Why the Free Meals Program could Attract Kids to Come to Library?

A novel with title Sabrina and Corina

I went to library yesterday, check a couple novel out for weekend reading. One of the novel is Sabrina and Corina.

The novel seems about family and life, specifically about Latina in Denver, Colorado.

The picture in the book is an eye catching. Even some people said the cover is not always revealing the content, but I always excited about seeing the cover.

I know, a visualize is very important in some part. The novel (cover) may be seen at above picture.

Then, when I stepped out from the library building I saw one sign at front door on the right side under a Southern Magnolia tree.

The sign is standing a little lower, the adults will be ignoring the sign. In my thought the sign must be for the kids. When the kids walk through they will read it.

Here is the sign:

The sign for kids

I remember when I met a young college professor brought three of her kids to the library for this event last year. She said they had never missed the meals.

She had four reasons to brought her kids for free summer meals in the library:

- Number one, her kids were picky eater.

- Number two, she was so busy to cook fresh and nutritious meals for kids everyday.

- Number three, the kids got used to library and enjoy reading books.

- Number four is about social life, her kids made new friends, talked each others, and played together with them.

Free summer meals for kids are for every kid with 1-18 years of age. This program is a part of Summer Food Service Program.

The program is one of projects administered by Food and Nutrition Service US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that serves in 9 location of libraries and public schools in Baton Rouge.

Meals service times on first come-first served basis while all foods last.

Do you know about E. coli Bacteria? - part 2 - Healthy Life 12

No Spaghetti with Ground Beef Today.

Please read the previous post (part 1):

- Do you know about E. coli Bacteria? - part 1 - Healthy Life 12

HUS is a disorder that characterized by acute renal failure and thrombocytopenia syndrome.

There are some points from CDC that I can keep in my mind to prevent from E. coli  bacteria:

- Cook ground beef thoroughly
- An internal temperature to cook ground beef is 160˚F
- Avoid to eat raw or under-cooked ground beef
- After cook ground beef do not forget to refrigerate within 2 hours, then can be used within 3 to 4 days
- Wash hand with soapy water after touching ground beef
- Clean utensil, counter-top, and cutting board thoroughly with soap and hot water or using bleach solution.

Wild flowers, just for illustration.

The most important is never eat recalled ground beef.

I am not going to take a risk.

It will be awful to have diarrhea and stomach cramps that cause me back and forth to toilet or restroom.

This infection also leads to hemolytic uremic syndrome which is so painful. I just avoid the ground beef in a while.

So my spaghetti have no sauce today.

It turned into spaghetti with shrimps, and I added some asparagus, lemon juice, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese.

Birds Fly Over Our Backyard – Nature 10

A crow flies away

My kitchen faces backyard, so when I am cooking or just sitting, I could see many wild animals, many are birds, but some are mammals:

- variety of birds
- raccoon
- squirrels
- cats (may be belong to neighbors, but I consider wild, since I don’t know who is the owner).

Birds that always visited my backyard during spring and summer seasons are:

- cardinals
- humming birds
- wood peckers
- Mocking birds
- Crows
- blue birds

A juvenile heron in neighborhood

One day I heard the sound of crow. The sound was “rattle” on my ear, then like “click and bell.”

I approached close and closely to photo taken, but it flies suddenly. Pictures are not good enough.

Actually, crows are abundance birds in my city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It seems that they able to adapt to the city environment.

We may find crows every where. Birds are reasonable medium size. Wing size when it open wide is around 32 to 40 inches (81 cm to 102 cm).

What do you think about crow?

# Have a great summer

Do you know about E. coli Bacteria? - part 1 - Healthy Life 12

3D Escherichia coli (Photo Credit: (Illustrators) Alissa Eckert

and Jennifer Oosthuizen/CDC.gov)

I was thinking about to cook spaghetti sauce with ground beef, added some button mushrooms and basil for my supper, and I need to go buy those stuffs in grocery store.

A couple minute in my way headed to the closest grocery store in my neighborhood, I remembered that the local radio talked about recalled ground beef that suspected has been contaminated with the E.coli.

