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The first mowing of the yearタイトルをクリックしてください

My grass finally turned green and got long enough to mow.  I was so happy to mow it for the first time.  I love the smell of freshly cut grass, and the lawn looks luscious after I finish. When I was a child, I used to hate mowing the lawn every week.  We had a huge lawn and our mower was always having engine trouble.  Now that it's my lawn, I don't mind at all, actually I look forward to this job each week. It's funny how our perspective can change.  Work changes into fun and things I enjoyed in my past are now too troublesome to do.  It made me think of this song.

Green Green Grass Of Home
The old home town looks the same As I step down from the train And there to meet me is my Mama and Papa Down the road I look and there runs Mary Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home Yes, they'll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
The old house is still standing tho' the paint is cracked and dry And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on Down the lane I walk with my sweet Mary Hair of gold and lips like cherries It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Then I awake and look around me At four
Then I awake and look around me At four grey walls that surround me And I realize, yes, I was only dreaming For there's a guard and there's a sad old padre Arm in arm, we'll walk at daybreak Again I touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all come to see me In the shade of that old oak tree As they lay me 'neath the green, green grass of home
 


The Paris Agreementタイトルをクリックしてください

This week in the news . . . With the terrifying news that President Trump has decided to pull the USA out of the Paris Climate Agreement, let's learn a few phrases about the environment . . . . . .before it's too late. Eco friendly, or Environmentally friendly:  Policies, services or goods that don't harm the environment.  (Riding your bicycle to work is much more eco-friendly than taking your car.) Eco bag:  A bag that can be used many times and does not harm the environment.  (Don't forget your ecobag at Max-Valu, or you will be charged extra.) Carbon footprint:  How much carbon dioxide (CO2) you produce in your daily life.  (I'm doing my best to reduce my carbon footprint, but it's more difficult than I thought.) Green: Something that is good for the environment.  (The Tokyo Olympics are trying to be a green olympics, do you think they will succeed?) Renewable energy: Energy that is produced by sun, wind or water etc.  (A huge project is starting on the coast of Akita, hundreds of windmills for renewable energy.) Deforestation: Overlogging that kills forests.  (Honduras has the worst deforestation problem in the world.  They have lost 37% of their forest cover in only 15 years.) Desertification:  The growth of deserts in usable lands.  (The desertification of Northern Africa is a huge problem for all of us.) Global warming: increase in the surface temperature of the earth.  (Trump speaking only adds to global warming!) Greenhouse effect:  the warming of the atmosphere.  (All these cars in the world are adding to the greenhouse effect.)

I hope it's not too late.  Will the future for our children and grandchildren, be this,

 

or this?

  Joni Mitchell sang about this way back in 1970: Big Yellow Taxi (click here to watch on Youtube)
They paved paradise And put up a parking lot With a pink hotel, a boutique And a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got til its gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot
They took all the trees And put 'em in a tree museum And they charged the people A dollar and a half to seem 'em
No no no Don't it always seem to go, That you don't know what you've got Til its gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot
Hey farmer farmer Put away the DDT I don't care about spots on my apples Leave me the birds and the bees Please!
Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got Til its gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot Hey, now they paved paradise To put up a parking lot Why not?
Listenin' late


I'm done! I did it!タイトルをクリックしてください

Last Saturday, I finally finished the last piece of my lawn. It feels so good to be done.  Now it's time to sit back and enjoy it . . . . . . . except for the mowing, watering, weeding, fertilizing, aerating, etc. etc.  Oh well I can still enjoy it. Today I want to teach you some phrases used when you finally finish something. I laid the last piece. It's all done! That's it! That's all she wrote. Elvis has left the building. Stick a fork in it, it's done. That's a wrap. That's a done deal. Have you finished something this week?  Tell me about it!  


