How are you all holding up througout this hot season?

July is named to honor Roman dictator Julius Caesar (100 B.C. – 44 B.C.). In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar made one of his greatest contributions to history: With the help of Sosigenes, he developed the Julian calendar, the precursor to the Gregorian calendar that we use today.

Do you like sizzling summer time? As temperatures spike, how can you bet the heat? From closing blinds to using a fan (not just A/C), here are tips for keeping your body cool during these hot summer months.

In case of power outages, rolling blackouts, or brownouts that knock out cooling systems during the hottest days of summer, here are a few tips for staying cool(er).

 

   1.  Exterior shutters and blinds keep the heat out. At night, open the screened windows to allow cross-v_____________ throughout the house with cooler nighttime temperatures.  

   2.  Close shades and curtains during the day to prevent the inside of the house and its furnishings from absorbing solar __________t.   

   3.  Don’t use the o_________ in your kitchen. Turn off everything with a mo______ (e.g., stove, dryer, etc) generates heat.

   4.  Keep a spray bottle of cool __________r handy to mist your face and neck from time to time. Don’t forget to spray it on your pets!

   5.  Stay well- h_________________ by drinking plenty of fluids. Eat (choose: smaller  or  bigger) meals in hot weather to reduce the heat produced by metabolic activity within your body.

   6.  Avoid drinking ______________ol in hot days. Also, you need to cut back on c______________ which raises your body temperature. Remember that sodas, sports drinks, and many nonprescription drugs also have _______________.

   7.  Indulge in sp________________ food. If you can handle it, dressing up your summer meals with jalapenos, curries, and wasabi will induce sweating, particularly on your face and neck, and you’ll feel cooler.

8.  Do not ex_____________ outdoors in hot weather. If you must, take it very easy and work out in the cooler hours of early morning.

   9.  If you feel faint, lie down and raise your ________gs above your head. Try to get to a cool area and drink fluids as soon as possible.

   10.  Freeze a couple of old pair of so________ filled with rice or small beans and place them at the foot of your bed between the sheets to cool you to sleep at night.

 

Answer Keys

   1.  ventilation

   2.  heat

   3.  oven, motor

   4.  water

   5.  hydrated

   6.  alcohol, caffeine

   7.  spicy

   8.  exercise

   9.  legs

   10.  socks

 

*source from the old farmer’s almanac 2024.

Let us stay cool and healthy throughout thes scorching heatwaves!

Time to play the puzzzle from NPR Sunday On-Air Challenge! Find the double "ee" words & double "oo" words with the clues!

I'm going to read you some sentences with two words left out. The first missing word has a double-E. Change the double-E to a double-O and you'll get the second missing word,

 

Ex. The tired boatman plans to ___ overnight on his ___. 

ð   SLEEP, SLOOP

 

    

1.   If you were offered both brie and cheddar, which ___ would you ___?

    2.   On April 1st I had a ___ the practical joker was intent on ___ me.

    3.   The shepherd was directing his flock across a shallow ___ by waving a ___ in his hand.

    4.   The ___ on the oven thermometer indicated the temperature of the tuna ___ casserole.

    5.   Once during hay fever season, my loud ___ awoke my father from his ___.

    6.   You can use almost any metal like copper, iron, or ___ to fashion a ___ to sit on.

    7.   Smoking a ___ while carrying an armload of shingles up a ladder wouldn't be wise for a ___ to do.

    8.   If you're ___ over an insult someone has given you, you might find a hot bath nicely ___.

 

Answer Keys

    1.  cheese, choose

    2.  feeling, fooling

    3.  creek, crook

    4.  needle, noodle

    5.  sneeze, snooze

    6.  steel, stool

    7.  reefer, roofer

    8.  seething, soothing

Health Series #20. Onion

It is natural to become physically weaker as one ages. However, it is possible to stay younger and healthier than your physical age by what you eat at your table every day. More and more medical research and studies have shown the medicinal properties and benefits of herbs and healthy diet.

