Miss Lastig's Language Learners

For as long as I can remember, my dad goes fishing on Sunday mornings from June through November. As a child, I would look forward to my dad returning with a big smile on his face from a successful and entertaining trip. No one in our family really eats fish, and he is more about "catch and release," so very rarely did he come home with any trophies of his day's work.  "Dad! Did you catch any big ones?" my sister and I would ask. He would usually reply, "Only a few small ones." On rare occasions , he has a great story about the biggest catch of the day, even if it wasn't his. He loves the sport so much that he loses track of time and finds himself out on the water for hours and hours. He has bestowed his love of fishing upon my sister and me throughout the years. Although we are not inclined to wake up at 5:00 am to fish on a chilly November morning, we do appreciate the time spent on summer days casting lines into the bay. When my dad i

Working full time, coaching, and going to grad school can really   take a toll   on your body. I  tend  to  bite off more than I can chew  and find myself  feeling under the weather , or extremely behind on one or more  aspects  of my crammed schedule. This  semester  is no different. Saturdays and Sundays are  reserved  for catching up on work and television shows. Each weekend, I take my place on the couch in my living room with my laptop in hand, and a long to do list in my notebook. Overly  ambitious , but  eager  to catch myself up and  relieve  my anxieties, I set out to check off all the tasks on my list. Distractions are  inevitable , but I do my best to  keep them at bay.  Sometimes, I can  kill two birds with one stone , and watch a show while completing an assignment. Because this isn't the best way of doing things, I use episodes as a  reward  and  motivator  to complete assignments. Finally, Sunday night approaches, I  throw in the towel  and make a plan to complete an

Dinner requires preparation and thought. Everyday, at around 3:30 pm, I begin to think about what I am going to cook for dinner later that evening. What will I make? Do I have all the ingredients ? How long with the planned meal take to cook? When should I start cooking? A brigade  of questions  runs through my head as I drive south on the parkway toward home. I refer to this routine  as the Dinner Dilemma. Constantly considering my options, assessing my effort levels, and deciding what I'm actually in the mood for is exhausting . Do I make a "go-to" recipe, or try something new? As a search for parking, I make my decision and find my way to my happy place, in the kitchen.  Vocabulary: Preparation - the process of making something Ingredients - things used to make food Brigade - a large group Routine - a regular way of doing things Dilemma -  a problem - having to make a difficult choice Exhausting - to use all of someones physical or mental energy Gra

Singing in my car is one of my favorite hobbies. Creating playlists based on my mood, and knowledge of the song lyrics can sometimes become a chore . As with most chores, I am extremely grateful for the time spent constructing these works of musical art. Jumping in the front seat of the car with my sister riding shotgun , we turn the music all the way up and sing each word with conviction and determination . We have grown to call these episodes of hysteria "Car Concerts." Typically keeping the audience small and rarely selling out the back seat, we look forward to this sisterly bonding. My sister is a far more talented singer than I am. Thus, I spend a lot of this time together laughing while she strives to hit every note and match the artist's pitch . Blasting the " tune of the year," and memorizing our in-seat choreography will forever be something I look forward to. So roll down your windows, turn up the tunes, and sing your heart out ! Vocabulary: Chore: