英语博客：Choose a treat.（在线收听）

　　It's great to be back podcasting to you again. I had a lovely Christmas break with my family, and now have plenty to podcast about. I actually have had a problem of no internet connection for about four days which has been very frustrating. When that happens, it makes me feel as if I live in the middle of nowhere, or 'in the boondocks' as they say over here. Well, I'm up and running again. My husband took Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the following week off, so we have been spending time together, and going on short day trips. Leavenworth, as you probably know, is the nearest 'hot spot' for anything touristy. It's much smaller than Wenatchee, and totally different. We took the children there a couple of days ago. It was snowy and very festive looking, and thankfully not too cold. What most people do in Leavenworth is: walk around the main, high street block, go into one of the many restaurants, and shop. There is a river and a park very close to the main street, and as we walked past it, I noticed people cross country skiing right there in the park. It is a very pretty rural area, and bears are regularly seen even in the park itself! Well, they're hibernating now, so there is no reason to be scared. It was fun window shopping with the children. It was also great to see such a mix of ethnicities in such a small town. Leavenworth attracts people from all over the world who happen to be up in the North West. One of the shops that we actually bought something from, was the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I have often walked past this shop without going in. But this time we went in, and I'm very pleased that we did. The store smelled wonderful, and there was a long display case full of different chocolates and bonbons of all shapes and sizes. Everything was beautifully arranged. At first, I think, my kids didn't realize that they could choose something to eat at all. I had to say, "Go on, choose something." They each chose a treat which, by the time we left the shop, was already partly eaten.
　　Grammar notes.
　　Practice of the past participle as an adjective:
　　1. The flowers were artfully arranged in the entrance to the hotel.
　　2. Carols were sung by a choir while the shoppers went to and fro.
　　3. The parcel was sent but not received.
　　4. We were surprized to find that the car had a flat battery.