Add the pre-soaked black-eyed peas to the same stockpot you used to cook the ham. Stir the beans into the ham to coat with the flavored grease. Stir the ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Use cold water. There should be just enough water to cover the beans and vegetables, and the water level should not extend past three-quarters of the stockpot's height. The 4-cup (1-liter) measurement is merely an estimate. If you did not pre-soak the beans, you will need to use twice as much water. Place the cover over the stockpot and heat the contents of the pot over medium-high to high heat, until the water begins to boil. Cook for 10 minutes. Leave the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape slowly. Doing so relieves pressure inside the pot, lessening the odds of the water boiling over and creating a mess. Turn the heat down to medium so that the rapid boil slows to a steady simmer. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 hours. You may not need to add more water. If the water level dips below the black-eyed peas, though, add another 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water. Once the beans are done, they should have a soft, creamy taste, and the juice should be flavorful rather than watery. If the beans lose their shape, however, they have been overcooked. Taste the beans after the first hour. If they are not done, continue checking every half hour after that. After the beans have finished cooking, remove the stockpot from the heat and add any salt and pepper you want. Stir the beans to thoroughly incorporate the salt and pepper. Roughly 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) of black pepper should suffice, but you can add more or less depending on how hot you prefer things. If you used salted ham, additional salt may not be necessary. For low-sodium hams, however, you may wish to add 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) or so. Fish out the bay leaves before pouring the beans into individual serving dishes using a ladle. Consider serving these black-eyed peas with cornmeal dumplings for a Southern classic.

Summary: Stir the beans into the ham. Add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaves. Fill with 4 cups (1 liter) of water. Cover and boil. Reduce heat and cook slowly, adding more water as necessary. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Discard the bay leaves and serve.

You may have trouble understanding or accepting that your ex seems okay after the breakup if the breakup was difficult for you. You may want to know that they are as miserable as you are. Instead, you can deal with your ex a lot better and handle interactions with them if you accept the fact that they seem fine with the breakup. If someone tells you that your ex is doing okay or if you see your ex and they seem okay, then just be happy for them. For example, if a friend says, "Ashley seems cool after the breakup", you could say, "Okay, that's good. That makes me happy." Unless you are prepared to hear that they are happy without you, avoid asking your ex if they are really doing okay or happy since the breakup. You might not like their response. Keep in mind that just because your ex seems fine doesn't mean that's necessarily the case. Your ex may just be acting that way so you don't know how upset they are. You can deal with an ex who seems fine after your breakup by keeping your distance. You don't have to avoid them like the plague, but do make sure that you aren't going out of your way to interact with them. Avoid trolling their social networking profiles looking for new posts and pictures. For instance, you should resist checking their Facebook profile daily to see if their relationship status has changed. Don't call, text, or message your ex unless you have a legitimate reason. For example, calling because you have a child together is a legitimate reason. Calling because you saw your ex's favorite car isn't. Depending on the circumstances of the breakup, you may have some built up anger or resentment toward your ex. When you have interactions with your ex and they seem fine after the breakup you will be able to handle it if you remain respectful. You should also be respectful when you are talking to other people about your ex. Avoid yelling, scream, crying or making a scene when you are interacting with your ex. For example, don't walk up to them and start calling them names. Talk to your ex in a calm, confident way when you interact. For instance, you might calmly say "Hi" when you see your ex out in public. Avoid gossiping or badmouthing your ex. Try to say something positive or at least neutral about your ex. For example, you might say, "Oh, ok" if someone tells you that your ex is doing fine.

Summary: Accept that they're okay. Give them space. Be respectful.

Make sure that the environments you are in most frequentlysuch as your workplace and homeare well ventilated. When working with hazardous materials, such as paint fumes, dust at construction sites, or chemicals from hair dyes and treatments, be sure that you have proper ventilation or proper respiratory protection equipment such as a dust mask or personal respirator. Make sure that you have open vents and windows to keep fresh air circulating. Consider wearing a respirator when working in a small space. If you are cleaning with strong chemicals such as bleach, be sure that you have open windows in the room, and that you have the opportunity to leave the space and give your lungs a break. Avoid using fireplaces and wood-burning stoves indoors as these can also put harmful toxins in your lungs. Some plants emit spores, pollen, and other potential irritants into the air. Make sure that household plants are not aggravating your lungs. Choosing a HEPA filter that can remove small particles of debris and allergens from the air can help your lungs stay healthy. Ozone air purifiers are not as effective at reducing allergens and other particles in the environment, and may even irritate the lungs.

Summary: Stay in well ventilated areas. Be aware of your sensitivity to plants. Use a HEPA air filter.

Gouges can be used to carve into wood or to remove wood around a design to bring the design into relief. Gouges have curved points and long handles, but they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Pick a couple that will work for your project. There are 8 standards of degrees to the curves of gouge chisels. These vary from a very slight curve to a chisel tip the is a half circle. Each curve also comes in a variety of widths, so you will have a wide variety of chisels to choose from. Use clamps or a vise to hold it to a strong work surface, such as a workbench. Using gouges can create a lot of force, so make sure that the wood is really secure when pushed from a variety of directions. Place the forefinger of your less dominant hand near the sharp end of the chisel and the rest of the hand at the place where the metal blade meets the handle. This will give you control over where the tip moves as you push it. Your other hand should be back on the handle, so that you can use its strength to push through the wood. As you push with your dominant hand, direct the tool with your less dominant hand. It will take practice to master how to move the chisel to get the effect you want. Moving the gouge across the grain risks damaging the wood and chipping out areas that you don't want removed. As you practice and become more skilled with the gouge, the way you should move the tool across the wood will become more natural. To identify the grain, look closely at the wood. Look for lines going across the wood. These are the grain lines and you should move the gouge with them or across the very end of them. Gouges are versatile chisels that can make a wide variety of cuts. Play with your gouges to make patterns and remove wood in any shape you like. For deep cuts, you can even hold the gouge perpendicular to the wood and hit the handle sharply with a mallet. Repeat your action, change the size of your gouge as needed for the design, and sharpen blades as required until your project is complete.
Summary: Use a gouge for fine woodwork, such as carving or sculpting. Firmly attach your wood to a solid surface. Hold the gouge with both hands and push it though the wood. Push the gouge with the grain of the wood or across the end grain. Raise, lower, or turn the handle to achieve the desired effect.