Five Peace Band

At the Rose Theater in NYC, the Five Peace Band of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, & Brian Blade entertained us with classic, vintage jazz. John's fingers were ever so fast and delicate as he massaged the neck of his guitar. All night he teased us with "Birds of Fire" and gave us some finally. My head was about to explode so many times as he built those crescendos with Chick and Kenny. These three had a beautiful jazz challenge and counter challenge of riffs and "can you beat this" kind of night. Chick was absolutely magnificent as he centered everyone and then took us on some magical excursions. Kenny was filled with extremes from perfect catharsis to absolute abandon and noise. Twice I wished he would stop. The rhythm section of McBride on Bass and Blade on drums were superb. McBride played both electric and bull bass with great authority and resonance. At one point he picked up the bow and silenced the place as he did the classics proud finally settling us with the classic fingering of jazz. The happiest man up there was Brian Blade on drums and percussion. Throughout the evening we could hear him laughing and see him smiling a Cheshire cat smile and an occasional groan of pleasure.

They played "Raju" by John McLaughlin; "The Disguise" by Chick Corea; "New Blues Old Bruises" by John McLaughlin; "Senor C.S." by John McLaughlin; "In a Silent Way" by Joe Zawinul and Miles Davis; "Hymn to Andromeda" by Chick Corea; and ended with "Dr. Jackle" by Jackie McLean.

The last time I saw John McLaughlin was when his Mahavishnu Orchestra regaled us at Avery Fisher Hall in 1972. The last time I saw Corea was in 1978 when he played with Herbie Hancock at a concert in Boston.

The evening was a pleasant blast from the past and so powerful.

Yankees win

Tommy and I went to our first Yankee game at the new stadium. We arrived early at 10 AM for the 1:05 PM game. We were very impressed with the Great hall and the layout. We immediately made our way to the field to watch the Yankees in batting practice. All the pitchers were in right field. Tommy got Andy Pettite's autograph on his shirt. Joba didn't and it was his number on the shirt, weird. After batting practice we wandered around the new edifice.

We found our seats in section 426, row 11 (row 14 is the last row), seats 26 & 27 (isle) in the upper decks called the grandstands. Getting seats to the new stadium has been quite an ordeal, especially since we have had season tickets for the past eight years. Usually we are behind home plate, now we are just beyond third base. Just as the game began, it started to rain very lightly. The light rain continued through most of the game. It was a back and forth game with the teams exchanging the lead until the ninth tied 7-7. Homers were hit by Jeter, Matsui, and Melky who hit his first homer after Matsui, and his second one to end the game in the fourteenth inning.

Here is a short video of Jeter at bat:

Here is a video of the team returning to the dugout in the bottom of the 14th Inning followed by a 14th Inning stretch and the singing of "Take be out to the ballgame."

The Pictures:

Everyday is Earth Day

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

Today we celebrate Earth Day. A great cause and idea. I would like to hear that we celebrate earth day everyday. Making our environment more "green" is a challenge when corporations continue to package products badly and consumers continue to dispose of their trash inappropriately. What can we do? I use a reusable water bottle and carry bags for groceries and purchases I make. We dispose of our trash appropriately. We don't own a car and we rent so on those fronts we're unable to act as we would like. I'd like to see our roof converted into a green space, that solar panels and windmills added to our building. We have a garden that supports wonderful wildlife like birds, bees, and fish. I look forward to see how Obama and his team move us forward on the "greening" of America.

I am reminded of our recent trip to Paris and all the artwork we saw that used nature as the subject. Monet is certainly one who comes to mind as well as Van Gogh. The list is huge.

HAMLET
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two:
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month—
Let me not think on't—Frailty, thy name is woman!—
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she follow'd my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears:—why she, even she—
O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourn'd longer—married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules: within a month:
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor it cannot come to good:
But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.

Home Sweet Home

When we woke up, we desired a croissant with our coffee. Instead we had oatmeal. Traveling is great, but there is no place like home with the daffodils blooming outside and the quiet of New York. Wish we could simply click our heels or get beamed here and there.

