If you’ve already tuned up your lawn equipment or are in the market for a new lawn mower, you’re probably anxious to get out and start caring for your yard. But before you do that, it’s good to know when the right time is to start mowing your lawn in the spring. It’s not as simple as “when the grass starts growing.”

When Can You Start Mowing Your Lawn?

While the answer depends on your part of the country and lawn type, the general indicator will be how tall your grass is. Most grass cutting heights are between two and three inches, according to Pennington’s full list. However, there are exceptions. Just because the grass is looking a little long doesn’t mean it’s time to fire up the mower.

Wait until it’s warm enough to mow regularly. If temperatures are expected to drop below 5 degrees Celsius, you’re probably not ready to start mowing again.

The Ideal Height to Cut Grass

Figuring out the best height to cut grass depends on the type of lawn you have. Typically you should keep your grass about three inches long, with the last cut of the season taking it down to between 1-¼ inches to 1-½ inches.

Cutting grass too short before the end of the season can damage the soil and the lawn mower itself. Short grass also will not do as good of a job blocking the sun, which can dry out the soil and create dead patches.

Best Weather Conditions for Mowing

It’s generally not a good idea to cut wet grass after it rains, so mow when it’s sunny or the ground is dry. Mowing wet grass is bad for several reasons. Leaving clumps of wet clippings could smother the grass beneath. Wet grass can clog the mower, causing it to overheat, and stick to the mower’s underside, which is difficult to clean. And no matter how much traction you think your shoes have, you can easily slip on wet grass.

So don’t mow first thing in the morning if the grass is damp with dew. Wait until the lawn has dried out. Early evening is the optimal mowing time since it allows the grass the most shade to heal.

What if It Gets Cold or Snows Again?

Spring weather can be fickle. It’s hard to predict when cold weather actually is behind us. Temperatures should be consistently above 5 degrees Celsius before you attempt your first mow of the spring. However, do not mow again if temperatures drop and there is frost. Mowing frosted or frozen grass can damage your lawn, possibly killing it.

When to Fertilize and Water Your Lawn

If you fertilize twice a year, in the spring apply just enough lawn fertilizer to help green up your grass. A third application can be added in mid to late spring, combined with your crabgrass preventer. (Here’s how to get rid of crabgrass.) If you fertilize one a year, for most regions the best time is around Labour Day.

Watering your lawn properly is crucial for a lush look and feel. How much water to use and how often you should be watering your lawn depends on your soil moisture, region, grass type and other factors. Generally, grass should be watered early in the morning. Watering during the hottest times of the day allows too much water to evaporate, limiting hydration. And watering at night encourages the growth of harmful fungi.

Next, find out exactly when you should remove your winter tires.

Bedbugs are on the rise in North America

If you’re worried you have them, Mississauga-based entomologist Alice Sinia recommends checking your linens, mattress, mattress seams and headboard. Look for dried blood stains and red-brown fecal matter, which will both be about the size of a sesame seed. (Find out why you should never let your cat sleep in your bed.)

When you have trees or shrubs touching your house, an exterminator’s job becomes much harder

“Branches provide highways into the home for ants and rodents,” says Cindy Mannes, vice-president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association.

After trimming back trees, look for other avenues of entry

Consider installing door sweeps and repair all screens, vents and openings in chimneys. Make sure to caulk or stuff steel wool around gaps made by utility lines, hoses and air conditioning units.

Keep things clean

“Pests are attracted to food, water and shelter,” says Mannes, “same as us.” Clean crumbs and spills immediately and scrub under fridges and stoves regularly. (Here’s how to clean absolutely everything in your kitchen.)

Put all the food in your pantry in plastic or glass containers with sealed lids

Critters such as mice, rats, moths, ants and weevils can easily eat through paper and cardboard.

Leave rodents to the professionals

An exterminator can determine where the pests are coming from and how best to trap them. If you have pets, exterminators will lay traps in a way that doesn’t endanger Fido—or his snout!