As of this new year of 2024, let us stay healthy by looking into a variety of herbs one by one, their nutrition facts, and healthy diet so that we are able to lead a life with more confidence and constantly get ourselves back on track with aplomb even if we happen to deviate from the optimal state of health.

 

#20. Onion

 

Are you frequently using onions for your day-to-day meals? Onions may bring tears to your eyes while prepping them and make your breath less than perfect due to their particularly strong odor. However, onions also add a lot of kicks and flavor to dishes. Whether you like this root vegetable raw or cooked, there are many health benefits to eating onions.

Many studies suggest that 1.organo________________ compounds may stop cancer cells from multiplying and growing, causing the cells to die.

A 2019 study found that consuming 35 pounds of onions and other allium vegetables every year may lower your risk of 2. colo______________ cancer by almost 80%. Most Americans consume about 22 pounds of onions in a year, according to the National Onion Association.

 

Onions are high in Vitamin C and more than 25 different types of flavonoids/ antioxidants that support healthy 3. _______________________ system and fend off chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Antioxidants protect against free radicals that cause 4. infla___________.

For maximum antioxidant benefits, choose colorful red onions, which have flavonoids called 5. anth_____________________ that give the vegetable their color.

Do you peel the skin of onions before cooking? Because research shows an onion’s 6. Choose the answer (outer    or     inner) layers have the highest concentration of flavonoids, try to keep as much of that part as possible when removing the skin.

 

Another flavonoid found in onions called 7. que__________________ offers many heart-healthy benefits, especially for people experiencing obesity and 8. met___________________syndrome, which is a combination of risk factors, such as excess weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar.

Since onions also appear to have blood-thinning abilities, which can help prevent 9. blood cl__________ that cause heart attacks and strokes.

 

Furthermore, onions have 10. anti-___________________ properties that help slow or stop the growth of bacteria that cause E. coli infections, Staph infections, and stomach ulcers.

 

Why don’t you let this root vegetable clean up your body and bring tears of joy to your dry eyes?!!!

 

Answer Keys 

   1.  organosulfur 

   2.  colorectal or colon  

   3.  immune

   4.  inflammations

   5.  anthocyanins

   6. outer

   7.  quercetin

   8.  metabolic

   9.  clots

   10.    bacterial

*source from Cleveland clinic

 

Acrostic Poem Using ONION by Jean J. Lee

Overjoyed and tearful?

Not a chance to share your secret ingredient?

I can easily guess what’s on your chopping board

Or on the shelf in your cool pantry

Nice and easy does it before your breath drowns out all other flavors!

 

 

If you’re interested in consulting your health with professional pharmacists, check this out!

Santa Ana Tustin Compounding Pharmacy

It's time to play the latest puzzle from the NPR Sunday on-air challenge!

Every answer today is a pair of related words that start with the same letter and end with the same letter.

 

Ex.] Name two 5-letter rocks starting with S and ending with E 

ð    SLATE, SHALE

 

    1.   Name two 6-letter numbers starting with T and ending with Y

    2.   Name two 8-letter countries starting with C and ending with A

    3.   Name two 6-letter elements on the periodic table starting with S and ending with R

    4.   Name two 4-letter musical instruments starting with L and ending with E

    5.   Name two 7-letter outdoor games starting with C and ending with T

    6.   Name two 7-letter large birds starting with P and ending with N

    7.   Name two 5-letter dances starting with S and ending with A

    8.   Name two 6-letter M.L.B. (Major League Baseball) teams starting with A and ending with S

    9.   Name two 11-letter relatives starting with G and ending with R

 

 

 

 

Answer Keys 

    1.  twenty, thirty

    2.  Columbia, Cambodia

    3.  Silver, Sulfur

    4.  lyre, lute

    5.  cricket, croquet

    6.  penguin, pelican

    7.  samba, salsa

    8.  Angels, Astros

    9.  grandmother, grandfather

Fill in the Blanks with the Right Words!

When you learn English as a second or a foreign language, you might have trouble putting the right words in the right places in a sentence. That is one of the reasons why some English speakers sound local or natural to the native English users, whereas some others may sound a little awkward or off kilter by the way they employ improper expressions.