Our trip was a mixed bag.タイトルをクリックしてください

Did you enjoy your Golden Week?  I had a good time.  We visited my son in, Hokkaido.  We took the Shin Nihonkai Ferry up and back. We went to many beautiful places that I have never seen before; Lake Shikotsu Mount  Yotei Cape Shakotan (積丹岬) Kyuu Yoichi Fukuhara Gyoba ( 旧余市福原漁場) Mount Tengu, Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill Former Hokkaido Government Office Building And of course, Clock Tower We ate some great food at Tony Roma's But, . . . . . while we were there, somebody KEYED MY CAR!!!   Thirty years in Japan, and this has never happened to me before.  I was very disappointed.  Also, there were so many aggressive drivers in Hokkaido.  I don't want to complain, but I was a bit surprised. Today's phrase is "a mixed bag". We use this to say it's a mixture of good and bad, for instance, 例文 Our trip to Hokkaido was a mixed bag, we had a great time, but my car was keyed! Obama care was a mixed bag, but Trumpcare is much worse! For me, spring is a mixed bag, I love all the new flowers and plants, the warm weather, but my new classes start, and I'm always so stressed out! I'm looking forward to hearing about your Golden Week.  See you soon!   P.S.  Welcome to my new reader from Sendai!  Hello Mr.  Saito.  Thank you for the postcard!


花見 "enjoying the cherry blossoms"タイトルをクリックしてください

  Did you have time to get out and enjoy the cherry blossoms this year?  Last year at this time I was so busy putting in my new grass, that I didn't have any time or energy to enjoy the blossoms. Last Sunday I was able to get out and visit the best spot for cherry blossoms in Akita, Taihei River!  Sorry Senshu Park and Asahi River.  I think Taihei River is better!  We walked along both sides of the river, and saw many blossoms and many people.  It was a very refreshing walk. I'll share some of my photos with you, but first, a few phrases. Hanami is a very Japanese tradition, so today's phrases are all original Japanese phrases about 花見 in English. The blossom forecast (開花予報、kaika yohou) cherry blossom front (桜前線, sakura-zensen) night sakura (夜桜yozakura) dumplings rather than flowers (花より団子, hana yori dango) Did you know that Japan has donated cherry trees to many cities around the world, and they now have their own local 花見 traditions.  Here are a few: But I still think Taihei river is the best.  Enjoy Cherry Blossoms!    


TV Englishタイトルをクリックしてください

Does TV control your life?  How much TV do you watch everyday?  I've noticed that my  kids, and youth in general watch far less TV than their parents.  Do you think this is a good thing for society?   We have far fewer shared experiences than we used to now. Last weekend, I bought a Fire TV stick from Amazon.  It's great!  Now I can watch Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Ameba on my TV instead of the computer. I can enjoy all of this while sitting on my sofa. Isn't modern technology great?  I'm afraid I'll start to put down roots. Today, let's learn a few words about watching TV: channel hopping.  When you sit down and keep changing  channels until you finally find something to watch.   binge watching.  When you sit down and watch all the episodes of a tv series.   couch potato.  Someone who sits and watches tv for TOO LONG (all day)   flat Screen TV.  The new tv's the name says it all.   prime time.  (ゴールデン・タイム)The time when most people are watching tv.  The commercials are usually most expensive during this time. (19:00-to-22:00 ). family friendly.  TV shows that are okay for the entire family.   Reality TV:  A program that puts regular people in strange circumstances and starts filming.   57 Channels (And Nothin' On) :  My BGM song today. This is a great song my Bruce Springsteen, and it's so true.  Much of the time, there is nothing worth watching on TV.         Click here  for the lyrics. and here for the video. Happy watching!


New Beginningsタイトルをクリックしてください

April is the time for new beginnings in Japan, new schools, new jobs, new houses or apartments.  Do you have anything new starting this month? Here are some great idioms using "begin": Begin to see daylight, means to begin to see the end of a long job. 例文:I've been working on this report for two years, but I think I'm finally beginning to see daylight. To begin with, means first, or most importantly. 例文:   To begin with, we don't have enough money for university, even though you want to go! Life begins at forty,  means by the time you are forty years old, you have enough experience and skill to do what you want to do with your life. 例文:What are you talking about?  You're not too old to get married, life begins at forty you know! Now, three proverbs (ことわざ) Charity begins at home.  Something that you say which means you should try to help your family and friends before you help other people. 例文 You should stay home and take care of your mother, charity begins at home you know. He who begins many things, finishes but few.  If you start a lot of projects, you will not have time and energy to complete them all. 例文:  My house is filled with unfinished projects, I guess it's true, he who begins many things, finishes but few. journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  A difficult job can usually be started by doing a simple thing.            This was also one of my first posts on this blog. 例文: I want to paint my house, but I'm afraid to start. I guess I should buy some brushes first.  A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  I have many new things beginning this year.  I will start new classes in May, I will post more information on that later. But most importantly, I have recently become a grandfather, and my new grandson will be moving into out home next week. YEA! YEA!  NEW BEGINNINGS!!!