Today, I hope you’re having a great celebration with your mom or are remembering her if she is no longer with us. My mom, Ruth L. Slingsby, photo at left, was a hard-working, supportive mom. I miss her every day. She passed away in 2005 at the age of 89. Here are some facts and figures for Mother’s Day 2024: Read more →

My birthday is May 4, a wonderful time in the spring when everything is blooming. When I was a child growing up in Central Washington on an apple ranch, I used to run through the orchard on my birthday when the trees were in full bloom, an enchanted place. The blossoms were spectacular and the fragrance marvelous. Read more →

Health agencies are investigating reports of harmful reactions in people who received injections of counterfeit or mishandled Botox. Consumers in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington have reported harmful reactions after receiving Botox injections. Read more →

Millions of workers who are saving for retirement and rely on advice from professionals on how to invest their savings will be better protected under a new rule finalized Monday by the U.S. Department of Labor. The Retirement Security Rule, also called the Fiduciary Rule, updates the definition of an investment advice provider. Read more →

A friend on Facebook tricked me with with a tale of a move across the country, a new line of work, and a rural lifestyle. I thought, wow, that’s an interesting thing to do. Then, it dawned on me, April fools. I don’t know how I feel about being tricked on social media. I usually write about a few of my favorite April Fools’ Day jokes on April 1. Read more →

Planning ahead, I decided to try to see what I could find that was new for an Easter lunch that with fit in my new, low-fat Dean Ornish meal plan. I found Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels, mashed potatoes, and green beans at Trader Joe’s. At Safeway at the end of a long shopping trip, I found some hot cross buns. Read more →

One of the most tragic things I learned in my journalism career is about a child whose esophagus was destroyed when they swallowed lye that was being used to make soap. So every year, I write about National Poison Prevention Week, which is the third full week in March. More than 2 million poisonings are reported each year to the nation’s poison control centers. Read more →

On Monday, I went with my daughter to arrange my funeral. Now, I’m a senior who’s spry, as my daughter says, so this is just advance planning not the need for a funeral soon. Should you arrange a funeral in advance? Not unless you have some safeguards in case the funeral home goes out of business or won’t help you if you move away. Read more →

The Super Bowl ads this year followed a similar pattern of previous years: just a few good ones, many bad ones, a lot of silly ones, and my biggest complaint – violence being used to sell products and services. Years ago, I didn’t like Betty White being tacked onto the ground to sell Snickers bars and seniors being victimized in ads. Read more →

I know, I know. As a consumer and personal finance journalist, I should have had my will prepared a long time ago. I’ve had a handwritten will for years that was witnessed by two friends. It’s not sufficient, but it was something. People need to have a will because if they don’t, their assets, if any, will be distributed according to state law. Read more →