Tuesdays are getting noticed this year. Last week Tuesday was Flag Day. This week, June 21st marks Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere. As this diagram illustrates, Solstice is the moment when the sun reaches its most northerly point on the celestial sphere. In other words, it’s the longest day of the year. The next
Articles Categorized Lifestyle
Our Grand Old Flag
In our rush from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, we often miss Flag Day. I’m guilty of that myself. I think the reason we pass by the day honoring the adoption the American flag is because there’s no holiday attached. No fireworks. No bands. Just a day like any other. In June 1777
Old Maid’s Day – Really?
Darn – I missed it. Saturday, June 4th was National Old Maid’s Day, still on the list of June holidays and observed with reluctance by writers who rush to assure us modern women do quite well without marriage. And yet, I think the day shouldn’t pass completely unnoticed. Up until the 21st century,
WALKIN’ THE MALL
On average Hilo gets 126.72 inches of rain annually. It’s not all hard rain, but I’m a ‘fair-weather’ walker. I don’t even like drizzles. So for me when it rains, Liliuokalani Park isn’t an attractive place to walk. Unless of course, I’m already there when the skies open up. Once I’m wet, I’m wet. But,
Travel Light
I have a research trip to Scotland coming up this summer, and have vaguely started thinking about what to pack. My desire to travel light seldom happens, because I’m usually going to places with opposite climates or have a gamut of activities from research jeans wear to elegant evenings. But this trip the possibility of
RHODODENDRONS BLOOM IN THE SPRING — Tra-La
I spent a few days in Seattle last week. To my delight, flowering rhododendrons reminded me of the best part of a Seattle spring. The season is all too short — delightful blossoms replaced by green foliage by summer. But while they bloom, rhododendrons are nothing short of spectacular. As I strolled through a
SURMOUNTING “THE WALL”
How often has this happened to you? You’re concentrating on a task … or thinking about concentrating on a task, and suddenly you realize you’ve been asleep. If you were in the act of writing at the time, there’s a wiggly line slithering off the edge of the page. Not only are the notes
Liliuokalani Gardens: An Oasis in Time
Twice a week I treat myself to a morning walk around the perimeter of Liliuokalani Gardens, one of Hilo’s best known landmarks. On a perfect morning, the combination of morning sun, glittering sea, and the emerald lawn of the Japanese Garden are the perfect renewal for body, mind and spirit. Liliuokalani Gardens sit on 30
AUTHORITATIVE FEMALE VOICES
Since today is the last Monday of Women’s History Month 2016, I thought it might be interesting to look at why the majority of technological voices are female. A few weeks ago we looked the popularity of “female” robots. Realistically, most of us are unlikely to ever encounter a life-size robot of any gender, but
EGG BUNNIES
Easter bunnies are an American tradition. So are their eggs. Where would we be without Easter Egg Hunts for the children and chocolate bunnies for their parents? Like many customs, the concept of Easter bunnies and their colorful eggs is a distinctly odd mixture of European pagan origins and Christian adaptations. Imagine yourself in a
Maria, Ava, and Frieda the Shredder
Meet the antiquated shredding machine my co-shredder and I called “Frieda.” We were doing a community service project. Neither of us was good at construction work, but we were quite the shredding team. And there were boxes and boxes of documents that Frieda wanted to, shall we say, consume. [Sidebar: The name Frieda comes from
PLAN NOW FOR LEAP DAY TRADITIONS
Every four years the calendar has a hic-cup, otherwise known as February 29th, the Leap Day in a Leap Year. It appears that no one knows quite what to do with that extra day. For most of us, it will be a day filled with our usual activities. But for some people, February 29th
CARNIVAL, MARDI GRAS & FAT TUESDAY
My unpretentious papier mache mask is a little worse for wear, but to me this kitty face represents Carnival in Venice, a season celebrated from the day after Christmas until the day before Lent. Venetian masks are famous, and it’s said that mask shops are more numerous in Venice that greengrocers or butchers. This makes
HARAJUKU: Hello Kitty’s Fashion Successor
The Honolulu Museum of Art is an oasis in busy Honolulu. The institution was founded by Anna Rice Cooke. She and her husband Charles Montegue Cooke collected art. Eventually the collection outgrew their home on Beretania Street and Anna decided to establish an art museum on the site. She wanted it to be multi-cultural
For Positive Energy: Get Rid of Clutter!
According to Feng Shui principles, January is “get organized month.” I guess it’s all those pristine new calendars – the ones we still buy even though our entire life is held captive by smart phones. When I think of getting organized, clearing my desk comes to mind. Simply shoving paper into drawers doesn’t count,
JANUS & THE FIRST NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
The image of Father Time handing his hourglass and sickle over to Young New Year is long embedded in western culture. In this postcard from 1910, Father Time looks happy and energetic as he advises his protégé on the year ahead. A fresh new year offers everyone the endless possibilities of positive change and new