The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What are your favorite Thanksgiving memories?

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories is recalling the times my family traveled to Cashmere, Wash., to celebrate with my great-aunt Mable Kenyon and my aunts and uncles.

The food was fantastic. Wonderful turkey and trimmings, homemade bread, and pies of all kinds.

We’d load up our 1938 Chevrolet and head off for the one-hour trip to Cashmere. When we moved up the Columbia River to the Wenatchee Beebe Orchard Company near Chelan, it was a two-hour trip.

I also enjoyed cooking Thanksgiving dinners when my kids were older and my parents weren’t gathering with my father’s family anymore.

Then, when my parents grew older, I had great fun preparing Thanksgiving dinner for them. I’d put a turkey in a big ice chest, with ice, and head to Wenatchee.

After my dad passed away, I’d gather items to take for the dinner, but buy a turkey, duck, or goose at the nearby Safeway when I got to Wenatchee. I spent a lot of time with my mom after my dad died. We enjoyed each other very much.

What were your best and most enjoyable Thanksgiving celebrations? Being with relatives or friends? Traveling to visit loved ones? Volunteering at a community gathering? Taking a vacation?

Leave me a comment below about your Thanksgiving memories.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were your best and worst consumer happenings this week?

Which consumer experience cheered you this week and which one made you want to scream or weep?

Here’s what happened to me this week:

 

My best consumer experience: Using digital photography to take hundreds of photos of fall colors

I couldn’t have done it without digital photography. I took 1,500 photos of fall colors in and around the Olympia, Wash., area. I wrote “How to Take Photos of Fall Colors” with my 10 best photos and “Fall Colors: My Best Photos for 2009” with my top 100 photos.

A film project with that many photos would have been too expensive. Also, I would have had to wait to see my results. I might have missed unique fall color photo opportunities.

I had fun and experienced much joy from the project.

My worst consumer experience: Bad food at a Mexican restaurant

My friend injured his foot, so we changed the location of our Friday night outing to a Mexican restaurant. It would be easier for him to negotiate with his crutches there rather than the downtown restaurant with curbs and perhaps distant parking.

Our dinners were good, but after we finished them, I got a bad stomachache. I had to leave the restaurant quickly.

The food may have been spoiled; I had a Seafood Chimichanga, but I asked to not have it deep fat fried. Or, I could have been allergic to something in the food.

Not a good consumer experience.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How to take Halloween photos

Halloween offers the opportunity to capture a variety of images that are sure to please you and your family for years.

If you take the time to think through your photo opportunities, your chances of having terrific photos increase.

Here are 12 tips for Halloween photography:

1. Start early.

Snap photos of your children and grandchildren before they set off to trick or treat. They’ll be less rumpled and sticky. If kids wear a mask, take photos of them with the mask on and off so you can identify them in years to come.

2. Turn off the flash for pumpkin shots.

If your lighted pumpkin is on the doorstep in the dark, using the flash will wipe out the light from the candle. Put the ISO on 400 or 800, slow down the shutter speed, and use a tripod, if you have one, or rest the camera on a fence or chair so it doesn’t move. It’s safer to use battery-operated candles or a flashlight in your pumpkin.

3. Stagger a group of six or eight trick or treaters or partygoers.

Your photo will be more interesting if people aren’t lined up.

4. Take head and shoulder photos, too.

In addition to snapping the full body to get in the entire costume, remember to take photos of people’s head and shoulders. The faces and the smiles can be delightful or scary.

5. Try unusual angles.

A different angle, like shooting from down low can completely change a photo and make it unique.

6. Use natural light.

Try taking photos at twilight. This time of year, we experience a beautiful pinkish light at twilight. At dusk, you’ll get a spookier look.

7. Avoid flash reflections.

Don’t place your subjects in front of mirrors or windows.

8. Ask for action.

Have the child act out the costume, such as having your princess strike a royal pose.

9. Try lighting effects.

Use the light from the pumpkin or have someone shine a flashlight from the side onto a face for special effects.

10. Experiment with the night settings on your camera.

They adjust for low light by letting more light in. Press the shutter slowly, use a tripod, or use the self-timer so the camera doesn’t shake.

11. Convert photos to black and white or sepia.

This can add to the scary factor.

12. Take photos of the food and decorations.

If you have a Halloween party, remember to snap a few photos of the food and decorations.

For more information on Halloween photography, see “Halloween Photography Tips” on the Digital Photography School Web site.

Good luck with your Halloween photos. Let me know how they turned out.

Happy Halloween.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 places for fall colors

A reader enjoyed the photo slideshow I posted yesterday of my top 100 photos of fall foliage in and around the Olympia, Wash., area.

She said she’d like to see the fall colors in other areas.

See “Fall Leaves: 10 Places for Vibrant Foliage” on The Huffington Post Web site for brilliant displays of fall colors around the nation.

