Browsing tag: central coast

  • September 14, 2017

    SEIZERS OF THE DAY

    I always tell this story and recently found the pics.   We all remember where we were     September 11th, 2001, the day of the World Trade Center attacks.   I was getting on a flight from San Luis Obipso to Nashville for a conference.   Needless to say I wasn’t going anywhere and ended up being stuck in SLO until airline service resumed.   Since we didn’t know when that would happen, I was reporting to the airport every morning (only to be told “No flights today”) and then watching coverage of the tragedy on TV the rest of the day.     By day three, I was so depressed watching all these people desperately holding onto hope they would find their families.    I was staying with a friend and on day four, I said “I have to get out of here.    Let’s go sit and get some fresh air on the patio of the Cliffs.”    We called two other college roommates and they jumped at the opportunity for a break as well.

    It was weird because it was an absolutely beautiful afternoon and the patio was empty except for us, and one other couple.    It wasn’t like it cured our heartache, but we did realize how much beauty still surrounded us, and in an effort to try to hang on to that, we decided to Seize the Day.   We went to the front desk and checked into the biggest baddest suite the Cliff’s Hotel had.   It ended up being such a fun break from the tragedy and the next day (after another fruitless stop at the airport, I headed up to San Miguel and spent the day with my adorable nephew.    I appreciated it so much more knowing how so many families were beginning to accept and mourn their losses.

    Ever since, my pals and I have reminded each other during hard times that you can still seize the beauty of what is around you.     We listen and acknowledge the sadness or stress of whatever is happening in each other’s life, but then gently remind each other we can still be “SEIZERS OF THE DAY!”

  • August 31, 2017

    A Change Will Do you Good

    We have all heard it the phrase.  But change is hard.  Even so, it can be a good thing.   And it can be so simple.  What I have found does wonders, is simply a little change of scenery.

     

    I have more free time on my hands right now than I have had in years.    I still find myself getting bogged down.   I struggle hard to find focus.   I have a to-do list a mile long.   I have a tasks-started-but-not-completed list two miles long.   I am so used to having the minutes of my day lined out for me that when I have hours unbooked, I can feel a bit, overwhelmed.

    For so much of my life I have lived by the mantra “work hard, play hard.”   I worked to play.   I loved my jobs most of the time, but I loved vacations even more.    I always found the transition from work to play very easy, because I was usually a little fried by the time I walked out of the newsroom, got onto a plane or loaded in the car to head somewhere fun.   I felt I earned the time off and didn’t have much trouble unplugging from the world I gave most of my life to.   Now?   Now that I have more open space before me, I find I have to work a little harder at it.

     

    There is a bit of guilt scheduling entire days to myself.    There is also the fact I work for myself now, out of my home, so even though I live steps from the beauty of the beach, I am always steps away from piles of work I could be getting to.    Oh yeah, and there are no paid vacation days anymore.    I need to stay plugged in to a certain extent to pay the bills.   All that said, I know our brains need vacations from our every day lives, no matter what those lives are filled with.   That’s where a change of scenery can do wonders.

    I’ve spent the last week up in Tahoe.   I’ve done a little work here and there, but the piles and massive to-do lists…I left at home.   I brought abbreviated versions with me, which has left me ample opportunity for hikes, lake-time and exploring new territory.     And at the end of the week, guess what?

    I find I have more focus.   I am actually a little eager to take on the to-do list upon my return.

     

    It wasn’t discipline or working harder that got me here, though.  It was getting away.   It was the peace of a mountain hike, the serenity of paddling into a crystal clear lake cove, and the awe of discovering a new body of water to float in.     My psyche got to explore some out-of-the-ordinary sensory sensations, and I feel renewed because of that.

    Look, I know we can’t always run off to Tahoe, or some other vacation spot for a week at a time.   But we all live around nature in some form or fashion and there are corners of it we spend little time around or have left unexplored altogether.    Maybe this week find a hike you have been meaning to check out and do it.    Or a beach you drive by and long to pay a visit.   How about a patio spot for lunch, or a coffee shop that seems so quaint as you quickly grab your latte to go?   Can you carve out a couple of hours this week to explore one of them.    We’re looking for a tiny detour off the beaten path here.  A simple change of scenery.

