The Mermaid Chronicles

Sea Legs

2012-03-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

I arrived at myparents’ beach house around eight wearing slippers, my monkey pajamas and a redfleece robe. I had basically decided that today I would take a day off fromsurfing, sure that the howling wind and consistent rain from the day beforewould have left the ocean with some serious re-organizing to do.

Iwas wrong. Offshore winds from the east had helped the ocean put itself backtogether. I watched from the cliff as big grey peaks came in all over the beachand broke in a very rideable fashion with the white water gracefully chasingthe waves' grey faces in both directions. It must have been at least six toeight feet. No one was out for what seemed like miles. But why? I thought tomyself. The waves looked nice enough and even though the water was probablyslightly polluted from the rain, that never stopped die hard surfers fromgetting their fix.

Watching the waves my mind became divided; Half of me wanted to go home and getwork done, avoiding a pain in the arms paddle and the frozen headache, but the other half of me wantedto take on those daunting waves alone. I felt almost as though the ocean wascalling me to see what I was made out of and I knew I wasn’t going to walk awayfrom that. I made my way through my parents yard to my bike to get my wetsuit,hood and board. I felt surprised by my strong feelings to confront these daunting waves as myearly days of surfing had been filled with fear of riding waves just like them, especially alone.

Icouldn’t stop my legs now, though. They listened to my heart. They knew thiswas a rare moment where the perfect challenge had arrived right in front ofthem.

When I entered the neighborhood beach parking lot I had to make my way pastgroups of men standing around, coffees in hand, discussing the surf. Theylooked at me like I had my wetsuit on backwards, studying my body, face andboard like I was out of place. Their conversations slowed as I made my waythrough them. Whether I was going to flail or shred, it was clear now that itwould be public knowledge.

Imade my way down the dirt beach path and ran right into the ocean. The recentdredging of a nearby creek left the water looking like dishwater and smellinglike the bottom of a pond. It took me about seven minutes to paddle out to theoutside.

Aridable wave came to me and I didn’t hesitate in taking it. I paddled twostrokes and dropped onto the steep wave face. It always seems as though timeslows down when you ride waves that scare you, but I couldn’t have been ridingfor more than three seconds before the whole thing exploded and blocked thepath in front of me. I paddled back out again. This time it seemed to take me alittle longer. The freezing, grey, smelly water washed inside my hood and mademy face feel like it had been dipped in ice cream. I made it to the outside andwaited for another ten minutes before the next decent wave came to me. It was aright. I dropped in realizing this wave was breaking rapidly and I would haveto make up my mind quickly about what I was going to do with the section aheadof me. I could straighten out and allow the explosion of water to occur behindme, or I could pump up the face and ride on top of the impending explosion. Thedecision wasn’t hard. I didn’t come out here to play it safe, I came out todayfor the challenge. Using the speed I had from the steep drop I did a quickbottom turn and then made my way up the wave’s formidable face. I did a topturn before the lip could catch me and then rode out in front of the white washwith a content feeling jumping around in my heart. When my feet hit the sand Ifelt like laughing.

I came up to the parking lot and made my way through the men still congregatingnear the path.

“How was it?” one with agreen hoody asked.

“Umm. It was…It waschallenging” I finally replied with a smile.

When I returned home I hung up my wetsuit more carefully than usual.This apparel carried more value now. It had been my suit on a day when Iaccepted a challenge from the sea.

Our Wedding: Bridal Party Pics

2012-03-14T13:18:00.001-07:00

The following pictures were taken before our wedding ceremony at The University of San Diego on July twenty third, 2011. All of the photographs were taken by Carson Day.

Bridesmaids [l to r] Lindsey (Scott's youngest sister), Maddie (my youngest sister), Me, Danielle (my middle sister), Kristen (Scott's middle sister). So Scott and I are both the oldest siblings in our families and we both have two younger sisters (in case you didn't get that). I was going for a wild flower look for the bouquet since I love all things wild. What do you think?

"here we go"

Groomsmen [l to r] Mike, Jason, Scott, Mark, Dave. They are all Scott's best friends.

My best friends who read and presented the gifts in the wedding. [l to r] Nicole, Stephanie, Me, Nell, Kate, Basia

The subsequent photos were taken down by the beach near the reception site at my parent's house, which happens to be in our neighborhood as well.

It felt so full circle to be celebrating the wedding ceremony at The University of San Diego, my alma mater, where we spent so much time getting to know each other when we were newly in love college kids and then to be back near our new home in the neighborhood where we have spent so much time getting to know ourselves as a couple in our early adult life.

This is the beach where we surf daily. I prayed for no surf, for the first time ever, so we wouldn't be staring at perfect waves when we were all dressed for a wedding party. My prayers were answered! We also got beautiful weather.

It was so hot and bright this July day, which I wouldn't complain about since it is our favorite weather and we could have gotten the grey that plagued the rest of the So-Cal

And the last shot we could stand before we melted was this trippy looking shot. I kind of really love this, but I remember thinking 'what the hell is this going to look like?'

Do you have any wedding pictures stories? I'd love to hear them.

Wedding ceremony pictures here

Thankful Things

2012-03-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

This week I am thankful for

My freedom

My dreams

Hope for tomorrow and inspiration from today

Baking Tofu

2012-03-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

After writing about why I am a vegetarian on Monday, I figured today I would share this vegetarian recipe with you. I realize this isn't the most exciting dish. I was going to post my recipe for tofu tacos, but then I thought about the number of times I've been asked how to cook tofu when talking to friends and family about some of the recipes I make (as if people ask me all the time how to cook; it was probably really only twice). Anyways...
whether you're a vegetarian or not, it's good to know how to cook tofu. If for no other reason, it is considerably less expensive than meat.
I have cooked it many ways, but I find baking it to be my favorite.

After this, I will share a few more recipes that make eating tofu a lot of fun. Because that's one of the main issues for people, isn't it? Tofu seems pretty boring and tasteless. And to be honest, I agree, it is tasteless on it's own, but the part where it gets fun is that you get to give it any taste you want.

Baking Tofu

Serving size: 4-5 (I make two packages and it usually lasts Scott and I for at least two meals)

Ingredients

2 packages of extra firm *organic tofu (you can buy firm or regular if you wish, but I find extra firm has a more agreeable texture for new tofu eaters)

Extra virgin olive oil

* I recommend buying organic tofu only, since an estimated 85 percent of the non-organic U.S. soy crop is genetically engineered (Natural Choice Directory).
*Please see my notes at the bottom about tofu and meat substitutes

Toppings and Sauces

Here's where you can get creative

What I typically use:

Low sodium soy sauce

Minced Garlic

Chopped Onions

Tofu is kind of like chicken in that you can change the flavor of it to fit what you are cooking. For example, when I make tofu tacos, I bake the tofu with olive oil, garlic, onions, lime, cilantro and then saute it with taco seasoning. When I make Thai food I bake it with olive oil, soy sauce, chili pepper, green onions and then saute it with curry sauce and veggies. It is very versatile. Today I opened my refrigerator and just used what I had, adding orange and yellow bell peppers, green onions, red onions, garlic and some sea salt and pepper.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Cover a baking sheet with foil and then cover the foil with a thin layer of olive oil.

Open tofu packages and drain excess water into the sink. Gently squeeze the tofu to drain water from it. Cut the tofu into bite sized cubes. Place the tofu cubes onto the baking sheet evenly so that each piece is resting on the pan (no stacking). Drizzle soy sauce over the tofu. Add desired toppings. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove tofu from oven and flip it with a spatula, then bake for another 20 minutes (total cook time approximately 40 minutes, but ovens may vary).

Like I mentioned above, I often add it to veggies that I am sauteing on the stove so that it mixes in with those flavors, but you can take it right out of the oven and add it to anything you want.

Notes:

Although I am a vegetarian, I don't substitute tofu for meat on every occasion. I try to steer clear of meat substitutes like faken bacon, soy chicken and soy dogs because a lot of that stuff is very processed and high in soy (something you should eat, like everything, in moderation).
If you are a vegetarian, tofu should not be your only substitute for protein.

Good protein substitutes include beans, nuts and seeds
My friend, Roberta, told me chick peas are great as they are very high in iron as are walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and figs.

Like I said above, I recommend buying organic tofu only since an estimated 85 percent of the non-organic U.S. soy crop is genetically engineered (Natural Choice Directory). I really try to minimize the amount of processed products I eat.

How do you cook tofu? Besides meat or soy, what kinds of protein rich foods do you love to eat? I would love to know!

Why I'm a Vegetarian

2012-03-05T12:56:00.001-08:00

Now that we are getting to know each other better I thought this would be the appropriate time to mention that I am a vegetarian. You may or may not know this already. I haven't eaten red meat since the summer of 2009, but I became a full vegetarian last October after seeing a movie with graphic images of a cow being killed for meat. Anyways, I try not to think about it, so I won't go into details. There are many benefits to a plant based diet both for the health of our population and our earth. I'm not going to try to tell you what to do, God knows I hate being told what to do. I'm just here to share with you how I live along with little bits of why.

So here's why:

I never want to stop surfing because of some disease that could be avoided like obesity, heart disease or a stroke. Plus I want to rip!

I'm a control freak. I want as much control over my destiny as possible, which means I am going to do everything I can to live a long, healthy, active and full life. I've lost my paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather to cancer and my maternal grandmother to heart disease. If I'm going out, it's God's choice, not mine.

I love animals, and while I understand the circle of life, I just can't bring myself to even kill ants (yes, I may be a little crazy) let alone cute cows, happy chickens and my fish friends. I truly enjoy co-existing with them. I think they have a lot to teach us.

I love the earth and I want to use what it naturally gives us consciously and gratefully.

Here are some other things about a plant based diet that I find convincing.

Vegetarians and vegans are far less likely to get cancer, heart disease, diabetes or osteoporosis (The Vegetarian Guide).
Mortality from heart disease is positively associated with estimated intakes of total animal fat, saturated animal fat, and dietary cholesterol (The Oxford Vegetarian Study, 1999).
1/3 of all cancer deaths in the United States can be attributed to nutritional factors (World Health Organization).

One study study compared cancer rates of vegetarians and meat-eaters in 34,000 Americans. The results showed that those who avoided meat, fish and poultry had dramatically lower rates of prostate, ovarian, and colon cancer compared to meat-eaters (PETA).
A study comparing the dietary habits of men in 32 countries found that the highest risk factors for prostate cancer mortality were meat and dairy products. By contrast, another study of men diagnosed with prostate cancer showed that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains can slow or even halt the progression of the disease (PETA).
A 2007 study of more than 35,000 women published in the British Journal of Cancer found that women who ate the most meat had the highest risk of breast cancer.

Meat contains absolutely nothing that the human body cannot obtain from a vegetarian diet (Food for Thought)
In the US alone 500,000 animals are killed for meat every hour (Food for Thought)
Eating vegetarian saves more land, energy and water than any other choice you can make.

It takes ten times as much land to produce food for an average American compared to a pure vegetarian (The Vegetarian Guide).

U.S. Livestock produces 20 times the amount of waste as the American Human (250,000 pounds per second!) (The Vegetarian Guide).

Some charts from the documentary Forks Over Knives (I wrote on the first one, in case you couldn't tell).

When the Nazi's took over Norway in 1940 they took away all of their cows and chickens and the Norwegians were forced to eat a plant based diet. What was remarkable in all of the surrounding tragedy was the fact that death from circulatory diseases like heart, artery diseases and blood clots decreased significantly until the war ended and they began eating meat again.

Amazing, right? It's never too late to make a positive change!

Well, that's all I have for now. You can see some of the sources I used below. I highly recommend watching Forks Over Knives and Food Inc. They changed my life!
Oh yeah, and here's a vegetarian food pyramid.

If you don't agree, does it mean we can't be friends? Absolutely not. I'll have you know I am the only pure vegetarian in my family (although I'm working on it) and I can't get enough of them.

The delicious vegetarian (and raw) meal from my friend Roberta's wedding

Check out my sources:
I learned a lot about what I know about nutrition from documentaries like Food Inc. and Forks Over Knives.
And I used these websites to present the facts above
PETA
The Vegetarian Guide
The Oxford Vegetarian Study
21 Reasons to be A Vegetarian website whose information came from the book Food for Thought by Dr. Vernon Coleman

Thankful Things

2012-03-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

This week I'm thankful for...

play time at sea with my husband

support from friends

You make me feel a little less crazy for quitting my job to follow my dream of writing about my life as a surfer.

blog friends for your sweet comments, your input and your encouragement.

family and friends who came to see my film at San Diego Surf Ladies film festival this past weekend

my college friends literally supporting me

my Canadian friends for showing me love when they are near and far

my fish and quad surfboards

the peace that comes at the end of the day

Thawing Near Magnificence

2012-02-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

My Not So Oscar, Oscar Moment

2012-02-27T14:44:00.001-08:00

content, the rare kind

No it wasn’t the Oscars. And the mostcommon fashion trend of the evening was jeans paired with flip flops, but I’dbe lying if I didn’t tell you that I treated this night like it was my Oscarmoment.

One week ago I found out a short film I made called Glimpses was selected to show in the San Diego Surf Ladies firstannual short film festival called Board Shorts (cute name, right?). I was thrilled,to say the least, and began preparing what I would wear with your help. As youcan see I went with dress #2 since it turned out to be a brisk evening and I could wear tights with it. I reallyappreciated all of your input! If I had given an acceptance speech I would havethanked all of you.

You've probably been in a similar situation at some point in your life, maybeit was a spelling bee, a dance recital or a sports performance. So you knowwhat I mean when I say my heart was in my throat, my hands were quivering and myears were deaf to every sound around except the beat of my heart. You know all ofthese things, perhaps you even know me in small ways. You know I quit my job to follow my heart; to dream and create things like this film. I actuallymade this short during the first month I was unemployed and to see it onthe screen made me feel like all I had done and worked for, had purpose.

It might sound cliché,but I don’t care, because it’s true. As I was sitting there watching one of mydreams come true, I felt God, I felt my family, and I felt every bit of who I was.

San Diego Surf Ladies President Michelle Ocampo started the night off right

My friend Christine is an amazing artist!

She makes handplanes for body surfing, like the one shown here, and many other unique creations. Check her out here

With one of my biggest fans

There was a Q&A session after the films showed. Note to self: work on posture

Blurry shot of Mom, Kevin, Dad and Me

Here's the video in case you haven't seen it.

Guys! (and I mean girls) What Should I Wear?

2012-02-24T15:14:00.002-08:00

As you may know by now, since I put it all over twitter and facebook, my film "Glimpses" will be featured in The San Diego Surf Ladies First Annual Short Film Festival. I am stoked, to say the least. Mainstream surf media, in general, doesn't typically portray the role of women in the sport accurately nor give them the attention they deserve, but San Diego Surf Ladies is changing that and I am thankful to be a part of it in any little way I can.

