ESL Blogs

[I was so happy that my friend Ana agreed to be a guest blogger on my MyEC blog. Ana and I were high school friends. We were always in the same homeroom because our last names were alphabetically close. A homeroom is the room where you go to get your attendance checked. You also listen to announcements and the national anthem. Then you disperse and go to the classes that you have chosen, such as French or Drama. Ana and I recently became reacquainted through Facebook and our blogs. She is an amazing photographer and one of my favourite storytellers. It was Ana who inspired me to start Wordless Wednesdays here on English Club. She will be happy to hear that many of you enjoy this activity!]

hi everyone! tara invited me to share a post with all of you here. it's my absolute pleasure to be here!

now before i start sharing my true story of chippie the chipmunk, let me explain a few things.

1. for those not familiar with them, a chipmunk is a small furry rodent common to yards and parks here in canada. i have a few photos of one particular chipmunk, below. they are very cute and curious little things.

2. you might have noticed that i type only in lower case. it all started out innocently enough, when one of my kids ripped out the shift key on my keyboard. but to understand the whole story behind why i continue to type this way, you can read this post i wrote. it was actually the first post i made to my blog, i made it so.

3. my name is ana, and i write regularly on my blog about things i make. i love working with my hands, and much like writing, my creativity seems to flow through my hands. and so for me, writing and creating really do go hand in hand and i often share stories about the things that happen along the way. this is where the "chippie the chipmunk" story came about.

i had just shared a tutorial on my blog about how to make a birdfeeder. it's a simple craft that i did with my kids, using an old milk carton and some paint. if you are curious, you can read that tutorial.

but then soon after hanging the bird feeder from a tree in my yard, i noticed something peculiar going on inside it. here's that story...


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the feeder was swaying where it was hanging on the branch...



i got a little closer to inspect...



"chippie" (the chipmunk).

startled, chippie ran out of the birdfeeder, but not before looking back at me as if to say "what bird seeds? i don't know what you're talking about lady..."



but just look at those cheeks full of bird seeds! you are so busted.

yeah, you better run!



i'm perfectly normal in having these dialogues with random critters in my yard, right? have you had any encounters with creatures that you could write a story about? i'd love to hear it! thanks for inviting me tara, and i hope your english learners enjoyed chippie's visit to my yard. everyone here is welcome to drop by my blog anytime and say hi. i wont chase you away like i chased chippie! :-)

ana
imadeitso.com
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[Tara: When I first read about Chippie, I knew it would be a great way to teach the word "busted". This is a word native speakers often use! When it is used in this way it means "caught doing something you shouldn't be doing". If you catch a child stealing a cookie, you can say, "Busted!" The child might tell his friend, "I got busted." 

Usage Notes:
The word "bust" can be used in many other ways too:

1. to break something (informal)
"I busted my leg when I was skating."
"You're going to bust that toy if you sit on it."

2. to bust a gut (expression): to laugh really hard. 

"The movie was so funny, I nearly busted a gut. "

3. bust (noun): the chest area of a woman (breasts)
"Let's measure your bust to see which size bra you need."

4. bust (noun): a failure
Alex: "How was the party?"
Tracy: "It was a bust. Only two people showed up."

5. to go bust: to go bankrupt
"The tire company went bust after the car factory closed."

Don't forget to visit Ana's blog. It is full of crafty ideas and beautiful photos. WARNING: You will be inspired to make something. Thanks again, Ana!]