Holiday Hugs and New Year’s Hopes

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel 

Part of the fun of the holiday season is sending greeting cards to friends and family. A nice change from the ads and bills that jam people’s mailboxes, greeting cards let us send a smile, love, and wishes for a Happy New Year. Religious, heartfelt or humorous, whatever we send, it shows people we’re thinking about them and keeps us connected.

This year SurfWriter Girls found a box of cards created by greeting card giant Hallmark with UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund). It’s a partnership that dates back to 2006 with part of the proceeds going to UNICEF to “spread kindness and help support kids around the world.”

UNICEF has been making greeting cards since 1949 when a young Czech girl sent it a handmade drawing of children dancing around a maypole to thank the organization for its help to the war torn Czech nation. UNICEF utilized the art for a fundraiser and the positive response was so enormous that it launched its greeting card program.

Over the years the cards’ designs have showcased artworks submitted by children around the world and even famous artists, including Picasso, Chagall, and Matisse.

SurfWriter Girl Patti began sending UNICEF cards as a college student. “I loved the cards’ whimsical, uplifting messages and they were an affordable extravagance that fit into my limited student budget.”

Sunny is a longtime fan of the cards and was excited by this latest assortment. In looking through the box, we learned about the traditions behind the greeting card themes because each card has a note inside explaining the history of the images.

As noted, the cardinal symbolizes the “beauty and warmth of the holiday season.” Evergreen wreaths and trees, which remain green even in winter, represent “eternal life.” Stars symbolize “strength and unity.” The deer represent “kindness and gentleness.” The dove is a “universal symbol of peace.” And Christmas trees represent the decorating of trees that began in 18th Century Germany.

So many choices and ways to spread cheer! Now, this story is SurfWriter Girls Season’s Greetings card to you!

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The Beauty of Imperfection

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

During the holidays when everyone is looking for gifts that are shiny and new, SurfWriter Girls invite you to stop and think a moment about the gifts we already have.

The Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi celebrates the beauty of imperfection and aging and of things that are impermanent and incomplete.

It is the beauty of things both humble and modest. It is the beauty of things that have been used, are raw, unrefined and unconventional.

Old Levi’s jeans, a comfortable chair, a weathered fence, a tree that’s been in your yard forever, your favorite surfboard, classic cars, watches that wind by hand, the neighborhood diner.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel have been learning about Wabi-Sabi, which dates back 5,000 years, and its emphasis on self-acceptance and finding joy in everyday things as they are.

We learned that in Japan cracked vases or bowls are often repaired with gold, highlighting the flaw and turning it into a mark of beauty that represents part of the object’s history.

Originally derived from Buddhist teachings, the word Wabi refers to rustic simplicity, freshness, and understated elegance – both in nature and in man-made works.

It can describe a uniqueness or elegance, too. Sabi represents the beauty and serenity that come from age…with visible flaws and worn patina adding to its charm.

Drawing from nature, Wabi-Sabi reminds us of the simple reality that things don’t stay the same, changing from day-to-day and season-to-season with different shapes and colors unfolding through the passing of time.

Putting aside the quest for air-brushed perfection in our lives, selves and surroundings, Wabi-Sabi is a way to de-stress. To relax and slow down, to embrace each moment, the people we love and the things we have.

Rather than searching for the next new thing to buy or do, we can find something much more valuable – an inner calm and the happiness that comes from being ourselves.

Wabi-Sabi is the perfect holiday gift to give yourself – the gift to be imperfect.

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Thankful for Colors of the Reefs!

 Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

November is Coral Bleaching Awareness Month, drawing attention to the need to protect the world’s coral reefs from losing their vivid colors and sustainability.

During this time of Thanksgiving when autumn’s red and gold leaves are taking center stage, it’s easy to overlook the dazzling colors hidden from sight below the sea in the ocean’s coral reefs.

Exotic and mysterious, coral reefs around the world, from Hawaii and the Caribbean to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef exist in an endless variety of color – color that is at risk of fading to white as reefs lose their nutrients due to environmental factors and can potentially die.

More than just objects of beauty, coral reefs are underwater living ecosystems that provide food and shelter to more than 25% of the ocean’s sea life. Coral reefs have been called the “rainforests of the sea.”

