Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become spectators (旁观者) in the lives of their children and shrug, "It' s their life," and feel nothing?

    When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son's head. I was asked, "When do you stop worrying?" A nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

    When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted (打断) the class, and was headed for a career making license plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher said, "Don't worry. They all go through this stage, and then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy them." My mother listened and said nothing.

    When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring and the cars to come home, the front door to open.

    My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother' s wan ( 淡淡的 ) smile and her occasional words, "You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home."

    Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse? Or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of life?

    One of my children became quite irritable recently, saying to me, "Where were you? I've been calling for three days, and no one answered. I was worried!!!"

    I smiled a wan smile.

    According to a recent study published in Journal of Consumer Research, many people believe that healthy food must be more expensive than unhealthy food. In fact, the study's researchers found that a high price tag will even convince consumers that a certain food is healthful.

    According to Rebecca Reczek, coauthor of the study, the purpose of the study was to examine a popular belief. Sometimes the belief can be true: Organic produce and wild caught seafood typically cost more money. But other times, the nutritional value of food ranks all the same.

    In one experiment, Reczek's team gave a group of participants a new food product called "granola bites". Some participants were told the product was very healthy. Other participants were told the bites had little nutritional value. Participants who were told the granola bites were good for them rated the snack as more expensive than the participants who thought the bites were unhealthy.

    In another experiment, participants were given a health food bar labeled as "the healthiest protein bar on the planet". Some participants were told the bar cost just D|S0.99, others were told the bar was D|S4. And here's what happened: The people who were given the "cheaper" bar needed to read a lot more reviews about the product when it was priced at a lower price point in order to trust that it was healthy.

    The idea that we all believe healthy food needs to be more expensive works against us. All food companies need to do is push up the price to convince us.

But Reczek said, "When we shop, we don't have to be led astray. We can compare nutrition labels and we can do research before we go to the grocery store. We can use facts rather than our intuition (直觉)"．

    Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.

    He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked up to the sky. What he saw frightened him. A huge group of bees filled the sky like dark cloud and seemed to be heading angrily towards him.

    With no time to waste Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding quickly without knowing how to escape the group. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping quickly, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his fear increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive(敏感的) to bee stings (蜇). Last time a sting had put him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father's words came to him. "When you are in a dangerous situation, don't panic. Stay calm, use your brain and think your ways out of it."

    On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly from the chimney(烟囱) of the Nelson family home. "Bees don't like smoke," he thought. "They couldn't get into the house." Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining around. Andy knew he could not reach the house in time. He guessed that the bees would catch up with him soon.

    Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a small pond used by Mr. Nelson to water his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he jumped, disappearing below the surface and away from the bees. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees have gone. Pulling himself out of the water, he walked up the hill and rang the doorbell. Mr. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.

    "You'll really need that fishing break to help you recover(恢复)," laughed his mother. "Thank goodness you didn't panic!" But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.

    Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, "Mum, I can't peel (去皮)potatoes. I have only one hand. "

    Mum never looked up from sewing. "You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes," she told me. "And don't ever use that as an excuse for anything again!"

    In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.

    That night I told Mum about it. She hugged me, and I saw her determined look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mum looked carefully at the bars.

    "Now, pull up with your right arm," she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could get the bar with my other elbow (月寸）.Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung (梯级）I reached.

    I'll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs； I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.

    One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed crying. I could hear Mum came into my room. "Mum," I said, weeping, "None of the boys would dance with me."

    For a long time, I didn't hear anything. Then she said, "Oh, honey, someday you'll be beating those boys off with a bat." Her voice was slight and cracking. I looked out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks.

    Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf. She had never let me see her tears.

    When I started working, I couldn't understand why there were some people who seemed to succeed in anything they tried, while there were others who just couldn't manage to achieve anything. After a while, I became amazed at the biggest difference lying in setting and reviewing goals regularly.

    Then I saw an academic study done by Dr. David Kohl on goals:

    80% of Americans claim that they don't have goals.

    16% of them have goals, but they don't write them down.

    Only 3% actually have written goals, but they don't review them regularly.

    Only 1% has written goals and they review them regularly, and these are among the highest achievers in the US.

    You need to set goals, independent of whether you want to achieve more or less. Goals are not only about achieving more or wanting to take on more in life-a goal starts with a simple desire.

    What do you do with your desires and wants in life? You could both ignore them and leave them to fade away in your mind, or listen to yourself and start taking action to get what you want in life.

    On the one hand, you can wish for a miracle, try to put the least amount of effort in, hoping to get the most out, and do nothing. On the other hand, you can get clear on the steps you need to take and take them, slowly, one by one until you reach success in that area and you will live with new amazing results in your life.

    Setting goals is the essential part to achieving success in any area. It begins with a desire, and then a written goal, followed by the right attitude and action, and that is your formula for success. Keep reviewing your goals and watch how your vision turns into your reality.

    The weather affects many aspects of people's daily life. Knowing and understanding what the weather is doing is useful.

    However, the weather is also one of the most unpredictable elements in the world. Although many people watch the morning news and gather the information about the weather, this is often wrong. Whole days can be ruined by believing that the weather will be one thing, when it turns out to be another. However, owning wireless weather stations allows the owners to monitor the weather for themselves.

    Not only will these weather stations allow the owners to see what the weather is doing, but it is personalized(个性化)to them and their area. Wireless weather, stations are specifically prepared for the immediate neighborhood. Plans will be able to be made, and important decisions will no longer be ruined by bad weather.

    Although these weather stations are typically seen in homes, they can also be used very easily on farms and fishing boats. Both farmers and fishermen rely on the weather for their business and using up-to-date weather information is quite indispensable. By using the wireless weather stations, it can determine for them when to harvest crops and head back to the shore. Because of the size of the weather station, they can be moved very easily and used wherever necessary for people.

    The wireless weather stations are great for all homes, especially for areas that suffer from extreme weather conditions. The up-to-date, instant weather reports will allow a person to monitor what the weather is doing and if the bad weather is heading in their direction. Extreme weather tends to come very quickly; therefore, any information that is received is helpful.

    The weather stations are very simple to set up and are run by solar panels(太阳能板), ensuring they will work even if there is a power-cut. They are far smaller than those in previous years and give a couple of very simple read-outs for the owner. They are easy to use and fascinating to understand.