Learning how to reduce holiday stress in Palm Beach

Kimberly LaRue in the King Library

In the tranquil setting of the Society for the Four Arts campus, a group of women mostly older than a certain age gathered for a free talk on how to reduce holiday stress. They came to the Palm Beach campus to hear instructor Kimberly LaRue present her techniques for practicing mindfulness.

After gathering on the second floor of the King Library amidst the hardcover books and waiting for the session to start, they bantered with each other. One woman told her talkative friend, "You stress the rest of us."

"I know," replied the woman to whom that comment was directed, "that helps keep me de-stressed."

Surfing scientist talks about riding waves in South Florida

Bob Taylor in Fort Pierce, summer 2012 (photos  provided)

The soft-spoken scientist at the South Florida Water Management District has distinct ideas about how he wants to spend his spare time -- either walking on water or on land.

To Bob Taylor, environmental engineer, walking on water means surfing.

"Surfing can be a wonderful way to relax and de-stress," he says. "You are very focused on the wave; you are not worrying about other life problems."

That sounds like the main reason I like yoga. When I focus on my breathing, I forget about my worries.

Surfing scientist checks Web for best waves in South Florida

Bob Taylor at North Jetty in Fort Pierce in summer 2012. (Photos provided)

Meet Bob Taylor, South Florida Water Management District scientist by day and surfing enthusiast by night and weekends.

Taylor, 55, grew up in Jupiter where his parents bought him a longboard at a yard sale and got him hooked on surfing. He and his buddies taught themselves how to surf and have been surfing since they were about 9 years old.

They used their surf boards to paddle across the Intracoastal Waterway back then, Taylor says, but he does not recommend doing that today -- presumably because of increased pollutants in the waterway.

He will follow the Pipe Masters tourney when the surfing competition starts Saturday in Oahu. Taylor will watch to see how Kelly Slater, 40, performs because he's one of the three top surfers in contention. And Slater is from Cocoa Beach.

Exploring renovations at Lake Worth's beach

Adirondack chairs line up to face the ocean.

Finally after nearly 30 years of talk, Lake Worth is busy renovating buildings along its beachfront.

Sunday, I loaded my dog in my car to check out the renovations to Lake Worth's storied casino building and other restoration work underway in the multimillion-dollar project. I wanted to see how my tax dollars are being spent. But I also needed to get in a morning walk with my dog. So the trip to the beach filled two purposes, my new definition of multi-tasking. Here's what I saw:

1. Lower parking lot still a construction zone. I parked here in order to get the most steps on that Sunday morning. We drove onto an unpaved road into the parking lot and had to dodge cars and pickups on our walk up to the beach.

Turkey trotting through Palm Beach

Runners in the 2011 Turkey Trot

Ever want to peek into the mansions in Palm Beach?

This Thursday, better known as Thanksgiving Day, the United Way of Palm Beach will offer that chance when it hosts the 4th annual Turkey Trot.

The 5K path of the race begins and ends in Bradley Park, near the renovated Publix grocery store with valet parking.

The course heads north along the North Lake Trail bicycle path, turns east on Plantation Road, then south on North County Road and loops west on Wells Road.

Exploring Snook Islands in Lake Worth

Little blue heron with fresh catch atop limestone boulders

Friday morning, before I went to the local grocery store, I took a detour to the other side of Lake Worth and stopped to explore the Snook Islands Natural Area.

The islands are man-made, created to help clean the Lake Worth Lagoon and provide a fish habitat. I read about the $18 million project that involved 28,000 tons of limestone boulders installed to stabilize the 11 acres of mangroves planted and the 1.2 million cubic yards of sand that filled the deep trench along the city's golf course.

But I wanted to see what the area looked like for myself. I longed to walk on the relatively new boardwalk to the gazebo and satisfy my curiosity about the type of wading birds attracted to the area. I once was an avid nature photographer back in the days when cameras still used film.

Run for pies in Tequesta

Runner holding an apple pie (photo provided)

This Thanksgiving, while most of us are just rising, nearly 1,600 runners will line up in Tequesta for the 8 a.m. start of the 12th annual Run 4 the Pies.