Paris - Last Day

We woke up at 6, when I injected myself. We went down for breakfast. We were the only ones there. We took the Metro to Gare du Nord and caught a train to Charles De Gaulle airport. The train was full but as usual we found a seat. When we arrived at the airline to check in, there were lots of people-and they were American! Shock. Once we got through checking in and all the security checks and finally on the plane an hour late, we had a pleasant ride home. We cabbed home to see the cats, unpack, and get ready for work. We went to bed wired but exhausted at 6:30 PM as it was 12:30 AM on "our" time and slept till 5:00 AM NYC time. The cats were glad to see us. We think Samantha's medical condition traumatized them slightly. And us! All's well that ends well.

Paris - Day Ten

We planned to go to The Red Wheelbarrow to find some books and then go on an Edith Piaf Paris Walk. On the way to the Metro, I was sweating heavily- I was shedding layers of clothing. On the train, I kept sweating and began to feel dizzy. We got off and took the Metro back two stops and walked to the hospital near us, The Hospital St Louis, which happens to be the oldest hospital in Paris. After we found the emergency room, we were taken care of beautifully, although we had a language problem. People were friendly and caring.Once they took my EKG, they realized we were in trouble as I learned about my arrhythmia. The doctor insisted on sending me to the American Hospital. At that point we were told hospitalization might be in order and our flight canceled. Soon two ambulance drivers arrived and transported us to the American Hospital. It's located in an upscale suburb and everyone spoke excellent English. Upon arrival they had a gurney for me and that soon-within one minute- a cardiologist was standing next to me holding my wrist confirming my arrhythmia. Soon I was being treated and set up for a CT Scan. I learned a great deal about my health and realized that as an older traveler, I need to carry certain medical records on me when I travel. I also realized that my reasons for not doing any activity yesterday was related to this medical condition.

All in all the experience of visiting two hospitals in Paris taught me a great deal about myself. In order to travel, the doctor gave me a shot and made me get more shots -163 Euros-and I had to inject a shot before I traveled and for the next 10 days. I also had to see my cardiologist when I returned to NYC.

The doctors and nurses in these two hospitals were superb-Merci beaucoup.

Paris - Day Nine

Today we did very little. Heather went online and researched activities in Paris and maxi dresses. She learned that Europeans -no surprise- have a different fashion sense that Americans.She bought one dress online. We went to the local bistro for lunch and had a delicious meal of salads and croque monsieurs. Heather also finished her Tom Sharpe book. I slept throughout the day.

No Pictures.

Paris - Day Eight

An off day so to speak. We woke late. I headed off to the Cemetery of Pere-Lachaise. The draw is of course Jim Morrison, but he is a lesser light in this place of the dead. In fact, his plot is a grave disappointment as compared to the greater lights buried in this land of the dead. Heather stayed home to relax and read.

Upon reaching the tombs, I picked up a map at the center. I was amazed to discover who was buried in this place. The layout is like a city. The cobbled roads are named and as I wandered the byways of the dead I was delighted to find old friends who I had studied, read, heard, and admired. I was able to pause, give thanks, snap a picture, and move on. Finding the graves was simple in many respects becuase the celebrities gathered crowds or flowers. Jim Morrison's grave was barricaded off. It was pitiful, sunken, littered and the most depressing of resting places in the whole cemetery. Perhaps it was indicative of his life. A young girl tossed a spent cigarette on his grave, which seemed fitting. Edith Piaf's grave was very refined as she was with her family. The flowers around were tasteful. It was a proper resting place considering the kind of life she had. The most flamboyant grave had to belong to Oscar Wilde. It was wild. The winged character and stone was covered with pink, red, and lavender kisses. Many messages covered the stone. Balzac was under repair. Gertrude Stein was as difficult to find here as she was in her life. So many people are here, it is too bad it is Jim Morrison that seems to draw them to this not to be missed site in Paris. It is comparable to the cemetery island of San Michele, Venice where Ezra Pound is buried in a pauper's grave. This is a phenomenal place to visit and eventually rest for all time.

When I returned to the hotel, Heather and I went shopping on Rue de Rivoli. She found some great clothes in Etam and Zara.

We had dinner at LaRegalade.Heather had a great salad and wonderful rhubarb dessert. Rhubarb is in season and we both love it. The ambiance was wonderful and the atmosphere very relaxed. It was our best meal in some ways of the trip though each meal was terrific-we truly did not have one bad meal.

