February 9 to March 6, 2022 he Broadway sensation WICKED looks at what hap-pened in the Land of Oz...but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friend-ships...until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.” With a thrilling score that includes the hits “Defying Gravi-ty,” “Popular” and “For Good,” WICKED has been hailed by The New York Times as…

by Molly Keating, MA, CT, O’Connor Mortuary We are entering a familiar world with familiar places but the way we are experiencing them is altered. We are different, too. So, what does it look like to transition from the deep sorrow of one place into the space where the sorrow has been more digested, is more manageable and incorporated into our lives? How do we transition out of grief? I believe, when we ask this question, we are really saying – “when can I get back to living?” or “when can I stop being sad?” Life lesson time: 1. Grieving is…

I was driving to work one chilly February morning and the radio talk show host mentioned that there were only 45 weeks left in the year. The number struck me; we had just begun the new year yet 45 weeks seemed so short to me when I heard it. It’s amazing how mindset changes our perspective on things. If the radio announcer had said there are 315 days left in the year, I would have continued my drive into the office and never given it another thought. 45 weeks! What would I change? How differently would I live my life…

There are few periods that are as difficult for those who are grieving than the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving and culminating with the New Year. Here are a few tips to not just cope with your grief during the holidays, but to engage in your grief and grow in it. Admit the holidays are hard Holidays are hard under the best of circumstances. We tend to eat more poorly, over-commit to activities, and struggle with meeting all the expectations we think others have. But when you’re grieving, what is normally manageable can become overwhelming. The beginning point is acknowledging that…

By Becky Lomaka, MA, CTDirector of Grief Support and Education O’Connor Mortuary It’s been a rough few weeks since my last column. My family and I have experienced heartbreaking losses that have me in a tangled emotional overload. In mid-August, a friend’s daughter was killed in an automobile accident, a beautiful life taken much too young. Just a few days later we found out our dear friend of twenty-five years had only a few weeks to live, the cancer we thought was gone from his body came back with a vengeance. He died over Labor Day weekend. On the same…

First, if you are grieving the death of someone you love, let me offer my heartfelt condolences to you. These are unprecedented times in which your grief is compounded by the uncertainty surrounding us. When I speak on the topic, I refer to losing our “North” when we are grieving. When we are grieving our world feels turned upside down. Our task is to find our “North” again; not to recover because “recovery” means to go back to how things were before our loss. Rather, we enfold our loss into our lives. The end game is not to get over…

Decades ago we published a piece warning parents sending their kids to college for the first time to provide their children with more than what freshmen need to pack for their lives at school. Our article described materials the undergrads should leave at home with their parents, as well as take away to the university: every student who is over eighteen should (MUST), leave their parents with an Advance Health Care Directive, a Durable Power of Attorney for Property and Finances, and a very strongly drafted HIPAA form. We gave out reams of these articles to parents and students, but…

A Q & A with Derek Mannion, founder of Alliance Eldercare You think it might be time to consider options for your aging loved one’s future care and quality of life. Easier said than done when the mere thought of navigating the myriad of options - from independent senior living and board and care homes to memory care communities, long-term, hospice  Parkinson’s and more - seems a Herculean task. That’s where a senior placement specialist can prove to be a tremendous resource … and available at no cost to you. Having said that though, you’ll want to make sure the…

They are all too common. Many households think they are planning carefully for retirement. In many cases, they are not. Weak spots in their retirement planning and saving may go unnoticed. Couples should recognize that they may face major medical expenses. Each year, Fidelity Investments estimates how much a pair of newly retired 65-year-olds will spend on health care throughout the rest of their lives. Fidelity says that on average, retiring men will need $133,000 to fund health care in retirement; retiring women, $147,000. Even baby boomers in outstanding health should accept the possibility that serious health conditions could increase…

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel presents its annual summer Festival of Arts exhibit featuring 13 contemporary artworks from the Festival’s Permanent Collection. Honoring the oceanfront resort’s long-term partnership with Pageant of the Masters and Festival of Arts, guests are invited to view the exhibit from May 11 through September 4, 2018. Guests can also visit the Festival of Arts, featuring 140 of Orange County’s finest artists, and experience the Pageant of the Masters UNDER THE SUN-themed stage performance where art comes to life. The exhibit, titled “Fantastic Imagination: 45 Years of Contemporary Art,” was curated by Pat Sparkuhl and includes: Iranian…