     

    I know what you’re thinking.   You have too much on your plate.   You have to too much to get done.  Here’s the deal though:   If you don’t take the time to reset the machinery now and then, your efficiency suffers.   And sometimes the best use of your time, is to take a little of it for yourself.    It’s good to work hard, play hard.  But try turning it around.    Try a little easy play and my hunch is the work gets a little easier too.

     

    “Not all those who wander are lost.’  J.R.R. Tolkien 

     

  • August 24, 2017

    Enjoy All the Days of Your Life.

    I was listening to a sermon while driving the other day.   The pastor was quoting from Ecclesiastes about time.   It so hit home.   The basic message was this:  God wants us to enjoy every day of our lives.

    We all live under the fallacy we have lots of time, but it’s simply not true.   We are guaranteed only the moment we are in.   By mid-life, most of us have learned this lesson through the unexpected death of someone we love.   We swear we will live differently.    We forget.

    I remember hearing an interview with David Crosby years ago, and the interviewer was asking David if he had any regrets.    I will never forget hearing his response.    He said something to the fact that he regretted wasting so much time, being wasted so much of his life.   “I just missed so many minutes because I wasn’t present.”  He commented.   Time, he explained, is what you want more of the older you get…more than fame, more than money, more than anything.    Things that seem important early in life loose their sparkle as you see there are not endless days before you.    Time.  It is the one thing we all get the same of…60 minutes in an hour, 24-hours in a day, 365-days in a year.    No amount of money can buy you more.   Even Bill Gates can’t buy more minutes in his life.

    I remember being struck by this and swearing to treat time more preciously.    I still waste it.   But I try to pay more attention.    Once you have given a moment away to something, someone, some thought, it is gone forever.  You can never get it back.

    Are you treating the days of your life with too much disregard?   I encourage you to re-evaluate.  What will the things you are spending your hours on this week mean to you a year from now.   5 years?   When you are dying?   Seriously.   Think about your to-do list.    Is there something more important that belongs in the place of some of the others?   What will you regret not devoting your time to when you have no more minutes to spend.

    I once had a friend tell me I squeezed every minute out of my days.    As she said it, she imitated squeezing a rag or cloth and had such tension in her face and voice.   It was amazing, she said, I fit so much into my days.   All I felt from her assessment was exhausted and so sad that with all my efforts to fit everything in, I wasn’t really fitting the life I wanted into those days.   I took advantage of every minute of every day, to be sure, but not with the things that fed my soul, my heart, my spirit.   Did I really want to SQUEEZE the life out of my minutes or to embrace them?

    I highly recommend putting more priority on the things you dreamed about as a kid, the things you hope to do more of “one day.”    Time on my paddle board is more important to me these days than some social engagements.  I choose to skip checking in on email or social media on most weekends and book one-on-one time with my Mom, my friends, my fiancé instead.   If my in-box is overflowing, so be it.  I do not want to be longing for conversations never had with someone because I didn’t have time.

    I highly encourage you to live all the enjoy all the days of your life.

     

    Cheers.

    Jeanette

     

    Time is Free, but it is priceless.

    You can’t own it, but you can use it.

    You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.

    Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.

    -Harvey Mackay

     

     

  • August 10, 2017

    Test flights

    There is something magical happening right now on the central coast.   I’m talking about the show Mother Nature is putting on via the pelicans that are hanging out along our coastline.

    Over the years I have observed they arrive right around tax time…a beautiful sign that summer is just around the corner.   They seem to me like old friends who come to visit for summer fun, and they spark in me a sense of play.   If there is activity at sea, they will be out.  If there is a gathering for sunset, they seem to enjoy a pass or two to check out the action.   And if they whales are migrating, they will seize the opportunity for a little feeding frenzy.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    While there is little information out there about baby pelicans in training, the past few years I have noticed August seems to be a great month to catch the antics.    The first time I noticed it was in San Simeon. when I was watching a flock of pelicans apparently enjoying an evening feast just offshore.  I thought the anchovies must be running or something to prompt the activity, not only by pelicans, but seagulls as well.   Upon closer inspection, however, I noticed it wasn’t seagulls mixed in with the big-billed pelicans, but young pelicans.   Furthermore, it didn’t appear any of the larger birds where actually catching anything, but training their young-in’s how to feed.