The Pictures:

Paris - Day Seven

Today we went to three museums: Musee de L'Orangerie, which has the beautiful long Monets, Musee D'Orsay, and The Louvre. An awesome experience.

The Pictures:

Paris - Day Six

We woke late since we didn't have any pressing engagements. (ha ha that's why it's called a vacation)We eventually found our way to the Marmottan which is the former residence of Claude Monet. Today it is a museum honoring the great artist. The house is fabulous and his collection of his own work as well as the work of his contemporaries is rich and glorious. We are finding the accompanying audio device is very useful and complements the tours within the Rick Stevens Guide book. The collection is a great treasure as it provides many examples of how he learned to play with light at all times of the day. The earliest examples of his perfection are here as well as the painting used to describe the "Impressionist" movement by an art critic of the day. The park we walked through to and from the museum was delightful as was the neighborhood.

We next made our way to the Arc de Triomphe and climbed the 284 stairs plus the rest to get to the top and overlook Paris. This is not a venture for the faint of heart. The galleries before ascending to the roof is filled with a rich history of war and peace and other events for which the arc is known. After we had our fill we descended and proceeded to make our way down the Avenue des Champs-Elyees. We ran onto a WH Smith where Heather purchased a couple of Tom Sharpe books. We walked across the Jardin des Tuileries to the Musee de L'Orangerie, only to find it closed.So we walked across the Pont de la Concorde to get to the Rodin Museum.

On our way we walked past the Assemblee Nationale and down a delightful Rue de Bourgogne. We stopped for an espresso and passed beautiful stores. In one store we found a loud basset hound and a delightful long haired dachound playing. Beyond adorable. Further down the rue we watched a baker make bread. Eventually we arrived at the Musee Rodin. The museum was overwhelming in the power of the museum and the garden which contains some of his best pieces.

Exhausted we dragged ourselves back the hotel, freshened up and made our way to De l'autre cote for a delightful meal of tajine (Heather) and duck (Ted). We also had a great conversation with the waitress who spoke some English.When we arrived back at the hotel, we were ready to rest for tomorrow.

The Pictures:

Paris - Day Five

A good chill in the air greeted us as we set off for Notre Dame walking tour. It was also a holiday and the city is empty, except for us tourists. Arrived at Cite metro without incident and admired the architecture we were soon to learn more about. Chris, the same guide we had for Montmartre, arrived and after doing his thing we were off. He explained about the Isle of Cite, the Seine, and the history of the island pointing out boat symbols on buildings (the symbol of Paris and the bullet holes from WWII of the Police Department), and beginning our journey of Citi. He explained about the taming of the Seine and how artifacts can be found at Le Havre while he passed around two, a flint tool and a mastodon tooth. We learned about the Conciergerie, Pont Nuef, and good Henry IV. He took us through the back streets and eventually to Notre Dame. He spoke extensively about the middle doors, the doors themselves and the sculpture above them. We then moved to the North side where he pointed out the foreman gargoyle and we wound our way to the eastern end where he concluded the walk. A good discussion followed about the flying buttresses and the gargoyles.

Heather and I then went into Notre Dame. Amazing.

We then made our way to Sainte Chapelle and the unbelievable exhibit of stained glass. We walked across the Seine and found the restaurant Laperouse, where we were to dine in the evening.

We snaked our way to the Musee Cluny. An absolutely fantastic museum across the park from the Sorbonne. The Unicorn tapestries are a highlight. We also saw the original sculptures of the Kings of Judea that decorated Notre Dame and were removed during the French Revolution and then discovered by accident in 1977. Great story.

We returned home to nap and prepare for another magnificent dinner.Laperouse turned out to be an expensive! dinner with fantastic food, impeccable service and did I mention expensive? Heather's bottles of water cost $11 each. She was thirsty and drank three bottles. Hmm.

The Pictures:

Paris - Day Four

Happy Easter. A late wake up since our morning started in Montmartre which is nearby.
We arrived at Abbesses Metro just before our group gathered. Chris, our guide took us on an elaborate walk through the streets of Montmatre where we stopped at the house Van Gogh lived in with his brother, Theo. We stood outside Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec lived and painted. We saw the place where Picasso lived and finally the residence of Renoir. For all of these artists, there time in Montmatre was important. Still today it is a center of art as we learned and saw, especially in the areas of forgery. Finally we made it to the top of the hill and the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre.