But now to a more important topic (joking):
What the should I wear?

I love clothes. Come Christmas and my birthday I fantasize about what new outfit I might get to ask for. But I typically like clothes for road trips, playing outside or chilling at a bon fire. Which is one of the many reasons Roxy is a great sponsor for me. I, however, have an extraordinarily hard time dressing up for fancier events. Fortunately this is a surf event so the fact that I refuse to wear heals will be entirely acceptable. I tried on a few of my favorite Roxy dresses and now you, if you will be so kind, can help me make my decision. Roxy is brand that really promotes women and I feel so proud anytime I wear their clothes.
So here goes...

Not an option

This is what I wear around the house. Comfortable, but obviously not the best choice for actually leaving the house. And don't judge me for the stuffed animals in the background. I warned you I have issues with change and growing up (and if you weren't around then, considered yourself informed).

Option #1. Roxy's Ice Rink dress.

This dress will be a warm option since the event is at night, but I will have to avoid stuffing myself with the wonderful food on offer, if you know what I mean.

Side note: I have no idea why I look so melancholy. It is one of my favorite words to say, though.

Option #2 another great Roxy dress.

I have a black sweater I can wear with this//There's a bit of a smile.

Option #3 by Roxy

This is when I realized I should put the camera on a timer on our dresser.

I only worry about this choice because I think I might be cold.

That's it. What do you think? My stuffed animals showed no interest so I need your help!

Frozen Solace

2012-02-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

President's weekend at Mammoth

fish out of water

pizza slice

McCoy aspirants

surf the snow show off

Pom Pom warmth!

Sierra Slide

180

The West Indies-"Wind Writing"

2012-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here or on the video to view larger in You Tube

Wind Writing
A film I made about our family trip sailing the West Indies for two weeks in January on a Moorings charter. Music: Years Around the Sun “Miles Away”; Filming: Scott and Devon DeMint; Editing: Devon DeMint

The West Indies-Wind Writing Chapter 7: Dream Departure

2012-02-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

My mind was awake before my eyes wereopen. I felt a wave of sadness fall over me. I breathed slowly as it hit,embracing the reality that we would be leaving the Caribbean today. Leaving the warm air, leaving the aqua waters and the bright sea creatures, leaving the sailing windsand our sailing boat, leaving each other.

When we landed Scott and I would return to San Diego, Maddie to New Yorkand Danielle and my parents to Orange County. I knew that when I got out of mybed today I would want to sail to a new harbor, not fly back to familiar land.I didn’t feel ready to go back.

Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of things I loved about home. I missed our bed. Imissed our kitchen and its helpful appliances. I missed our friends and ourneighborhood. I missed burritos. And pathetically enough, I missed the Internetand its marvelous amount of useful and useless information. These things were a comfortable part of mylife at home, but I craved more of what I had found here-the uncomfortablemoments that came from true adventure.

Atthe start of this trip I had reflected that the landscape surrounding us seemedfamiliar, but the more we traveled around and learned about the winds, theseas, the island culture and each other, the more I realized that we were milesaway from places that we’ve been before. The feeling was addicting.

I sat up and reached for my journal. With a dull pencil I wrote:

I knew a part of my heart would always be in the waters ofthe Caribbean Sea.

I will come back someday to find it again.

The West Indies-Wind Writing Chapter 6: Life Gives Tears

2012-02-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

2 weeks

6 people

200 miles

38 feet

1 big fight

The reason for most arguments is usually forgotten once anger takescontrol, but I wouldn’t forget the start of the family fight that ensued on thenext part of our Caribbean journey simply because it was so ironic.

Itall started when we took our dinghy over to an island made of conch shells inthe late afternoon. Yes, it was an island madeof conch shells. A few Rastafarians constructed it in the seventies, calledit Happy Island and have been living there and running a restaurant and barever since.

The drinks were strong, the music was blaring and the view was oneI’d never imagined I’d see. We were out in the middle of a harbor overlooking rolling Caribbean hills on an islandmade out of seashells. It was a lawless paradise in my eyes, but what my motherexperienced was far different. She tasted way too much alcohol in her drink,heard deafening music and saw lawless chaos. It was an unhappy island for her.After our second round of piñacoladas we left.

There was no place for your emotions to hide on this trip, unless youhad an enormous amount of practice at hiding them, of which my female family members and I did not. No, we were in fact experts at showing our emotions.

Although my mother attempted to hide her off mood when we were backonboard the sailboat, my sisters and I were on to her and tried to coerce herinto talking about it. It wasn’t Happy Island that was truly bothering her,that just started her mood off on the wrong foot. It was simply her turn togive into the frustrations surrounding her.

She had a right to, after all each day she identified with the moods ofeach family member; she wore our emotions and carried them as if she were wearingour clothes to see how they fit. She did this to identify with us, to help us beour best and to keep the happiness alive for everyone on the trip. Like I saidin the beginning, she was the supporter and with this role came this burden offeeling everything around her.

Now it was her turn to feel her own emotions. She talked to us aboutlittle things that were bothering her. It was a domino effect after that. Whatwas bothering her was bothering someone else, and the fact that this wasbothering anyone annoyed someone else until we were all mad.

So there we were, raw and vulnerable, sitting around the table on theback of the boat showing and telling each other how life made us feel while theboys swayed back and forth on the front of the boat drinking beers and keeping outof our storm of emotions.

Ironically, in this moment where I felt irritated at all of the peoplearound me, I also felt a strong understanding of what I loved most about them.I loved my sister Danielle for her passion and sincerity, I loved my sisterMaddie for her empathy and compassion, and I loved my mom for her patience anddevotion to her family. I also felt a deep love for family vacations and theirability to remind you what was in the hearts of all of those you loved. Irealized as we covered topics like responsibilities, insecurities andirritations that family vacations are the perfect occasion to let your guarddown and release the heavy things you carry through life. Whether the purposeof doing so was seeking a lighter heart or a closer bond with those listening,you usually got both.

The night was clear with a welcome breeze that attempted to cool oursticky skin. I felt that breeze on every inch of my body. All of my senses wereas heightened as my emotions. These moments of raw vulnerability made me feel fiercely alive.

Once our frustrations and angers were free from us they drifted off intothe darkness with the wind. The emotional storm had passed and our rightful rolescame back to us. Danielle gave of herself, Maddie comforted, Scott wasoptimistic, Dad was in charge, Mom was supportive and I was there towrite the story, knowing that it already meant something. And all around us wasthat vast ocean, accepting us for what we were.

Our Wedding: The Ceremony

2012-02-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentines day I thought I would begin to share the photos from our wedding day with you. The following pictures were taken during our wedding ceremony at The University of San Diego on July twenty third, 2011 at two o'clock. All of the photographs were taken by Carson Day. I hope they will tell you the story themselves.

Getting ready with my parents

My sisters Maddie and Danielle are on either side of me and Scott's sisters Lindsey and Kristen are on the ends

Scott's parent's Don and Carolyn

My mom and family friend Kevin

Dad and me

[l] My baby sister Maddie [r] my middle sister Danielle

Thankful Things

2012-02-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

This week I'm thankful for...

Tranquility

Exhilaration

Blogger get togethers

Food from Roppongi's

Prizes

Dress from Audrey//Poster from Orange and Park

These pictures were taken by Karina check out her photography blog here. She's great!

