Election Eve

Nov. 3rd, 2008. 8:45 pm. Digging Mon night football. Skins and Steelers. I wonder if Kim is at the game?? Carol and I had an amazing time in New Mexico last week. We hit a beautiful Fall week. Aspens were burning yellow. The mountains, deserts, sunsets and BnBs were all amazing. I worked through my back pain to really enjoy the museums, galleries, churches, Pueblos, and especially the food. Of course we visited libraries as well!! Thanks to all who helped us watching Mom and visiting her. Thanks Barbara for bringing her silver dollar pancakes. John more delicious cooking. Robin a delightful smile and presence. So next Mon. I get an MRI on the back at MSK. I suspect it is just old man shit and I'll be OK on Advil etc.
Played 4 hours yesterday at Metropolitan Orch. 2 1/2 hour rehearsal and 2 hour concert on Bass. Sat 1 1/2 hours on Tuba. Today 2 hours on Bass trombone. All fun. Yet to go this week Trombone 4. I restart a small version of my gig this week. Maplewood's Cultural Affairs dude. 5 hours a week for now. Try it out. Can't wait for RJ and Marthas wedding this week. I'm the Best Man. Cool!! Then to babysit our Grands in 2 weeks. And then Thanksgiving coming up. Great. Love, and Peace, and good health to you all. And my prayers and love to my dear friends dealing with a diagnosis. Peace. JIM

October Beauty

Mon. October 6th, 8:00 pm. Enjoying cool clear Fall weather here. Saw Grands over Rosh Hoshanah. Ahhh....They are very beautiful...My back issues continue. In Physical Therapy and on anti inflamatories. Stretching, strengthening etc. All numbers from MSK continue to be good. Lots of playing opportunities. Bass, trombone and Tuba. Conducting and teaching some as well. Read Philip Roth's new book, Indignation. Read it!! Saw Woodys new movie and Rodanthe . OK. Beautiful actresses and cinematography. The editing and writing is not as good. Dug Bernstein's "Age of Anxiety" at NY Philharmonic last week. Looking forward to Yom Kippur in Woodstock. No party this year, but I may just stay up there for my birthday (Friday). Had an oil painting framed this week and finished a painting of Carol in her Garden. Must someday complete the Woodstock oil of Carol on the bed. We're getting ready for our trip to New Mexico at end of October and RJ and Martha's wedding in November in North Carolina. October 30th is the 2nd anniversary of my Diagnosis of MDS, which proceeded to move aggressively forward until November 13, 2006 diagnosis of AML in MSK. I've been blessed with wonderful care from Dr. Berman, Carol, Rebekah, Greg, Mom, John, Catriona and Mariah (Mrs. Murphy now. Should have her baby soon) and all my friends and family. Lucky me. Enjoy this beautiful Fall. Keep sane through the mess of our government. Hopefully the Change coming will straighten out the mess made in the past 8 years.
Peace y'all. JIMBO

Fall Issues

Sept. 7, 2008 1:00 am. Rain from Hurricane Hannah blew through today. Not too bad. But I'm dealing with a back issue. 5 years ago an MRI told me I had stenosis in the lower back with some fused bones etc. This has caused episodes whereby I lose all muscular control from hips to toes and it takes 5 or 10 minutes to recover. It became an issue this week when I had 5 episodes in 3 days after not even thinking about these things for months. So I had to go to an Urgent Care place and get a Scan. Doc just gave me an anti inflammatory and asked that I checkin with my family doc and followup with another MRI and a back doc. So, new issues to deal with. Meantime I rode my bike several miles yesterday, and swam last night w/o a problem. But reaching for my bathing suit I had an episode setting me back 5 minutes and alot of shock to the system. Same today while demonstrating bass bowing technique to a student. I had to excuse myself to recover. Weird. A bit scary as well. It shocks the body. Sweat; heart racing etc. So I gotta deal soon.
Meantime saw Endo Doc Farooki last week. He's happy with the A1C numbers and direction. Trying to control the sugar. They want me to get a diabetes educator appntment. This Wed. I see Dr. Berman for a checkup (once every 6 weeks). So far all Leukemia numbers are excellent. In remission. I feel good and am playing music etc. Fun.I visited the 12th floor Tuesday and spoke with Catriona, Eddie, Donna and others. Nice to see my caring friends at MSKCC. Enjoyed some parties with Carol last weekend. Week before we hiked and biked and ate in Ithaca/Finger Lakes Region. Beautiful. Thanks Randi and Glenn for the suggestion. Going to see the Grands soon. Rosh Hoshanah for sure. So, enjoy the ball games. Keep practicing. Give hugs and kisses. Smell the flowers. Dig the music. Dance!!! Sing!!! Live!!! JIMBO

