Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Test your reaction speed by having a friend drop a card. Try ball drills. Try agility drills. Work on balance exercises. Perform eye exercises.

Answer: Cut a piece of cardstock so that it’s about 8 inches (20 cm) long and 2 inches (5.1 cm) wide. Ask a friend to hold it vertically by the top. Line up your fingers with the bottom edge of the card and ask your friend to drop the card without warning. When the card is dropped, grab the card with your fingers as quickly as you can. This will show you how quickly you’re able to react.  If you grab the card near the bottom, you likely have good reaction speed. If you grab the card near the top or miss it completely, you may have poor reaction speed. If you are practicing for a sport, this is a great way to work your athletic skills and reflexes at the same time. Play a game of catch, kick around a soccer ball, or practice another sport-related drill. You could also get creative and use the ball for a different sport. Add more partners to make for an extra challenge. For example, if you are a baseball catcher, have your partner throw the ball behind you and then see how fast you can turn around and retrieve it.  Give juggling a try. The balls flying through the air forces you to think and act quickly to catch them. Practicing regularly can decrease your response time and increase your speed, and give you a great party trick too.  You can also use a reaction ball. This small, six-sided ball will move in unpredictable ways when bounced or thrown. Place a few cones at a distance apart and run between them as fast as you can. Switch up the position of the cones or run in a different way to mix things up. If you are playing a sport, ask your coach to suggest some specific agility drills that you can do. They’ll be impressed with your dedication, and even more impressed with the results. For example, try weaving through the spaces between each cone on your first run. In your second run, weave through every other space. Improving your balance can help to improve your reflexes. Try sitting on a yoga ball with just one foot on the floor, standing on one leg and hopping to the other leg, or passing a ball from hand to hand while standing on one leg. These exercises will all strengthen your balancing abilities. You can also try balancing things on your head or your fingertip. This will train you to continuously adjust your balance so that you don't drop the item. Sometimes it’s not your body that’s lagging--it’s your eyes! To get them up to speed, choose two similar objects and place one nearby and another at a distance. Rotate between the two, trying to read each of them. You can also ask your eye doctor for other exercises. You can also discuss eye agility training with a sports vision specialist. To find a doctor near you, go to the American Optometric Association’s website and do a doctor search.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Stick to your routine. Redefine yourself. Spend time with supportive loved ones. Talk to a grief counselor.

Answer: At some point, you will feel able to return to your daily life. Things won’t go back to normal, but you can cope with the adjustment by creating a schedule. Having structure can almost feel like a warm blanket when the world has otherwise spun out of our control. So, develop a routine that works for you and stick to it. Think about the things you typically do in a day and write them down in a planner. Allot enough time for different events and activities, like eating lunch or commuting to work or school. Try to keep a stable sleep schedule by waking and lying down at the same times each day. The time after a death often leads people to think about the meaning of life. Your friend’s death may have made you more aware of things within yourself you’d like to change. Take some time to decide what kind of person you want to be moving forward.  A death is usually an important time to reflect on your own life and how you wish to live it. Be sure to do some self-reflection and determine if you are living up to your personal values. For instance, maybe you didn’t feel like you spent enough time with family. If so, start making that a priority. Or, perhaps your friend’s life was cut short and you are more inspired to live your own life more fully. In the weeks and months after your friend’s death, it pays to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. This might be another close friend, a sibling, a parent, a teacher, or a spiritual advisor. You might talk about your grief or simply ask the person to support you in some way. For example, you might say, “I was preparing to apply to college when Jenny died. Can you help me get back on track with my applications?” If you can’t seem to resume your place in the world after your friend’s death, you may need professional help. Some people experience complicated grief. You may blame yourself for the death, stop going to school or work, neglect your appearance, and even have thoughts of suicide. A grief counselor can help you come to terms with the death and learn how to better cope with your emotions. Also, if you are depressed, they may refer you to a psychiatrist who can prescribe antidepressant medications.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Organize decorative items. Use a tray to highlight a decorating theme. Include candles. Focus on a statement piece.

