Halloween Greetings!!

Booooooooo!!!

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another website, contact them at  

surfwriter.girls@gmail.com

With palm trees rustling in the wind and eerie shadows cast over the ocean, you can feel that Halloween is almost here.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel were curious about “things that go bump in the night” and decided to do some research on Halloween.

Originally called “All Hallows Eve” – Halloween dates back over 2000 years ago to pre-Christian Celtic festivals in Ireland that honored the dead.

Bonfires were lit to aid souls as they journeyed to the underworld. 

A day when ghosts, goblins and spirits of all kinds might be about, it was a day when mischief could happen.

Later incorporated into the beliefs of Christianity by the Catholic Church, the day evolved into the scary day that it is now…with costumed merry-makers going house-to- house asking for treats. 

A holiday that is celebrated worldwide, today Halloween is second only to Christmas in America when it comes to consumer spending with close to $8 billion going for treats, costumes, decorations, parties and more.

So, if you’re in a spooky mood, join in the festivities – carve a pumpkin, drink apple cider, trick-or-treat, or party on the beach!

Just be sure to clean up after – your apple cores and candy wrappers!

Stash Your Trash on Halloween

When you’re dancing around the fire

watch out for goblins, ghosts and gyres.

 

It’s nice to have a yummy treat…

Good and Plenty’s, Reese’s Cups, and candy corn to eat.

But, don’t toss your trash on the beach

when recycling cans are in reach.

Remember that Bag Monsters are always near.

You never know when they’ll appear.

With bulging eyes and shark-like teeth to chew,

If you litter, they’ll get you!

Happy Halloween!!!

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti

www.surfwritergirls.blogspot.com

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SurfWriter Girls 11th Anniversary

 

Picking Up Good Vibrations!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The number 11 is said to be lucky, filled with good karma, positive vibes, and strength. On this 11th anniversary of our SurfWriter Girls blog, we hope that's true because we can always use some good vibrations. 

 

The past 11 years have been an awesome ride and we appreciate all the stories we've been able to share with you about the people, places, events, and changes that are making a difference in the global environment, surfing and beaches.

 

Since starting our blog, we've written over 300 stories and had the opportunity to interact with people who are passionate about what they do and are working to make the world a better place. 

 

Some of the stories we've covered this past year include the U.S. Open of Surfing, beach artist Robin Hiers,

 

the rarely seen Dumbo Octopus, Surfrider Foundation protecting the ocean, and the Pacific Marine Mammal Center rescuing sea life.  And more environmental and beach lifestyle stories in our sister online publication Surf'n Beach Scene Magazine. 

This year we were sorry to lose our good friend and mentor Tony Soriano, former chair of the Surfrider Foundation's Huntington/Seal Beach Chapter. He was an all-around good guy who loved to surf and spent countless hours helping to make the beach community and the world better. Tony's light is one that can never be dimmed, and we hope that it will guide and inspire us in the coming year.  

If you have stories of your own to share or ideas for our blog, please let us know. We'd love to hear them. Let's all pick up on the good vibrations!

 

Surf’s Up and Mahalo!

 Sunny and Patti 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

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.

Patagonia Announces Major Change

 

Founder Gives Iconic Company Away

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The business world was shocked when outerware company Patagonia's founder Yvon Chouinard announced in September that he has given the company away to a trust and non-profit organization. Now, all of the profits from the $3 billion company will go to combatting climate change and protecting undeveloped land around the world.

Known for its durable, go-anywhere clothing that can stand up to the harshest elements from the Arctic to Antarctica, Patagonia makes its clothing to last a lifetime and enable the wearer to function comfortably in any situation from climbing a mountain to trekking in the desert or surfing a killer wave.

Founded in 1973 by mountaineer Chouinard, Ventura, CA-based Patagonia field tests everything it makes to ensure that it’s fit for the purpose and can withstand whatever conditions it’s likely to encounter.

Chouinard, an outdoorsman who became an entrepreneur, chronicles his life journey in his book, Let My People Go Surfing – The Education of a Reluctant Businessman. Charting a less-traveled path, he succeeded in building a global business while focusing on the environment and creating a company where people want to work.            

 

Regardless of changes in the economy or fashion tastes, Patagonia stays true to its values of creating high performance products that do minimal damage to the environment and are made with passion and soul.

Demonstrating its commitment to the environment, Patagonia has even gone so far as to tell people not to buy its products.

 

The reason for this is that it wants to discourage overspending and conspicuous consumption. The feeling is: "If you don't need it, don't buy it." An unexpected point of view from a company, but one that is representative of what Patagonia stands for. 

Since 1985 Patagonia has been giving 1% of its total sales revenues to support environmental causes. Through its 1% For the Planet program, Patagonia has pledged millions of dollars to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. It has also formed an alliance with other businesses to encourage them to make similar pledges. 

 Patagonia's concern for the environment extends to how its most basic products are made, such as denim for blue jeans. To minimize pollution, it uses eco-friendly dyes and 100% organic cotton grown without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. It also verifies that fabrics are stitched with Fair Trade-certified sewing methods.

Patagonia shows concern for its employees, too. Workers at its Ventura headquarters are allowed to set their own hours and given breaks during the day to go surfing when the waves are good. 

 

On-site daycare is provided and healthy food and snacks are available at the company's cafe. Employees can take a yoga class or grab a scooter or skateboard to take out for a spin.   

 

Along with this, Chouinard has organized rock climbing trips to Yosemite, fly-fishing trips to Wyoming and other outdoor adventures.

 

With an internal compass pointed at True North, Patagonia is "committed to the core" – its core values, core products and core customers. In this new phase of its journey, it will be relying more than ever on that compass to guide it. 

  

SurfWriter Girls

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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.