THE LEFT LANE
Masterpieces hang in the hard-hat zone

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Maryknoll High School

Maryknoll High School art students were invited to dress up the barriers around work being done at the Fernhurst YWCA next to their school.

Students of Maryknoll art teacher Brad Koki recreated and installed 11 paintings, including works by Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Albers, Mondrian and Motherwell. The art will be on display until the Y construction project's completion, scheduled for December.

Help memory light up corners of your mind

When you meet someone, imagine the person's name written on his or her forehead, says Fred Chernow, author of "The Sharper Mind." This way, you hear the name as well as see it, doubling the likelihood that you'll remember it.

A few more of his tips for the absent-minded.

• Talk aloud when you put down your keys or glasses. Tell yourself exactly where you put them. Later, you'll remember hearing your voice.
• Vary your mental workout. Unfamiliar situations and challenges stimulate the brain. Try tying your shoelaces or brushing your teeth with your left hand if you're right-handed.
• Minimize stress to maximize memory: Prepare ahead, balance work and leisure, have realistic expectations and take relaxation breaks at regular intervals.

Finger-painted faces help block those rays

Several manufacturers, including Coppertone and Zinka, make sunblock in blue, red, purple and other colors. Use it to draw flowers or hearts on kids' cheeks, and they may not mind wearing sunscreen anymore.