Child Actor

If I had a million dollars for every time Gio found a stage and danced on it, my son would be a famous child actor and a future burden to society. Da da da daaaaaaaaa!

Carmel Sand Castle Contest 2009

My personal favorite!


Hey look a sand castle!

I remember going to the Carmel Sand Castle Contest as a child and loving it. But I must admit since I started surfing I've pretty much missed it the last 21 years or so. Yes, surfing takes up a lot of time. And I'm okay with that.

I'm posting these pictures for anyone who might have missed the sand castle contest this year. The theme for 48th Great Sand Castle Contest of Carmel Beach was Carmel playhouses and dog houses.


Who let the dogs out. Who, who, who, who, who!


My, what a big doll!



Too tired to fetch?


Snoop Dog is on the house!


The Gold Shovel winner!


Grainy marketing by the Cypress Inn.


People, please follow the rules!


Does anyone recognize this face?


Mermaid guard dogs, "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"


A whale of a tail.


Hey look another castle!


"I swallowed the FLY because I was hungry, duh!"


"Hey that's cool!" says Vinny.


"Did someone say hay? Nom nom nom."


Sand Castle Contest Contestants and Fans.

Does This Bed Make My Butt Look Big?

"Are you sure my this bed doesn't make my butt look big?"
asks Nadia the Dog.

"Shure, I'm shure, you look purrfect, darling," says Nay Nay the Cat in her sleep. "Now be quiet and go to sleep."

"Well, I'm not shure, and I want my bed back," barks Nadia. "This isn't a fair trade, and it's making me feel fat."

Enjoy Life Now

Soberanes Point. (Photo by Belinda Jasmine)

One of the motto's I live by, but some times forget is: Enjoy life right now, exactly as it is.

Even if the house is a mess.

Or I'm 20 loads behind on laundry.

Or no one can remember to use their inside voice, in the house, EVER.

Or my husband is making fart sounds causing Gio to laugh, while I'm trying to get him to go to sleep.

Or Vinny doesn't want to be in the GATE program because he doesn't want EXTRA homework.

Or the waves are junky, and I brought the wrong surfboard to the beach.

Sometimes I'm so dedicated to mastering life on planet Earth, I easily forget perfection lies in the chaos. And, besides, perfect would be so boring and quiet. After all:

"Life is a journey, not a destination," Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Balancing Act

Every time I look at this picture I see an angel balancing a rock on her head. I'm happiest when my life is in balance.

Working a bit, playing a bit, having a little of this and a little of that. Spending time with family and friends, and spending quality time alone. Being active, yet getting proper amounts of rest. Staying focused when I need to, and taking time outs to day dream.

When I'm out of balance in my life, my body tends to get tired and sick, and I feel uninspired. The strange thing is I should have my balance point dialed by now. I suppose I am a perpetual work in progress. And I do have the rest of my life to figure this out, besides, what else do I have to do?