The West Indies-Wind Writing Chapter 5

2012-02-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

In the later, warmer hours of themorning after New Years Eve we sailed to a new location. I wanted the smell ofthe Caribbean wind that filled the sails each excursion to stay in my noseforever. It smelled like salt, like sand, like summer.

Our next destination was more remote than the previous harbors we hadanchored in. We had heard from another family that turtles swam so frequentlythrough these particular cays that it was like being next to a sea turtlefreeway. I was skeptical, but hopeful.

Soon after we set our anchor in the white sands a turtle did travel pastour boat on a journey of his own. Rainsqualls followed, but the drops that fellwere the same pleasant temperature as the ocean. The spirit the raindropscarried seemed to grasp the adrenaline in all of us. We swam more during therainy times than the sunny ones. As relaxing as this vacation was, it seemedimpossible to keep your body still. Everything around us was so energizing.

I would dive beneath the water and release my worries and stresses intoits depths. One of the reasons I’ve always been so attracted to the ocean isits ability to take what you bring to it and swallow it. It is not judgmental, itis not disparaging. It is what it is-a vast abyss that accepts anything andanyone.

Later that evening after our ocean adventures we all attended a uniquedinner on the beach. A local boat boy referred to as “Mr. Everywhere” and a fewof his friends cooked fresh lobster and homemade potatoes and rice for us. Weate at a picnic table on the beach with zero regard for silverware. 20-knotwinds blew our bright tablecloth and everything resting on top of it, but wewere so content.

I was grateful for moments like these that took all of us out of ourcomfort zones. I felt these moments caused us to look upon each otherdifferently. I had never watched my mother eat lobster with her bare hands. Infact, I had never seen her eat lobster. These experiences tied us all togetherin new ways, made us see each other through new eyes. I knew that someday Iwould do anything I could to continue to pass this tradition of traveling ontomy children.

All scenery photos by Scott
Chapter 4
Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

The West Indies-Wind Writing Chapter 4: The Captain of Us

2012-02-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Now that everyone had theirsea legs on our passage from the surf spot to the next harbor wentsmoothly.

The boatsailed gracefully over the waves and I thought back on waves from my surfsession that I rode without falling and the incredible satisfaction that camefrom discovering a surf spot we dreamed of finding in the West Indies. Scottand I had surfed it alone; the colors of the sunset looked like sherbet icecream and the winds were perfectly offshore and warm.

I apologizedfor inconveniencing anyone with my surfing and kept most of my pouting tomyself. As time passed my failures seemed smaller and less important just likethe islands we sailed away from. New things came into perspective and it wastime for me to focus on what was before me. The next night was the last of theyear.

On New Years Eve we enjoyed a buffet style dinner at a bar in the harbor we anchored our boat in. The night passed as most New Years Eve night’s do- checking your watch how much time was between this year and the next and swallowing various drinks while dancing to various songs.

I enjoyed the freedom the alcohol gave my feet, the multi-cultural crowd we celebrated with and the warm island breeze that seemed to kiss us all. But the thing I would remember most was the look of pure satisfaction on my dad's face during the firework show at midnight. He had worked so hard to get us all here- both working at his office to pay for the trip and at home during his free time planning it. This look on his face told me his dream had been realized and even though I was watching him through rum punched eyes the moment was so clear.

Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Thankful Things

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

This week I'm thankful for...

Scott

(this is a video still so I apologize for the quality)

Anniversary surfing

This photo of me was taken by a nice man named John Gill. Thanks John! And don't worry, I didn't hit that kid, it's just the angle.

Quality time together slaying sea monsters

Homemade pizza

Get great pizza making tips from Nicole @ La Mia Vita

What are you thankful for this week?

Roberta's Superfood Kale Avocado Salad

2012-02-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Roberta is ~~probably~~ the healthiest person I have ever met. She has great skin, great energy and a great attitude. Basically, she's great. She inspires me all the time with her lifestyle. If you eat the things she makes you will undoubtedly feel great all day! So try this....

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 head kale

1 lemon, squeezed

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 carrot, chopped

1/2 avocado

1/4 chopped botija olives, pitted

1/4 tsp. Himalayan sea salt

1/4 cup fresh dulse

handful of cashews

handful of goji berries

handful of fresh herbs

handful of sprouts (try alfalfa, sunflower, daikon etc.)

Instructions

First take off the stems. Place in a bowl and put salt on the leaves. Start massaging the leaves so that the salt starts to "cook" in the leaves (i.e. break down the leaves so that they are "wilted"). Keep going until you see juice start to come out of the kale. Next, massage the leaves with lemon juice then massage the leaves with the avocado until well incorporated. Taste. You might need more lemon juice or more salt. Place in serving bowl and add rest of ingredients. Enjoy!

Seven Years of Me and You: How We Met

2012-01-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

One of our first dates was to a Padre's game. Photo circa 2005

I’ve knownmy husband for seven years now and somehow everything and nothing seems crazyabout Scott being my husband. When I think of the fact that ten years ago I waseating my lunch alone in the stacks of my high school library wondering if Iwould ever meet anyone beyond my family who would truly know me, everything about it seems crazy. But whenI think about how nature is the avenue we both use to understand this world, howliving life and loving our families are our first priorities and how we bothenjoy simple pleasures like riding bikes, drinking beer and eating burritos (andapparently things that start with the letter b) nothing seems crazy about it.

Wemet down by the beach, as you might have imagined. We were at a mutual friend’sbirthday party located in the small garage of a weathered beach house. Therewas a keg of beer, a ping pong table and about ten other party guests. It was aclear, invigorating January night and damp salty wind snuck through the cracks inthe garage. I was in my sophomore year at The University of San Diego and hewas in his at San Diego State. Our interests weren’t too far off from what theyare now.

The first thing I noticed about him was his face. I think I lost mybreath a little when he walked in, even though I pretended not to notice him. Thesecond thing I noticed was that he wasn’t wearing any shoes, despite the cold. Oneof the first things he noticed about me was my wetsuit tan. The contrastbetween my tan hands and white winter arms was pretty obvious and proved to bethe perfect topic for our first conversation.

A few minutes after Scott and his roommate Mark arrived my roommate Kateand I got a phone call letting us know that our friend was having a party athis house out by San Diego State. We prepared to leave, but in order to exitthe garage we would have to walk by Scott and his roommate Mark who werenonchalantly standing in the doorway.
Mark was tall and had thick brown curlsthat fell around his happy face. He stood about two or three inches taller thanScott who I estimated must have been around six feet tall. Scott had short sandcolored hair and a narrow build all the way up to his shoulders, which werebroad. As I passed him we made eye contact. He said hi, and I, pretending tohave just noticed him, said hi back. His eyes were gold and green and kind.They looked like eyes that saw the good in the world and held onto it.

After a few minuets of talking hereached down and gently clasped my wrist in his right hand, lifting it closerto his eyes. He made a cute remark about how I must be a surfer to have suchawesome tan lines, but just as we got to talking about surfing my other friendspulled up in the alley to take Kate and I out to SDSU. Scott askedwhere we were going and I quickly explained that we were going to a party outat State. He had miraculously heard of the same party and although he and Mark had afun night of burning CD’s planned (a detail I learned later), he said theywould try to meet up with us and took my number.

