Tag: Rick Hotton

March 11 . Issue #134

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date March 11, 2022

“To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune, but to write and read comes by nature.” Shakespeare

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. A place for me to share with you 5 points of interest. Things that motivated me, events that brought me some joy, some happiness or delighted the senses. This week celebrating women and International Women’s Day events, jazz music icons, in-person writing workshops and more…

1. International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th with events from all over the world. Here in the Blue Mountains, I took in a virtual event. 24 Women – 24 Hours, Local Canadian women who achieved great things going back to the 17th century.

Fascinating to discover these incredible women who gave so much of themselves to their communities. Leaders, authors, chefs, artists, journalists, athletes and so much more.

2. Wes Montgomery, the renowned jazz guitarist was born this week, March 6, in 1923 and I listened to his music to celebrate his birthday.

Wes Montgomery – live in 65, this is a classic, delightful performance care of Jazz Icons – Holland, Belgium and England. The DVD movie opens with Wes joined in performance by musicians Pim Jacobs, Ruud Jacobs & Han Bennink.

The Belgium performance sees him joined by musicians he is familiar with, Arthur Harper (Bass), Harold Mabern (Piano) and Jimmy Lovelace (Drums). In England, Wes is joined by Rick Laird (Bass), Stan Tracey (Piano), Jackie Dougan (Drums).

3. Blue Mountain gets more than its fair share of snow and this winter I have done plenty of relocating of this white fluff from a place where it is not wanted to a place of less undesirability. What I look forward to after all this working out in the cold is a big mug of matcha white hot chocolate.

My favorite recipe for matcha white hot chocolate is courtesy of Love and Lemons.

4. Live events are coming back after two years and I am excited to take my creative writing workshop to the library. The East Gwillimbury Public Library has asked me to facilitate a workshop as part of the upcoming children’s March Break on Thursday, March 17th – 6:30 – 7:30 PM.

Write Your Own Story – Facilitated by WCYR and author Paul Yanuziello – For More Information and to register for the event go to Eventbrite.ca.

East Gwillimbury Public Library has always encouraged young writers to imagine and create and once again, students in Grades 3-8 are invited to submit their creative writing for inclusion in the 2022 Write On! Anthology. This year’s theme is Out of This World!

If you are in the area – Holland Landing, East Gwillimbury, sign up for the workshop and join me for a fun evening of creative writing.

5. Write what you want to read and what makes you happy. I am passionate about martial arts and I have trained with many international masters of martial arts, here in Canada, in Europe, Japan and the USA.

Last week I shared Part 1 of a short story entitled Man of the Everglades. Please enjoy Part 2 right here.

Thanks for reading, if you think someone you know would like to read my newsletter please share it with them.

If you are looking for a great children’s book check out one of my books, including my new children’s early reader chapter book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

Or one of my other children’s picture books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve. Or you may enjoy Samba in Brazil or the Brazilian/Portuguese version Samba no Brasil.

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

Tags EGPL, Jazz Icons, Rick Hotton, Scott Langley, WCYR

Reading

Newsletter 27

Hello and welcome, in this weeks newsletter I think about my time training in Florida. It was just around this time, when a break from winters grip was most welcoming. I contemplate this while digging out from another massive snowstorm. My promotion for Samba on a Snowy Day is still happening, get your free e-book for a limited time (see point no.3 in the newsletter). I took in the hit show “Come From Away” and I let you know about a few other points of interest that you may find interesting too.

1. SMK– Sunday Morning Keiko, or as I like to call it my non-organization, it’s very dear to my heart. SMK is a non-exclusive karate/budo community advancing a spiritual as well as physical approach to the study of karate/budo. Two of my favourite karate masters, Rick Hotton and Scott Langley will be leading seminars at the SMK 5th Annual Winter Keiko in Sarasota, Florida.

I’ll be missing it, again, I work weekends now. I attended the 3rd one though, way back in 2018. It changed my life, or at least confirmed my life changing decision. You can read my thoughts on that 2018 Winter Keiko entitled, A letter Home.
I spent the previous winter 2017 in Sarasota, that was one of the best times I’ve had in Florida. I stayed a month and I got to train with the SMK folks every Sunday, Sarasota became like home.

2. Winter won’t go away!

Another major snowfall, looks pretty, even magical but I would rather be in Costa Rica.

