Categories
Children's Books Reading Summer

August 27 . Issue #106

When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
     The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
     Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
          His ineffable effable
          Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular name. (The Naming of Cats by T.S. Eliot)

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. This week I am listening to the jazz contribution of drummer Charlie Watts. I’m getting a step closer to publishing a translated version of Samba in Brazil in Brazilian, Portuguese and enjoying great documentaries, among many other things during these waning days of summer.

1. Rest in Peace Charlie Watts 1941 – 2021, most people know of the drummer  Charlie Watts as an integral part of the Rolling Stones rock group. Few realize Charlie was a jazz drummer and was involved in some great jazz projects.

Watts contributed to Tim Ries – The Rolling Stones Projecta great album featuring some incredible musicians including, John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Ries re-imagines some of the classic Stones pop tunes with jazz rendering.

Watts’ true love was jazz and here he is with a tribute to one of his jazz heroes Charlie Parker. The Charlie Watts Quintet – A Tribute To Charlie Parker With Strings.

2. This week I left my sanctuary in the Ontario north country and headed for Toronto on a rescue mission. Our cat Milo who was staying with one of my daughters was not doing well. The featured photo is of Milo a few years ago.

When we arrived back in Toronto, we found Milo in bad shape. Milo was 14 years old (Dec. 2006 – Aug. 2021), he was a feral kitten, we rescued him from an abandoned shed.

Milo had taken ill, he suffered from kidney disease. We took him to an emergency vet but there was nothing to be done. Milo had a great life, pampered and loved; now he is in a better place, on The Heaviside Layer, RIP Milo.

Milo was the inspiration for a couple of short stories I wrote, Milo’s Christmas and The Adventures of Milo.

3. This week I watched a fascinating documentary on the early life of the street artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat

For real – do you happen to have one of his paintings? At the last auction in NYC, a skull-head painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat soared to $93.1 million at Christie’s Auction House.

4. I am reading, actually, I am struggling to read the Selected Tales of Edgar Allen Poe. The language he uses is difficult to comprehend and his scenes are long and tedious. I read a little and then look to P.G. Wodehouse to lighten the mood; with The World of Jeeves.

5. My park training continues, however, I got the green light from Dino sensei of Black Tiger Karate that his martial arts school is open for business.

After my park training on Tuesday, I went to the dojo, it has been a long time since I’ve been to a dojo. It was nice to see old friends, training mates and Dino sensei.

I stayed for a couple of hours and practised hitting the makiwara and the large hanging bag. Great fun!

Thank you for reading. If you think someone you know would enjoy my newsletter please share it with them. If you are looking for a great children’s book check out my new book, Samba in Brazil;  Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

Or one of my other books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve.

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

Copyright © 2021 Paul Yanuziello, All rights reserved.

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Categories
Documentaries Summer Writing

August 6 . Issue #103

… circles of trust … are a rare form of community –
one that supports rather than supplants the individual quest for integrity – that is rooted in two basic beliefs.
First, we all have an inner teacher whose guidance is more reliable than anything we can get from a doctrine, ideology, collective belief system, institution, or leader.
Second, we all need other people to invite, amplify, and help us discern the inner teacher’s voice.
– Parker Palmer –

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal where I share with you 5 points of interest. This week I continue with last weeks theme on custom motorbikes, documentaries, music and more…

1. The above featured photo, another amazing custom bike made me think about synchronicity. I pulled into a gas station just ahead of this bike. I had never seen this one before and I had just finished last weeks newsletter featuring a head turning custom bike.

I asked the owner if I could take a photo and possibly feature his bike on my newsletter, he said for sure, go for it. We exchanged pleasantries. The owners name; Kawonga, we spoke about his awesome bike for a little while and then parted ways.

2. This weeks documentary; Gaza by Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell. A look behind the scenes at life in Gaza.

The Gaza Strip, or Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north along a 32 mile border.

3. My viewing pleasure during a break this week included a fantastic glimpse into life on Okinawa;

Alive and kicking at 100 – The secrets of the Japanese

Okinawa is an island to the southwest of Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. A place that I remember with fondness I wrote about it shortly after my visit in 2002,   Japan: Ancient Traditions… part 1.

4. My ear candy this week featured the chromatic harmonica with some of the best harmonica players;Toots Thielemans, Antonio Serrano, Gregoire Maret and Hendrik Meurkens.

5. I managed to escape the city this week and to get up north for some exploring, hiking and boating. I also found time to discover a great Greek restaurant the Fig & Feta in Collingwood, Ontario.

The best service around, great beverages, fantastic food, family-friendly and a wonderful ambience. Highly recommended. 5 stars!

Thank you for reading. If you think someone you know would enjoy my newsletter please share it with them. If you are looking for a great children’s book check out my new book, Samba in Brazil;  Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

Or one of my other books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve.

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

Copyright © 2021 Paul Yanuziello, All rights reserved.

Please subscribe to my newsletter below. Just enter your email address and you're in! Join all my other subscribers who get my news, my writing, and interesting links delivered to their inboxes on the last Friday of each month:

 

 

Categories
Books Nature Reading Summer

July 16 . Issue #100

The Flowers

All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener’s garters, Shepherd’s purse,
Bachelor’s buttons, Lady’s smock,
And the Lady Hollyhock.”  by Robert Louis Stevenson

1. One hundred “100” is an important number for an author. At least for me, it”s a number that represents perseverance, loyalty and discipline. Issue number 100 in my weekly journal and it coincides with my new book Samba em um Dia de Neve getting into the top 100 Children’s Books.

“The numerology number 100 represents energy that’s self-determined, independent, and has infinite potential. The number 0 brings openness, wholeness, comprehensiveness, and infinity to the number 100.” From – Affinity Numerology

I am hopeful that a Portuguese/Brazilian version of Samba in Brazil will be published within the next month. Stay tuned for more information.

2. I am reading a wonderful book by Karen P. Inglis, How To Self-Publish & Market a Children’s BookThe book has proven to be a fantastic resource for me and I keep coming back to it for more tips on self-publishing.

Utilizing one of the tips from the book, this week I sent off my first book Samba on a Snowy Day to a UK book awards organization. They accepted my entry, mentioning that the book looked to be lots of fun for children. Now we wait and see.

The finalists for the awards are notified 1st of March 2022.

3. My audible journey this week has included a diverse group of artists. From, Bill Evans to Joe Lovano and the Herbie Hancock, Imagine Project, that project includes an incredible array of masterful musicians from the pop, world and r&b genres.

Listening to Bill Evans provides immeasurable joy for me, the drumming of Paul Motian and the masterful bass playing of Scott LaFaro; displayed to perfection on Sunday at the Village Vanguard.

4. I am taking in the beauty of the Grey Highlands, delighting in the flora and fauna surrounding me. This week I am hiking the Pretty River Valley Provincial Park.

5. Ontario will be moving to Step 3 of the re-opening plan. Opening up on Friday, July 16th just in time for my newsletter. I am cautiously optimistic, the keyword being caution.

I think that I will continue with my park training for the next little while and patio dining, weather permitting.

Thank you for reading. If you think someone you know would enjoy my newsletter please share it with them. If you are looking for a great children’s book check out my new book, Samba in Brazil;  Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

Or one of my other books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve.

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

Copyright © 2021 Paul Yanuziello, All rights reserved.

Please subscribe to my newsletter below. Just enter your email address and you're in! Join all my other subscribers who get my news, my writing, and interesting links delivered to their inboxes on the last Friday of each month: