Tag Archives: Surfing

Summer, Ice Cream and Blueberries!

Summer’s here!

And what do you normally do when it is a holiday weekend? Spend time with family, go on a mini vacation, have friends over for a BBQ. You know, take time off and have some fun. Right?

Me? I decide to write a post.

I know. I need to get a life. Lol.

Okay, it’s obvious, I don’t care as much as I should about the blogging. And I know I should care. I do care. Really, I do. But, you see, I’ve been preoccupied with the edits. Lots of edits. Lots and lots of edits. As in, terminal editing. I think it’s a disease!

Will it ever end?

At some point, I am sure I will have to let this baby fly on its own. Yet, for now, there’s still much work to be done. And so I press on.

Meanwhile, summer rushed in while I’ve busied myself with the writing project. Long, hot summer days are now spent in air-conditioning for the most of us. Unless you’re at the beach.

Oh yes, the beach. I really miss the beach. Have I mentioned that already?

How’s it going over there, Murphy?

(See, I left the bird behind, excuse me, mascot at the beach. He was better off. There’s a beautiful wildlife sanctuary along the coast in Huntington Beach. Truly he’s more suited for that environment. I mean, when’s the last time you saw a pelican in the desert? I thought not.)

Murphy has agreed to be my foreign correspondent for all things beachy and coastal in SoCal.

Are you there, Murphy?

Yes, yes, I’m here. Quite nice, actually. No air-conditioning in my neck of the woods.

Don’t rub it in Murph, okay?

Sorry. I’ve noticed a number of posts on Facebook containing ocean waves on your FB page Karen. Here’s one I especially like.

11012645_1763125833914040_2470037653109068796_n
(Photo curtesy of Chris Harsh, surfer extraordinaire)

(See, this is why I left that crazy pelican behind.)

Okay Murphy, we’ve got the picture. Thank you.

Anything else that I can help you with? Just let me know. I am at your disposal. A Picture of hot babes in bikinis, perhaps? Or I could send over a shot or two of our beautiful weather. Maybe a picture of a couple of buff surfers would do the trick?

That’s quite enough Murphy. Thank you.

Righto! Cheerio!

So, what was I saying? Oh yes. Summer is in full swing. And you know what that means?

Here’s the scoop. Summer means Ice Cream.

Blueberries are just the cherry on top.

Why do I say that?

Well, can you imagine summer without Ice Cream?

I didn’t think so.

Picture a glorious hot summer day with a creamy, dreamy scoop or two of your favorite flavor.

enhanced-16774-1403117773-26
(Google Images)

See what I mean? My mouth is salivating! What do you think Murphy?

Does it come in fish flavor?

(This is what I get for asking.)

Why don’t you go for a short walk…Oh, never mind Murphy! Just skedaddle. Adios!

Anyway, my personal favorite is Straus Family Creamery’s Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It’s tradition back to the basics. In other words, perfection. And for those of you that are sensitive, it’s certified kosher, gluten free and Non-GMO Project Verified.

organic-vanilla-ice-cream
 
It’s like fresh churned Ice Cream!

Then add in fresh, organic blueberries on top and you get my drift.

Happiness on a hot summer day at the McFarland’s.
 
 
 
So what to you think? What is your favorite Ice Cream flavor? How’s your summer going thus far? Have any plans for a family vacation? What fun things help you and your family stay cool over the summer?
 
Cheers everyone! I hope that life is treating you well. And as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Advice From the Ocean

Advice from the Ocean
(Picture by Shadow Text.net)

A couple of weeks ago, I found this on my Facebook feed. Personally, I think Murphy had something to do with it. I never know what that Pelican is up to.

When at first glance, I thought it was a nice play on words. After all, it involves the beach. And let’s face it, who of us doesn’t like to change our focus to a place we would normally go on vacation.

But, as I looked closer, I noticed this was more than just a mere clever attempt in making a statement. These were words of advice, a real life savor, an ocean full of guidance and counsel to give real meaning to our lives.

So, I began to meditate on what was said. I placed my blanket down on the beach, settled my belongings, dug my feet into the cool damp sand, then took a deep cleansing breath and peered out at the refreshing blue body of water.

Ah yes. I felt the stress roll off my entire body.

Yet, what did this all really mean?

For each one of us, it might mean something totally different. But since this is my post, I thought I’d jump in and take a stab at it. I hope you’ll share your viewpoint in the comment section below. 🙂

Be Shore of Yourself. Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with this one a lot. I think it goes with the territory of being a writer. I try to appreciate my own strengths and abilities, but it’s hard to be confident on a daily basis when I think that what I just wrote is a piece of rubbish. I definitely have to work on this one.