Ask about the treatments being used

Worried about harmful chem­icals? Every homeowner has the right to ask for information about the treatments being used. If a pest control professional is unwilling or unable to provide details about the safety of the treatment, it’s time to move on, says Mannes.

When searching for an exter­minator, get two or three quotes

The provider should be licensed and insured. They should also guarantee their treatments.

Clean up clutter

When an exterminator visits, they may need to access crawl spaces, attics and any other areas affected by the infestation. Make sure they don’t have to move stacks of boxes or an overfull utility shelf to get at what they need.

Don’t sweat what the neighbours will think

In a 2016 study conducted by the National Pest Management Association, one-third of respondents claimed that, if confronted with a pest control truck in the adjoining driveway, they’d feel their neighbour was being proactive with pest protection.

Save a sample of the offending insects

If you bring an exterminator out for ants and there are none to be found, the worker can’t do a proper treatment. Different species are removed in different ways. (Read up on the most disgusting house bugs—and how to get rid of them.)

Turn the lights off

White porch lights attract the flying insects that spiders eat, so that’s where the eight-legged critters build their webs. To reduce the number of spiders around your home, install yellow bug bulbs instead, and put your lights on a timer or switch to motion sensors.

Centipedes, millipedes, sowbugs and pillbugs thrive in damp environments

Reduce moisture and keep these pests at bay by removing leaf piles and grass clippings around your house and installing a dehumidifier.

Next, follow our healthy home checklist to eliminate potential hazards in every room.

In 1965, my cousin bought a 1964 Galaxy 500 convertible and I was quite envious! In the same year, I enrolled in education classes at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. During my university years, I drove a VW “Bug.” It wasn’t until I got my first teaching position that I could consider purchasing a new car. It was the age of the muscle car, so I bought a 1970 Pontiac Acadian 350 with a four-gear standard positraction transmission and power galore. Patty (my wife) and I met on our first teaching jobs, and after four years of courting, we got married on July 10, 1971. We drove that Acadian until we started our family, with our son Kim arriving in 1975 and daughter Bree in 1977. From the on, we drove “family-friendly” vehicles and all dreams of owning a convertible were put on hold.

I retired in 2001, after 33 years in education. At that time I said to Patty, “I want to be a kid again!” As a teenager, I had trained horses for the neighbours and I wanted to try my hand at it again. So, from working in the field of education, I went to working literally in the field, training horses. Through all the years of raising family, providing learning atmospheres for children and horsing around in retirement, the dream of owning a convertible never faded. It wasn’t until last spring, stimulated by my convertible-driving younger brother, that the dream of owning one came roaring back. Patty and I initiated a search and, after six months, we were off to Calgary to test drive a 2004 Lexus SC 430—a hard-top convertible that I am happy to say we now own. After more than four decades together, not only do I still have the hottest woman in town, I have a car she deserves to be seen in. To paraphrase from “The Corvette Song” by George Jones, “She’s hotter than a two-dollar pistol, the fastest thing around, long and lean every young man’s dream… But it’s not the car I want, it’s the brunette in the ‘vertible that turns me on!” And that’s my Patty.

Next, read the incredible story of how one man missed out on his dream car as a teenager, then found it parked in his driveway 25 years later.

The Difference Between All-Wheel Drive and Four-Wheel Drive

Four-Wheel Drive

Four-wheel drive is made for the adventurous type. Cars with 4WD are optimized for off-road driving—going through mud, over boulders, and up steep hills with loose dirt. This system is found mostly in trucks and SUVs. Four-wheel drive works by sending torque to all four wheels to increase traction when needed. It’s available in both full-time and part-time, meaning, for instance, if the vehicle has part-time 4WD, the driver has the ability to switch it on and off. Additionally, some four-wheel-drive systems let the driver select how much power is given to each wheel. (Check out more weird car features most owners aren’t familiar with.)