    I was mesmerized.   The larger birds would fly a pattern and all the little ones would soon follow.  But instead of hitting the water at full speed, they would begin their descent, then kind of panic just as the surface grew close, throw out their brakes (wings) and paddle their feet as if to say “Whoa, whoa, WHOOOOAAA!   Could I be seeing what I thought?   Was I watching a pelican training school?  It was so adorable and amusing.

    According to Boston University, while birds are born with the instinct to fly, they need a little help honing their skills.    Just as humans are born with the instinct to walk, parents help toddlers along, often with one parent holding the child and encouraging them to step forward while another parent stands a short distance away with their arms open ready to reward them and offer a sense of safety.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    “Similar to humans, birds are born with this same instinct, mainly for the action of flight. No bird is born with the ability to fly because it takes practice.   Rather birds are trained by their parents through the power of reinforcement.”  -Nature VS Nurture/How do birds learn how to fly-Boston University

    So this practice is happening right now off beaches and bluffs up and down the central coast.   Look closely…those smaller birds flying along side the larger pelicans are not likely seagulls.    Watch as they practice flying in formation, cruising coastal wind patterns and diving for food.   It’s quite entertaining and frankly can trap me for hours as easily as Facebook or a good Netflix series.

    I’m no expert in on birds.   This is by observation only and some very crude research on-line, so I welcome anyone to offer up anything more they know about it.  All I know is it’s magical.

    So find some time one late afternoon or evening and park yourself wherever you see Pelicans gather.   (Although I’ve seen them do it at all times of day, it does seem they come out to “play” as the sun starts to sink into the afternoon sky.)   I suggest the marina in Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Dinasour Caves Park, Avila Beach/Port San Luis, Morro Bay, Cayucos, or San Simeon.   All work.   Then get ready to watch the show.

  • July 27, 2017

    The Vibes of Home

    Home is such a multi-dimensional word.  It conjures up so many images and feelings:  Safety.  Warmth.  Love.   Sometimes it’s the place you grew up, sometimes not.   Sometimes it’s a structure, sometimes a group of friends, or a place.   It is an environment where safety exists and that touches you so deeply there is a familiarity recognized deep within.   It is a place where you feel you simply belong.

    I have, for much of my life, considered San Luis Obipso and the Central Coast home.  It is where I was born, where my family lives, and where I have long felt “rooted”.    I have spent much of my life in other places as well, though, and they offer up a familiarity as well.    It is amazing to me what happens to us when we return to a former home: instant recollections of times you have forgotten and emotions stored away somewhere surface.

    I just returned from a wonderful get away to visit some dear friends in two different states.   The first part of my trip landed me in my old stomping grounds of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I lived for 6 years while working for WCCO-TV.   I’ve now been back “home” in California longer than I lived in the Land of 10-thousand Lakes (there are actually 11,842 in the state), but the minute I walked off the airplane, I started feeling the “Vibes of Home”.    How many times had I flown in or out of this airport,  stood at baggage claim waiting for some news-maker to come down the escalator so we could get a quote, or eagerly stepped out to passenger pick-up after a trip.   I know this place.  It knows me.

    As I drove toward my destination, I didn’t need a map.   I knew the routes and neighborhoods and businesses.   If felt familiar and friendly.  And when I pulled over to stop at one of my favorite old hang-outs, I was overwhelmed with a sense of joy.    I experienced some wonderful (and yes, deeply painful) experiences in Minnesota and being here again had them floating through my mind like a movie.

    The welcome I received from friends had me feeling like a child returning from a great adventure to her family.   We picked up where we left off, with an eager and enthusiastic game of catch up.    I was introduced to children I hadn’t met yet as “Aunt Jeanette”, and as we sat around and talked we were able to laugh at each other’s idiosyncrasies through our shared time and experiences together.

