If you've been feeling virtuous because you've been eating your green vegetables, you need to broaden your spectrum. One way to achieve better nutrition without crunching a lot of numbers is to munch on vegetables and fruits in a variety of colors.

Fruits and vegetables actually come in five color categories: green, red, white, blue/purple and yellow/orange. Each color category is distinguished by a tendency to be higher in certain naturally occurring chemicals that are beneficial to health. These phytonutrients or phytochemicals are believed to act as antioxidants and to boost the immune system. This year in particular we could all use stronger immune systems to fend off the H1N1 flu, the seasonal flu and ordinary coughs and colds.

Filling your plate with a full palette of colors is palate-pleasing as well. Imagine blueberries with your breakfast cereal, avocado and tomato on your lunch-time sandwich, yellow squash sauteed with onions with dinner. You'll enjoy food more, boost your nutrition and model good eating habits for your grandchildren. Go ahead. Add some color to that plate!

I've had November 4 on my calendar for a while, ever since my daughter told me that the first Wednesday of each month is Senior Citizen Day at Kroger, and I can get a 10% discount on my whole bill, not including tobacco, alcohol or gift cards. Yesterday I spent an hour or so going through my e-coupons and paper coupons and matching them to the store ads before heading to the store.

At Kroger, the service desk employee quickly upgraded my Kroger card to a Kroger senior citizen card. There was only one catch: the upgrade would take 24 hours to become effective. I wouldn't be getting the senior discount after all.

I did my shopping anyway, and saved 45% on my bill with coupons and my Kroger card. Now I'm looking forward to December 2.

At some Kroger stores, the discount is only 5%, and the qualifying age may vary also. If you're interested, you'll need to check with your local Kroger, or call your favorite store and see if they are matching Kroger's deal. Just be sure to ask for all of the details. It's hard to win at the grocery game if you don't know all the rules.

See more Thrifty Thursday hints:

Moonwalks and inflatable slides are great fun for the grandkids. We usually rent one for Thanksgiving, but they are also good for family reunions, combined birthday parties and a host of other celebrations. Photo © Susan Adcox

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Recently I wrote about the need for families to discuss end-of-life issues, mentioning that most people say they want to die at home, but around half die in a hospital. A new study shows that patients in the United States are five times more likely to have spent some of their last days in an intensive care unit (ICU) than patients in England. When patients were over 85, U.S. patients were more than eight times more likely to have been in ICU. In the midst of our national debate about health care, it's worth pondering the implications of this information.

In a news release, lead author Dr. Hannah Wunsch summarized the study as being about "[w]hether less intensive care for very elderly patients who are dying is a form of rationing, or is actually better recognition of what constitutes appropriate care at the end of life," saying that the issue "warrants further research."

As grandparents, we should be devoting some thought to our own mortality. Many children have their first experience with death when a grandparent dies. Some grandparents will die suddenly, in circumstances beyond their control. Others, however, can have input into how their last days are spent. It's worth spending some time thinking about what your wishes will be if you happen to fall into that second group. It could make a difference to those who are left behind.

Read more about preparing for and dealing with a grandparent death.