Scottcalled about an hour later. I was too nervous to answer and threw my phone atmy friend Stephanie who kindly answered and explained where we were and how toget there. When he arrived at the party I’m not even sure I went to the door togreet him and the three roommates he had brought along, either because I wastoo nervous or I was trying to act cool (probably both). I found him soon afterand we sat on the couch. People around us were drinking straight out of winebags and dancing to music, but I couldn’t tell you much else about the partysince Scott had captured my focus. I had gum in my mouth and kept blowingbubbles (nerves again, I think. That, or I was just an obnoxious college girl) asour conversation jumped from surfing to school and life. He made a commentabout my gum.

**Pleasebrace yourself for my corniest/craziest/creepiest (but most successful) pickupline ever.

And I said, quote, “I bet I can blowa bubble in your mouth.” I did. And then we kissed for three hours until hisroommates pulled him away to go home. No lie.

Kissing him made every part of me feel alive. We were simply drawn toeach other like opposing magnets. I felt as though we kept kissing to hold onto the happiness we found in one another. I felt I could see through him tosomething pure and exceptional; to something awakening that I’d neverencountered in any other experience in my life.

I went to sleep that night with three of my roommates in a queen bedlying awake not because of discomfort, but because every part of who I was hadbeen awakened.

I took Scott to my sorority formal a few months after we met. Like his hair do? Thank you.

The summer after we met Scott brought me on his family trip to the lake. It was a big step.

But it went well. I can be charming when I try.

And the rest is history, but I'll let you in on it some time, even though I'm pretty sure you know the outcome.

The West Indies- Wind Writing Chapter 3: The Perfect Failure

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

We survived the eight hour sail and arrived at a quaint, protectedanchorage in the late hours of the afternoon.

We motored through the channel slowly as I stood on the front of theboat poised to perform my duties as second mate. These duties involved fairlysimple tasks like securing the boat on its mooring ball. I took my assignmentseriously, however, always eager to prove myself as a worthy water girl.

As we pulled into the harbor my attention was momentarily caught by abeautiful peeling wave just outside of it. Scott noticed it too. After the boatwas secured we headed over to the break.

It was beautiful and we were the only ones out, but the best waveseluded me. I felt this probing and unnecessary need to prove myself by findingthe better waves this swell and spot were offering. Time for this objective hadrun out, though. The sun was setting and it was time to go in. Scott had found the perfect waves, and I was happy for him, really, I was, but I couldn't help but want the same for myself.

The next morning I awoke with one goal in mind: to prove that I could findand ride that perfect wave. Scott wanted to body surf and offered to document my hopeful journey. But the ocean, for the most part, wasn’t having it. Icouldn’t figure out where to sit in the line up and the set waves broke either infront of me or to the side of me. For mostof the session I could only catch the medium sized waves that petered out inthe channel. Finally, after about an unsuccessful hour of wave hunting, the wavethat seemed to be running from me during my time here came right to me. My mindquickly flashed over the details of the scenario- the beautiful location, thewarm day, some of my favorite audience members watching from the channel, my husbandwith the camera poised to capture me riding this perfect wave.

As I got to it I realized I would betaking off late.

"That'sok" I thought. "I have to make this wave because I want it so badly."

I committed to the wave as I paddled, I was taking this wave no matterwhat. I pushed myself up, found my feet and planted them in my wax. The wavehit me in the back so I held onto my rail to keep my balance. It felt likebeing under a waterfall.

"Keep going" I told myself."Don't fall!" and then I didn't. Listen to myself, that is. As Ibegan to stand the wave conquered me and I was head over heals and swimming. Inthis natural washing machine disappointment conquered me too.

When I surfaced I woremy frustration on my face. My father saw it and this only made things worse.

"This isn't that big of adeal" I tried to convince myself as I paddled. "Keep ittogether!" Adding my usual guilt trip go to "Think of all thesuffering people without food. Your situation is not sad!"

It wasn't. It wasn'teven remotely close to being as sad as 99.9% of other problems, but what I sawas failure upset me nevertheless.

"Let's go!" my dad calledfrom the dinghy in the channel, waving his hand for me to hurry over. "It's gettingwindier and the crossing will be that much harder now."

I had surfed longer thanI should have. As I pictured my mom and sisters swaying in the rough seasI stacked selfishness on top of the disappointment sandwich I seemed to bebuilding. And then the tears came, washing away all of my previous attempts atreasoning.

When we returned to oursailboat in the harbor I began to pack my surfboard away in our board bag onthe top of the boat. The wind whipped the boat's halyards into a howling frenzy as Idid so and then came to harass me. The gust knocked my surfboard over and slightlydinged its rail. It was getting windier and my extra surf time would nowpotentially put us into rougher seas for our next sail. With all the problems weighing on me I couldn’t help butlaugh, just a little, because sometimes your own failure can be so perfect.

Photos by Danielle Holloway and Scott DeMint

The West Indies- Wind Writing Chapter 2: This Isn't a Vacation...

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Rough seas.

That's about all I could write in my journal as we sailed through them on the third day of our West Indies sailing trip.We had been sailing south now for two days, but our previous voyage was much more peaceful.
The whole family sat outside on the back of the boat we chartered and even though the choppy seas caused problems that threatened the quality of our boat's interior, no one attempted to attend to them at this point for fear of seasickness.

Seasickness while at sea wasn't something you recovered from easily. Most of us already felt it and one of us demonstrated it, but the sounds of their sickness were muffled by the crashing plates and cups that flew from the kitchen cabinets and shattered on the wood floor inside.
The conditions we sailed in were created by "Christmas Winds", a local had warned. These reinforced trade winds occurred in the Caribbean during the winter months and are caused by a high pressure system in the Atlantic colliding with a low pressure system in the southern Caribbean.

Today we had to sail 45 nautical miles to our destination, easily an eight hour sail. The classic time travel question "are we there yet?" wasn't something you considered asking because you knew we weren't even close and the true distance from our destination was too discouraging to know. This was the longest sail of the trip. The following days would only include two to three hour sails from one harbor to the next.

This wasn't a vacation though, this was an adventure and mixed in with all the chaos were the breath stealing moments; the ones you looked back on when times were heavier. I would hold on to the feeling I got watching the sail catch the wind. It was like watching fire works go off for the first time. I would hold on to the feeling of experiencing nature's gifts with my family. These were the memories that mattered.

Christmas wind information source: the Caribbean Weather Center

Following the Leader

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

One of the best things you can do for a person is lead them to the things that they love.

Thank you dad for leading me to surfing.

Thank you surfing for leading me to a closer relationship with my dad.

The West Indies- Wind Writing: Chapter 1

2012-01-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

We left the airport in a long whitetaxi van with a humming engine. My father, the captain, in the front seat, mymother, the supporter, in the middle seat next to my sister Danielle, the giver. Behindthem, Maddie sat in a bucket seat. I saw her as the comforter. Then there wasScott, my husband, and the optimist. At this point I felt I was the dreamer,writing my story with the hope that someday it would mean something.

So far the landscape seemed similar to others I've explored. Bananatrees lined the thin asphalt road that wound through tropical mountains.Families overflowed the beds of pickup trucks, houses wore bright paint and thepeople bright clothing.

The tropics were familiar to us all as our parents had chosen them as avacation destination throughout our life. But new lessons would emerge slowlyas we traveled, like the evaporating water rising from the rain soaked roads wedrove over on this first day.