And like trees protecting the land from the elements, coral reefs protect the world’s shorelines from storms and erosion and help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.

The different colors of the reefs – red, orange, yellow, blue, pink, and more – come from the mix of algae in their tissues and varying light conditions and water temperatures. The brighter and bolder the colors, the healthier the reefs.

Marine scientists are working to keep the vivid colors in the reefs – no easy task given the threats from climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and overfishing.

In her children’s book The Great Barrier Thief author Dr. Sue Pillans (AKA “Suzie Starfish”), a marine scientist and visual artist, tackles the problem of coral bleaching and the reasons that many coral reefs are losing their colors.

With the help of her protagonist, a pink fish named Anthia, Pillans hopes to ensure that the Great Barrier Reef doesn’t lose its dazzling colors.

SurfWriter Girls are excited about the world of beautiful colors under the sea and are thankful for the coral reefs.

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Birds Flock to Huntington Beach Safe Haven

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The very first story SurfWriter Girls wrote for Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine (in 2014) was about a special place for migrating birds that is even more special now – Huntington Beach’s Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

We’re excited to revisit Bolsa Chica now because it’s a local treasure. With fewer natural wildlife areas due to urban development, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve has been designated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as a protected coastal wetland.

For our initial research, SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti talked to Joe Shaw, who was then the President of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, and learned how important it is to keep Bolsa Chica in its natural state…something that can be challenging in an era of beachside property development.

Seeing the wetlands for ourselves we were entranced by it. More than just its raw beauty, Bolsa Chica – which means “little pocket” in Spanish – is a sanctuary for migrating birds and provides a tranquil habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife.

Among the birds and wildlife sheltering here are the snowy plover, Savannah sparrow, least tern, great blue heron, snowy egret, red-tailed hawk, and great horned owl, cottontail rabbits, ground squirrels, and more.

In the wetlands birds can rest on their long journeys and have a safe place to breed, nest, and rear their young.

Without these pit stops along the way, migrating birds become exhausted and disoriented, unable to reach their destinations and even dying for lack of food, water and shelter.

An oasis of primitive beauty in an urban setting, the 1,700-acre Bolsa Chica reserve wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the efforts of community volunteers, environmental groups like the Surfrider Foundation, and especially the Bolsa Chica Land Trust.

For over 30 years the BCLT has been working to protect all of Bolsa Chica’s mesas and wetlands. “Our mission is the preservation of the entire eco-system,” Kim Kolpin, Executive Director of the Land Trust, told SurfWriter Girls.

In 1997 the BCLT was instrumental in saving 921 acres of wetlands. Since then it has been involved in the ongoing process of restoring the wetlands and educating people on the essential role they play in the environment.

In addition to protecting Bolsa Chica’s wetlands, the BCLT is working to save an area within the preserve known as the Sacred Cogged Stone Site, which was once an ancient village and contains a treasure trove of carved stones.

The cogged stones – over 500 in all – are a mysterious archeological find that could be linked to similar sites discovered in Chile over 9,000 years ago.

Researchers are eager to discover the true meaning of the stones and what they meant to the cultures that created them. Some think that the stones served a utilitarian purpose, while others believe that they were used in religious ceremonies.

By preserving Bolsa Chica, we and future generations will be able to learn more about the stones, this connection with our past….and how the Native Americans lived in harmony at the wetlands.

To the casual observer Bolsa Chica’s raw landscape, dotted with scrub brush and wildflowers, might not seem important, especially when compared to million dollar homes and luxury resorts. But, to migrating birds it’s a lifeline on their journeys home.

On a bright Saturday morning SurfWriter Girls talked to volunteers who were working to restore the wetlands – removing invasive plants and planting drought-tolerant, native vegetation.

Everyone was excited about being able to safeguard this unspoiled stretch of land and maintain a key link in the birds’ migration route.

To surfers everywhere Huntington Beach is famous for being Surf City USA , but to migrating birds it’s a “little pocket” where they can rest.

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Flip Flops Keep Us Movin’ and Groovin’

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

“Blew out my flip flop, stepped on a pop top.

Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.”

– Jimmy Buffett, Wasting Away in Margaritaville

Flip flops are an essential part of summer…from the 99-cent bargain specials grabbed on the run at convenience stores to high-end fashion statements and eco-sport Tevas that can hold their own on any terrain.

