Active Living 50

SENIOR NEWS By Matilda Charles Keeping Track

At some point we need to start making notes. Maybe you’re not there yet. But that day might sneak up on you when you discover that you’ve forgotten to mail the check for your property taxes. Or worse, when a police o cer stops you and says your license tags expired -- three months ago. Forgetting the car tag might be excusable if your town no longer sends out notices. Or if you had the same vehicle for eight years and tags were always due the same month each year, and now you have a new vehicle with a di erent due date. But when you’ve lived in the same home for 30 years and you forget to pay the property taxes ... that’s when you know you need to start making notes. A good way to do this is with an annual calendar. When you ip the page, there in bright letters are your tasks for the month. If one of the tasks happens to fall in the rst week of the next month, make a note in the last week of the previous month. Use the previous year’s calendar, ip through all the pages, make your notes and you’ll be all set. ... Unless those tiny squares just won’t do the trick, which is possible if you’re still working or have a long list of tasks to accomplish on a weekly basis. For many years I’ve used an 8-by-11 notebook. Each page is a week, divided with lines into six boxes, dated. e weekend, when theoretically there are no urgent tasks, gets Saturday and Sunday in one box. It might seem silly to start keeping such a detailed calendar of things you need to do. A er all, haven’t you always remembered when the car tags are due? Until you don’t, and are reminded by a police o cer. (c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

This week’s puzzle answer is elsewhere in this paper. The Crossword Puzzle is provided by Tribune Media Services. Any questions or comments should be made to 1-800-346-8798.

PAW’S CORNER

By Sam Mazzotta

Help Fight Off Fleas With Brewer’s Yeast

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Regarding cats with fl eas, I have had great success eliminating fl eas by adding powdered brewer’s yeast to their food. One of my cats even licked it out of her bowl dry. Brewer’s yeast is usually available at health food stores. -- Suzanne F., via email

DEAR SUZANNE: Thank you for the tip! Brewer’s yeast is a great nutritional supplement for cats and dogs, and many owners have observed that their pets have fewer fl eas when it’s added to their food. It can certainly be a strong asset to a well-rounded fl ea fi ghting strategy. For cats and small dogs, sprinkle about half a teaspoon on their food at mealtimes. For medium dogs up to 30 pounds, increase that to a teaspoon. For every 30 pounds over that, add a teaspoon of brewer’s yeast. Consistency is important. Brewer’s yeast, unfortunately, does not repel ticks, so pets -- even those who stay indoors -- should be checked regularly throughout the spring, summer and fall for these little hangers-on. Brush your pet’s coat daily to remove fl ea eggs and any remaining fl eas. Owners may need to use stronger fl ea and tick treatments in addition to brewer’s yeast, but it’s still a great ally in the fi ght against fl eas. Other fl ea prevention strategies include vacuuming your home twice a week during peak season to reduce tracked-in fl eas and their eggs, and quickly ruffl ing your pet’s coat with a towel and cleaning their paws when they come indoors. Bathing your dog or cat can help reduce irritation from fl ea bites, but only use shampoos designed for pets to keep their skin from drying out and becoming more irritated.

Send your fl ea-fi ghting tips to ask@ pawscorner.com.

NOW HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

* Get cobwebs off a window screen with a lint roller. * Want to make that summer at-home pedicure last? Don’t skip the base coat or a UV topcoat. The base coat will allow the color to adhere evenly and better. Then the topcoat will protect the color from the sun while giving it a little extra shine. * “Use an over-the-door shoe holder to house your makeup and hair accessories, plus jewelry and other personal items. You can trim a curtain or piece of fabric to fi t over the length of it, and tie it to the top if it looks too messy in your room.” -- M.K. in North Carolina * Use this trick to freshen your stuffed animals. Dust with baking soda and put several together in a large paper grocery bag until it’s half full. Fold the top of the bag down and shake vigorously. Remove the stuffed friends and shake off any excess baking soda. For good measure, put the dustedoff toys in a low- or no-heat dryer cycle for 10-15 minutes. * Hashbrowns can be made on a waffl e iron. Coat liberally with canola oil or butter-fl avored nonstick spray, and add shredded potatoes and fi nely diced onion. Allow the iron to cook the potatoes to your desired level of crispness, and fl ip out both sides onto a plate. They will be both crisp and soft! * Honey has amazing properties, and one of them is its antiseptic powers. You can even use it on pimples. Just a tiny dab will help keep bacteria responsible for breakouts from taking over.