We metroed to the Monceau area for a perfectly quiet lunch after the loud and crowded landscape of Montmartre and strolled through an antique fair, where we got Heather a lovely ring. Our next walk took place in The Monceau District as we explored the results of the Industrial Revolution in France which happened in the 19th Century. We learned about how the city was rebuilt during the French Industrial revolution by the new captians of industry. We learned about the construction and why Paris looks like it does today. We strolled around the area, leaving the park only to view some of the fabulous mansions created by these new industrial giants and how today they are still owned by the rich and famous. Now there are no names on the mailboxes. We saw how this park was an inspiration for all the Impressionists.

We then went to the Musée Jacquemart-André. What an incredible museum. This couple had a grand life together, one we all wish to have.

We made our way home and stopped in the local shops and purchased cheese, fish, bread, wine, and meat for a dinner.

The Pictures (for some reason we only have the pictures up to halfway through the first walk):

Paris - Day Three

I think we brought the beautiful weather with us as we again woke to a glorious day. We had breakfast metroed to St Paul via the 5 to the 1. St Paul is a busy neighborhood. We had a leisurely espresso as we waited for the group to assemble. At 1030 the walking tour began. We learned, the major thoroughfare has existed from the Roman days. We learned all about the early days of Paris when it was a swamp and when this main road, Rue Saint Antoine was the first road of Paris. During this walk we were introduced to the flamboyant history of the area in the Medieval times.

After the tour we strolled through the back streets and came upon an Anne Elizabeth shop where we purchased a couple of items for Heather including a fabulous floral dress. We eventually found our way to the Picasso Museum.

We returned to the hotel for a nap before our dinner at Goumard. Heather was particularly tickled by the fact that her menu didn't have prices. Her jaw dropped open. After dinner we came out to an evening vigil at the local church. Eventually we found our way back to the hotel.


The Pictures:

Paris - Day Two

We woke to another beautiful sunny morning about 11 degrees C. The breakfast was very good and prepared us for the day. We set off for our Paris Walk celebrating Hemingway which started at Cardinal Lemoine metro in the Latin Quarter.


We were early so we strolled around and found an antique book store and had some espresso before our walk started. We watched an interesting event of how someone moved out of an apartment on an upper floor.


Once we gathered to begin the walk, we roamed the streets and visited many places Hemingway lived, worked, and drank.


We also visited St Etienne Du Mont which was ready for Easter.


We explored the Market area and witnessed the Stages of the Cross going through the streets.


We stopped at a Cafe for espresso. On our way to the Jardin Des Plantes, we stopped at a shop for a jardin and fromage crepe which we ate in the jardin.


We strolled the Jardin and headed for the Seine and the Musee de Sculpture en Plen Air. We strolled past Isle St Loius and Notre Dame where we discovered a wonderful river boat that housed two black cats. When we arrived one was chasing the other on board. (Also it should be noted,Paris has many dogs including many French bull terriers.)As we approached we noticed a large PCB pipe leading from the boat to shore. This as it turned out was a tunnel for the cats as we saw first one scurry into it and quickly the second followed. The first appeared from the end on shore followed by the second. Hissing and growling ensued as the both found refuge under a dock build for them.


As we continued our walk we came upon a river boat which was a restaurant and was guarded by a large black dog that walked down the gang blank and then settled at the base of the gangplank. Eventually we found Shakespeare and Company where Heather purchased a couple of copies of PG Wodehouse books.


We headed home from the Michedl Metro for a nap. It rained while we slept. We walked to the Canal Saint Martin to find a cafe for dinner and struck upon the Cafe Prune, a hip and young cafe on the canal. We were definitely the oldest ones there by 20- 30 years!


Wandering the streets home we stopped for a nightcap at our corner Bistro.

The Pictures:

Paris - Day One

until the 19th.


We left JFK at 10 PM and arrived at Charles De Gaulle Airport at 11:20 AM Thursday morning. We found our way top the train to Paris that landed us at Gare Du Nord. We were amazed at the amount of colorful graffiti. There was more than we have ever seen.


We walked the few blocks to our hotel, Hotel Magenta on Boulevard de Magenta.