Dating back to 1500 BC and the ancient Egyptians, flip flops got a toehold in the U.S. after WWII when returning GIs brought Japanese-style zori sandals home with them.

Flip flops, thongs, shower clogs, go-aheads – by any name these rubber-soled sandals take us wherever we want to go.

Flip flops moving us

on a carefree day of sun

and balmy breezes.

– SurfWriter Girls, Huntington Beach Haiku

 Colorful, flexible and fun… no sox or laces needed.

Just wiggle your toes in and you’re ready to cross hot, sandy beaches, wade into the surf, climb over slick rocks or dance the night away.

Keeping your feet ventilated and your stride syncopated, flip flops keep on flipping along.

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Mugging it Up!

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Soon after the island-themed Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s restaurants started serving tropical island cocktails in the early 1950s, the tiki mug came on the scene.

Fun to drink out of and to take home as souvenirs, the ceramic mugs with the smiling tiki god faces became a permanent part of our culture.

Exotic and irreverent, the mugs tell of far-away lands and adventure.

They invite us to indulge in a drink and give in to escapist fantasies far from the maddening crowd.

Filled with Polynesian drinks from rum punch and Singapore slings to mai tais and zombies, the tiki mugs take us away to the South Seas.

More than just kitsch, tiki mugs are recognized as an art form now and are even displayed in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Like the American spirit itself, the tiki mug represents a feeling of optimism and a sense of endless possibilities freed from everyday conventions.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel love the playful tiki mugs and the gods themselves, beckoning us to merriment and mischief.

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Natural Beauty of Channel Islands

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Springtime is a great time to visit California’s Channel Islands. There are eight islands off the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego that are wonderful to see. Called “California’s Galapagos Islands” because of their ecological diversity, they have over 2,000 animal and plant species, 145 that are unique. With cute, tiny island foxes and screechy Scrub-Jays, many are rare or endangered.

Since 1980 the Northern five islands have been designated as Channel Islands National Park. These include San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara Island.

San Miguel. One-day trips, multi-day boat trips and overnight camping are all possible. The farthest West of the eight islands, it takes a 4-hour, 70-mile boat ride to reach it. The trip is worth it! Point Bennett, at the tip of the island, is a breeding ground for some 30,000 seals. You can also see numerous species of seabirds, dolphins, porpoises and whales, and island foxes that are smaller than a typical house cat.

Santa Rosa, the second largest of the islands, with two mountains and rolling hills, has 500 plant species, including pre-Ice age Torrey Pines that are only found in one other place in the world – San Diego. You can camp on the island and go on hikes surrounded by unique native bunchgrass and island bush monkeyflowers. There are over 100 bird species, mammals and amphibians and colonies of seabirds, seals and sea lions.

Santa Cruz is only an hour away and perfect for one-day trips or overnights, with the best weather and the most recreation activities. There are minimal services, though. There is a variety of seabirds to see, especially around Scorpion Rock.  Birdwatchers generally go to see the island Scrub-Jay, which is only found on Santa Cruz. The island also has some of the world’s largest sea caves that kayakers can explore.

Anacapa, also an hour away, is good for one-day or overnight camping trips. Its name comes from the Chumash Native Indian word Anypakh, which means mirage. Ancient shell sites show where the Chumash people lived thousands of years ago. The island’s a breeding ground for thousands of birds and California sea lions and harbor seals. A kelp forest and tide pools make it popular for kayaking, snorkeling, and diving. But, with little shade and no drinkable water, you need to bring your own provisions.

Santa Barbara, the smallest island, has impressive cliffs and one of the world’s largest colonies of rare Scripps’s Murrelets seabirds. There is an elephant seals rookery, blooming yellow flowers, and magnificent coastal views. The Horned Lark, Orange-crowned Warbler, and House Finch birds are only found on the island. One day trips and overnight camping are available, but Island Packers offers trips only from April through October.

The National Park islands are kept mostly in their natural states to preserve their ecosystems. So, it’s important to plan your visit – supplies, transportation, and lodging – because amenities vary and can be minimal. Companies providing access and tours include Island Packers, Channel Islands Expeditions, and Channel Islands Adventure Company.