    I left Minnesota largely not of my own choice.  I was laid off in some downsizing of our recession and I was bewildered by the experience.  It led to a chance to come home to California, though, so I celebrated the opportunity and tried to leave the pain of the losses of that time behind me.  My recent return, however, reminded me of how roots once planted, always exist below the surface somewhere.

    I recalled how lonely I felt when I first moved to Minnesota, how far from home…but how I found a circle of friends who were like family.   I have incredibly fond memories of my time at WCCO, on sidewalk patio’s downtown and at lakeside docks.   I remembered weddings and funerals, adventures and mishaps, and the ways I struggled, grew and blossomed here.   My dog Madelyn’s ashes are scattered around Lake Calhoun, where we walked daily.   And no doubt, some of my DNA is here as well.

    After a wonderful week of catchup and re-connecting, I felt kind of re-rooted to this place I once called home.  At the airport my heart smiled again as the staff at French Meadow Bakery served up a heavy dose of courtesy and kindness with every bagel and breakfast sandwich.   Minnesota Nice isn’t just a saying.  I had forgotten.   I walked toward my gate grateful, lucky enough to experience it, and to know that anytime I visit, I will always feel the Vibes of Home here too.

     

  • July 13, 2017

    Frame of Reference

    It’s amazing to me how our viewpoint does not always reflect any kind of absolute reality.    What we are seeing, experiencing in the same situation can be drastically different than what a friend, relative, or partner is.

    Consider trying to take a picture of the someone standing in front of sunset.   They are likely barely visible in image because the brilliant sun behind them is providing such harsh backlight.   But step around your subject, with YOUR back to the sun and suddenly they are perfectly lit and you have a shot worthy of framing.  The subject hasn’t moved or changed, but your perspective has.  You take a radically different picture.

    I was reminded of the importance of frame of reference this week.    I was heading back up to Tahoe for the weekend and got caught in nightmarish traffic due to accidents.   After 7 hours, I was still only to Sacramento and it was getting late, so I decided to call it quits at a friend’s house in Eldorado Hills just past the capitol city.

    After a deep, hard, wonderful sleep, I woke up cloudy-headed and kind of desperate for coffee.   My friend was working early so left me instructions on how to use her fancy espresso maker.   I read them carefully but got stuck one.

    “I have some fresh ground beans sitting in the grinder in the upper left-hand cupboard adjacent to the oven.”

    I opened that cupboard (and every other one in her kitchen) a half dozen times and saw no grinder.   I know how organized Missy is so I was certain it was somewhere but after a half hour of searching, I gave in and face-timed her at work.   She walked me through it and told me to open one cupboard again.

    “There it is!” She exclaimed.   I still saw no coffee grinder.

    “I’m sorry Missy, I must be losing it.  I don’t see it.

    “The white one right up there to your left.”

    “Oh!  It’s a WHITE ONE!”

    You see, in my cloudy-headed state I was looking for the coffee grinder that looked like the one I have at home.   It’s black.  Hers is white and since I was looking for a black little machine, my mind just didn’t register the white one right in front of my face.

    I was a reminder to me about the perspectives, and lenses we all carry with us into our daily lives.    They frame our experiences today, often based on our past experiences.  My perspective in my quest for morning coffee lead to a relatively harmless blind spot, but if our experiences have included hurt, betrayal, being taken advantage of….guess what we’ll be on the lookout for?   It also often comes at the cost of missing out on something useful right in front of us.

    Ever had a disagreement with someone and argued over the way things went down in a previous conflict?  You swear it happened one way.  They are indignant because they remember it totally differently.   You are both seeing your realities but from different perspectives.   Having a wise friend or counselor can be like me reaching out to Missy on Facetime.   They can offer another perspective.  Do try to steer clear from seeking out counsel from any friend who just wants to be your cheerleader.  You don’t need help finding what you can already see.   You need someone who can offer a different frame of reference and expand or even change your point of view.   “What am I missing here?” Should be the question we ask when trying to resolve a conflict, but too often we are more intent on proving ourselves right.   Just because we can’t see the coffee grinder on the shelf doesn’t mean it isn’t there.   And when you change YOUR frame of reference you may suddenly see your subject bathed in the beautiful glow of a setting sun rather than shadowed and dark because you were standing in the wrong spot to get a bright, brilliant and accurate picture

  • July 6, 2017

    Shred the Gnar

    I keep being reminded to play like a kid. A couple of vivid examples happened in just the last week.

