Happy Wednesday! I am joining Joyce for a quick hodgepodge of questions. These five questions are going to be fun, so let’s get to it!

1. Monday was National Apple Day…did you eat an apple or enjoy something made with apples on Monday? Do you like apples? Do you prefer your apples raw, baked, or in cider? Do you have a favorite variety of apple? I didn’t eat any apples on Monday, but I do like apples this time of year. My favorites are Pink Lady apples. I love how they are tart and crisp with a little sweet. I do like raw apples, but I don’t like biting into an apple. I have an apple slicer and it is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. I like this one the best because it pops the slices and the core out when you are finished. I love baked apples and apple cider, too. My mom makes homemade applesauce and she makes enough to last us all year. My freezer is always very full on applesauce day, but we are so happy to have it all year long.

2. Do you think there’s any truth to the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Of the following healthy habits which do you find easiest to incorporate into your life and which is the most difficult for you to adopt-adequate sleep, a balanced diet, plenty of water, eat breakfast, don’t smoke, exercise, limit alcohol,  include fruits and vegetables in your diet, manage stress, limit screen time? I do think there is some truth to that. Healthy habits tend to keep your body in working order and avoiding the doctor. I think it is easiest to not smoke, limit alcohol, and get plenty of water. I used to think exercise was easy to incorporate, but this fall it is proving to be more challenging. I have added limits on my phone to keep my screen time in check, but I do go over sometimes. I tend to plan meals with fruits and veggies but don’t always eat enough. Sleep and managing stress are my most challenging habits.

3. Who taught you how to drive? Do you enjoy driving? Would you rather be the driver or the passenger?  Do you have a favorite scenic drive near you? Well, this is timely because Jeff took Jack driving for the first time this week. Great news – no one crashed and he did a fantastic job. Jack doesn’t have his learner’s permit yet, but he’s been asking to try it so Jeff took him to an empty parking lot and gave it a whirl. My dad taught me how to drive and we had him lined up to teach Jack, at Jack’s request, but he might not need to. I don’t mind driving, but I am not the best driver. I prefer to be a passenger because I can get a lot done while I’m sitting in that seat – reading, grocery lists, blog posts, etc. I don’t really love to go on scenic drives.

4. What small habit has had a big impact on your life? Exercise or running every day had a big impact on my life. If you are newer here, you might not know that I had a 1,200 day running streak where I ran at least 1 mile every day, no matter what. I find that when I exercise every day, I am happier, more patient, calmer, and less stressed. Even if it is a little tricky to find time to exercise, it is always worth it.

5. Tell us about something nice that happened to you recently. I recently had a student walk into the library at school and take a deep breath before saying “I love it here!” I love it in the library, of course, but it felt pretty good to hear a students say that. Some days are pretty hard as a teacher, but that was a great reminder of why I’m keep going even when it’s hard.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am loving the return of summer weather this week. It has been in the 80s and I love it. I read in the sunshine on Saturday. I had a long walk on Sunday and watched Luke’s soccer game. I went for a run on Monday. Iwent outside at lunch for a bit on Tuesday and drove with the windows down for a bit after school. I am hoping to get outside even more today before the weather gets back to normal fall temperatures.

That was fun! I can’t wait to see what everyone else answered! Have a great day full of sunshine and books!