August means Woodstock

8/5/08 Finally we're getting back to Woodstock tomorrow. For 25 years we spent all of August there. Then for 3 years we've had conflicts (in the hospital last summer) so finally we're able to get there for a week. Mom will stay with Debbie. SummerMusic is finished but we have 1 more Pool gig with SwingTown (from a rainout) and JJ Blues will play in a bar in August. Went to Dillons with Ben today to have trombones and tubas worked on while I am out of town. Richard and Arlene, our neighbors on Zena Highwoods Rd. have been helping us and have cleaned the place and done some carpentry to get it ready for us. CB and I will search for some carpets and furniture to improve things. The kids are at Rehoboth Beach for a week. Great week for that.
Saw Dr. Berman last Monday and all numbers are holding nicely. Here in Maplewood the house outside has been repainted, and the kitchen will be repainted while we are out of town. We had 2 fine family parties on Saturday down the shore. Carols cousins in Belmar, then Travis and Julies engagement/Bon Voyage party at Seaside Park. Great family fun and good food. Trulie are off to Duke Law School. I'll see them in NC in November during RJ and Martha's wedding weekend. Cool!! Gotta go sleep and get ready to pack. Peace and Love and THANKS for keeping up with us. JIMBO

MapleWoodstock 2008

Tues. July 15, All Star Game day. 5pm. Dear Friends, Sorry I haven't been in touch recently. I/we've been busy. Feeling healthy. That's good. We had a ball at MapleWoodstock this year. I played Sat. with JJ Blues (soon to be Smokin' J's Blues Band) on my Alembic Bass and Sun. with the Clam Chowder Marching Society Band (on TUBA!!). This picture is from last years MapleWoodstock, but we still have the same guys in the band; this year we sounded even better.
SummerMusic continues next Sunday with 3 Bands: Maplewood Community Band (which I conduct) and Chatham Community Band, and a guest band from Holland "Zwarte Fanfare .com", a German/Czech styled Brass Band of 16 performers here in the States for a quick tour. I'm trying to setup concerts for them.
Carol has done beautiful work on our "Cottage Garden". It's coming along. We will start to move around a bit in August. Woodstock, Amherst for Andy and Suzy's wedding, followed by Tanglewood and finally the Finger Lakes region for some hiking etc. We hope to get to New Mexico for Fall. We must try again to get to Yankee Stadium one more time. I got down the Shore to play a round of golf with Brother Kim and his boys last week. Fun. We will be down the Shore again on August 2nd for 2 family parties, one in Belmar (Carols cousins) and one in Seaside (Travis and Julie's engagement). Meantime I see Dr. Berman July 28th for a checkup. Another of her former patients who is a friend of mine, Stephen Mohr passed on yesterday. Carol and I went to his funeral this morning. Maggie and Stephen have been Maplewood/South Orange/Woodstock friends for years. She's a poet who read on my Performers Cafes all those years ago at DeHart Park (in what's now called the Jim Buchanan room) with Diane Moser. Stephen and Maggie would come to Blue Moon Diner to hear our band play. Stephen was a BeBop fan big time.So it was such a surprise about 8 months ago to walk into Dr. Berman's clinic and see them there. His Lymphoma took a turn in which she could no longer help Stephen and he went to another Doctor. So we will continue to celebrate his life. We intended to go out to eat together and it never happened due to colds, therapies etc. But we must still go out and toast Stephen.
Prayers and thoughts are with our friends and relatives dealing with different cancers. Our love goes out to them as they deal. I'm proof that a very devastating disease can be dealt with. I hope they all find the quality of care I've found. God bless my MSK Nurses and Doctors. And my dear supportive friends and relatives.

Last week Carol was down to see beautiful little Shoshana Eve. In their new home. This week her siblings are going to Hebrew Camp now that Swimming Camp is over. They are beautiful.
Peace. Carry on. Have a great summer. JIMBO

Father's Day Weekend

Tues. June 17, 9:20 pm. Father's Day weekend was a joyous one with Rebekah and Greg and the kids. Sat. am was Baby naming for Shoshana Eve. Friday night Shabbot dinner was with Greg's family from DC, Calif., Silver Spring, Baltimore etc. Great family fun. Sunday we visited their new house, on which they closed Monday. A very exciting step.