The 4-mile race is sponsored by four organizations: Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach Roadrunners, Publix grocery stores and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Tequesta.

The first 900 finishers will receive a fresh-baked apple pie from Publix, says Bob Anderson, who is in his fifth year as race co-director. The other 700 or so runners will get a $2-off coupon for a Publix bakery item. "That way, no one walks away empty-handed," he adds.

Corporate Cup Challenge at YMCA of South Palm Beach County

Fifth Third Bank won the 2011 Corporate Cup Challenge.  

The latest fitness and money-maker craze will take place Saturday, Nov. 17, when the YMCA of South Palm Beach County holds its second Corporate Cup Challenge.

The challenge is open to local companies who can field teams of 10-15 people to compete in 15 different events, including tug of war, an obstacle course and a raft relay. The cost is $1,000 per team

"We heard that other Y's were having success with this event," says Cindy Grassi, business manager at the Peter Blum Family branch in Boca Raton.

The Boca Y started small, had seven companies enter last year. Grassi is hoping to double that number this year.

Jupiter walk to honor Suncoast High School junior

Zoe Loren jumping (Photo provided)

When hundreds, maybe even 1,000 people, show up for the 5K Run/Walk at Carlin Park on Nov. 11, they will do it to make a difference in honor of a lively teenager.

Zoe Loren had a range of interests that focused on photography and art. She created video shoots for her friends which she planned the location, poses and clothes. She dreamed about becoming a creative director for a magazine, living in New York City.

She was also a compassionate person who cared about the homeless, stray animals and the less fortunate students at the Arthur Meyer Jewish Academy in West Palm Beach and Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach.

"She sometimes came home and talked about students not having enough money for a class trip," her mom Evonn recalls. "So we (with husband Bruce) would donate anonymously to make sure that the students could go."

Midwest couple now running Kayak Lake Worth

Emily and Bryce Billings

Three years ago, Emily and Bryce Billings got married, pulled up their Midwest roots and moved to South Florida.

They wanted to live and work by the water, Emily says, and South Florida fit that bill. They started in Miami, gradually moved up the coast to check out Delray Beach and eventually settled in Lake Worth. Its laid-back feel and affordable homes near the water captured their hearts. They rented for a while and bought a home there in December.

Then in May, the former owner of Kayak Lake Worth needed to sell the business or close it. The mobile kayak business now required more time than Ian Esplin had to spare because he also had a full-time job and a family, Emily says. So the Billings couple bought his business with the hopes of turning it into a 7-day operation.

Yoga for cancer patients in West Palm Beach

Rambling Ron at the Sari Center

Nestled on the eighth floor of a Flagler Drive medical office building, the Sari Asher Center oozes a peaceful feeling as soon as you enter its doors.

The West Palm Beach center offers complementary therapies to enhance the quality of life of cancer patients, regardless of where you had surgery and treatments. Among its offerings are yoga by-donation classes taught on Tuesday and Thursday mornings by famed instructor Priyanka Shanbag.

On a recent Tuesday morning, she has eight students, seven women, including one in wheelchair, and one man. The wheelchair user, a woman named Elba, eases out of her chair and onto a yoga mat before class starts.

Gentle introductions

Shanbag makes everyone feel comfortable by having each person put an adjective in front of their first name as a way of introducing each other. She goes first, and calls herself: Precious Priyanka. Elba is "Enthusiastic Elba," and Mary calls herself  "Merry Mary," adding that it's her first time here at the Sari Center. Amy dubs herself, "Annoyed Amy" because she is just feeling annoyed.

Wellington widow starts walking team to honor husband

The Herrera family: Crystal, Jorge and Isabella 

Crystal Ryan Herrera became a widow at age 29.

Her husband Jorge died in March 2011. He was clutching their 14-month-old daughter Isabella in his arms when he called out to Crystal. 

He never got to see the son she was carrying. Matthew was born a few months later.

Her husband's passing from sudden cardiac death rattled her soul. Her mom moved into the Wellington home she shared with her husband to help her. She went to grief counseling where she slowly learned to forge a separate identity. She also joined a club for widows to connect with like-minded people. And she found ways to keep Jorge's memory alive.