Wednesday, November 22, 2017
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald
Page 7
This year, pass the turkey and the family photos
By MELISSA RAYWORTH
Associated Press
When extended families
lived closer together, it was
easy to pass on family stories
and anecdotes, maybe while
cooking dinner or putting
children to bed.
“Over the river and through
the woods to grandmother’s
house we go” was essentially
how people lived, says John
Baick, a history professor
at Western New England
University in Springfi eld,
Massachusetts. Many Amer-
icans could walk or ride to
relatives’ homes, and shared
meals often. That created a
natural place for passing on
family history and re-telling
the stories that help us under-
stand where we come from.
In post-war America, says
Baick, as families spread
out to far-fl ung suburbs and
beyond, gatherings with
extended family became rarer.
Now, holiday meals can be
among the only opportunities
to ask relatives about their
lives and their recollections of
previous generations.
This holiday season, along
with planning menus and
decorating, consider collecting
family stories and bits of
precious data that otherwise
might be lost forever.
Start gently
Although a room full
of relatives might seem the
perfect place to gather stories,
tread carefully, especially
with older relatives, says Dr.
Elisabeth Burgess, director of
the Gerontology Institute at
Georgia State University.
“Being in large groups of
people, while exciting, can be
overwhelming and can cause
people to withdraw,” she says.
Consider fi nding a quiet room
to talk, or invite one or two
older relatives to arrive before
other guests.
“If Great Aunt Susie is
coming over before the meal
and she’s going to sit in the
kitchen with you while you
prepare the meal, that’s a
great time to talk,” Burgess
says. “Asking her about meals
when she was growing up and
holiday dinners she cooked
while you are preparing
your own meal may draw
out stories that you’ve never
heard before.”
Let older relatives know
in advance that the rest of the
family would be glad to hear
their stories, she recommends:
“Saying, ‘I don’t think the
younger generation has heard
your stories about World
War II. Do you think we
could make time to tell those
stories?’”
Play detective
Ask family members to
bring old photos, and reassure
them that you’ll treat these
fragile prints gently, says
Heather Parker, associate
dean in the School of Arts &
Sciences at Saint Leo Univer-
Heather R. Parker via AP
This photo scanned by and provided by Heather R. Parker, Ph.D., shows one of her historical family photos. Ac-
cording to Parker, this is an example of looking at the indoor background of a place of business to get context
clues about what her grandfather did for a living. They are in his barber shop. Pictured are Parker’s grandfather
John Pitts, grandmother Isabelle Pitts and her mother Sharon Pitts. This photo was taken in the early 1950s.
Heather R. Parker via AP
Heather R. Parker via AP
This photo scanned by and provided by Heather R.
Parker, Ph.D., shows her grandmother Isabelle on the
left and Isabelle’s sister Ruth, right, in one of Parker’s
historical family photographs. According to Parker,
this photograph is an example of looking at the back-
ground of an outdoor photo and the informal nature
of the photo to get context clues for family genealogy.
sity, in St. Leo, Florida.
If there isn’t a scanner
where your gathering is
happening, consider bringing
a portable one. Relatives
might be more willing to
bring vintage photos if they
know they won’t be asked to
leave them there. If a scanner
isn’t possible, then use a good
smartphone camera with
plenty of memory, and take
clear, well-lit digital photos of
the vintage prints.
This photo scanned by and provided by Heather R.
Parker, Ph.D., shows a photo of an unnamed man that
she had found hidden in the frame behind her grand-
mother’s photo, and was a man to whom Parker’s
grandmother had been engaged prior to marrying her
grandfather.
You may fi nd that older
relatives want to discuss the
portraits and photos that are
mainly of faces. But those
images will only tell you
so much. Examine photos
with more context, like those
taken in a public place, even
if they’re not as attractively
composed as the staged
portraits. Street scenes can
offer nuggets of information
about the location and date of
photos, and about community
history or historical context.
Have a magnifying glass
handy, says Parker, to “look in
the background of the picture,
because that’s going to be
where some of the story is
going to emerge.”
Ask about other
people and events
It’s often hard to get
elderly relatives to open up
about themselves, Baick says.
“If you can, get them talking
about other things, other
people.”
For example, he says: Ask
your grandfather, “What was
it like for Grandma to take
care of Dad?” rather than
asking him about himself.
“That could lead to a dam
bursting,” Baick says.
