Cut into small pieces. You can skip cutting them if you like whole, chunky fruit jam. Pour water to cover. Place an upside lid or plastic food wrap over the bowl and let soak overnight. Add 1 cup of the soaking water. Also tip in the lemon juice. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the jam reaches setting point. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Ensure that they are dry before use. Pour into the jars. Seal and label. Allow it to settle for a few days, as the spiciness will tone down while mixing with the apricots. This mixture will last for up to a month or so. Keep refrigerated.

Summary: Wash the apricots. Put the dried apricots into a medium bowl. Drain the soaking water off but keep it. Put the apricots into the preserving pan. Add the sugar, vanilla and chopped chili pepper. Reduce the heat. Sterilize the jam jars during the cooking process. Remove the jam from the heat. Store in the refrigerator.

You're more likely to be successful if you're pursuing a goal that is your own rather than one you feel forced on you. Consider your purpose and motivation for accomplishing this goal. Pursue goals that matter to you, not others. In some cases you might be working toward a goal that isn't a top priority for you but is still important. For example, your goal might be to excel in a course you find boring and purposeless. When this happens, refocus your efforts by considering how this goal will help you reach your overall goal, such as getting into your desired college. Looking at your goal as a whole can be overwhelming. Instead, create a checklist of the small tasks you need to do to reach your goal. It doesn't have to be a perfect plan, as you can adjust it along the way. If your goal is very large, you might create smaller sub-steps for each action you need to take. Be flexible. It's normal for your plans to change. As you accomplish each step, take a moment to assess your progress. Based on your experience and current outcomes, make changes to your plan, if necessary. If you're struggling to accomplish a step, consider if you've set expectations that are too high. You might be attempting too much at once. Reaching your goals will take good self-discipline, so hold yourself accountable. Letting yourself down can make you feel bad about yourself, but staying true to your word will help you feel confident. You may have days when you can't keep all of your promises to yourself. As long as you do your best, give yourself credit for trying. Consider why you couldn't meet your goals that day, then adjust as necessary moving forward. Don't expect yourself to work constantly, as no one can keep up with this pace. Give yourself permission to rest, relax, and blow off steam. In the long run, you'll be more productive! Dedicate one weeknight each week to relaxation. Spend one weekend day engaging in fun or relaxing activities. Take a few vacation days each year. Enjoy your holidays with your favorite traditions.

Summary: Make sure your motivation is internal. Break your goal down into small steps. Adjust your plans as necessary. Keep the promises you make to yourself. Take regular breaks.

Take your time and play each note in the sheet music. Play deliberately and get used to playing off the sheet music. Once you're more comfortable, you can pick up the speed in which you play. Once you get the notes down, you can start concentrating on rhythm. Always try to read ahead so that you know what comes next, even if you miss a note here or there. This is especially important if you have to flip to the next page. As you get better at sight reading, try to read several notes or beats ahead of what you're playing. You'll know that you're ready to read ahead when you can comfortably sit in front of a new piece of music and follow along with the notes as you play. Skip over the notes that you missed and try to get back on the rhythm. Continue to follow the sheet music with your eyes as you play. Feel for the keys to ensure that your hands are in the right position. Use your hearing to recognize if you're off-key rather than looking down at your hands. It will take time to learn to keep your eyes on the music, but this gets easier as you gain experience with sight reading. The slower you go, the more time you'll have to hit each key and the more accurate you'll be as you sight read. On the music, there may be tempo markings telling you to drastically change your rhythm. Ignore these markings until you're proficient at sight reading. In addition to these markings, there may also be a notation above each note called an articulation. You should also ignore these. Tempo markings will often be found on the top and to the left of the notes. Some examples of tempo markings include allegro (brisk), presto (very fast), moderato (moderately fast), grave (slow/solemn), and lento (slow). A small dot above the note is called a staccato and signifies that the note should be shorter in duration. This is an example of articulation. A slur is an articulation that looks like a curved line written above the notes. When you see this articulation it means that you shouldn't put any beats or spaces in between the notes. Once you're done playing the first piece of music, switch to a different piece and start the process over. Don't go back and try to play the first piece perfectly because that builds muscle memory, not sight reading skills.

Summary: Play each note slowly when you first start sight reading. Read 2 notes ahead as you play the music. Play the piece all the way through without stopping. Keep your eyes on the music and don't look down at your hands. Ignore more complex note commands until you feel comfortable. Play another piece of sheet music.

If you have taken your horse's temperature a few times over the course of several hours or a few days, and it remains high, call the vet. Call your vet if the horse's temperature remains above 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If your horse's temperature is above the normal range, and he has other symptoms, contact your veterinarian. Observe your horse and keep track of the other symptoms, such as loss of appetite or lack of energy. It is possible that the thermometer may slip entirely into the horse's rectum. If this happens, call your veterinarian immediately. If the worst did happen and the thermometer slips internally, there is a chance it may be passed when the horse has a bowel movement. Call your veterinarian immediately, but monitor fecal output and check for the presence of the thermometer in the droppings. You can always cancel a vet visit if the thermometer comes out on its own.
Summary: Call the vet if your horse's temperature remains high. Call the vet if your horse has other symptoms. Call the vet if the thermometer slips internally.