One stroke at a time

Roz Savage and Margo Pelligrino are inspiring women.

Both have taken on extraordinary challenges to help bring

attention to the state of the oceans. Both are, I hope, forcing

people to think about what each and every one of us are

doing to play our parts.

Roz Savage quit a career as a business consultant after

realizing that the obituary that would be written about

her wasn't true to who she felt she was. She has now

rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and is presently rowing

across the Pacific Ocean. That's right, rowing across

the Oceans alone. You might want to check out Roz's

talk on www.TED.com.

Margo Pellegrino is the mother of 2 young Children. She decided

that she had to teach her kids what is important by example.

She couldn't just talk about the "right things" to do. Margo

has paddled her outrigger canoe from Miami to Maine and from

Florida to New Orleans to bring attention to the state of the

Oceans. This year Margo is going to paddle from Seattle to

San Diego.

Both these heroic women are making a difference one stroke

at a time. Both setting amazing examples and calling us to

task. How can you change your life? How can you change

your habits or your way of thinking? As Roz said so eloquently

"one stroke at a time", that's how you row across an ocean.

That's how you make the changes in your life you'd like to make.

Surfing makes it better

To take a line from James Brown "I feel good"!

I've been able to surf for the past few mornings.

The waves weren't at all epic, in fact, they were actually

pretty small. To be perfectly honest, I needed my 9'6"

and/or my SUP to even catch waves. On set they were

barely thigh high, but I had a blast and the fun little morning

sessions with my good friends have served to set up my days.

No real surprise that my mood is better and the day goes

by faster when I start it off with a session in the water. I'm

not exactly sure what causes it, what makes the difference.

Perhaps it's those endorphins that make me feel good.

Maybe it's the opportunity to burn off some of those

stress chemicals that makes me feel so content, so happy

and at ease after a surf. Maybe it's being in the ocean and seeing

the beauty all around me. I'm not exactly sure. All I know

is that my life has been kind of stressful for the past few weeks

and I feel better when I surf.

What do you do each day that helps make you feel better,

helps you deal with stress? Surfing sure makes me feel better.

First hints of summer

It happened today! Every spring it is guaranteed

to happen at some point. Today was a warm, sunny,

summer like day. The kind of day when things just seem

right. Finally, we got a taste of things to come. A taste of summer.

There were people on the beaches in bathing suits sitting

in beach chairs and under beach umbrellas. Despite the

barely knee high surf there were more surfers in the water

than conditions warranted. Today was the day the grooms

went in the ocean wearing poorly fitting 3 mil wet suits without

boots or gloves. Sure they didn't really last too long but they

were surfing. They had fun.

The streets were filled with runners, bike riders and walkers.

First Night in Asbury Park was crowded and people were happy.

A taste of summer. A taste of things to come.

Amazing how a little preview of something good like summer,

can lift the spirits of so many. Knowing that things will get better helps

us all. It's good to know for sure, good to feel it, to actually

experience it.

Know, no matter how cloudy, dark, drab, or down life may seem,

things can get better. Summer does come. It sure is nice

to actually get an early taste to remind us, to keep our spirits

up. Now if we could just get some surf to go along with the

summer weather things might even seem perfect.