We arrived an hour before our room was available, so we walked to the next block and had lunch at the Cafe Le Bistro. We sat outside. We started with an espresso for Heather and a latte for me. Heather started her espresso habit this day.Then I followed with a Monsieur which is a jambon and fromage open sandwich and a merlot.


After we checked in and unpacked we headed off to the Eiffel Tower. We walked to the metro, bought a five day pass and proceeded to ride the 4 train to the 8 train that took us to the Ecole Militaire stop. When we exited the metro we walked a block to the Parc du Champ De Mars. At the opposite end from the Eiffel Tower was a protest. We walked to the tower passing hundreds of tourists and students enjoying the very warm weather. I was wearing a t shirt. When we arrived at the Eiffel Tower the line extended in a snakelike way all the way to the Seine with several hundred people. If we had gotten at the end of the line, we would have to wait five hours to get our ticket. We decided to return another day.


We decided to take a ride on the Seine. This was a great decision as it gave us a great overview of the city and let us see some of the places we planned on visiting. Sailing the Seine extraordinary as we saw great river boats and the shores littered with lovers kissing and walking hand in hand. Because the weather was so glorious, many people, both women and men stripped down to their underwear to enjoy the sun and weather. (Heather didn't see this)

After the boat ride we walked to a metro stop and returned to our hotel. We rested and then set off to find dinner. We strolled to the end of Magenta to find a delightful cafe, De l'autre cote. We had our first philosophical political discussion with the owner of the restaurant who asked us about Obama. He wanted to get into it, but we resisted.The owner said he "gives Obama two years."

See today's Pictures:

sailing

we went sailing, running and tacking the waters.
the jib was up it was down, it was full, it was our power.
the mast held firm as the rudder pointed the course.
then it came time for her to guide us into port.

penelope

when i was a kid
i was always intrigued
by the greek journey
odysseus was the icon.

and on his journey
he met some sirens
he waxed his ears
and tied himself to the mast.

he heard the songs
he enjoyed the lure
was not caught
or destoyed.

he returned to his penelope
and i knew what i had to do
find my penelope and when i found her
i knew i had returned

i did it backwards though
i journeyed and found her.

greek honey

greek honey sweetened my soul.
she suddenly appeared and filled a gap.
addicted to honey is delicious
lacking the honey is bitter.

good honey like good wine
takes time. the time is
the problem and the solution.
greek honey is good honey.

honey lingers  forever,
an ambrosia, a nectar.
it is to be savored
slowly and forever.

honey is a child of love,
a love between bee and flower.
combed and drawn:
food and drink

honey, you are my
sustenance, my need,
my desire, my want.
a greek honey sweetened my soul.

the gift

the gift
came in a smile
in a laugh
in a glow
in a kiss.

Poetry

Last year I presented a month of poetry lessons to celebrate April. Poetry is a major part of my teaching. Whenever I assign a project, I always try to include at least one poem so the scholars have a variety of genre to read.

Two projects we are doing this semester include a poem. In the Irony Project we read "Richard Cory." For the civil rights project I included poems from many Forerunners to civil rights. I will conclude the semester by including Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken." The purpose of this poem is to ask the scholars about what they will do as they reach forks in the road. Sure some may quote Yogi when asked what one should do when we come to a fork in the road.

Twenty Oh One

In twenty oh one, my address changed.

I had been relatively comfortable in my current digs,
As one thing led to another and to another,
I had discovered myself back in the neighborhood
I had started when I moved back to city, thirty years earlier.
The change was life altering.
Today towers hovered about my old squat.

Thirty years earlier, that squat was majestic.
Overlooking a field of asphalt, a parking lot.
Once the home of a famous arena, a parking lot.
Overnight that parking lot grew a corporate appendage
Reaching for the gods and spreading out for places to lounge,
While the old squat observes in the protective shadows.

Thirty years earlier, the squat became another and that
Another, the one I stayed in for a time and added two seconds.
Fellowship pulled me on and out and to a place of 2's & 3's.
The numbers were all wrong, the foundation was fracturing.
And that another, where I currently contemplate the view out my window.
Thirty years earlier, I had undertaken another profession.

Thirty years hence I would be completing a quarter century of doing
What I had left after fives years thirty years ago.