The top 10 fall color destinations are:

1. Aspen, Colorado
2. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon/Washington
3. Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina/Tennessee
4. Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
5. Mount Washington, New Hampshire
6. Acadia National Park, Maine
7. Lost Maples Natural Area, Texas
8. The Berkshires, Massachusetts
9. The Catskills, New York
10. Sonoma County, California

The photo above was taken along the Columbia River in Central Washington.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Fall colors: My best photos for 2009

The fall colors in and around Olympia, Wash., captured my attention in the last few weeks. I took 1,500 photos.  

Thank goodness for digital photography. It would have been too expensive to take that many photos on film and have them all developed.  

Despite variations in weather, I was able to get 100 great photos. Although cloudy days are supposed to result in excellent photos because the fall colors pop out, my best photos were taken on sunny days. 

I was out photographing several times at twilight. The pink sky is so great this time of year. When I was out at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, I watched the beautiful sky for about half an hour. The rosy hues suddenly faded and turned into gray, grainy clouds.  

Here are my best 100 photos of fall colors this year. Enjoy.   

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How to take photos of fall colors

The fall colors in the Pacific Northwest are beautiful this year. I’ve spent hours in and around my community taking photos.

Here are my top 10 tips for taking photos of fall colors:

1. Start early.

Keep an eye on the trees and bushes so you’ll know when the peak of their display is happening. While photos of piles of leaves are interesting, photos of trees with many of the leaves on the ground show your readers that you didn’t get there in time.

2. Watch the weather.

In the Pacific Northwest, we’d had a lot of rain this fall. I had to dash out several times when the sun peaked out to work on my fall colors photos. I also took photos on overcast days. Gray days can work well, as they allow the fall colors to pop out.

3. Make a list of the attractions in your community and think through the best way to photograph the fall colors near them.

I spent several hours on Tumwater Hill looking for a place I could photograph the legislative building, the domed building in the Washington state capital of Olympia. A few days later, I found two much better spots to photograph it: from the other side of Capitol Lake and right on the capital grounds.

4. Focus on an interesting item.

Select a tree, rock, fence, or building and put it in for foreground, off to one side. It will add depth to the photo with the fall colors providing a framework.

5. Go out in the early morning and the late afternoon.

The light and shadows at these times of day add depth to photos. In addition, early morning is one of the best times to photograph fall colors reflected in a lake or pool of water.

6. Take close-ups.

Photos of leaves, branches, and bushes can provide interesting results, especially with the light peaking through the foliage.

7. Dress warmly.

When I went out to the Nisqually Delta Wildlife Refuge, I wore my winter coat and leg warmers. Although it was a nice day, it became cold when the sun went down. I walked two miles along the trails. Take water if you’re going on a hike.

8. Think safety.

When I went to the Capitol Forest, the rural roads were narrow. I waited until I could find a place to pull over to take photos. I also used care when I walked along rural roads. I wrote a post on “Which States Kill the Most Pedestrians.” Rural pedestrian crashes have a higher fatality rate. This is due to increased vehicle speeds found on rural roads and the fact that many rural areas have no sidewalks, paths, or shoulders for pedestrians to walk on.

9. Be prepared.

Take an adequate supply of film or computer disks. If you have a digital camera, be sure to bring an extra battery. I was almost done taking photos at the state capital when WHAM. My battery died and I was finished. In addition, remember accessories – a telephoto lens, a polarizing filter, and a tripod. I was out at sunset several times, and I could have gotten some better photos if I’d brought a tripod.

10. Take lots of photos.

Experiment. Overexpose and underexpose photos. Zoom in and zoom out. I took 1,500 photos. I’ll put together a slide show of my best 50 photos, and I’ll also have a great collection to use next year to sell free-lance articles on “How to Take Photos of Fall Colors.”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Healthier treats for Halloween

For years, when we had a Central Washington apple farm in the family, we’d give out apples for Halloween. After that, I passed out popcorn in wax paper bags.

Lately, I’ve been dispensing small boxes of raisins. However, my daughter told me recently that she thinks raisins are a lame Halloween treat.

She suggested a toy, but I wouldn’t consider that because of the possible toxins in toys. One in three toys tested recently by The Ecology Center were found to contain "medium" or "high" levels of chemicals.

Halloween pencils or stickers are other ideas she had.

You don’t have to be a “sugar pusher” on this nationally sanctioned Sugar Overload Day, says Connie Bennett, writing on the Sugar Shock! Blog.

Ideas for nonfood treats

• Hair clips and hair bands for girls

• Key chains

• Children’s magazines or comic books

• Bottles of bubbles

• Fake money

• Used books

• Temporary tattoos

• Jump rope

• Small deck of playing cards

• Sidewalk chalk

• Coupons from a yogurt store or juice bar

Ideas for school supplies

• Pencil toppers

• Pens

• Erasers

• Colorful paperclips

• Paper

• Paintbrushes

• Washable markers

• Ruler

•  Coin purse

Ideas for healthier food treats

• Cereal bar, but watch the sugar level

• Snack packets of pretzels, nuts, and seeds

• Trail mix

• Individual juice drinks of 100 percent juice

• Animal crackers

• Hot chocolate or apple cider packets

• Packages of low-fat crackers with cheese fillings

• Gold fish crackers

• Snack pack pudding

• Applesauce

If you choose candy for treats, look for those that are lower in fat and sugar.