To help coax memories
out, prepare some printed
photos of historical events
that occurred during your
relatives’ lifetimes. If they
discuss their impressions
and experiences during those
moments in history, personal
details may emerge.
Music also works well
toward that end. “With our
phones, there’s no reason why
we can’t identify the top songs
of any era really fast,” Baick
says. “What was it like to
listen to the radio? What was
it like to own an album?”
Also, ask relatives in
advance to bring old corre-
spondence to spark conversa-
tions.
“Often they have written
letters and documentation,”
Burgess says. “That’s another
source of family history that
we don’t think about, espe-
cially because we live in this
email, texting world.”
Lastly, avoid “yes or no”
questions or very broad, open-
ended ones. Rather than “Did
you like your childhood?”
or “What was life like when
you were young?,” start with
something open but specifi c,
like, “What toys do you
remember having when you
were a child?”
Family members inter-
ested in gathering stories can
brainstorm ahead of time,
Burgess says, to discuss “what
are some of the things we’re
interested in knowing about
Great Uncle Bob’s childhood
or Mom’s work life?”
Record respectfully
It’s important to record the
stories and details that bubble
up, but be respectful.
In any family, “sometimes
things are going to come out
that no one expected or no one
is going to want to talk about,”
Parker says. “You have to be
prepared to understand how
far you can push someone in
the conversation.”
Relatives may feel more
comfortable if they know
what you’re planning to do
with the memories and facts
you gather. They also might
fi nd audio recording less
intimidating than video.
And remember that earlier
generations were raised in a
generally more reticent, less
confessional time, Parker
notes: “They’re not as
comfortable baring their souls
as we are.”
Easy ways to stay healthy through holiday festivities
Albany Democrat-Herald
Between all those holiday
festivities and extra seasonal
chores, it can be diffi cult to
always stay on top of your
health. Here are some easy
ways to prioritize wellness this
time of year.
Make Mornings Count
Evenings are especially
busy around this time of year,
so taking control of your
mornings can be key. But,
on dark winter mornings, the
hardest part about working out
can sometimes be just getting
out of bed. Stay accountable
by making workout plans with
friends. Get your yoga-loving
coworker to commit to a
weekly class with you, or start
a holiday steps competition at
work to motivate yourself to
move more.
Try Out Tech
New, innovative technol-
ogies can inspire you to take
charge of your health. Wear-
able fi tness trackers have been
around for a while, but home
DNA tests, like Orig3n’s
Fitness test, can help you opti-
mize workouts by providing
insights into your genes.
Discover whether you have
the genes that need an extra
rest day, or whether you’re
better at high-intensity work-
outs or endurance exercises.
Then, adjust your routine
accordingly. If you’re looking
to eat more healthfully, the
Orig3n Nutrition test analyzes
your hunger and weight genes
so you can learn about how
your body processes fats
(good to know for Christmas
cookie portion control) and
if you’re predisposed to any
food sensitivities. Ask for one
for the holidays or gift a DNA
test for your White Elephant
swap.
Strike a Balance
Exercise accounts for only
about 25 percent of weight
loss, while healthy eating
accounts for 75 percent.
Indulge yourself this holiday
season, but also make smart
choices. Go for the apple pie
and eggnog, but pair them
with healthier choices earlier
in the day. Enjoy the shrimp
cocktail instead of the cheese
and crackers, or have a light
breakfast of yogurt before the
holiday feast. It’s all about
balance. Instead of reaching
for all the sweets and comfort
foods in front of you, think
about what you’d really like
to eat. Choose wisely and
mindfully.
Focus on Fun, Not Food
Don’t overthink it! It’s the
holiday season and you’re
supposed to be enjoying your-
self. If you spend your time
at parties counting calories
instead of counting down to
the New Year, you’ll miss
out on the most important
part of the season — time
spent with loved ones. What’s
more, you may fi nd yourself
overindulging later if you’re
too restrictive. Instead, focus
on the people in your life and
the memories you’re making.
Get Rest
The most wonderful time
of the year can be the most
stressful when you have
parties to plan, gifts to buy
and fi nancial obligations. A
University of Chicago study
found that people overeat
on snacks — sometimes
hundreds
of
additional
Holiday Fresh
It’s Time to Celebrate!
calories — when they aren’t
getting enough sleep. Take a
breather, and when you can,
get yourself to bed early.
Start the new year right.
Have fun this holiday season,
without neglecting your
health.
Join us on
Thanksgiving
or Christmas
for a complete
Turkey or Ham
Dinner.
Happy Thank s giving
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