Farther South are San Nicolas and San Clemente Islands (which are both used by the U.S. Navy and don’t allow visitors) and the most well-known of the islands Santa Catalina – of song and celebrity fame.

Santa Catalina Island is known for its two resort towns Avalon and Two Harbors, accessible by Catalina Express and Catalina Flyer boat service. You can also reach it by private boat, plane, or helicopter. Its charming coastal towns are perfect for relaxing getaways and the Art Deco casino in Avalon Harbor is a true showstopper, visible for miles. Nearby there’s wildlife, scuba diving, and Mt. Orizaba, the island’s highest peak.

Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. (here on Catalina with his wife Ada) bought the island in 1919 and the Wrigley family still owns and preserves it. Home to nine endemic plant species and a thriving population of island foxes, it also has a herd of buffaloes descended from buffaloes left by a movie crew in the 1920s.

SurfWriter Girl Sunny knows Santa Catalina Island well because she’s visited it many times. She even had a job with the Santa Catalina Island Company selling tickets for island attractions on the Catalina Express boats. “The bus trips around the island and the glass bottom boat rides were really popular,” says Sunny.

Whichever islands you visit, your trip is sure to be a magical experience and a step back in time.

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Greek Philosopher’s Way to Make Decisions

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

People, through the ages, as represented in Robert Frost’s famous poem The Road Not Taken, have struggled with making decisions.

When you have a difficult decision to make or are trying to make sense of something, one of the best ways to figure things out is to use the Socratic Method – ask questions.

Named after the Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (469 – 399 B.C.), who used this technique in teaching his students, the method asks ever more pointed and challenging questions to get to the root of the matter and come up with ideas.

Much like a news reporter’s Who? What? Where? When? Why? questions to get at the heart of a story, Socratic questions help you to unearth the facts you’re looking for and to reflect on the issues that are important to you.

Rather than jumping to conclusions, ask such questions as: What am I trying to accomplish? When can I get started? Where can I do it? Who can help me? Why is this important? You can ask questions of yourself or get someone to join you in a back-and-forth dialog where you challenge each other to dig deeper into the questioning process.

SurfWriter Girls friend Linda Van Den Brink, a financial advisor (her clients call her “Ms. Life”), told us that using the Socratic Method helps her to see the different aspects of a situation and make thoughtful decisions that lead to purposeful action.

Van Den Brink also finds that the teachings of Raymond Charles Barker (1912 – 1988), a leader of the New Thought spiritual movement, are a good complement to the Socratic Method because they help to tap the creative, inspirational part of the mind. In making decisions, she says, “I am conscious that my body is vitalized by the living currents of life and my mind sets the course.”

Barker wrote in his book The Power of Decision that there is an Infinite Mind that continuously creates, “expecting us to stay curious and express its limitless potential through our own growth and expansion.” So, in addition to questioning the options we already know, Barker emphasizes tapping this expanded consciousness to explore new, outside-the-box ones.

Socrates and Barker both believed that to make good decisions we must be open to change and build trust in ourselves and our own judgment, rather than blindly accepting the status quo or popular opinion.

By combining the rational, continually questioning approach of Socrates and the intuitive, creative approach of Barker, you can utilize the best of both to successfully make decisions.

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Flying Even Higher!

When SurfWriter Girls first wrote about LA Video Drone it was just a fledgling, testing its wings to explore all the things it could do. Now one decade later, YoYo and Heather (McAndress) Bianchi have exceeded all expectations. Expanding their business and tying the knot to make it a family affair.

Drones are in the spotlight these days, doing things no one imagined. The Bianchis were there from the start, growing their business with each new technology and opportunity. SurfWriter Girls invite you to look at this story from November 2015 that shares how it all began.

Flying High and Making a Difference

A Surfrider Sponsor Story

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Up in the sky! It’s a bird…it’s a plane. No, it’s LA Video Drone.

Next time you’re in Huntington Beach, look up! There’s a chance that Surfrider Foundation sponsor LA Video Drone is on the scene. The innovative aerial drone company is often out at the beach capturing “eye in the sky” camera footage of beach activities and events.

The Los Angeles-based company is a pioneer in aerial drone photography, using the latest ultra HD 4K cameras.