All-Wheel Drive

All-wheel drive means that power is going to both the front and rear wheels of the vehicle all the time. Similar to four-wheel drive, AWD can be both part-time and full-time. In vehicles with part-time AWD, the majority of the time the vehicle operates in two-wheel drive but when additional traction control is needed, all-wheel drive kicks in. The main difference between part-time AWD and part-time 4WD is that the car will transition into AWD without the help of the driver. The system is designed to react when it senses a loss of traction. All-wheel drive is available in a much wider range of vehicles, from small sedans to large SUVs.

Does every driver need all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive?

The simple answer is no. It really depends on where you live and if you need to use your vehicle in bad driving conditions. If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow you might want to consider a vehicle with AWD or 4WD. (You should also review these winter driving safety tips.) Four-wheel drive is better for people who live in rural areas and need to travel in deeper snow on roads that might not get plowed quickly. Something to always keep in mind though is that while 4WD and AWD vehicles can help you get through the snow, they can’t help make the vehicle stop, so it’s always important to practice caution.

Now that you know the difference between all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, find out 13 car dealer secrets they don’t want you to know.

A rousing rendition of the Happy Birthday song, the blowing out of candles on a cake and the giving of gifts are common in many places across the globe—from the United States to Spain and from France to Australia. But some countries go above and beyond to celebrate their loved ones in unique ways. Here, the editors of our international editions share some unique birthday traditions.

Birthday Traditions in Australia and New Zealand

Down Under, birthday traditions usually involve firing up your barbecue and having family and friends over for celebratory food and drink.

“A child’s first birthday is often celebrated with what we call ‘fairy bread’—slices of white bread spread with butter and adorned with coloured candy sprinkles—and balloons,” says Reader’s Digest Australia editor Diane Godley.

That fairy bread is replaced with beer and bubbly on a person’s 18th birthday, when they are allowed to drink legally for the first time. Because people used to officially become adults at the age of 21, some families in New Zealand and Australia mark that birthday with a keepsake “key to the door,” representing the child’s privilege to come and go from the family home as they please.

The Chinese Diaspora

Birthday traditions vary quite a bit across the regions and countries with significant Chinese populations. In China’s southern Fujian province and in parts of Taiwan, for example, a person’s 16th birthday marks their passage into adulthood. This belief hearkens back to the Qing Dynasty and the age at which a labourer went from having a half-wage to a full one.

In Singapore, younger people in the Chinese community celebrate their big day according to the Western calendar, and the older generation opts to mark it according to the lunar calendar. There is one thing everyone can agree on, however: a bowl of “longevity noodles.” Sometimes made as a single strand, this is a common birthday food in Chinese communities, says editor Simon Li.

“Noodles are supposed to bring health and a long life, which is why it’s wise to keep them as intact as possible on your birthday,” Li explains. “Care should be taken not to break them while eating with chopsticks.”

There are other taboos to keep in mind. For example, don’t even think about splitting the cake in half. Chinese culture values connection and harmony, says Li, so it’s best to avoid slicing all the way through to the opposite side of the cake when dividing it into pieces for guests. Instead, the dessert is cut one piece at a time.

The Netherlands

The “circle party” is a typical birthday gathering in the Netherlands. The extended family gets together and sits in a circle to talk and eat cake, followed by drinks and a buffet-style dinner. It can be a lengthy process for anyone entering the room at these gatherings, says editor Paul Robert.

“People congratulate not only the person whose birthday it is but also everyone else in attendance by going around the circle and shaking each person’s hand,” he says. “The fastest method is to walk in, wave at the whole circle and shout, ‘Congratulations, all!’ But that’s not considered very polite.”

When someone turns 50, friends or relatives will place a large doll in the birthday person’s garden or by their front door; men have an “Abraham” doll, women a “Sarah.” The dolls refer to a Bible passage from the Book of John in which Jesus is asked how he could have seen Abraham when he’s not yet 50 years old; it also refers to the advanced age at which Sarah, Abraham’s wife, had their child Isaac.