Come out of Your Shell. This one’s a biggie too. And I’m not sure if this has anything to do with being an extrovert or introvert. I guess it could. But for me, it’s a matter of trust. If I’m the one that’s sticking my neck out, I want to make ‘shore’ that someone’s not going to bite my head off. So far, so good! But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. I’ve been known to put my foot in my mouth. I know. Shocking!

Take Time to Coast. Well, since I’m sitting on the beach, breathing in the fresh salt-infused air, meditating, I’m putting this one into practice. But who of us doesn’t struggle with this? It’s not going to happen unless we schedule it in. We all have so much to do, in any given day. But there are times when we just need to coast. We need time to relax and recharge our minds and bodies or our ability to create will suffer. To be honest, it really affects every aspect of our life. So this is a must do. Somehow, SOMEHOW, we must find the time and give ourselves permission to coast. Even it it’s just for a little while. Yes, Relax and breathe! 

Avoid Pier Pressure. Let’s face it, we all like to be accepted and appreciated by our friends. But even as adults, we sometimes struggle with feelings of inadequacy—that we just don’t quite fit in—that we may not meet the standards or requirements that others may expect of us. As you can see, the pier is connected to the shore. And we can find ourselves in deep water if we don’t stop comparing ourselves to others and come to appreciate our own strengths and capabilities. We all ROCK in our own way, you know?

See Life’s Beauty.
Appreciate Life

The cool thing about this is, no matter where we live, there’s beauty. It can be in the smallest of things that will fill our hearts with joy and laughter. Yet, for us to truly gain appreciation, we must make the time to coast!

Don’t Get Tide Down. I think this is related how we spend our energy. As I sit here and watch the tide, I have to admit, it has a very strong pull. It can be high or it can be low. If we’re tide down too much, it can be a waste of our energy. And who of us has extra energy these days? So, balance seems to be the key. It’s what keeps a surfer on his board, right? If we keep balanced, we will not allow ourselves to be tided down with all the negativity and we’ll be able to perform at our best!

Make Waves! Yes, yes, yes! Don’t just stick your toe in it. Jump in and make a big splash and enjoy the ripple effect in everything that you do! I’m still working on this one. How about you?
 

So what do you think? Do you like to stand at the shore or jump in and make waves? Do you like to take a walk on the pier or would you rather stay in your shell? What kind of beauty has life thrown in your direction lately?
 
 
Cheers everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Olympics or Surfing?

17 days
 

10,500 athletes
 

2,300 medals
 

Innumerable cheers, jeers and tears.
 

What a feat!
 

But did any of you happen to catch the Surfing event? What? You didn’t watch the surfing competition? Well, it was slightly dwarfed in comparision to the Olympics, I’ll give you that. Yet, while most of you were glued to your TV monitors watching the 2012 Summer Olympic games, in my home, we watched surfing. That’s right, the “Nike U.S. Open of Surfing.”
 

 
Yep, this is the same guy I caught playing in my backyard a couple of months ago and now he’s back in a big way. Only this time, he’s brought along quite a number of his friends from all over the world.
 

It’s been said that the Nike U.S. Open is the “Superbowl of Surfing. It is the epicenter of the surfing world. It doesn’t get any better than this. It is the best of the best. And let me tell you there is a huge difference when watching an amateur surfer verses a pro. Hands down, there’s no comparison.
 

But why does it all happen here? What makes this area of the Pacific Coastline so special?

Where is here you might ask? Oh silly me, that’s right. I didn’t tell you.
 

Well, besides deriving its name from an old Beach Boy song, this city is identified with the sport of surfing and is known as the “Surfing Capital of the World.”
 

Surf City lies across an eight and a half mile stretch of wide open sand along the southern California coastline otherwise known as Huntington Beach. Throughout the world, “HB” is synonymous with world class surfing. Yet, at one time, this area was recognized more for its oil and agriculture than for the sport of surfing.
 

You see, Huntington Beach is situated at a unique location. No other beach in the world can boast its dependability of surf. It seems there’s an ocean current that provides the ultimate in surfing with waves that are unparalleled; influenced naturally by a diffraction of ocean swells via the island of Catalina off its shore twenty some miles away. And if there is a hurricane off in the distance, all the better.
 

Cowabunga!
 

I could get all techie here, but I have a feeling I’d lose some of you! So let’s just say this is what helped to put Huntington Beach on the “World Map of Surfing.”
 

But here’s the thing. Even though Huntington Beach is known for its consistency of surf, the worst part of the year for surfing is in the summer. Are you thinking, what I’m thinking? Why on earth would they hold one of the biggest surfing competitions in the world when the surf is not at its best?
 

Kelly Slater, 40, an eleven time world champion surfer admits that at “this time of year, we only get south swells. You need a combo swell with some west in it or some north in it to kind of make the waves a little peakier and more surfable.”
 

Oh, that’s just gnarly dude. That makes perfect sense. We get it, right?

See, I told you there was a little techie something to this.
 