Less expensive and more effective than helicopter photography, the radio-operated drones can get right in on the action, providing new perspectives and sweeping panoramas.

Covering everything from business and charity events to golf tournaments and auto races, LA Video Drone can provide whatever you need – from high resolution photos to web-ready videos; raw footage to edited formats with music and special effects. Heather McAndress, Vice President and Creative Director, explains that they can tailor their services to each client’s situation.

And now they have an even newer drone in the lineup  – the DJI Inspire 1 Pro with a Zen Muse X5 lens. “This camera is unreal – truly a game changer for the drone industry, ” says McAndress.

Film production companies are especially jazzed about what video drones can do since the nimble, flying cameras can replace costly camera setups requiring helicopters, scaffolds and towers.

Drones can be used by police and fire departments and search and rescue teams.

McAndress told SurfWriter Girls the company wants to use its resources to contribute to the community. “When we started LA Video Drone, one of our main goals was to get involved with social awareness. Right away we connected with Surfrider’s Huntington/Seal Beach Chapter because of their inspiring energy and dedication to environmental consciousness. Now we take part in their beach cleanups and events by providing both aerial and ground video coverage to help their cause.”

Chapter Chair Tony Soriano welcomes their participation, saying, “Our partner LA Video Drone gives an added dimension to our visual awareness and they continue to grow with us.”

LA Video Drone photography took viewers right on board the kayaks with Surfrider volunteers cleaning up Huntington Harbor.

Drone technology that once seemed fantastical is unfolding before our eyes. As they say in science fiction stories, “The future is now.”  And, LA Video Drone is right at the vanguard, leading the charge.

Heather and YoYo – Congratulations on 10 Amazing Years!

The sky’s the limit!

Follow @LAVideoDrone on Instagram.

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Pictures of Golden State Sold Oranges and Dreams

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Art isn’t just something you see in a book or a museum. It’s a part of our everyday lives and can emerge out of the humblest circumstances when you least expect it…even in an orange grove.

Orange crate art – the colorful scenes of idyllic orange groves, panoramic fields and mountains, and the people picking the fruit – was created to sell California oranges across the nation in the 1880s when the expanding transcontinental railroad routes began connecting the West and East.

What started as a simple marketing tool to identify one grower’s oranges from the rest, not only built the produce industry, but attracted people from every corner of the U.S. to the Golden State to experience the California Dream.

The bright paper packing labels, glued onto orange crates that were shipped to buyers, weren’t thought of as art or anything to be saved. They were just a profitable way to draw attention to each farm’s produce.

What helped to make the vivid labels possible was the development of the lithographic printing process and specialty inks – often with secret formulas guarded by the designers.

SurfWriter Girl Patti is especially fond of orange crate art because it reminds her of special days at her grandmother’s house in Santa Ana when she and her sister Eileen would run into the orange grove behind the house, zig zagging around the smudge pots, to pick oranges from the trees.

“Grandma gave us each a large, brown grocery bag and we would fill it to the top with fresh-picked oranges,” says Patti. “We’d always take home bags full of oranges and grandma would make us orange juice, squeezed by hand in an orange juice squeezer.”

“There were so many orange trees out back that growers from local co-ops would come each year to pick them, paying grandma for each box,” Patti recalls. “You can still see the original Sunkist Orange County Fruit Exchange building on nearby Glassell Street in Orange.”

By the late 1950s orange crates were replaced with less-expensive cardboard boxes and the artistic labels were discontinued, a victim of cost-saving and modernization. For the most part, people forgot about the labels and their romanticized odes to the California dream.

But a few collectors recognized the labels’ artistic value and preserved the fragile paper advertisements for future generations to enjoy. And later, in the 1960s and 1970s, some treasure troves of forgotten orange crate labels were discovered in printers’ shops and stashed away in packing warehouses.

By then, these vibrant vestiges of another time were ready to stand on their own merit – not just as functional shipping labels, but as 12″ x 25″ artists’ canvases that glorified the Golden state…capturing its story one slice in time.

Oranges, lemons, limes.

Memories of special times

when each California crate

showcased the golden state.

To see this original California art form for yourself, visit the Picturing Paradise orange crate art exhibit at the Hilbert Museum in Orange, CA. It runs until April 19, 2025.

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.