Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Leave the gourds on the vines where they grow. Pick up a gourd and shake it. Gather the gourds from the field when they are fully dry. Compost any gourds that started to rot before fully drying.

Answer: Mature gourds can handle frost and can even withstand a few cycles of freezing and thawing. As the plant turns brown and dies, the gourds dry and fall off. If the gourds have matured by the end of the growing season but have not had time to dry, you can leave them on the vine over winter. When the snow melts and exposes them in the spring, they will continue drying where they left off in the fall. However, there is a risk that they will rot if you leave them over winter. Dried gourds are lightweight and hollow. Listen for the sound of seeds rattling around inside. Sometimes, however, the seeds stick to the inside of the gourd before drying and do not rattle. The seeds can be used for other uses as stock. If they are still attached to the plant, you can cut the vine flush with the gourd or leave a piece of stem intact--leaving the gourd is purely ornamental when you dry the gourd on the vine. No matter how you choose to dry gourds, a small percentage of them will always rot--be prepared for this.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Consider the things the parent says to their child. Understand that a toxic parent demands their child’s attention. Recognize that toxic parents are selfish. Remember that a toxic parent is very negative. Look for signs of explicit abuse.

Answer: A toxic parent will make their child feel bad about themselves. They might criticize their child constantly and harshly, and many toxic parents are dismissive of their child and the child’s accomplishments. A toxic parent is very negative and may often yell at their child. However, more sophisticated toxic parents may be more subtle in the way that they criticize and abuse their child. They may deliver criticism along with niceties or in a deceptively sweet way. One classic example of this is when a child brings home a good grade on a test. The child might say, “Look! I got an A- on my math test!” A toxic parent might respond with, “Well, why didn’t you get an A+?” This undermines the child’s hard work and leaves the child feeling that the parent is disappointed in them. Children of toxic parents often end up being the parent in situations where the toxic person wants the attention of their child. This is most likely to occur when the parent is feeling upset or worried about something. Unfortunately, most children are not ready to deal with the responsibility of their parent’s happiness, nor should they be. A parent’s biggest responsibility towards their child is to care for the child, not the other way around. A toxic parent isn’t able to set aside their ego when arguing with their child. Instead, they might give their child the silent treatment until the child begs for forgiveness. A toxic parent doesn’t care about how their child feels, they care about how they feel. This can be difficult for a child to deal with, especially at a young age because they don’t have the ability to understand why their parent is behaving this way. For many toxic parents, this also means that they feel they need to control everyone else. In order to be happy, a toxic person needs to get what they want, so they aren’t afraid to make other people (their children included) feel bad in order to get what they want. They also might not even be able to identify other people’s emotions and be unaware that their behavior is having a negative effect on other people. Everyone gets in a negative mood at some point or another, but a toxic parent rarely says anything positive. A toxic parent will usually take this to the other extreme. Nearly everything that comes out of their mouth will be a complaint about something. Many of those things will be a complaint about their child or children, and they won’t be afraid to let the child hear it.  Negativity breeds negativity. A child who grows up around a parent who is constantly negative will likely develop the same attitude. On top of that, they will feel bad about themselves because they heard so many negative things about themselves from their parent. Keep in mind that some toxic parents will be perfectly pleasant with everyone except for their children. Though it may not always be the case, a toxic parent is likely abusing their child verbally to some degree. In some cases, this may be constantly criticizing the child, or it may be more complex mind games that make the child feel that they are a bad person. In some cases, the abuse may go further. A toxic parent may physically or sexually abuse their child.  Hitting a child in any way (including spanking) is physical abuse.  When it comes to children, any form of sexual touching is considered sexual abuse.  If you suspect that the child of someone you know is being abused, you should contact the authorities, even if you aren’t sure. Some signs to watch for include sudden changes in behavior, extreme withdrawal, acting out or attention-seeking, appearing disheveled or unclean, and wearing clothing that is not weather-appropriate. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to a situation such as this. You can contact the police, child protective services (CPS), or the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) if you need help finding the right people to contact. If you are a child who is being abused, tell someone. You can tell a teacher at school that you trust, or you can call the police. If you are too afraid to do either of those, you can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233). They also have a website where you can live chat with someone if you don't want to call. The website is http://www.thehotline.org/help/.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Rub your hands Spray your hands with fresh lemon juice if you don’t have steel objects. Rub coffee grounds over your hands to scrub off embedded odors. Spray 1–2 spritzes of perfume on your wrists to mask the smell.

Answer:
on stainless steel to remove the smell of garlic. If a garlicky odor is clinging to your hands after you’ve chopped up garlic cloves, rub your hands across a stainless steel object. Pieces of steel silverware work well. Hold your hands under a stream of cold tap water while rubbing a stainless steel item between them for 1–2 minutes. A metal alloy called chromium that’s contained in stainless steel works to neutralize the smell of garlic on your hands. Acidic citrus fruits like lemon and lime are great at neutralizing the odorous compounds contained in garlic. If your hands smell like garlic, try squirting out about 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of lemon juice onto 1 hand. Rub the juice over both of your hands (including your fingers). Then wash your hands with cold water and soap. Give your hands a sniff; the smell of garlic should be gone. Fresh lemon works best for removing garlic’s smell. If you happen to have a lemon fruit at your home, cut it in half and squeeze the lemon juice right onto your palm. If you have fresh coffee grounds in your kitchen, pour 1 scoop into your palm. Put your hands together and rub the coffee grounds over the fronts and backs of your hands and between your fingers. The coffee grounds will get rid of the garlic smell and replace it with the pleasant smell of coffee. Rinse your hands under the tap to get the grounds off. As an added perk, the coarse coffee grounds will exfoliate your skin when you rub them over your hands. If you don’t have the time or equipment to remove the smell of garlic from your hands, your best bet may be to cover it up with a more pleasant odor. Pick up a bottle of perfume (or cologne, if you prefer) and spray 1 or 2 blasts directly onto your hands or wrists. This should mask the garlicky smell for 4–5 hours. Once that amount of time has passed, you can either reapply perfume or use another method to deodorize your hands.