David Watson blues

Fearless Leader

I am working my way through the Fearless leader cd box set. As you probably noticed I am already a certified Coltrane fanatic but that is just part of the reason I am so excited about these recordings. This six cd package was put together by Concord Records . It is the first of three box sets that present many of Coltrane's recordings on the Prestige label . The six discs contain most of the cuts from 11 Prestige albums recorded during 1957 and 1958. They were Originally produced by Bob Weinstock and recored by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder at his studio. Hearing Coltrane's development over this time span is only one of the great things about this material. Another is the liner notes in the form of a thoughtfully compiled and beautifully presented small book. It has everything you would possibly need to know regarding this material . But in the end it is Coltrane that makes it for me! No wonder there is a church in San Francisco that is based on him! http://www.coltranechurch.org/ This stuff is Heaven

Self- Indulgent

A couple of posts ago my topic was wanting to improve myself for the new year. I thought it was a good idea but my friend Anne thought other wise. In short she informed me that my comments sounded like a self-indulgent teenage whine. She went on to add I should look at my Thoughts from a friend post for direction. So I decided to take a closer look.
Of the 40 points here are the ones that that I already attempt to practice

Take a 10-30 minute walk every day - Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day - Live with the 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy - play more games and read more books than you did in 2007 - Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer - Dream more while you are awake - Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat fewer foods that are manufactured in plants - Drink green tea & plenty of water and eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts - Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life - Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper

There are still 30 more to tackle but
I guess that is not bad for a start. I better shut up for now as I don’t want to be anymore
self - indulging than necessary.

Happy Accident

It was at a local market a few weeks ago that I found this King Crimson album( I still consider cd’s albums) Thrak. I use to listen to them so I bought it (can’t go wrong for 1$). This album was recorded in 1995 after a ten year gap from their previous release. Like other timeless recordings, even though it is now 13 years old its vital energy remains. Not only does it have the basic strange Crimson sound it also has some material that is less extreme. There is a hauntingly beautiful ballad Walking on Air and a kind of fusion tune People. Still, this is the great powerful mystic Crinsom sound. The next time I buy one of their albums it wont be a happy accident!

Coltrane's Giant Steps

Loose Change

Thoughts from a friend

o Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant. o Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to. o Buy a TIVO, tape your late night shows and get more sleep. o When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: "My purpose is to___________ today." o Live with the 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy. o Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2007. o Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives. o Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. o Dream more while you are awake. o Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat fewer foods that are manufactured in plants. o Drink green tea & plenty of water and eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts. o Try to make at least 3 people smile each day. o Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life. o Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. o Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. o Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. o Smile and laugh more. o Life isn't fair, but it's still good. o Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. o Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. o You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. o Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. o Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. o Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. o No one is in charge of your happiness except you. o Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?" o Forgive everyone everything. o What other people think of you is none of your business. o Time heals almost everything. Give time time. o However good or bad a situation is, it will change. o Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. o Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. o Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. o The best is yet to come. o No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. o Do the right thing. o Call your mother and father often. o Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: o "I am thankful for __________. "Today I accomplished____________." o Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. o Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass.

This mornings combination of Sun and rain produced this nice photo of a rainbow over my house . It happens quite frequently here because it often rains over night and in the morning. It put me in a great positive mood. It also started me thinking about this New Year and attempting once again to improve myself. For quite a while now I have been attempting this but always end up constantly falling flat on my face. Why is it so difficult to correct or even understand why I muck this up all of the time. I do have a plan which involves developing mindfulness living. I have been working on this using a book titled Wherever you go there you are written by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The idea is to develop mindfulness (waking up and paying attention to see things as they really are) there by offseting diminished awareness which leads to automatic actions. This is developed through practicing meditation. So far, all I manage to accomplish while practicing meditation is falling asleep. This makes waking up and paying attention somewhat difficult. I'll keep trying though. If nothing else I will have a nice nap every day!

Snow Angel

Here is my friend Jane Smith celebrating New Years here on the big Island of Hawaii.
How do you accomplish doing a snow Angel in Hawaii; by driving to the top of Mauna Kea, one of the two 13,000+ ft mountains on the island . More than once a year we have snow capped mountains! Still another reason we say lucky we live Hawaii!