I knew the day of my grandma's passing could come at any time, she was almost 104-years old, but hearing the sudden news from my aunts still hit me hard.

Can you believe my grandma turned 100 years old this weekend? It's so astonishing to me! When I look at her and talk with her, I always feel she's much younger. Sure, she's not as mobile as she used to be, but most times she can maneuver her wheelchair with her tiny feet faster and stronger than I can push it. And her wit is still so sharp! It's probably because she has so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren to remember, or maybe it's because of all the puzzle books she completes each week. I really don't know what her deep secret to longevity is, but I do know she prays each day, she tells me she tries to stay positive about everything, and she always says that her family means the world to her.

This past week my brother, and my family and I all headed to Utah to attend my niece's high school graduation ceremony. Although my niece never attended school in Hawaii, we wanted her to experience graduation like a local girl would. We pre-ordered a fresh haku and quite a few flower leis from an awesome lei shop in Honolulu Chinatown and had them ship the flowers directly to my sister's house in Utah. These were in additional to all the ribbon, candy, and money leis we brought up with us in our carry-on bags! So after my niece proudly received her high school diploma and the ceremony ended, she met us outside and got lei'd all the way up to her eyeballs. Very local style!

It has been very rough for my siblings, my family, and I these last few months. My dad, who was a healthy and strong man, got diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had metastasized to his liver. It was extremely difficult for all of us to see his health decline so rapidly after getting that diagnosis. Three months later, he passed away.

The City That Never Sleeps. Boy, is that an understatement. This small town girl had a rough time tuning out New York City's nightly "lullabies", as my sister jokingly called it. Between the police and ambulance sirens, snowplows, delivery trucks, and late night drunks, I barely slept 4 hours each night I was there. That's what happens when your hotel is right on 7th Ave., a few blocks from Times Square, the entertainment epicenter of the city. But on the flip side, staying at that location provided so many amazing opportunities to see the most of NYC. Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Central Park to name a few.

I can't believe a year has gone by without my mom. It seems too fast, but yet, it feels like I've been grieving for a long time. I've learned this past year that unlike what everyone tells you, time doesn't heal the pain of such a great loss, you just learn to manage it. I don't think it ever goes away completely. My family and friends have shown me tremendous support, but I've come to realize that bereavement is different for every individual. There's no correct time period or way to mourn the loss of a loved one.

A few weeks ago my dear mom passed away. Saying goodbye to her was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do in my life, but I thank God He gave me those last moments to hug her, kiss her, hold her hand and tell her how much I love her.

The only thing I ever had to cook when I was a kid was rice, and even then the rice cooker did all the work for me. I was blessed to have a family that cooked and baked for me: my mom and dad, my grandma, my aunts and uncles, and my older brother on those days when both of my parents worked. Born and raised in the small rainy town of Hilo on the Big Island, it wasn't until I left the nest for college at UH-Manoa in Honolulu that I started dabbling in the kitchen. It was either that or suffer eating cafeteria food at the dorm. Originally a chemistry major, I learned to cook and bake from watching others, and to my college roommate's dismay, by also conducting my own trial and error meal experiments. Ha, those were fun times!