I love the concept of consignment - finding a true treasure for which someone else paid full retail and I get the benefit of acquiring the same item sans the depreciation. But I have a friend for whom the word “resale” is synonymous with sketchy deals on Craigslist. Suffice it to say that it took some doing to convince her to explore the offerings of the San Juan Capistrano-based Revel Consignment. We were on our way to lunch and had some time before our reservation so we walked in and got so caught up perusing the beautifully displayed furniture, art…

Since its first Wills and Trusts Week in the fall of 2011, the Orange Catholic Foundation has had as one of its primary goals to encourage everyone to have an estate plan designed to provide for the needs of their families. Each year in the spring and fall, the Orange Catholic Foundation works in collaboration with parishes and schools throughout the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange to provide information sessions led by local Catholic estate planning attorneys and financial advisors to help you protect and provide for your loved ones, update or create your estate plan, and learn more about…

May 5, 2018 Indonesian satay? Thai meat balls? Boba tea? Tacos? Polish sausages? Grilled rice balls? Italian ice? Korean BBQ? Dosas? Yakitori? Vietnamese food? Musubi? Indonesian satay? Thai meat balls? Boba tea? Tacos? Polish sausages? Grilled rice balls? Italian ice? Korean BBQ? Dosas? Yakitori? Vietnamese food? Musubi? These are just a few of the tempting international treats that will be served by student clubs and non-profit organizations at Soka University’s 17th Annual International Festival on May 5, from 10:30 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Parking on campus is $10 (cash) and carpooling is encouraged. The 103-acre Soka University…

Featuring Cats and Dogs, plus Fish, Birds and Frogs…and More! OC Fair & Event Center - April 27 - 29 This annual family-friendly event features all creatures cute and cuddly, furry, feathered and scaled of all sizes, shapes and colors. New to America’s Family Pet Expo for 2018 is the Sea Lion Splash Show; a unique mobile aquatic experience combining both marine fun and environmental education. Sea Lion Splash Show features rescued sea lions from both California and South America. Ready to thrill and excite audiences of all ages, the sea lions balance balls, shoot hoops, dance, shake their flippers,…

As it happens each January, we all have the best of intentions in keeping our “new” resolutions. Which, for most folks, are similar (if not identical) to last year’s goals, and the year before ... Every single year, we start with the highest of intentions but along the way we get sidetracked. In 2013, Forbes Magazine reported that while over 63 percent of Americans make New Years resolutions, less than eight percent of them are actualized. No matter your socio-economic circumstance, the statistic pretty much stays the same for everyone from highly successful entrepreneurs and professionals to soccer moms and…

A life well celebrated is a legacy planned well. Pre-planning is a gift from the living to the living. To plan ahead is to give your loved ones the greatest gift of all. Plan ahead for your legacy and give the gift of peace of mind. It is a natural part of life – to celebrate a life, telling its story and closing its final chapter. Yet, many do not plan ahead for one of life’s most difficult days. Pre-planning the celebration of a lifetime begins with protecting the ones you love, and it ends with planning for your final…

I had been looking forward to the 2017-2018 school year for over a decade. It was the year that our son would be the 5th grade – the first year in which California students study American history. I had visions of showing him (and his 9-year-old sister) the places where all that crazy rebellion, revolution and nation-forming happened; places I had visited in the distant past and which I was eager to see again through the new lens of older eyes. So we set about planning something more profound than a star-aligned school year: a fun-filled, educational family adventure that…

Celebrates Many Heritages Indonesian satay?  Thai meat balls?  Boba tea?  Tacos?  Polish sausages?  Grilled rice balls?  Italian ice?  Korean BBQ?  Dosas?  Yakitori?  Vietnamese food?  Musubi? These are just a few of the tempting international treats that will be served by student clubs and non-profit organizations at Soka University’s 16th Annual International Festival on May 6, from 10:30 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Parking on campus is $10 (cash) and carpooling is encouraged. The 103-acre Soka University campus is located at 1 University Drive in Aliso Viejo, CA off of Wood Canyon Drive. This year the International Festival will…

Since its first Wills and Trusts Week in the fall of 2011, the Orange Catholic Foundation has had as one of its primary goals to encourage everyone to have an estate plan designed to provide for the needs of their families. Each year in the spring and fall, the Orange Catholic Foundation works in collaboration with parishes and schools throughout the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange to provide information sessions led by local Catholic estate planning attorneys and financial advisors to help you protect and provide for your loved ones, update or create your estate plan, and learn more about…