Golden Moments

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

One perk of living in Southern California, I guess you could say, is your close proximity to numerous Tinsel Town events and the colorful celebrities who attend them. On Saturday my mom, sisters and I (there was no way I was getting Scott to come along, believe me I tried!) met my Aunt and cousin up in LA for some quality star gazing- Hollywood style. Although we made our best attempt to look nice and fit in we were almost immediately directed to the fan section upon entering the Beverly Hilton Hotel, site of the Golden Globes. What's that quote? "A place for everything, and everything in its place". Yes, that's the one. So we were in our rightful place, the fan section, which was perfectly fine as we ended up getting to "meet" (beg for a photo from) some great characters.

Sisters

Cousins

Seth Rogen

Kate Beckinsale

Channing Tatum

On Sunday I had my golden moment, in the place where I really belong.

A Good Hair Day

2012-01-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

I'm going to share the story of our whole West Indies sailing trip with you starting next week. I don't even know where to begin with sharing the footage collected, however, since we took over 3,000 pictures and videos. This video may seem a very odd place to start considering it is a largely over exposed look at a pretty uneventful moment. To me it is significant though, because we couldn't have done this trip without helping each other.

This is a video of my dad brushing my sister Maddie's tangled hair. Her hair turned into a matted mess from the humidity and water time (and frankly, I don't think she had brushed it at all).

A Look Back at 2011

2012-01-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

On New Years eve I tried to remind myself that the start of a New Year is a good thing, an exciting thing, but, considering the fact that I hate change and enjoyed 2011 so much I felt a little sad as we counted down the last seconds of it.

2011 was big! It was busy! It was one of the most monumental years of my/our life so far (do the exclamation marks really hit my point home?)!

We got married, we moved in together, we traveled, I quit my job.

And there were other things too.

In January we finished our family vacation/surf excursion to Samoa and I decided I needed to be less fearful and challenge myself to try things (both in surfing and in life) that I wasn't as comfortable with.
We also celebrated 7 years of being best friends.

In March I wrote a poem about prospering in your life, speaking largely to myself, but didn't have much other time to write. This made me sad and got me thinking about what I really wanted and needed to do in life.

In the spring we camped with friends and celebrated our birthdays (and most of our families'). We also continued to plan our big day.

In June I enjoyed some special wedding showers and a wildly fun bachelorette party.
Oh ya, and I quit my job (although I still manage properties, but I quit the main one) after realizing there was no time like right now to follow my heart (plus, doing so allowed me to give myself points for trying something I was afraid of). I also began to realize that putting too much weight on the opinions of others was holding me back.

In early July Scott enjoyed a mobile Bachelor party with 5 buddies. They took a camper van up the California coast in search of waves. This picture alone tells a good story, if you ask me.

Late July came around and so did our friends and family. It was time to celebrate. Not just that though, it was time make a promise to each other that we would keep forever. It was time to become Mr. and Mrs., to become a family. And so we did. It felt more right than anything I've ever done before. It was the first change in my life I didn't reject on any level.

One day really isn't long enough considering all the planning that goes into it. Does anyone else agree? But it was perfect. It was so real and yet so surreal at the same time. Some moments time moved so slowly that I even noticed details like the happy lines next to Scott's eyes when he smiled. Other moments I couldn't remember what I had eaten and who I had talked to.

Then it was all over, the wedding that is, and our marriage started with a trip to Thailand. It was exotic and relaxing. Plus we scored some fun waves.

In August we also traveled to Vancouver (from Thailand) for our friend's wedding and then to New York and Boston to move our sisters into college. It was incredible, but by the end of it all I was in need of some serious down time.

In September Scott started teaching again (and got stitches in his lip from surfing). I started trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. I wrote some articles for surf magazines and began re-building my blog, in an attempt to set my dreams in motion.

Southern California surf was red by day and glowing blue at night thanks to an extended stay from the red tide.

Scott enjoyed snapping some photos.

In October we had some great weather and memorable surf sessions. We also celebrated a special friend's birthday!

In November I road tripped to San Francisco to visit friends. Scott flew in to meet me on the weekend. On Sunday a bucket list item was checked off for us both as we watched Kelly Slater win his 11th world title in person (all thanks to a points miscalculation that allowed us be there). At the end of the month we celebrated a very special Thanksgiving with the DeMint's. I also got 7 stitches after falling at a children's playground. Really?

December arrived. We prepared for Christmas and threw a party! Scott enjoyed two weeks of work and two weeks off (yay!). I cleaned house, both physically and mentally.

We left Christmas day for a new adventure, traveling with my side of our family to sail the West Indies for two weeks. I plan to post a story from the trip each Wednesday starting next week.

And there you have it, one great big year summed up just like that (or was that like really long? Maybe no one is even reading this still...).
It is sad for me to see it end because I hate when good things are over, but I have to be thankful that these memories happened at all. And I am. I really, really am because these memories, the adventures shared with family and friends, are the kind you keep forever.

*A special thanks to all of you who made this year of our lives so special!

Tricks: Tail Slide

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is definitely one of the easier surf tricks, which is why I can explain it to you. I love tail slides because you can do them on many different sections and they feel playful and fun. Plus, they open the gate to more advanced maneuvers.

So here we go...

Step one:

For your first attempt, try this maneuver on a softer, crumbly section like the one pictured. Approach the lip with a bit of speed (the more you have the further you can slide) and a nice bottom turn (but not too deep or you will loose your speed). Travel up the wave face at about 45 degrees, aiming for the white wash or the lip.

Step two:

As you reach the lip or white wash section at the top of the wave you should begin to rotate your board by turning your body (head, arms, hips) towards the beach.

Step three:

Stay centered over your board the whole time and throw your weight forward as it can be very easy to come off the back of the wave or fall on your back.

Step 4:

Keep weight on your front foot to allow the tail to slide. Your back foot should be on your tail pad. Bend your knees and stay low to help you keep your balance.

*note: you don't need to make the ridiculous face I make to pull this off.

Step 5:

When you are ready to stop the slide put some weight on your back foot to engage the fins and turn your body so you are riding forward again. Your board will turn the way your head and shoulders do.

Add this to your bag of tricks.

"My Neighborhood" Winter Surf Video

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

A video flashback to the winter of 2010

Music: Arcade Fire Song: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Filming: Patty & Frank Holloway, Jason Ricketts, Scott DeMint and Bob Edwards
Scenic Shots and Editing: Devon DeMint

Roberta's Raw Persimmon Dressing

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

A perfect recipe to follow the filling feasts from the holidays created by my good friend Roberta!

Ingredients

1/4 C. coconut oil, in the liquid state

1/4 C. Braggs apple cider vinegar, unpasteurized

1/4 C. filtered water

1 Fuyu persimmon, cut into cubes

1 large clove of pressed garlic

1T. Soy sauce or Tamari

1tsp. of raw honey or real maple syrup (syrup is not raw)

Pinch of sea salt to taste

Instructions

Put all ingredients into blender and blend until creamy and smooth. It makes 1 1/2 cups.

Add to spinach, sliced red onion and sliced persimmon. Top with pumpkin seeds.

Check out Roberta on Paddle Out

Wool Slippers Craft

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

This Christmas Scott and I decided to make our gifts for our sisters. I found these slippers in Martha Stewart's magazine. I had to wait until now to post this Christmas craft cuz, you know, they would have seen their gift. These slippers would be very useful in the coming winter months too. Aren't they cute? We think so.