Apparently, the big whoop-de-do about holding the Nike U.S. Open of Surfing in the summer is due to the fan element. The Nike Open attracts quite a swell, of people that is. Hundreds of thousands descend upon the beach just south of the “HB” pier.
 

Oh, so it’s about the money. Noo, I find that hard to believe.
 

What still doesn’t make sense to me. And maybe it’s just me. But after all these years, I thought we’ve come further than this. That is, the huge spread in the purse between the Men and Women Champions. While the first place winner in the finals earned $100,000.00 for the men, the women’s first place winner only received $15,000.00.
 

Say what?

 

In my research for this post, it looks like there are likely two reasons that might shed some light on this. One, the age span for professional male surfers may reach middle age, while most women stop competing in their early to mid twenties. It seems the womb has something to do with this. And two, men draw more crowds than women surfers.
 

That’s kinda sad. I think we need more women surfers, don’t you?
 

Yet, whether you were watching the Olympics or Surfing, no matter what type of athlete or reward, there is a certain enjoyment that is derived from competitive sports. We respect and admire these talented men and women for all their years of hard training and devotion—for they give it their all!
 

Here’s a little taste of what you may have missed…
 

 
 
So what do you think? Did you watch the Summer Olympics? What was your favorite event or athlete? Do you enjoy the beach or watch the surfers as they ride the waves? Have you ever attended the Olympics or other sporting events?
 
 
 

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Reality Bites!

That’s what Bobby Gumm, not to be confused with Bubba Gump, must’ve thought when a large great white shark took a huge chunk out of his surfboard off the northern Oregon coast while he sat there terrified.

Bobby Gumm is a chef in the quaint coastal town of Newport and was roughly 600 feet off South beach when an estimated sixteen foot shark tried to take him for his next meal. On its first approach it had brushed against his leg, then took a ferocious bite and ripped off the front of his board lifting him out of the water.

Observers were quoted as saying that it looked like a bunch of piranha were churning up the sea, when all of a sudden a dorsal fin was spotted at least two feet high, then watched as Mr. Gumm was shot up in the air like Old Faithful out of the water. Cowabunga dude!

Gumm is a native of Hawaii so surfing is in his blood, but he was counting his blessings that day, all five of them—his children as he arrived back safely into shore. And when he got home, he kissed each and every one of them. Yes, he was grateful and he credits his survival to a morning prayer he says everyday before surfing.

So even though white sharks are commonly known to hang out off the Northern California coast in fall, they can on occasion be spotted off the coastline of Oregon. They prey on elephant seals and sea lions. Really? That’s interesting. It seems this particular shark had apparently mistaken Mr. Gumm’s silhouette as one of the many pinnipeds. Oh, that makes me feel so much better. It was mistaken identity. Right.

Okay, if that’s the case, then what accounts for the deaths of three more people who have died recently off the southwest coast of Australia, a renowned aquatic playground from a rogue man-eating predator? This area of the world has been better known for dolphin and whale watching cruises, white sandy beaches, world-class surf breaks and the peppery Shiraz of its Margaret River wineries than for shark attacks.

A 32 year old Florida man who had moved to the area six months ago was diving solo off a boat by Rottnest Island, a few miles away from the city of Perth. Again, just like Bobby Gumm, he was attacked last week. But this time someone died. This episode pushed Australian authorities to take emergency legal action, then set up tuna-bait hooks as a deterrent to protect the area’s many inhabitants for the first time in history since the great white was named a protected specie.

Mistaken identity?

Since I live off the southern coastline of California, a well known surfing mecca, it made me think. At any given moment, one of hundreds of surfers who ride the waves, come off the lip or shoot the pier could end up the same way. Yet, just as these other individuals, they all must recognize the potential danger involved before they take the risk, right?

How many of us think about the risk we take in our everyday lives? We may feel there are days when we are swimming amongst the sharks and that at any turn we could come under attack. Then there are others who have already been assaulted, undergone surgery and are now going through therapy licking their wounds.

Some of us lately have been going through real challenges in our lives. Some have been dealing with sickness, death, unemployment, family issues, and the list goes on. Although we try not to make this our main concern, sometimes it’s all we can do to get through the day. Just know that you are not alone.

Yes, there are times when we all need to put things into perspective, but sometimes there is really nothing we can do. Sometimes—reality bites!

 

So please let me, what do you think? Do you or have you ever surfed? Do you enjoy snorkeling along the shore? Do you feel safe? And how many of you feel like you’ve been attacked lately by one of life’s many unexpected challenges? Because it seems like we are all going through one thing or another and we could use a little encouragement.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, feel free to follow by email. And thank you all for your many kind thoughts and salutations!
Karen

 

A big shout out to Kristen Lamb and all my new classmates in my #WANA1011 class and all others that may grace my presence by visiting this post. Take care and make it a great day!

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