Kendal at Oberlin Blog

As Baby Boomers reach “official” retirement age (66 for most of them), many are taking a pass.

Water yoga and tap dancing classes — in all about 40 hours of land and water fitness classes weekly.

In a diverse, engaged city like Oberlin, volunteerism is an integral part of life for lots of residents and employees.

When Judi Bachrach’s husband died, she lost both a soulmate of nearly 50 years and a caregiver who helped her with the challenges of multiple sclerosis.

When it comes to keeping our heart in shape, we need to pay attention to what we eat and drink. But following a diet that includes more fruits and vegetables and less sodium and fats isn’t the only ingredient for a healthy heart.

We also need exercise to get our body in shape.

A few years ago, 99-year-old Doreetha Daniels received her associate’s degree in social sciences. Her goal was simple – she wanted to better herself.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, many couples like to find a restaurant with dim lights, candle-lit tables, a vase of fresh roses, maybe a fireplace and other warm touches.

When it comes to romantic dining, a few restaurants in Northeast Ohio top the list year-round. Other restaurants amp up the romantic quotient this time of year.  In other words, lots of choices for couples who want to eat out on Feb. 14, a Thursday this year, or the weekend before or after.

We start the new year with a new date, but often with an old resolution – eat better or exercise more or a variation of the two. Something is obviously awry. Yes, change is not easy.

One of the many perks I’m looking forward to when my husband and I retire is traveling when we want, not at the whim of workplace calendars. Years ago, my husband was a photographer for a TV station and could not get time off during the rating “sweeps” periods. (OK, they did make an exception for the birth of our May baby.) Now he’s a teacher, and travel is limited to school breaks and the two months in the summer when the rest of the country is also on the move.

In late December 2017, Congress passed a major reform of the Internal Revenue Code, known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Now it’s time to pay close attention to these changes as we gather our 2018 records and prepare federal taxes.

The biggest change that affects all taxpayers is the standard deduction amount. The new tax law almost doubles the previous standard deduction amount to $24,000 for married filing jointly, $12,000 for single filers, and $18,000 for heads of households. This increase means that while in past years you might have itemized, this year you might be better off taking the standard deduction.