For older people who are lonely, is the solution a robot friend?
In the months after her husband of 65 years died, Dorothy Elicati said she did nothing but cry.
Rick Steves: Glimpsing Northeast England’s ancient past
While southern England gets most of the glory — and the tourists — the country’s far northeastern corner harbors some of England’s best historical sights. Hadrian’s Wall serves as a reminder that this was once an important Roman colony, while nearby Holy Island is where Christianity gained its first toehold in Britain. And both can be reached from the town of Durham, home to England’s greatest Norman church.
Tropical Gardening: Interest in native plants follows Polynesian culture celebration
The recent confluence of Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian and other Pacific Ocean cultures has inspired a new interest in landscaping with native and endemic plants of this vast region. What they have in common is that they all relate to the rebirth, renaissance and the evolution of life and culture.
Volcano Watch: Cruising Chain of Craters Road: Recent earthquakes and past volcanism
The upper East Rift Zone (UERZ) of Kilauea was a shaky place this past weekend. This region extends southeast from Kaluapele (Kilauea’s summit caldera) to Maunaulu, and earthquakes here can reflect pressurization of Kilauea’s summit magma storage system.
Plant of the month for July 2024 – Mango
Welcome to mango season in Hawaii. Here on the Big Island, we can choose from lots of tasty varieties this summer. Though some stores carry local mangoes, your best bet is to shop at one of the farmer’s markets where vendors often carry several different species. Once you find one you like, you might want to consider growing your own.
Let’s Talk Food: A foodie in Honolulu
I took my two grandchildren to Honolulu to meet son Reid, who was working in Oahu. They were both so excited to go on this trip that Artemis had her bag ready a week before.
Quick Fix: Tunisian Chickpea Salad
I was looking for a cool salad for this July 4th and created this spicy North African inspired chickpea salad. It makes a light summer vegetarian salad. I added some hard-boiled eggs to add variety to the texture of the dish and I give a foolproof method for cooking the eggs.
A beginner’s guide to homemade cheese ravioli
Making Italy’s favorite dumpling from scratch can give even practiced home cooks reason to pause.
A bite of nostalgia, in the form of ham and cheese sliders
What’s a no-fail recipe for summer gatherings? My dad’s old-timey ham and cheese sliders never fail to deliver.
The world of luxury fruit: Does a $156 melon taste sweeter?
A$396 pineapple comes tucked into an ornate red box that unfurls like origami and is punched with breathing holes. A $156 melon, swaddled in foam netting, grew alone on a vine from which every other fruit was pruned, with the aim of making it extra sweet.
Scientists in Japan give robots a fleshy face and a smile
Engineers in Japan are trying to get robots to imitate that particularly human expression — the smile.
Steves: A quick trip to Tallinn
Stepping off the boat in Tallinn, Estonia — a short ferry ride from Helsinki (and an overnight sailing from Stockholm, or an easy flight from anywhere in Europe) — you’ll likely feel as if you’ve nevertheless traveled a great cultural distance from Scandinavia. Located about halfway between Stockholm and St. Petersburg, Tallinn is both Nordic- and Russian-influenced, and a visit here is a fun peek into a proudly unique and resilient nation.
Design recipes: Space-saving ideas
Children’s rooms are often smaller spots within the home and where space is often a premium. These rooms are also ideal locations for implementing space-saving ideas. From built-ins to shelving and furniture that maximizes space, increasing the visual footprint of a children’s room is easily achievable by implementing space saving tips.
Tropical Gardening: Warm summer days bring rampant growing shrubs and turf
Whether you have a home with a large yard or an apartment with a small lanai, plants create a more luxurious mood. Attractive trees, shrubs and lawns actually increase the value of a home.
Kenny T shares bill with Makaha Sons at South Kona Summer Jam
It’s rare, even locally, that someone in their 40s bursts onto the music scene, but Kenny Tagavilla is the exception.
Hawaii Performing Arts Festival celebrates 20th anniversary
WAIMEA — Since the summer of 2005, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival has continued to bring world-class music to Hawaii Island.
Follow these tips for super-smooth fruit smoothies
Just the word “smoothie” calls to mind a soothing, cooling sippable meal in a tall, frosty glass. An easy breakfast or expeditious snack, a smoothie is the deliciously healthy cousin to an ice cream shake. The only equipment you need is a good blender. (I can attest that a food processor will leak.)
Let’s Talk Food: Cooking with children
With the children off for the summer, this is a good time to cook with them and teach them some culinary skills. It is something very important to me as eventually they will be on their own and if they can cook, you need not worry about them. Artemis, age 5, told me she wanted me to teach her how to cook so she will have 100 boyfriends.
Steves: Morphing into a beer aficionado
When I’m far from home, I become a cultural chameleon. I eat and drink regional specialties with gusto, feasting on steak and red wine in Tuscany and stuffing down tapas at midnight in Spain. So when I travel to countries that are known for their beer, I morph into the best beer aficionado I can be.
Tropical Gardening: What would Hawaii be without palms?
Until recently, palms in Hawaii have had relatively few serious insect and disease problems. Unlike Florida and the Caribbean, we dodged the bullet of Lethal Yellowing. That disease destroyed most coconut palms in the region during the 20th century.