We're now back in Maplewood building Carol's garden. Got some new bushes last week and are trying them out in different locations. Monday was at MSK to see Dr. Berman. All numbers are good. Next apptmnt. in 6 weeks ( I tried for 3 months, she said not yet). Enjoyed seeing my nurses again. A consult as well with the nutritionist. Lunch with Jon F. Today tbone 4 rehearsal; got a concert tomorrow night.
Last week we got to the Monmouth Museum at Brookdale College in Lincroft to see Jeff's Mom's art work. Very fine show. Had a good time. Man, are we enjoying daytrips. There are so many interesting places to go here. We really enjoyed a day with Jane and BJ at the Shore. Heard from Arlene and Richard up in Woodstock; they've done some work on the house for us. Great to have some help since we haven't been able to get up there much recently.

Big news this week is a visit by the Grands. Greg will drive Maayan and Ben up here Thursday. That night we go to Broadway for Mary Poppins. Then we hope to take the kids, depending on weather etc., to Woodstock and/or the shore. Even if we hangout here we'll have a ball. We'll see Carol's family at TJ's graduation party Sat. night. Ben's using Power Point and both kids love making pictures on the Mac.
Saw Lance Armstrong on Charlie Rose while having a new cap put in at Dr. Pollacks. We're thinking alot about Cancer, healing, dealing, etc. This is such a big area of concern in our lives. My hopes and prayers go out to all our friends. We stood for healing prayers at shul Sat. am. Peace. Enjoy this beautiful Spring. JIMBO

Rock and Run Day

Sun. June 8, 2008.(That's Carol in the Rhinebeck BnB) We got to Woodstock over Memorial Day. All is ok there.
Today is MSK Rock and Run (5K) on Pier 46, on the Hudson, NYC. BUT...there is a heat wave here. So, I reluctantly have chosen to stay home in the air conditioning. I don't feel I need to put my body through the heat wave. Carol and I visited Jane and BJ at the shore house. It was cool there on the beach. Noticeable temperature drop as you cross the bay . I wore a long sleeve shirt on the beach, and would have put up a hood had I worn one. It was cool and breezy. Here in Maplewood it was about 95 degrees. Same tomorrow, so I'll stay in Thank You. Looking forward to seeing the Army buddies I missed last summer when I was forced back into the hospital. We'll gather for lunch at the beach Monday. (No Big Band in Paterson Monday for me this week). Tonight we are rehearsing the JJ Blues Band for MapleWoodstock (Sat/Sun July 12/13; we perform Sat at 7 pm). Sat in on bass Friday night at the old North End Tavern where Dad and Howie used to chug a beer. New owner, made room for bands etc. Had a good time seeing friends etc. Am enjoying coaching some adult friends in music etc. Am also enjoying time to listen to new music here at home. Meantime Carol, always a nurturer, is nurturing a new Cottage Garden in the backyard. The trees/bushes are verdant, and the songbirds are prolific in every way. Charming songs. Once the garden is in we'll see butterflies and hummingbirds. Wonderful.
We had a nice ride up to Westchester County Friday to pickup my bass, so stopped to see LuAnn and Geoff. Nice quick visit. We plan to meet again soon for a trip to the Brookdale Museum in Lincroft to see Geoff's Mom's paintings. Last week we attended Studio Artists Tour here in Maplewood. 50 artists on board. It was a beautiful scene. Peter Max came by to checkout one of our galleries on Springfield Ave. on Saturday. He may start showing there. B.John sold a piece Sunday. Then about 2 weeks ago we went to a Mansion House/Gardens Tour as a fundraiser for Morristown Hospital at Froh Heim. Very pleasant. Lotsa good garden ideas.
Next MSK visit/checkup is coming on June 16th. All things feel good. Energy etc. Stamina. Endurance improving. Diet is coming along. Walked a mile yesterday before it got hot. Will cool it today.
Lots of good graduation/engagement things in the family: Mazeltov to all: Elana, TJ, Randi, Travis and Julie, RJ and Martha, Rabbi Greg and Rebekah and Shoshana Eve, Maayan Shira Harris.
Also prayers and support needed for Joan Harris, Bud and family. Joan will see an MSK doc on Monday for advice. Our prayers and heartfelt thoughts are with her. And to our musicians families here in Maplewood..prayers and thoughts of healing.
Love and Peace and Thanks. JIMBO