Category: Articles

  • Grandma’s Butter Crunch Jello Cream Cake

    My fondest memories of my late grandma, Shirley Ihara, are of watching her cook and bake in the kitchen. During the holidays, she would make her Butter Crunch Jello Cream Cake and it was one of my favorites. She actually taught me this recipe when I was a child, but I really didn’t make it…

  • Ban the Grinch This Christmas

    Holidays are for giving, but for some it’s a season of taking. Don’t let a Grinch ruin your holiday! Below are some common scams and what to look out for to avoid them.

  • Ask a Kupuna

    It’s that time of year when we fondly reminisce about family gatherings and vacations, so my question for this issue was: “What is your favorite Christmas memory?”

  • Finding Balance and Joy in Your Life

    Some things are universal to the human race. The night sky is one of them, for we can all look up and feel connected to the moon and stars. Perhaps we have even placed a lost loved one there in the firmament and look to them for guidance when times are tough. In her recent…

  • The Sewing Hui

    Nestled in the quiet paniolo town of Makawao in Upcountry Maui lies a powerhouse of volunteer sewists. Jennifer Oberg, a dressmaker who specializes in custom wedding gowns, opens her studio on a weekly basis for The Sewing Hui to gather, create, and talk story. On most Thursdays, you’ll find people from Upcountry, Kihei, Kahului, Lahaina…

  • Grief & Bereavement — Part VIII

    In Sherry Turkle’s book, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk In A Digital Age, she writes about the process of the virtuous circle of communication by discussing the poet, Henry David Thoreau’s moving to Waldon Pond to live more deliberately. Thoreau furnished his cabin with three chairs. One chair to represent solitude, where he could…

  • Estate Planning 101

    The first step in the estate planning process is learning. What do you need to learn? I suggest this as your starting point: You need to discover how to stay in control of your stuff while you are able to be in control, as well as how to be sure that that your wishes will…

  • Tips for Entering Retirement Solo

    Approximately 23 million Americans ages 65 and older are single, divorced or widowed, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau. That means there are many people in this country who are planning their retirement on their own, without the help of a spouse or partner.

  • Now That I Am Ready to Retire…

    To qualify for Social Security benefits, you must earn a certain number of credits. The number of credits you need depends on your age when you apply and the type of benefit. No one needs more than 40 credits for any Social Security benefit.

  • Medicare Season Attracts Millions

    According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, more than 10,000 people are turning 65 every day and may qualify for Original Medicare insurance. Once an individual obtains the core parts of Medicare, other options may lower out-of-pocket costs. Some beneficiaries choose to get their coverage from Part C Medicare Advantage plans.

  • Aloha Pen Pal

    I find volunteering the most humbling and rewarding when it connects the young and the old.

  • Opening a Window of Opportunity

    You think you are young at 40 years old, right? But what if your intended life-long job was terminated and you’re not ready to retire? What do you do when a door closes on you like that?