    Gordon, my fiancé, and I love boating up in Lake Tahoe. The first summer after I left KSBY we spent most of our summer days floating on the crystal clear blue of that beautiful body of water. He was recovering from surgery and I was recovering from my latest stint in television news. This summer we are both working more, have our condo up there rented out much more, and are both wondering whether taking the boat out of storage and docking it for the season makes sense. We have been dealing with a bit of option paralysis.

    Last week we were still debating whether to head north and get the “job” done. Gordon called Leon, the free-spirited owner of the boat storage facility who he had talked to several times already that week to say he had changed his mind again. We would wait until after the 4th of July weekend. Here’s how the conversation went from there.

    Leon: “Dude, too late. I already pulled your boat down, got the guys working on it right now. Time to Shred the Gnar Dude.”

    Gordon; “What is Shred the Gnar?”

    Leon: “Dude, are you that old? It’s 4th of July weekend. You know, get out there and get to it. Break some shit.”

    Gordon asked how soon I could be ready and said we were heading north.

    “It’s time to Shred the Gnar.” He told me.

    After a quick inquiry from me, followed by a google search, I learned “Shred the Gnar” has to do with extreme sports…snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing or skiing but to me it’s a fun new commandment to quit taking life so seriously and seize the day. It’s become my new favorite saying for the summer.

    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shred%20the%20gnar&defid=6348075

    https://www.quora.com/What-does-shred-some-gnar-mean

    We were back in Shell Beach for the actual 4th where for some reason we tend to steer clear of the crowds and craziness and watch the fireworks from a friends house. But this year, we opted to get on our bikes and ride right down into the chaos. Gordon, his son, a couple of friends and I ended dancing our way down to waters edge, lying on our backs with the fireworks exploding right over us. I mean you felt each explosion and it was fantastic! Not quite tearing down a powder-covered mountain, but Shredding the Gnar in our own middle-aged way.

    I got to thinking about how easy it can be to take the easy path to summer and life in general. It takes a little extra coordination to load bikes, boats, or toys of any kind and actually use them to PLAY (you know, like you did as kids) but it’s so worth it.

    As we were riding home (must faster than cars caught in traffic) and my legs and lungs were burning heading up the hill out of Pismo Beach I got to thinking. How many 4th of July celebrations have I missed because I was reading the late news. I remembered how for the last couple we weren’t sure Gordon would even be able to ride like this again. I was overcome with such a sense of gratefulness we made the effort. And a commitment to continue playing like a child as often as possible. Life is short, unpredictable and far too serious for too often.

    So Shred the Gnar Baby!

  • June 29, 2017

    Rediscover Rather than Find Yourself

    I had this saying taped to my mirror for years.   It is so wise and so true, and could make our paths to enlightenment so much easier.    We all, at some point or another, struggle to find answers..   We buy self-help books.  We take classes.  We join groups.  But I believe Glenda the Good Witch in the Wizard of Oz was right.

    We had them all along.

    We just forget as we grow up and life happens to us.

    I think one of the best ways to be reminded of our inner wisdom, to solve a problem that’s been nagging at us, or to help ourselves make a decision we’ve been struggling with, is get outside and play.

    This past week week I was struggling a bit with business plans, projections and projects.   The weekend had arrived and I was feeling like I should spend much of Saturday at my desk again.   But it was a perfect summer day on the Central Coast, and friend of mine asked me to go to a popular beach a short drive from home.  She proposed, however, we do it a bit differently than usual.  Instead of jumping in the car and fighting traffic and parking when we got there, she suggested we ride our bikes.   It was an easy sell as I had my 11-year-old niece and her little friend coming over for the afternoon.

    We packed up the backpacks, bungee-d down the beach chairs and peddled off.   Immediately I recalled the memory peddling off for summer adventures when I was a kid:  It mattered not our destination or timeframe, the minute we made it to the end of our own street, we were headed for summer fun.