Directions below

Sewn Slippers

Tools and Materials

Slipper Template
18-by-18-inch piece of 3-millimeter wool felt, filzfelt.com
Chalk pen or pencil, clover-usa.com
Thread, such as silk or heavy-duty polyester
Sewing supplies

Sewn Felt Slippers How-To

Print slipper template. Enlarge or reduce template so it's the length of the sole of a flat shoe the recipient wears. Cut accordingly. Trace template outline onto felt with chalk pen. Cut out slipper and T-shaped slit, following template.
Fold felt in half lengthwise, and stitch around the toe and open side, leaving the shorter heel edge open.
Pinch heel closed, then sew from the top of the heel down. Leave 1/2 inch open for smaller sizes and 1 inch for larger sizes. Cut into the felt (1/2 inch for small sizes, 1 inch for large ones) to create a flap at the heel as shown, below center. A small flap of fabric should be left sticking out.
Tuck tag in, then sew shut. Turn slipper inside out.
Round off the tag with scissors, fold up, then sew to outside of slipper.
Fold the cuff at the ankle, then sew cuff edge to slipper. (To accommodate a wider foot, trim a deeper curve along the top of the opening.)
When sewing your second slipper, remember to flip felt so your T-shaped slit is on the opposite side.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

"For going out, I found, is really going in"

New adventure coming soon...

Thankful Things

2011-12-23T08:00:00.001-08:00

This week I'm thankful for...

time alone

time together

Christmas Spirit

laughing

creating

dancing

Scavenger

2011-12-19T08:00:00.001-08:00

Dark grey water washed over me as I paddled, biting my head, stinging my teeth. Offshore winds carried smoke from neighborhood fireplaces to my nose, reminding me of warmer places.

Birds hunted for fish and I for waves.

The ocean meant to us both more than gold.

Finally my icy, inflexible fingers could no longer paddle.

As I walked up the beach I thought:

I hope I live like this forever.

Thankful Things

2011-12-16T08:00:00.001-08:00

This week I'm thankful for...

north west swells

slow steps

cool nights lit with lights

tofu tacos

Charlie Brown trees

#winning// grinning (or is this growling?)

recorded sounds

and live ones

Holiday Gifts For Your Water Girl

2011-12-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

Movies:

Let me start by saying I love this film. Weaving together captivating tales of diverse water women, Campbell and Lessler have created a film that speaks to the heart. If you'd like to give the gift of inspiration give Dear and Yonder this year. Shot with beautiful 16mm film.

Places to find it:

Your local surf shop

Roxy

This movie is inspirational, positive and uplifting. The portrayal of surfing is much more accurate than other surf-inspired films. If you are worried about the shark scene dominating the movie, don't. It's really only a small part of the film's focus.

Rated: PG

Places to find it:

Best Buy

Amazon

i-Tunes

Surf Gear:

Is she in need of something new for her quiver? Maybe she doesn't live near the ocean or isn't ready for surfing.

Your gift answer may be stand up paddling!

SUP can be done anywhere there is easy access to calm waters. It's relaxing, relatively easy to pick up and is a great work out for your core.

I highly recommend it!

You could buy one:

Stand Up Paddle Co.

Or rent.

Either way, this jacket goes well with this adventurous gift.

Syncro Stand Up Paddle Jacket

Find it at:

Roxy

Girly Goodies:

I think this wallet is so cute!

Find it at:

Roxy

That's all for now. Have fun out there and make it a great day (as my dad would say)!

Total Lunar Eclipse

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

By some miracle both Scott and I were awake Saturday morning at 5:30am and made it to the beach in time to see the lunar eclipse (we couldn't see the moon from our house at that hour). Here are some pictures Scott took to document the phenomenon. I guess we were meant to see it, and now you can too.

Then I went for a surf.

The colors of my board kinda match the moon during the eclipse. Groovy.

Scott was under the weather and therefore made himself useful behind the camera (I joke, mostly).

This picture was taken a few weeks ago by Mitch Murphy when I went up to surf in Oceanside. Thanks Mitch!

Cleaning House

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm kind of embarrassed to show you this. I like to think of myself as an organized "neat freak", but the following pictures will challenge that. At least you've seen the rest of my house, so you know that I'm usually not this messy. And, in my defense, this is our garage and our only storage space. And there are so many spiders in there! Alright, enough excuses. This mess, and consequently this clean up, led me to an important personal lesson about only allowing the past to remind me of good memories and lessons and not allowing it to create chaos in the present.

-before-

-after-

-before-

-after-

I was dreading cleaning the garage, and it wasn't just because of the time, the headache or the spiders. I realized it was because I didn't want to awaken the dormant reminders that had settled within that littered space.

There were cards, pictures and letters from my old students that would remind me of how inspiring they were and how important they made me feel. There were teacher documents that would remind me of some of the people I worked with and how unimportant I let them make me feel.

I found honeymoon ticket stubs laying there and boxes that once wrapped wedding gifts.

The things from school reminded me of frustrating experiences that had happened and the things from the wedding reminded me of a joyful experience that was over, forever. I'd shoved anything I didn't want to deal with over the past 6 months, both physically and mentally, into that corner of our garage.

But it was time for me to clean house.

Art supplies I can actually use now that they are organized.

Beach items I've collected for art sorted and displayed

I needed to let go of the past so I could live in the present. I needed to clean the clutter out of my life. Cliche, I know, but also very true. As I cleaned I began to move on.

And when everything was in its rightful place-on a shelf or happily in my memories-I felt free.

What do you need to clean in your "house"?

After Surf Soup

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year where you get out of the water and can't feel your hands and toes. And for those of you that don't surf, this may be the case for you
no matter where you go if you live somewhere cold (sorry. I really am jealous of your snowy weather, I swear).
Therefore, try this tasty soup. It will warm you to the core! There are a lot of ingredients, but I promise it's not that hard to make. Just put on some holiday music and get out your best chopping knife. This recipe is really all about cutting veggies.

Ingredients

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion (chopped)

3 carrots (peeled and chopped)

2 celery ribs (chopped)

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp. chopped savory

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried sage

4 cups vegetable broth

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 cup 100% vegetable juice (like V8)

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

Instructions

In a large pan add the olive oil and saute the onion, carrots, celery, and bell peppers until they loose their raw look. Add the savory, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and sage and cook together for another minute.

Transfer to a 5-6 quart slow cooker (you could probably do this in a big pot with a lid

too, but I've never tried so don't blame me if you try it and it sucks).

Add the broth, chickpeas, vegetable juice, tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 3-5 hours on high or 6-10 hours on low.

Fanciness

Add the parsley and lemon zest to the top and sprinkle on the parmesan cheese.

Thought for Food

As you eat this delicious soup sit back and focus on something great you did today. Maybe you let someone have a wave you wanted. Maybe you let some have a parking spot you wanted. Whatever it was, good for you.
Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Art of the Slow Cooker by Andrew Scholss

The Gifts of Winter

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Winter wind chills my face.

Winter temperatures slow my pace.

Winter boots cover my feet.

Winter fires kiss my cheeks.

Winter water gives me life.

Winter swells bring delight.

Winter creatures play at sea.

Winter time is the gift for me.

Photo by: Mitch Murphy

Friends

Dad

Scott

George

Scott

Costa

Scott

Herc

Scott

Home Tour: Before and After

2011-12-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

So this is our little house.

It is a 1 bedroom 2 bathroom home of peace and comfort for Scott and I. It was a BIG project!

Here are pictures illustrating the process of making it ours.

