July 29 . Issue #143 - Paul Yanuziello

“Let us come alive to the splendour that is all around us and see the beauty in ordinary things.” Thomas Merton

1. Summer in the country and village festivals. I’ve completed two so far this summer, both were at the New Earth Village Festival. Great times! I got to read my book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends to some children and children at heart, I sold some books and I had lots of fun.

Scratchy the Squirrel at New Earth Village

2. Classical Music festivals, jazz music festivals – Symphony in the Barn, I have tickets for Saturday’s performance. I am super pumped to witness this cool idea of blending classical music and farm country life.

Yes, this is life, listening to live music, oh yeah and Arts in The Park too. Thank you to the Dance Migration for sharing their art in Walter Saunders Park in Toronto this past week I must not forget to mention my report, now published, in That Canadian Magazine about all that Salsa on Blue Mountain.

3. My reviews of some music that I checked out, see Paul J. Youngman at Latin Jazz Network – Gregory Porter show review, Toronto Jazz Festival reports.

4. Finding book stores in small towns like Flesherton’s, Speaking Volumes Books and Creemore’s – Curiosity House Books is a fantastic pass time. You meet some great people and you browse the books.

I picked up some great books from both bookstores. Including, A Bird Chronicle, written by Rina Barone with illustrations by Ruth Ann Pearce, at the Curiosity House Books store.

5. Get out and enjoy the trails – but be careful. I was depending on my walking stick, which I found on the trail, and took a tumble. Luckily I was not severely injured, dislocated the index finger of my left hand and scraped my right shin. A small cut on my head, just to the side of my right eye and I tore my pants. Oh well, either get a good walking stick or don’t depend on the forest stick.

I’ve had a lot of experience falling, ukemi, in martial arts training, so this could have been much worse.

The trails, Niagara Escarpment and Bruce Trail, the forest bathing, are excellent and I go for a dip in the Beaver River every morning, so great!

Thank you for reading, if you think someone you know would be interested in my newsletter please pass it along.

All of my books are now available at your favourite bookstores, support local bookstores with your online purchases. Make sure you get out and about this summer. Visit a book store, or the library and pick up some books. If you’re looking for a great early reader chapter book get my book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Or one of my picture books, Samba on a Snowy Day or Samba in Brazil.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.