    That’s how it felt as we took off for the beach last weekend.   We were able to take a bike path the whole way, so had no worries about traffic, parking or navigating intersections.   We were just cruising.      I looked at my niece and her friend and was moved by their enthusiasm to play.   When I had asked them earlier about riding with us, they simply said “sure” and went to get their bikes.  They had no questions about destinations or plans.   I watched my friend Tarren who is a successful attorney, mother and grandmother peddle away, and saw instead little beach girl enjoying the same sense of adventure.  Her bike was packed up with all the essentials for a fun day at the beach.   I was grinning ear to ear watching it all.  Feeling it all.

    We got the beach, locked our bikes up (just that ritual brought back an inner reminder of childhood adventures) and headed for the surf.   My niece and her playmate couldn’t get their shoes, hats and clothes off fast enough to run to the water.   I watched them jump the waves, squeal and laugh in the surf for hours.  And as I felt the familiar comfort of the warm sand below me, the hot sun above and a light ocean breeze keeping the temperature just right, I thought, “This is the kind of joy we are born with.”  This is the kind of joy we need to soak up at every opportunity.    Even if we aren’t on summer break.

    I think we need to quit trying to figure things out so much and remember what Mom told us when we got cranky, were testing her patience, or whined that there was NOTHING to do.   Remember?   Mine would snap: “Go outside and Play!”  I am learning more each day the wisdom in those words.

     

    Find a way to go play today my friends!

     

    Next week: Shredding the Gnar.

     

     

     

     

  • June 19, 2017

    Messages in the Sand: Spreading magic

    Messages in the Sand:


    Can you remember the thrill of magic? “What?” You ask. MAGIC. Most of us believed in it in some form or fashion as children. Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. Our imaginary friends. Coming back to you? Well can you really remember the FEEL of that magic?

    Give it a try. Can you recall that FEELING you had as a child in the days leading up to Christmas morning? Or maybe what it felt like waking up and realizing today was the day, then rushing out to the living room to see what Santa had left. There was a thrill to believing in something as magical as good old St. Nick.

    I was reminded of that feeling recently while having my coffee down at the beach not far from my home. Someone magical in my neighborhood leaves messages in the sand for those of us who will get up early enough to take them in before high tide and beach activity takes them away.

    They are so special to me they will get me out of bed long before my body is ready so that I can run down to see what words of wisdom have been left on any given day. I feel Iike a kid when I begin to rise from a deep slumber, hesitant to even open my eyes, and then it hits me: “Message in the sand! Hurry! Get up!” It feels like it did every Christmas morning long ago.

    The other day I was up especially earl before the sun and cruised down to catch the beautiful transition from night to day. I lumbered over to see the message knowing there was no real hurry as the tide was still very low and no one was up yet to mess up the artwork. I reached the viewing spot and was caught off guard to see the mystery writer in the act. My heart leapt, and there was a moment of panic that I had ruined the magic. I felt exactly like I had caught Santa Claus in the act. I backed quietly away and left him to his work.

    I now know who creates the inspiration for all of us in the beachside community and that’s okay because his messages are still so much fun to get each morning. But that morning I realized the impact a random act of kindness can have on people. The sand-writer has no idea who will see his work each morning, nor does he ask for any recognition. He does it anonymously the messages he leaves behind change the trajectory of days for most who see them. It is a random act of kindness that has a magical effects.


    I don’t think we should let our efforts to create magic go by the wayside after children shed their beliefs in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and other magical figures. What random message of inspiration could you leave for someone today? It doesn’t have to be penned perfectly on a stretch of sand, but scribbled on a card or piece of paper and left on a desk, doorstep or public place. Maybe pair it with a flower or sweet treat. Our lives are so hectic these days, I can’t think of a single person who couldn’t use a little serenity delivered to them now and then. Sign it if you’d like. (Especially if you think your recipient might be inclined to be creeped out by an anonymous gesture.). But you can always leave it packaged beautifully in a public place and addressed to “the next person who uses this restroom” or ask a server to deliver it to their next client when they settle the bill. The point is, to share a little magic with those who have forgotten how fun believing in it can be.