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.