Will you try to fill in the following blanks to make each sentence sound right?

 

    1.   The 4^th-of-July Sales at the Auto Zone are just around the corner! My brother is all set to c__p the gadgets and gizmos he’s been keeping an eye out for in the store.

*the verb meaning “to grab or obtain or buy something” in slang expression

 

    2.    Barbie always sleeps in, so she s___________gs a bag of chips for breakfast as she runs out the door not to be too late to work.

*the verb meaning to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly

 

 

    3.   You look so beat and hungry. Wanna go gr_________ something to eat?

*the verb meaning to take something (hastily) to eat/drink

 

 

    4.   Where on earth have you been? I've been trying to get a ___________ of you for days!

*the phrasal verb meaning to to find and talk to (someone) : to contact (someone)

 

    5.   Jessie has been prepping for this job interview for a year and now totally ready to sn_____________ this golden opportunity before it passes her by to make her dream come true in that company.

*the verb meaning to seize something quickly

 

    6.   With his qualifications and caliber, he'll easily l_______d a job in any organization.

*the verb meaning to secure a position in any type of job (which often implies that the job was desired or sought after)

 

    7.   When you are in desperate situations, beware of sweet talkers or scammers around you because they know you would gr______________p at straws in dire circumstances.

*the phrasal verb meaning to reach for or try anything in desperation

 

    8.   Larry is not such a gullible person that could easily be sn_______________ by swindlers.

*to win or attain by artful or skillful maneuvers or to catch or hold as if in a net

 

9.   Don’t even think about la________________ onto John. He is not that kind of guy who you might choose to chat with at the party all night long.

*phrasal verb meaning to stay close to someone or spend a lot of time with someone, usually when they do not want you near

 

10. Tyler thinks he finally has a gr______________p of the hidden nuance of various Korean idioms.

*the noun meaning ‘the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something’

 

 

Answer Keys

    1.  cop

    2.  snags

    3.  grab

    4.  hold

    5.  snatch

    6.  land

    7.  grasp

    8.  snared

    9.  latching

    10. grasp

Short Eerie Stories to Read and Think about on a hot Summer Night

 Eerie, Scary Stories for Summer Night

What do you do on sleepless nights to employ the long, tedious summertime? Here are some short stories that could send shivers down your spine and stop for a moment to think. We are all living in the world full of uncertainty and fuddery, which makes us uneasy quite often times. Horror stories or episodes might be the other side of our lives that are lurking anywhere to catch us off guard. 

Meg, my BFF

by Jean Lee

 

Sally and Meg have been pretty tight since their childhood. Meg was always right there by Sally’s side either when she was needed or not. Since Sally met her Mr. Right someday, Meg’s loneliness came into play as if she became a third wheel.  On the big day of Sally’s wedding, Meg sent her text message.

“Hey, girl, I wish I were there at your wedding, but I’m leaving for some place where I’ll spend the rest of my life that day. I will make sure to stay in touch, though. Love you forever.”

Sally had found new text message from Meg on her cell phone every single night for over a month even after her wedding, but later on, she heard from their mutual friend that Meg took her own life on Sally’s wedding day. Sally took out her cell to double-check all the text messages sent from Meg. Nothing was found since her wedding day. Sally became confused if she was dreaming a nightmare or a nightmare is dreaming Sally’s life without Meg. 

 

 

What They Don’t Tell You about the Dead

By Crimsai

 

I don’t want to sound mean, but the dead are pretty clueless. I’ve always seen them. When I was younger everyone thought I was just talking to imaginary friends. After a couple of years, when I overheard my parents talk about calling a psychologist, I realised what I was talking to. See, ghosts don’t tend to realise they’re dead, and they don’t look like in the movies, they look just like us. I’m pretty smart for a 13-year-old, so I started noticing certain patterns to tell them apart from the living. They could be a bit distant from living people, or you’d see them try to talk to people who wouldn’t even notice them. Some of them could tell I was different, that I noticed them. Like this guy I saw after school yesterday. I’m a big boy now, see, I don’t need my parents to pick me up, home is just a short walk away. He was standing away from the other parents, didn’t talk to them, just stared at me, that’s how I knew he was one of the ghosts. I went over, told him I knew what he was, and asked how I could help him. I don’t remember much after that, I think because of what happened this morning. Downstairs, my parents were crying. I tried talking to them but they ignored me. They must have died last night somehow, sometimes the new ghosts wouldn’t talk to me. Some police officers and reporters just arrived, they won’t talk to me either, just my parents. It’s weird, I’ve never seen so many ghosts together before. Why won’t anyone talk to me?

