Courtesy of Linda Paisley

2025 | ISSUE 6

A handy gadget you might want to install around your home is a motion detecting light switch. These are great in places where you need light, but often have your hands full and therefore turning on the light is difficult. They are also an option for individuals with mobility or accessibility limitations. Consider adding them in places such as your pantry, closet, laundry room, crawl space, garage, etc. The motion detecting switches can be installed in place of your current light switch relatively easily. They detect motion within the area and automatically turn the room’s light fixtures on. You can program them to shut off after a period of inactivity as well, so if you have a habit of forgetting to turn the lights off - or are leaving a room with your hands full - you can set them to do the task for you. This helps you save energy and money. Some versions can also turn on fans, activate multiple lights at once and can even be programmed to dim. LIGHT THE WAY

Easy Bulgogi (KOREAN BBQ BEEF)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil • ¼ teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes • ¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper • 1½ pounds beef sirloin steak, cut

• ⅓ cup soy sauce • 2 green onions, chopped, separate dark green parts from white/light green parts • ¼ yellow onion, thinly sliced • 3 tablespoons white sugar • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

very thin using kitchen shears • 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk soy sauce, white and light green parts of green onions, yellow onion, sugar, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, ginger, and black pepper together in a large glass or ceramic bowl. 2. Add steak slices and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or up to 1 day. 3. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook and stir steak and marinade together in the hot skillet, adding honey to caramelize the steak. Cook steak about 5 minutes. 4. Garnish bulgogi with dark green parts of green onions.

THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN BEING BLIND IS HAVING SIGHT BUT NO VISION.” Sudoku

HELEN KELLER (1880 – 1968)

Summer laughs What’s gray and has four legs and a trunk? A mouse on vacation. Knock, knock. Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce go to the beach! When do you go at red and stop at green? When you’re eating a watermelon. Why is ice cream always invited to all the parties? It’s cool.

To complete this Sudoku, fill in the blanks so each row, column and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1 through 9.

SOLUTION

PREPARING YOUR AIR CONDITIONER FOR SUMMER

In preparation of the warm days ahead, now is the time to ensure your air conditioning units are clean and in working condition. For central air conditioning units, a professional maintenance can be booked now or there is upkeep you can do yourself. Start by ensuring the power to the unit is off. Then head outside and remove any covers or tarps you may have used over the winter. Clear away debris, dirt and dust from the exterior of the unit - you can use a low-pressure hose or a wet cloth. When the outside of the unit is clean, tackle the inside. Remove the protective panels to access the coils and fan elements. Clean them with a soft cloth or vacuum. If you’re using water, be sure not to spray any electrical elements such as the motor. Once everything inside the unit is clean and the unit reassembled, head inside your home to change the air filter which is typically the same filter as the furnace. When everything is clean and dry, turn the power to the unit on and give it a test run. Once you start using the unit, confirm there are no refrigerant leaks or issues by monitoring things like the temperature of the air (is it warmer than it should be?), frost or ice build-up on the copper lines, or hissing or bubbling sounds from the unit itself or the evaporator coil installed inside the house. An HVAC technician should be called to evaluate the system if any of these are present. For window or portable AC units, the process is essentially the same. You want to unplug the unit, clean the exterior and interior and any filters, fans and grates you can access.

HOST A SUCCESSFUL YARD SALE You’ve gone through your home and gathered all the items you want to include in your yard or garage sale, but what are the next steps? First, check with your municipality and find out what is required to host a yard or garage sale and what guidelines, if any, you need to follow regarding signage on the day. Once that’s taken care of, determine the date to host your sale. Choose a weekend that is “low key” in your area meaning it isn’t a long weekend and there aren’t any big festivals, sporting events, major concerts, etc. scheduled that would draw potential shoppers away. Having the sale over two days is ideal to maximize your selling efforts. Think about inviting family or friends to participate to make it more fun and spread the work around. They can sell some of the items they’re looking to get out of their houses and you can keep each other company during the sale or plan to split up the shifts to get a few breaks over the weekend. With the date planned, start promoting. Local buy and sell groups often allow garage/yard sale postings to be made on their online sites which can be useful. Furthermore, spread the word with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Signs around the neighbourhood, in local businesses and at nearby intersections also draw in a lot of drive-by traffic. Once people arrive at your sale, be sure your items are grouped together appropriately so anyone looking for kitchen gadgets, for example, can head to one area. A rule of thumb is to have your big items that will draw people in front and center with other goods placed around them because the more people walk by and see, the more they’re likely to purchase. Finally, have everything pre-priced which makes it easier for you as well as shoppers. Most people will negotiate so if your prices are a tad high, be willing to haggle. If your goal is to just clear everything out, price items lower.

BE PREPARED FOR A SUMMER EMERGENCY Although emergencies can happen at any time, extreme weather is most common throughout the summer months and can include floods, wildfires, tornadoes and more. Having an emergency plan in place is essential and allows you and your family to respond quickly and confidently if the need ever arises. To help you with your plan, visit this Government of Canada website: getprepared.gc.ca . This website has information on making an emergency plan (along with an online worksheet you can fill in and print out) and tells you how to respond to a number of different scenarios. Furthermore, the website has checklists for assembling a basic emergency kit which you can keep in your house and another in your vehicle.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A POOL With the long, hot days of summer hopefully just around the corner, you may consider adding a pool to your yard. Aside from the inflatable type which can be purchased at many stores, you may instead want to look into a larger, more permanent option. Above-ground pools that sit on the ground, are semi buried or fully-buried are great options that can be encased in a deck or something similar for those sitting around the pool. Fully in-ground pools are also an option. Before you choose a pool, check with your local municipality to ensure you’re aware of any regulations and permits you need to obtain. You’ll likely need to locate underground utilities if you’re installing a more permanent pool that requires digging in your yard. Pools with filtering systems require a direct power source (not an extension cord) so keep that in mind. Tree cover and overhead lines are best to be avoided when choosing your pool location. Once you know where your pool will be located, you can determine what size you want, what type you want, what it will be constructed from and if you’ll install it yourself (most above-ground pools can be installed on your own) or hire professionals. There are pros and cons to each pool type so do your research now to determine your needs and you’ll be all set when the hot weather hits!

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