Abbreviations Are Too Confusing!  (AATC) After a relaxing weekend with no new snow to shovel, I'm ready to write a new phrase this week, so let's go! Do you use social media (SNS)  much?  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.? I don't!  But sometimes when I do, I'm confused by the abbreviations they use.  There is a whole new shortened form of English that is being created.  Here are a few of the most common abbreviations.  Next time you send an email or message, maybe you can try using some of them?

1. JK    "just kidding.
2. LOL   "laughing out loud"
3. TMI   "too much information"
4. AMA   "ask me anything"
5. SMH   "shaking my head"
6. AFAIK   "as far as I know"
7. TL;DR   "too long, didn't read"
8. IDK   "I don't know
9. HTH   "here to help"
10. IDC   "I don't care"

Sorry, no time to write a new phrase this week.  I've been busy doing this: and this: My back is killing me, and I'm dead tired.  More next week.

Back to the basics.   Let's talk about snow in English.  I will let you think about the meaning for a few days, then I will give you the Japanese translation on Thursday.  Good luck with your studies. I added the translation.  How did you do?

1. It's snowing.　「雪が降っている」
2. It's snowy.　　「雪です」
3. We are snowed in.　「雪で覆われている」
4. We have 50 cm of snow in Akita.　「秋田は５０ｃｍの積雪」
5. There is a blanket of snow over everything.　「一面の雪でカバーされている」
6. You'd better bundle up, it's freezing outside.　「外はものすごく寒いから、たくさん着込んだ方がいいよ。」
7. We really got dumped on last night.　「昨日の夜はドカ雪だった」
8. It's biting cold out side.　「外は凍てつく寒さだ」
9. A blizzard is coming this weekend.　「今週末、吹雪だ」
10. The snowplow hasn't come yet, so I can't get out of my house.「除雪車がまだ来ていないので、家から出られない。」

The weather was so nice today, I couldn't stay inside, so I took off and drove to Shokubutsuen near Za Boon, then I walked up the old cycling road all the way to Nibetsu Kokumin no Mori.  I was completely alone and it was wonderful. I saw some Japanese Serow (カモシカ）、 some rabbits,  and footprints of many animals, luckily, no bears.  I'm sure they're all hibernating (冬眠中）now. I walked for three hours and was completely exhausted when I finished, but I also felt so refreshed in my mind and body.  In Japan, there is a popular phrase 森林浴．A direct translation is "forest bathing", but I think a better phrase is -communing with nature, or -becoming one with nature. 例文 I spent 3 hours today communing with nature . . . .that's more than I commune with my kids! I feel like I became one with nature today.  Now I'm ready to face the new year. That's what I did today, and it was great! Here are a few pictures:  

2017 is the year of the Chicken.  I love chicken! In English, if I say I'm chicken, or I'm feeling a little chicken, we mean I'm afraid, or I'm not brave. Actually, I'm feeling a little chicken of 2017 . . . . hope it turns out okay for all of us！  

あけましておめでとうございます。

来年もよろしくお願いします。

I got my wish!!!  A white Christmas!  Thank you, thank you, thank you! In my last post of the year, I simply want to wish you a very merry Christmas, and a wonderful new year.  I look forward to seeing you all in 2017! Here are a few of my memories of Christmases past. 1989 1991 1994 1997   2006 2007 2008 Christmas is a time for making and remembering good memories.  I hope you can make many new memories this Christmas.    

On the final Monday before  Christmas, I will add a few more common Christmas symbols that are used but not fully understood. First, the star.  Almost every Christmas tree in Japan is topped with a star.  Did you know this star represents the star that the 3 wise men followed to find the baby Jesus?   The wise men also gave the first presents, our second symbol today.  At Christmas time, it is common to exchange gifts.  Many people think this is to remember the gifts that the wise men brought to the baby Jesus.  The first gifts were: These were all very valuable gifts at that time. Last Saturday, I visited Blume Messe in Katagami to see the beautiful poinsettia tree. While we were there, we found some Christmas Holly, that I really wanted for my garden, so I bought one plant and hope it will last until spring when I can replant it outside. This is the final symbol of Christmas.  It is such a beautiful plant that I was surprised when I researched the meaning.  It represents the thorns in the crown of thorns on Jesus Christ head when he was crucified, and the red berries represent the drops of blood.  Some people say the word comes from "HOLY" But for me, it is just a beautiful Christmas plant. [caption id="attachment_790" align="alignnone" width="757"] My first holly[/caption]   I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and spend some time together with your family.