Japan

Celebrating a person’s birthday on the anniversary of the day they were actually born became a tradition only in the last century; in the past, everyone celebrated on the new year. In Japan, regardless of when birthdays took place, there have long been milestone celebrations, ranging from a first birthday to a 60th.

When a child turns one in Japan, they take part in a ritual called erabitori, where the birthday child chooses from a selection of items spread out around them that represent their potential future. If a baby opts for a calculator, they could succeed in business; if they grab a pen, they might become a prolific writer.

On November 15th of the year children turn three, five and seven, their parents dress them in traditional clothing and take them to a shrine. This celebration is shichi-go-san, which literally means 7-5-3—all lucky numbers in Japanese culture. Parents often wish for their children’s continued health and longevity by offering them a long string of soft chitose ame (“thousand-year candy”) in a bag adorned with images of a turtle, a crane and bamboo—all harbingers of good luck.

While a Japanese person officially becomes an adult when they turn 20 (with a coming-of-age celebration held on the second Monday in January), pivotal birthdays don’t end there. A 60th birthday marks the completion of the zodiac cycle (which restarts every 60 years) and is a powerful symbol of rebirth. Known as the kanreki, this festive celebration is hosted by the family; a special cushion, red sleeveless vest and fan may be part of the birthday guest’s attire.

Brazil

In South America’s biggest country, after blowing out the candles and making a wish, the guest of honour slices off a piece of cake and offers it to someone who is important to them—for children, that’s often a parent. But for adults, this time-honoured tradition can rate high on the awkward scale. Says editor Raquel Zampil, “It’s often uncomfortable, since you have to choose one person and disappoint others.”

If the birthday person is single, another funny—or, depending on who you’re asking, uncomfortable—tradition takes place. Before the candles are blown out, the guests will sing a song speculating on the guest of honour’s future marital status. “Who will Maria marry?” they first sing, followed by, “It will depend on whether [name of Maria’s crush] wants to.”

Malaysia

Approximately 60 percent of Malaysians are adherents of Islam, a religion within which birthdays aren’t generally celebrated. However, some Malaysians do mark their birthdays with a family gathering over lunch or dinner the night before the big day and wrap up the celebration by taking stock of their blessings and thanking Allah for giving them life and good health.

The United Kingdom

Birthday parties are very popular in Britain and when children are involved there is almost always a game of “pass the parcel.” The rules: A birthday present that has been wrapped multiple times is passed in a circle from child to child until the music stops. When that happens, whoever is holding the parcel must unwrap a layer and complete whatever “forfeit,” or request, has been written on a piece of paper inside the wrapping.

“Forfeits can range from ‘show off your best dance move’ to ‘do your best impression of the birthday kid,’” says former editor Anna Walker. The child who reaches the final layer of the parcel, which is usually sweets or a toy, gets to keep the gift.

Much older Brits receive their own special present: When they hit 100, the ruling monarch sends along a letter of congratulations.

Mexico

An emblematic Mexican birthday-party tradition—one that has spread across the globe—is the smashing of a piñata. Blindfolded, stick-wielding celebrants whack a brightly coloured container hanging from a string until it bursts open, raining down candy. Though now often made from papier mâché and in a range of forms that includes animals and celebrities, piñatas are traditionally composed of clay and spherical in shape (with protruding spikes).

In lieu of “Happy Birthday,” Mexicans belt out “Las Mañanitas” (“Little Mornings”), a song believed to have originated in Spain in the 16th or 17th century. “It is sometimes sung in the morning to wake up the person whose birthday it is,” says Carlos Díaz, who is the editor of the Mexican edition of Reader’s Digest, “but mostly we sing it around the cake before the candles are blown out.”

Lithuania

“In my native country, it is customary for the person whose birthday it is to sit in a decorated chair that is then lifted up by the party guests,” says editor Eva Mackevic. “How many times the chair is raised will correspond with the age of the guest of honour.”