Choose bite-size candy bars based on the least amount of fat and calories per serving, recommends Clemson Extension in the article “Healthy Halloween Treats.”

Better choices are: 3 Musketeers; 100 Grand Bar; Butterfinger; Milky Way; Raisinets; Starburst, and York Peppermint Patties. In addition, consider healthier dark chocolate versions.

Happy Halloween!

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What do you like to serve for a Halloween party?

When I have a Halloween party, I like to serve the things I enjoy for party food. They include salmon, skewers, deviled eggs, vegetables and dip, cheese platter, fancy nuts, olives, and wine.

For a Halloween party, I’d add pumpkin pie with whip cream and chocolate candy.

The Halloween “flavor” is created with decorations.

What about you? When you invite guests for a Halloween bash, do you like to serve your favorite party food or zany Halloween concoctions?

When researching what to serve for a Halloween party, I found lots of gory and ghoulish “treats.” For example:

• Gummy worms in pudding dirt

• Witch finger cookies

• Meringue cookie bones

• Hard-boiled egg eyeballs

• Bloody Mary cocktails

• Fresh graves

• Vampire’s blood with bugs

• Witch’s brew

• Bloody brains

• Chocolate spiders

Gosh. Not my cup of tea.

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Here are references to help you plan your Halloween party, with spooky and not so spooky eating delights:

“Halloween Parties” – FamilyFun

“Halloween Party Recipes: What to Serve at a Trick-or-Treat Get-Together” – Suite101.com

“Kids’ Halloween Party Ideas” – Kaboose

“Top 10 Favorite Party Foods” – Crunkish

“Low-Carb Party Foods” – About.com

“Top 10 Party Food Recipes” – The Best Party Blog

“Top 10 Worst Foods for a Party” – Life 123

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What are the most popular Halloween costumes this year?

When it comes to Halloween costumes, vampires, princesses, police officers, and pirates are in, while politicians, nurses, and Batman are out, reports the National Retail Federation.

About 47 million adults and 58 million children across the country plan to dress up for Halloween this year. 

Once again, witches take the top spot for adult costumes – 18.1 percent. Vampire costumes jumped to the number two spot – 4.2 percent – from third last year.

For children, princess takes the top spot for the fifth year in a row, and 4.5 million children are expected to wear princess costumes on Halloween. An estimated two million witches, 1.3 million Spidermen, and a million pirates, pumpkins, and vampires also are expected.

Top adult costumes

1. Witch
2. Vampire
3. Pirate
4. Clown
5. Wench/tart/vixen
6. Cat
7. Devil
8. Scary costume/mask
9. Athlete
10. Police officer

Top kids costumes

1. Princess
2. Witch
3. Spider-Man
4. Pirate
5. Pumpkin
6. Vampire
7. Disney princess
8. Star Wars character
9. Tinker Bell
10. Batman

See the article “The Most Inappropriate Halloween Costumer Possible (Photos)” on The Huffington Post Web site for the latest in costumes you want to avoid.

My next post will be on "Tips for Halloween Safety."

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How to Buy a Pumpkin for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, nothing’s more fun than taking the kids or grandkids to a pumpkin patch.

Here are tips for picking out great pumpkins:

• Buy the pumpkins three days to a week before Halloween, depending on the weather in your area.

• Determine in advance what kind of designs you want to make so you can buy the right size and shape pumpkins.

• Decide what kind of pumpkin you want. Jack-o'-lantern pumpkins have string, watery flesh and are best used for Halloween decorations rather than cooking. Mini pumpkins have a rich, sweet flavor. Other cooking pumpkins include sugar, cheese, and pie pumpkins.

• See if there are any farms in your area that have pumpkin patches. It’s fun to take kids to them so they can see how pumpkins grow.

• Check your local farmers’ market. It’s likely to have a wider selection of varieties and sizes.

• Supermarkets, discount stores, and other stores offer pumpkins, but some cut the stems short, making it difficult to hold them as you carve.

• Look for firm pumpkins with a strong stem that aren’t mushy and soft. A uniform orange color shows that pumpkins are ripe.

• Avoid pumpkins with bruises, cuts, or nicks. 

• Test the weight of the pumpkin. It should be heavy for its size, not light.

• Treat the pumpkins gently. If they’re bruised, they’ll deteriorate more quickly.

• Don’t carry pumpkins by the stems. The stems could break off.

• Store the pumpkins in a cool, dry place.

• Carve the pumpkins just before Halloween because they begin to rot quickly.

• Be careful if you put candles inside carved pumpkins. It will cause them to deteriorate more quickly, and they could warp. Remember also that candles can always be a fire hazard.

For more information, see these Web sites: “How to Buy a Pumpkin for Halloween” on Taste of How To, “Picking Your Pumpkins” on The Pumpkin Patch, and “Pumpkin Buying and Cooking Guide” on Delish.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist