Today’s Easy English Blog is from Patricia in New Zealand!

Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com

It is very hot here today – our weather station says it is 33 degrees celsius

I walked up the narrow paths on the hill near our house. I was wearing heavy shoes, long pants, a long-sleeve T shirt, thick gloves and a big hat. Why was I wearing so many clothes?

I was looking for blackberries. Wild blackberry plants have many sharp thorns. If you want to pick them, you have to protect yourself against the thorns. The big hat was so I did not get sun on my face, but the other clothes were to protect me from the thorns.

Do you like blackberries? We like them very much. Blackberries are good for jam. I like to make blackberry and apple pies too. I clean the blackberries and put them in my freezer. Today I got about 1.5 kilograms of blackberries – that is enough for three big pies.

My husband often goes to look for blackberries – so I have maybe 5kg in my freezer. Blackberries are a gift from nature so I will give some to friends.

By Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press

Today’s Easy English Blog is from Patricia in New Zealand!

Photo by John Lambeth on Pexels.com

Learning to drive is very scary. Many people learn to drive a car, but then they don’t want to drive anymore. They say ‘I am a paper driver.’

My country does not have good train and bus services. The big cities are OK, but the small cities and towns are difficult. If you want to do anything, you have to drive a car.

When I was 12 years old, I learnt to drive tractors on a farm. It was fun.

When I was 15 years old, my father was often away on business trips. My mother did not want to drive a car, so my father said to me “You must get a driver’s license. You must drive your mother to the supermarket. You must take your sister to sports club.”

I learned to drive in my father’s car. It was very big and powerful. When I was ready to take the test for a driver’s license, my father said, “You are too young and too small. The test people will be unhappy. My car is too big. Go to a driving school. The test people will like you if you come from a driving school.”

I went to a driving school for 3 lessons. I took the driving test. It was OK.

Now I am teaching my son to drive. It is an interesting experience. He did not drive tractors on a farm. His life is different. I think he will go to a driving school.

By Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press

Today’s Easy English Blog is from Patricia in New Zealand!

Photo by Buenosia Carol on Pexels.com

I have many plates in my kitchen. I change the plates I use. I think about the season, the guests and the food.

In winter I use brown and black plates. In summer I like to use white or glass plates. Today my sister-in-law came for lunch. It was a very hot day. I didn’t want to serve hot food. I put cold meat, cheese, bread, salad and fruit on a big plate.

The plate is very big. It came from my husband’s grandmother’s house. It is white with green decoration. I think my husband’s grandmother put very big pieces of meat on it. I put cold meat, cheese, salad and fruit on it.

When we eat with family, we can have good memories if we use the plates they used. We can think, “my grandmother and my grandfather used this plate”….. We can remember them while we eat a family meal.

By Patricia @ I Talk You Talk Press