Another frequently observed tradition: The person whose birthday it is will be responsible for paying for their guests, whether that means footing the bill for drinks, dinner or a big party.

Finland

“When a Finn turns 18, they can get their driver’s license and go to restaurants unaccompanied,” says editor Ilkka Virtanen. It is therefore common for 18-year-olds to mark their entry into adulthood by heading to a restaurant with friends or having a big, boozy party at home. This is the one birthday where attendees are expected to pay their own way; on other birthdays, the guest of honour takes on the cost.

Fifty is another big milestone in Finland, with the birthday person typically hosting a reception featuring coffee, cake and sparkling wine, and guests offering the celebrant gift cards for a spa, a restaurant or, for the more intrepid, a parachute jump.

Philippines

For Filipinos, a birthday isn’t just a celebration of the day—it’s an occasion to spend time with family. Traditionally, anyone living within a day’s travel must be invited, or involved in the planning, and each guest is assigned a dish to bring. Central to the celebration are “longevity noodles” (symbolizing a long, healthy life), a cake ideally made from taro or purple yam, and karaoke.

Pivotal birthdays in the Philippines include ages one, seven, 18 and 21. A child’s seventh birthday marks the year the child can be held more accountable for their actions, while a person’s coming of age is celebrated on their 18th (for women) or 21st (for men).

India

For many Indians, the majority of whom are Hindu, birthday traditions involve religious rituals. The day usually starts with a visit to the temple, where prayers are offered and blessings are received. The person celebrating also seeks the blessings of their family’s elders by bowing down and touching their feet.

“Some people also perform charitable acts or make donations to help those less fortunate than themselves,” says editor Ishani Nandi.

A birthday is also an occasion to wear new clothes and to enjoy one’s favourite dishes, prepared by family members. In return, the guest of honour gives the first piece of their cake to the oldest person in their family.

Schoolchildren, for their part, will often distribute sweets or candies to their classmates.

Germany

According to editor Michael Kallinger, one of the country’s most notable birthday traditions involves sweeping stairs. “In Bremen, when unmarried men turn 30, it is customary for them to sweep the stairs of the local church or town hall,” he says. “Women have to clean the door handle.” This public act of sanitation is meant to embarrass the person and motivate them to marry.

In other northern regions, if a man is still single on his 25th birthday, his front door gets decorated with a garland made of socks, labelling him as an “old sock.” An unmarried woman turning 25 gets a garland of boxes, because she is now considered an “old box” (like “old sock,” it’s an ironic term for the elderly).

Germans who actually are elderly receive a message from the country’s president on their 100th birthday.

Wacky Birthday Traditions in Canada

Depending on how vindictive a Canadian’s family and friends are, the “birthday bumps” can be a dreaded ritual or a gentle joke. Here’s how the tradition works: The guest of honour lies on their back, and partygoers grab them by the arms and legs. The guests lift and then lower the birthday person to the ground until their bum lightly “bumps” against it.

Alternatively, a guest grabs the birthday person by the shoulders and “bumps” them on the backside with one knee, up to the number corresponding with the person’s age…plus an extra bump for good luck. (There is a reason this tradition is usually carried out on children—40 bumps would be exhausting for all concerned.)

There are regional particularities when it comes to birthday traditions, as well. In parts of the country’s east coast, kids get surprised by someone dabbing butter or grease on their nose, a tradition reputed to help them “slip away” from bad luck.

And in French-speaking Quebec, says editor Hervé Juste, guests sing the chorus from “Gens du Pays” (which translates as “people of the country”), a song that legendary folk singer and poet Gilles Vigneault created as an alternative to “Happy Birthday.” It was also adopted by Quebec’s sovereignty movement and has become the province’s unofficial anthem.

Next, check out 75 birthday jokes that’ll leave ’em howling.

