory lane, reviewing the ten most engaging and popular English language blogs of 2021. The list is based on your response to them. These were the blogs that were opened the most, clicked on, and commented upon. Today, we’re counting down the top five. You can find the…
Looking Back on the Blogs of 2021, Part 1 Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 23, 2021
I’m sure that I don’t have to spend any time describing the past year. We’ve all lived it. Congratulations on that, by the way. Just surviving this year has been an accomplishment, as it was for 2020. But, I’m not here to talk about politics, science, or economics. The purpose of this blog is to…
The Holiday Song That Isn’t Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 16, 2021
The best holiday songs have the ability to evoke a time, place, and feel. They are also often nostalgic, making you yearn for something you may only wish that you had experienced but never did. This is the case with Sleigh Ride, Leroy Anderson’s upbeat orchestral tune heard everywhere this time of year. Few of…
Books for English Learners Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 2, 2021
For many of us, it’s time to start thinking about gifts for the holidays – either for a loved one or for yourself. There is nothing like a book as a gift. I have a very large library at home, but I can always remember who gave me a particular book. Just the idea that…
Fall recipes: Make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte Posted by carol on Oct 29, 2021
Hello, everyone! The weekend is coming up, have you made any plans? Either way, many people enjoy spending their free time trying out new recipes in the kitchen. The fall season is specially inviting for culinary adventures, with the weather cooling down and the colors outside being so inspiring. And one cannot think about the…
English Language Phrases with Straw Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 21, 2021
October always makes me think of scarecrows, those human-shaped figures usually made of straw placed on open fields to discourage birds from feeding on newly sown seeds. They make for popular Halloween costumes, and they often find their way into horror movies. Straw is really the dried remains of harvested crops, like wheat or oats…
The Shakers of October Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 14, 2021
THE OCTOBER COUNTRY …that country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the…