[1.] The Living room.
-before-

-after-

We painted the wainscoting white to lighten and clean up the look of the walls, replaced the sliding doors with french doors and added our own personal touches to make it home. The look we were going for is organic, beach inspired and cozy.

This is our coffee table, handed down from my parents, like most of our furniture. The coasters pictured were the inspiration for the whole house, believe it or not. I carried those around for months as we shopped for this and that.

This cabinet is really a buffet (from Ikea), but it was exactly what we needed to hide our TV gear and display our belongings.

I love to fill the house with found things that bring back special memories. The coral is from Samoa and the mermaid is from Peru.

Did you know you can get used books like these for pennies at your local library or a used book store? I didn't, my mom told me. I tired to get titles that applied to the beach theme, but finding titles and colors that went with the room was tricky, so I settled for the right colored books.

[2.] The Bedroom

-before-

-after-

We put in new windows, painted an accent wall and scattered our things around. We were lucky to get many of the items seen here as wedding gifts from our registry. The cushions on the bench at the end of the bed used to be gray. I sewed cloth napkins onto them so they would match the pillow on the bed.

On the to-do list: a picture for above the bed.

I have to admit, I bought this little bed tray for looks, something Scott could not understand, but it actually turned out to be very functional.

[3.] The Master Bathroom
-before-

Lots of work done in here. "We" basically rebuilt the shower and replaced the whole sink area. The big opening in the middle of the above picture is where our washer and dryer hang out now.

-after-

The theme colors in the bathroom are white, beige and various blues. Scott made that mirror out of driftwood we found at Rincon beach in Santa Barbara.

The Shower

-before-

-after-

Toilet area

I find the toilet area seems less toilety with some decorations. We got this cabinet at Bed Bath and Beyond and then changed the handles to make it more unique.

More cabinet handles

The floor is made out of this coral/shell stuff we love. It is kinda hard to clean, but worth it, I think.

[3.] The Kitchen

-before-

-after-

I am learning to love cooking lately (I never took much interest in the idea pre-marriage). This is where I do it.
The changes to the kitchen are pretty obvious-new counter tops (at first I was bummed we did the dark counters, but they are growing on me. They hide messes better), new appliances (except our fridge, not pictured in the "after" picture because it is pretty heinous), new window, and new cabinets there on the right.

Well, that's all for now. Hope you found this interesting, helpful, or something.

Hugs

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Roberta

Jumping back into the ocean today after taking time off for my injury felt like giving a hug to a friend I hadn't seen in a while. And then, there was the irony. I was heading out for a surf session with a friend I wasn't going to see for six months. My wonderful friend Roberta spends her time between San Diego and Vancouver, but it is time for her to exchange her sandals and surfboard for boots and a snowboard. So long dear friend, see you soon!

My Winter Surf Kit

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Some places to get this gear:

Thanksgiving in Pictures: Part 2

2011-11-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

1. Love this guy

3. Common misconception: Southern California has no seasons. We do, they are just more subtle.

4. Apple Crostatta

5. I was going to write “Scott’s mom and sister mix the gravy” but they are my mom and sister now too :).

8. The DeMint family

11. My place setting at the dinner table. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy Thanksgiving without my family, and I did miss them, but I felt so welcomed and included that I was completely able to enjoy the holiday in a new way.

Happy Thanksgiving to you! I hope you made some great memories.

Thanksgiving in Pictures

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

1. Friends Thanksgiving

3. Enjoying the beaches with my family in the place where I first fell in love with them. [Dress by Roxy]

4. “Ahi Crab Stack” at “The Deck” in Laguna. It was delicious, in case you were wondering.

6. There’s nothing like a home cooked meal served fancy style (especially when you have a great excuse to get out of the clean up >>see picture 8).

8. It’s wouldn't be the holidays without a little drama, right? My sister Danielle tries to cheer me up in the hospital after a freak accident at a local children’s park that led to me getting 9 stitches in my inner thigh.

9. It’s good to be home. My mom washes my hair in the kitchen sink to protect my stitches from water and to keep me lookin fresh clean for Thanksgiving part 2 with Scott’s family.

Carmel Apple Cream Cheese Dip

2011-11-19T12:26:00.001-08:00

Here is a great (and, most importantly, easy) recipe my mom gave me for a Thanksgiving appetizer. Thanks Mom!

Ingredients

2pkgs. cream cheese (softened)

2tsp. vanilla

2T. brown sugar

1 container of carmel apple dip (I used the Lighthouse brand)

1pkg. pecan bits

1pkg. heath toffee bits

Apples (I used organic fuji apples)

Instructions

Let the cream cheese soften for 30 minutes. Mix the cream creese, vanilla, and brown sugar together in a large shallow serving dish until blended. Spread cream cheese mixture into your serving dish. Pour one container of caramel dip over the cream cheese. Sprinkle generously with toffee bits and oven roasted pecan pieces. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with crunchy sliced apples. Enjoy!

Kelly Slater & Letting Go: Part 1

2011-11-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

It couldn’t have been more than 50 degrees outside, but I was sweating as I watched the policeman scan my license and registration. The result-a speeding ticket for 80 in a 65. And my hopeful apology and remorseful tears fell ineffectively at his shoes as he handed me the proof.

Even my lead foot wasn’t going to get me up Highway 101 fast enough to make Kelly’s 11th world title winning heat. As this realization reached my heart I wore the disappointment it brought all over my face.

The next morning I awoke on an air mattress at my friend Nicole’s apartment in San Francisco. My first thought: check the internet to see if the contest would run. Even though Kelly, now referred to as Ke11y, had won the world title the event still had five rounds to complete.

I called my friend Filip and arranged to pick him up so we could check out the contest. From what I could tell on the live web camera the waves looked nice, even friendly (not usually the case at Ocean Beach). We arrived at the expansive beach around 11am. I had every intention of not only watching the contest, but of surfing along side it.
We parked the car, trudged through the sand, stood at the shoreline and watched as the rain clouds opened up above us. I was too late again.

pre-ticket (hence the smile) pit stop in Ventura

texture

rained out

Kelly Slater & Letting Go: Part 2

2011-11-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

It rained the remainder of my second day in San Francisco, but I tried to enjoy life’s sense of humor and return my focus to its rightful place-on this special time with friends. After all, the purpose of this trip wasn’t to see Ke11y Slater or even to surf, it was to reunite and celebrate with the remarkable people I met in college.

The itinerary-

Wednesday and Thursday night at Nicole’s

Friday and Saturday night at Basia and Filip’s

Saturday in Napa for Casey's birthday

Looong drive home to San Diego on Sunday

Thursday evening Nicole, Filip and I ate Vietnamese food for lunch and then headed over to Haight and Ashbury. We wandered Haight street for a while, but experienced our best adventure as the street ended and transformed into Golden Gate Park. We found ourselves captivated by a 35 foot rope structure we initially deemed way too dangerous. Climbing to the top made me remember how important it is to always keep the child within you alive and that hanging around with people who help you achieve this is key.

I had to let go of my dream of seeing Kelly Slater win a world title. It was painful because I had been so close and I wasn't sure I would have the same opportunity again. But was it necessary? Of course. If I didn't let it go I would have missed the beauty of the present moment. The expressions on my friend's faces, the sounds of their voices when they were excited, thoughtful, silly, and the wonderful feeling I had when I was with them. This trip made me remember that life is incredible because of the people you spend it with and that every moment is an opportunity for adventure and discovery.

[l to r] me, Nicole, Filip at a bar on Haight street enjoying the moment.