If you get the feeling that theft and vandalism are on the rise, there are numbers to back that up. Global News reports that in Toronto, vehicle thefts increased 45% between 2021 and 2022, with Calgary seeing a 25% increase over the same period.

Despite modern cars being equipped with more security features than at any other time in history, criminals always seem to be one step ahead. Car thieves are constantly on the lookout for weaknesses to exploit in vehicle security. Without an easy way into vehicles, Hollywood-style hot wiring isn’t really practical anymore, which is why thieves have innovated a way to steal cars through the headlights.

How Are Car Thieves Stealing Cars Through Headlights?

Modern car thieves can steal vehicles by fooling their electronic sensors using a clever homemade device plugged into the headlight wiring harness. The first step is to pull off enough of the car’s front bumper and arch to access the wires powering one of the headlights. Thieves then connect a homemade electronic device to the headlight wiring harness. They use these devices to send fake error code signals to the vehicle’s network, followed by a “valid key” signal that allows them to unlock the doors. From there, skilled thieves can hot wire the vehicle and simply drive away without a single alarm sounding.

The electronic devices made by thieves to fool the car’s security are often assembled from cheap electronic components stuffed into the shell of an innocent-looking Bluetooth speaker. Once the device is plugged into the headlight wires and a slew of fake vehicle error messages are issued, thieves simply press the “play” button on their device to trick the vehicle’s locking mechanism into unlocking the doors.

Is There Anything That Can Be Done to Prevent This?

The ultimate solution to this new brand of car theft is better vehicle network encryption by automakers. This is still in the works, and won’t be of any help to car owners just yet. One option is to purchase an anti-theft device, but some of these work better than others.

Luckily, there’s one simple measure you can take that will stop thieves dead in their tracks. It’s a bit of a pain to implement, but well worth it if you’re concerned about your car disappearing. Every time I park my car somewhere sketchy, I pop the hood, lock the doors and pocket the keys. I then use a 10-millimeter wrench to disconnect the cable from the negative terminal of my battery. Then I close the hood and walk away. A car thief won’t get far in a vehicle with a disconnected battery. In fact, they’ll get nowhere. A more elegant version of this same idea is to install a hidden kill switch somewhere in your vehicle so you can disconnect the battery from the starter motor with a flick of your finger.

Find out more car security tips to protect your ride.

It was more a siren call than a store—provocative pink exterior and bold, black-paned windows that revealed a seduction of accessories within. The shiny new cannabis store on the main drag of Stratford, Ontario, had the ultrachic Phase Two look of Canada’s marijuana legalization journey. Each time I walked by, I felt like I was missing out on something. It was only a matter of time before I found myself deep inside studying pre-rolled joint options.

“Nothing too strong,” I began with the courteous saleswoman. “We don’t like to feel anxious.” By we I meant the four women I’d come to town with on our annual weekend getaway. I wasn’t sure how my purchase would go down: most of us were in our 60s, but we also came of age in the ’60s. Still, we found the results of the legal marijuana being sold across Canada unpredictable and best avoided. Wine was our reliable go-to—until this pretty store took hold of me and would not let go.

“I’d like the equivalent of two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc,” I said to the saleswoman. The lively man next to me was re-ordering shatter, an ultra-strong cannabis concentrate—“It changed my life!”

I asked him the THC level of his purchase to avoid something similar. “Fifty,” he said. I left with a modest 17.5 per cent THC pre-roll called Jack Haze.

I timed my surprise reveal for the post-dinner lull, as my friends and I gathered in our host’s welcoming kitchen. I’d barely explained Jack Haze’s gentle merits before said host grabbed it from my hand and toked like she had to get in one last drag before the fuzz busted us. Within minutes—we’d all eagerly partaken except for a lone abstainer—the Haze part of Jack became evident in the form of absolute immobility. It felt as if we were pinned under a fine but powerful mesh. But under that mesh, sprawled on a circle of couches and chairs in the living room, we were as jacked up as drivers at the Indy 500.