I stayed in Tamarindo, Costa Rica for two months in 2017, I did lots of writing and reading. Books I like reading when near the ocean, are books about the ocean. A local used book store in Tamarindo had a few of Clive Cussler thrillers. Cussler studied the oceans and then wrote fantastic stories.
RIP Clive Cussler (1931 – 2020)

3. I have a confirmation on a book reading engagement. One of the schools I teach karate at wants me to read my book to their students. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes. I am really looking forward to entertaining the children with my story.
As mentioned in a previous newsletter I have joined a group of bestselling authors and we are gifting our E-Books, yes, for free. Check the link, Children’s Book Give Away

And if you feel inclined afterward, please leave a review! on Amazon.ca o r Amazon.com

4. And I received more good news this week. A notification from Library and Archives Canada that Samba on a Snowy Day, softcover and hardcover books are now registered and archived.
Samba on a Snowy Day may be coming to a library near you. I have submitted the details to the powers that be and I’m feeling confident my book will make it on to the shelves.

5. This week I finally got around to seeing the hit show “Come From Away” at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. Come from Away is a Canadian musical with book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It is set in the week following the 9 / 11 attacks in the USA. A fantastic show about a community coming together to help others in the spirit of true selflessness.

Thanks for reading. If you like what you’ve read forward this to someone you think will enjoy it. Remember to check out my book, Samba on a Snowy Day available at your favourite book store. A fun children’s book for children to read to adults or the other way around. Check out my blog, follow the link, sign in. Get the weekly newsletter in your inbox, no spam I promise.

Tags Clive Cussler, David Hein, Irene Sankoff, Rick Hotton, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Scott Langley, Sunday Morning Keiko

Cartoons Children Activities Coaching Entertainment Jazz Martial Arts Rock & Roll Yoga

Newsletter 7

Hello all!

Some things that interested me this week, and I hope will be of interest to you too. Oh – by the way, my attempt at getting unhooked from my smartphone didn’t go as expected. I’m down 40% in screen time from last week with an average of two hours and some minutes per day. Six of those hours in the week were using the smart part of the phone as my GPS while driving. My attempt to reduce screen time continues.

Here are my five items, links or suggestions that should get you some inspiration and information.

1. Ginger Baker passed away this week, he was one of the greatest influences for me in drumming. Pictured here are some of my albums that he is featured on, Cream, Blind Faith and Baker Gurvitz Army. Rolling Stone Magazine had this to say about Ginger Baker – Cream Drummer .

The Ginger Baker Trio, was his outing with jazz greats Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell, an album he made in 1998 – Going Back Home shows Baker at his foundational best, check this performance, it gives you an idea of his jazz roots, Ginger Baker Jazz Trio Performance.

The documentary, Beware of Mr. Baker, check out the Trailer For The Documentary, this is an interesting view into Baker’s life, by filmmaker Jay Bulger. Luckily I still have some of my Ginger Baker records, I’m going to give Mr. Baker a spin right now, his playing is still inspirational. RIP Ginger Baker.

2. Yoga kids is a great idea to help get kids active – Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga… by Sara J. Weis – is a book, and I love this concept and think it’s great for children, a yoga practice plan for kids. A session plan that takes yoga for children where it needs to be, there are some great resources here for teachers, parents and coaches, gogoyogakids.

3. When I read this book on teaching yoga to children it reminded me of the High Five Training highfive.org, that I took a few years ago. It is a method of training coaches to provide activities and environments where children feel safe, welcome, competent, connected, empowered and special. This course changed the way I go about teaching karate to children.

4. For my Canadian friends and any interested bystanders, I have been muddling through the issues that will affect our country for the next 4 years. The Canadian election is set for October 21st. I found this great summary of a survey on some important issues, enviro survey summary, that provides a guide to some of the more important questions and issues that I am interested in. They summarize how all of the parties stand on said issues.

Do you know who the parties are? Bloc Québécois – Conservative Party – Green Party – Liberal Party – New Democratic Party – People’s Party. Do you know who you will vote for? Take a stand, make sure you get out there and let your voice be heard, cast your vote.

5. I met up with a friend of mine over the weekend. Rick Hotton, a karate master, an author and an illustrator, he is also the founder of an international group known as Sunday Morning Keiko a community of like-minded people celebrating the martial arts journey.

Rick was in town for a karate seminar and I met up with him for some after seminar socializing in Burlington, Ontario. He is a wonderful storyteller and a fascinating individual, he has a book entitled Holy Molè Cartoon. Randy Moore has written a great article, Rick Hotton and the Mindful Art of Holy Molè. Check out his cartoon, it’s good fun and it’s mindful.

Still friends after this awesome kick to my head.

Thanks for reading. If you like what you’ve read forward this to someone you think will enjoy it. Check out my blog, follow the link, sign in.

www.paulyanuziello.com

Tags Ginger Baker, GoGoYoga, High Five, Holy Molè, Jay Bulger, Randy Moore, Rick Hotton, Sara J. Weis