 

 

 

 

The Prettiest Girl in the Class

by Twisting Straw

 

She was the prettiest girl in the class, but of course she never heard that from me. I was obsessed with her. I’d steal glances at her every chance I got.

During class when I was supposed to be taking notes, on the train we rode after school.

But today I wanted to do more. I hopped off the train when she got off and followed her out of the station and onto the sidewalk.

I made sure to keep my distance.

I wanted to surprise her.

It was pretty hard staying within a good distance of her, though. She kept taking furtive glances back, and I looked down at my phone or pretended to tie my shoe every time she would.

When she unlocked the door and stepped inside her house, I crept to the front stairs. My heart pounded as I rang the doorbell.

A chime sounded from inside and awoke the butterflies in my stomach. Just as I reached again for the doorbell, she opened the door ajar and, recognizing my face, gestured for me to hurry in, promptly closing the door behind me.

“There was a guy,” she paused, “There was a guy following…”

“Yeah, it was me.” The words came out of my mouth before I realized what I had said.

“I know that,” I sighed in relief “But I’m talking about the man behind you.”

The doorbell chimed, and the butterflies in my stomach stood still this time.

 

 

 

 

Guardians

By Dark Alligator

 

He awoke to the huge, insect like creatures looming over his bed and screamed his lungs out. They hastily left the room and he stayed up all night, shaking and wondering if it had been a dream. The next morning, there was a tap on the door. Gathering his courage, he opened it to see one of them gently place a plate filled with fried breakfast on the floor, then retreat to a safe distance. Bewildered, he accepted the gift. The creatures chittered excitedly. This happened every day for weeks. At first, he was worried they were fattening him up, but after a particularly greasy breakfast left him clutching his chest from heartburn, they were replaced with fresh fruit. As well as cooking, they poured hot steamy baths for him and even tucked him in when he went to bed. It was bizarre. One night, he awoke to gunshots and screaming. He raced downstairs to find a decapitated burglar being devoured by the insects. He was sickened, but disposed of the remains as best he could. He knew they had just been protecting him. One morning the creatures wouldn’t let him leave his room. He lay down, confused but trusting as they ushered him back into bed. Whatever their motives, they weren’t going to hurt him. Hours later a burning pain spread throughout his body. It felt like his stomach was filled with razor wire. The insects chittered as he spasmed and moaned. It was only when he felt a terrible squirming feeling beneath his skin that he realized the insects hadn’t been protecting him. They had been protecting their young.

 

 

  

Timekeeper

By Gridster 2

 

He had been given the watch on his tenth birthday. It was an ordinary grey plastic wristwatch in every respect except for the fact that it was counting down. “That is all of the time you have left in the world, son. Use it wisely.” And indeed he did. As the watch ticked away, the boy, now a man, lived life to the fullest. He climbed mountains and swam oceans. He talked and laughed and lived and loved. The man was never afraid, for he knew exactly how much time he had left. Eventually, the watch began its final countdown. The old man stood looking over everything he had done, everything he had built. 5. He shook hands with his old business partner, the man who had long been his friend and confidant. 4. His dog came and licked his hand, earning a pat on the head for its companionship. 3. He hugged his son, knowing that he had been a good father. 2. He kissed his wife on the forehead one last time. 1. The old man smiled and closed his eyes.

 

Then, nothing happened. The watch beeped once and turned off. The man stood standing there, very much alive. You would think that at that moment he would have been overjoyed. Instead, for the first time in his life, the man was scared.

**Source from short horror stories  on scoopwhoop