Three hours later—or maybe 15 minutes, time had lost its purpose—I attempted to get a glass of water from the kitchen. On my knees. “Seriously, I can’t stand up,” I said to my friends, who did not try something similar.

“Here’s your water, Cathrin,” said the abstainer, whom we had begun calling The Mother (let’s not examine that). “Now I am going to bed. And I don’t want to be disturbed.” As she said this, she rolled up a magazine and slapped it in her hand. Which was, like, super scary. When we did eventually walk, we all crowded into The Mother’s bedroom, afraid to be alone in our own rooms. “Get to bed, Little Stoned Women,” she said, and as soon as we did, we fell asleep with the serenity of the innocent.

The next morning, I returned to the store to helpfully school the staff on selling marijuana to 60-year-olds.

“First of all,” the man at the counter said, after asking me a series of questions including how much THC was in our system on any given week (none). “Comparing wine and marijuana is a false equivalency.”

“Good note,” I said.

“Second, your joint…” (I had brought along Jack Haze—three-quarters of it remained—as evidence) “…is 17.5 per cent THC pre-roll. Given your abstinence and inclinations, what you want next time is a six per cent CBD-THC hybrid roll.”

Hybrid roll, I thought as I walked slowly home, jointless. That’s what I’m missing.

Next, if you’ve ever had to get a colonoscopy, you’ll relate to this woman’s hilarious story.

They talk about the straw that broke the camel’s back, but really it should be the password that wiped out my memory bank. My world is now in ashes. Let this be a warning to others.

I was going along fine—with instant recall of my bank PIN, my mobile phone number, my Facebook log-in and the date of my cousin’s birthday. Then I joined a gas station rewards scheme.

The sign-up form on the company’s website asked me to create a password. When I typed in “gas1,” it was rejected for not being complex enough. I needed to add at least one upper case letter and one symbol.

I tried again: “IHateHeartlessOilCompanies@#$%PricesNeverStopGoingUp.” But that was too long and didn’t include “at least one numeral.” It may also have been defamatory.

Following my usual custom, I utilized an obscure fact about my favourite singer, Elvis Presley: “Garon1935”—a reference to the middle name of Elvis’s sadly stillborn twin brother.

This was accepted by the heartless people at the oil company, though I was drawing on a tragedy in a way that should make us all feel uncomfortable. My excuse: I’d used up all other Elvis references, including but not limited to GladysPresley1912, Priscilla1945 and TomHanks2022.

But here is the thing: as soon as I inserted this fresh password into my memory, I instantly forgot all the others. My brain had hit its limit for passwords.

I now know nothing. I cannot complete the simplest of transactions: no banking, no streaming service subscriptions, no idea about the date of my cousin’s birthday.

Facebook? They no longer trust me. Ditto, my frequent flyer account. It was the same story with The Dubai Journal of Home Economics (we all have strange online preferences).

I had entered some passwords in my Book For When I Die, a notebook in which I’ve recorded vital information for my wife and kids after my demise. Of course, I didn’t write down the actual passwords, in case the Book For When I Die falls into the wrong hands. Instead, I disguised them in a way that only a family member could figure out.

For example, I combine my banking PIN with our postal code, then add it to a list of phone numbers alongside the name Johnny Cash. It’s a stratagem that would fool even Albert Einstein.

The book also contains three passwords that cryptically relate to events in history but are described in such a complex fashion I’ve forgotten myself what was intended.

Memory is such a weird thing. Marcel Proust called it a “game of hide and seek.” You might have no idea where a memory lies—it seems impossible to locate—then suddenly it’s there in front of you. As Proust said, “We see nothing, then suddenly the name appears in its exact form.”

That’s fine for Proust; all he had to remember were the names of Parisian socialites. He didn’t need a password for every human action.

Maybe we need a system like the one we use to remember people’s names. You know, when you form an association between a person’s attributes and their name by chanting the mnemonic “Skinny George, Skinny George” after meeting them. The risk is that, upon seeing him, you’ll blurt out the phrase. “Skinny George” might not mind, but it’s possible “Boring Beatrice” will.