Answer: Keep all of the smaller items you want to display together in a tray. For example, you could use a rustic wooden tray to display vintage collectibles. Keep the tray organized by only displaying a small number of items. You can also put any remotes in the tray to keep them together and help them blend into your decorating scheme.  For a very modern look, use a tray with a mirrored bottom with a set of small, sleek vases, gilded anemones, or glass balls. Consider hiding remotes or coasters in a pretty box on the tray. Display items that will tie into your decorating theme. For example, if you have a nautical theme get a blue or white tray. Include pretty shells, lovely driftwood, pieces of sea glass, and even consider sprinkling some sand on the bottom of the tray.  If you have an art deco look, find a tray in rosewood or shagreen and display items that have a 1920s feel, like glass beads, an old metronome, and postcards. For a country cottage feel, use a wicker tray and display small bowls of potpourri or small animal figurines. Use your décor to highlight interesting individual pieces rather than displaying an entire collection, which may look cluttered. Add candles to your table as a decorative and practical item. Light them to create ambience or even to scent the air. Display candles that can stand alone or in candle holders. Make sure that the candle holders complement your tray if you place them there. Display items that are important to you, like special antiques or vases. Keep items from any collections or hobbies you pursue in your tray, like elegant knitting needles and interesting yarn. If you have a striking art object, you can place it in the tray by itself or as a focal point in the middle or on top of other items.  For example, arrange a pair of small clocks surrounded by pocket watches in a tray. Surround a tall piece of art with items that are lower, like a tall sultan canister with some shorter canisters or glass bottles.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Purchase the pork belly. Rinse the pork belly thoroughly. Make the spice rub. Coat the pork belly. Refrigerate the pork for 7-10 days. Rinse thoroughly. Refrigerate for forty-eight hours.

Answer:
Procuring the pork belly can be the hardest part of the entire homemade-bacon process since most grocery stores don’t carry it. Try a local butcher or a restaurant supplier in your area to find the pork belly. Local butchers tend to have better quality pork bellies available than a restaurant supplier. Also, a restaurant supplier may only sell in bulk quantities much larger than what you need. Once you get the pork belly home from the butcher, rinse it thoroughly to remove any blood or anything else on the meant. Pat the pork belly dry and then transfer it to a resealable two-gallon plastic bag.  After you’ve cleaned and patted the pork belly dry, the surface will feel slightly tacky. You may also want to trim any thin edges off the pork belly if it has any. You want to place roughly a long rectangular piece into the plastic bag. To make the spice rub, mix the kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, paprika, and cumin in a bowl. Mix until everything is spread evenly throughout the honey. This recipe is just one of a near endless variety you can use to create unique flavor profiles for your bacon. Other spice rub examples include:  2.5-3 pounds skinless pork belly, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 2 teaspoons pink curing salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Bourbon, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and hickory smoke during the smoking process (whether actual hickory wood in your smoker or hickory liquid smoke roasted in your oven). 2 1/2 pounds skin-on pork belly, 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, a tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1 teaspoon caraway seed, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped.  1 pound of pork belly, 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton's kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pink curing salt, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon powdered ginger, 1 teaspoon powdered garlic, 1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce, 1/4 teaspoon 5 spice powder, and 2 tablespoons water. You’ll have enough of the spice rub to evenly coat the until piece of pork belly. Roll the mix around with the pork belly in the plastic bag until everything is coated. Seal the plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator. You’ll flip the bag once a day to keep the even coating, and the process will take approximately 7-10 days.  The duration ultimately depends on the thickness of the pork belly. A thin belly (around 1.5 inches thick) will take seven days while a thicker belly (2-3 inches) will take the entire ten days.  You can test how cured the pork belly is by touching it when you think it’s close to ready. The cured meat will be firm to the touch all over like a cooked steak. If it still feels spongy and soft, then it needs more time. Once the meat has cured, you can remove it from the bag and rinse it thoroughly. Discard any solids from the rub on the meat as well. Pat the meat dry once you have rinsed it well. After thoroughly rinsing the meat, you will need to refrigerate it again. Refrigerate it uncovered for a full forty-eight hours.