E.coli infection occurs in 10 states and there are about 190 cases. Thanks Lord, no one get killed.

So far, the ground beef from two companies have been recalled because laboratory testing of ground beef from these companies spotted the outbreak strain of E. coli O103.

This strain is acquired Shiga-toxin.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can cause a person get sick, usually for three to four days after intake the contaminated food.

A cooked food, just for illustration

The symptoms are watery diarrhea that often with:

- blood (hemorrage colitis)
- severe stomach cramps
- little or no fever
- vomitting
- and may lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

# To be continued to part 2

Like Crazy, “a wild child cares for the wild woman who raised him” - Reading 2

 

Like Crazy, a book cover

The phenomena of mental disorders are about the same. The signs and symptoms are overlapping to get to know the classification of disorders.

When the symptoms are still mild and still toleratable, we think that it just his or her characters and moods.

Many sufferers of mental disorder are not aware that they have kind of disorder. Some of sufferes' acts lead to a danger and a crime.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic takes rule our lives, there are many children ask their parents stay with them instead of in the “nursing home” facilities.

They decide to take care their parents.

Dan Matthews decided to take care for his mother was a decade before pandemic Covid-19.

The author and his mom.

When this book was published by Atria Book in May 2020, this book brings a kind of uplifting for the children who have fragile parents to care for.

This a worth book to read. The astounding book “when a child settles down to care for the wild woman who raised him.”

Good book to read for who cares with his or her mom!

Do You Visit Car Service Center Every Year?

Fig 01- Car service center.

I need to come to the car service center at least one per 4 months or 3 times a year for oil changes.

In addition to oil change, I also ask the service men to do some basic services such as:

- Checking filter whether change needed
- Checking washer fluid
- Checking brake fluid
- Checking anti freeze
- Checking steering fluid.

Since my car is Japanese car, Toyota brand, thus, I come to Toyota care center in my city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

It is requirement by government (local government) to check emission and smock in authorized centers every year.

Then?

Fig 02- Service check in

If nothing happen, I just pay US$ 15 to US$ 25 for inspection fee, depending on the seriousness of problems.

Fig 03- The waiting room

It is because I did at private inspection centers. Actually, US$ 10 for local government inspection fee only. 

Fig 04- A cup of coffee

I bought my Toyota ten years ago (in 2009), I feel that a lot of benefit for serving my car regularly, few are:

- Car is running smoothly
- Hassle free
- Increase driving safety
- Lower running cost compared to the same car age.

The service is not take too long, usually 1 hour. If a lot of things must be checked and replaced, then take two hours or little bit longer.

There is a waiting room which provides self service of a hot coffee. We may drink a cup of hot coffee or milk coffee while waiting the service is completed.

By the way, How Many Times a Year that You Visit Car Service Center?

Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? - Science 6

Fig 01- A kind of succulent, Aloe vera

We may surprise that there are more than 200 species of succulents, and each species may consist of 40 varieties.

When we went to one of nurseries in my city, Baton Rouge, Louisiana that we saw more than 20 species and varieties of succulent plants.

Around 35 important species have been planted in gardens or small industries all over the world, some of them are:

- Aloe vera
- hens and chick succulent
- burro’s tails
- Panda Plant
- Roseum
- Pincushion Cactus

One of special about succulent that they could store water in their body (leaves and stems), thus, many people believes that succulent is a symbol of enduring love.

Fig 02- Variety of hens and chick succulent

I myself have one species of succulent, Aloe vera. I put the plant inside when temperature drop during winter season, and outside when spring and summer.

Fig 03- Variety of burro’s tails

I use Aloe vera to treat my hair some times. It is because the succulent contains “proteolytic enzymes” to make smooth and shiny hair.

Then, Can Succulents Improve Room Humidity? Yes, sure. Several other benefits of succulent include:

- Improve skin cells
- Function as conditioner to take care our hair
- Improve hair growth
- Prevent itching on our scalp
- Improve purify the air, thus enrich fresh oxygen
- Brighten the room
- Improve pain tolerance

Do you have succulents indoor or outdoor (in your garden?) What kinds of succulent do you have?

A Cactus?