As for remembering passwords as you change them, you could go through the books of the Bible or military ranks, although I can never remember whether a colonel is above or below a lieutenant. Or you could simply use the first and last letters of Elvis’s greatest hits, together with the year of their release.

Maybe I’ll try that one out—but only after cryptically describing the system in the Book For When I Die. Then I’ll hide the book in a place so obscure I’ll never remember where it is.

Next, check out one man’s hilarious account of what it’s like providing tech support for his folks.

Chiquita knows bananas, so when the brand published a microwave banana bread recipe, we took notice. Did someone say microwave? Now, that’s what we call quick bread!

How do you make this microwave banana bread recipe?

You’ve probably heard of mug cakes, so you get the idea. You’ll need bananas, an egg, plus brown sugar, wheat flour and a handful of other pantry staples. Everything gets mashed and blended and divided between two mugs.

Just microwave for a few minutes—and voila—nearly-instant banana bread!

You’ll need:

• 1 ripe banana
• ½ banana for topping
• 4 tablespoons wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Microwave banana bread is a fantastic way to put over-ripe bananas to good use. Here’s how to keep bananas fresher, longer!

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the mugs
Generously spray two microwave-safe mugs with cooking spray or lightly coat with melted butter. (We think everything is better with butter!)

Step 2: Prep your bananas
Using a fork, mash the ripe banana in a bowl. Then, cut your remaining half banana in slices.

Step 3: Make the batter
Mix the egg, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, vegetable oil and wheat flour with the mashed banana. Then, spoon the batter into the mugs. (Try this aluminum foil trick the next time you need to soften brown sugar.)

Step 4: Microwave
Pop into the microwave for up to 2 minutes. You’ll want to check after 60 seconds for doneness, though.

Step 5: Top with banana
Finish each mug of banana bread with two pieces of sliced banana. Enjoy!

Now that you’ve got this microwave banana bread recipe under your belt, discover eight easy meals you can make in a mug.

One of my favourite things about spring is the arrival of different species of birds. My grandfather was a bird lover, and I picked up the birdwatching hobby at a young age, thanks to his influence. My husband, John, and I find it a relaxing way to enjoy nature; we like birdwatching when we go camping or hiking. Plus, I have a great love of nature photography, so when we sit out in the backyard of our home in Barrie, Ontario, I always have my Canon digital camera with me. John is an artist, and he often paints the birds I photograph.

Usually when the yellow warblers come back from the south in springtime, they pass us by; we don’t typically see them hanging around our home. But not on this particular sunny day in spring. As soon as I finished my workday, I put on a light jacket and went out to the backyard to unwind in my favourite way: by watching the birds.

While taking some pictures of cardinals and chickadees at one of our feeders, I looked up and noticed this yellow warbler in our maple tree. The tree had recently begun to bud, and the bird’s yellow feathers looked striking against the yellow blooms, so I took this photo.

Our backyard has a variety of trees, and between my husband and me, we’ve documented almost 40 different species of birds. I’ve photographed most of them, but some can be a bit camera shy, so I also keep a written list of what we see. Our more common visitors are cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, hummingbirds, various finches and sparrows.

I watched as the yellow warbler hopped from branch to branch that day. I could tell he was a male because of the reddish-chestnut streaking on his chest; females have more of a solid yellow underpart. I like to say he was doing the “warbler dance” because warblers don’t ever seem to sit still, which makes them tricky to photograph.

As I watched, I listened closely. The yellow warbler’s whistled song sounds like it’s saying “Sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet,” but this one was strangely quiet; I’m guessing he was too busy looking for caterpillars and other insects to eat. After a long migration from Central or South America, he must have been hungry.

Soon, I’m sure, he’ll continue his path north to find a wet, wooded area where his sweet whistle will attract a mate.

Next, find out how to attract birds to your own backyard.