Day 676: Colors

Several years ago, I went into a store in the Boston area and noticed that people from a local radio station were there. One of the DJs announced to the shoppers:

A prize to the first person who can come up with eight musical groups with a color in the band’s name!

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this in any of my previous colorful or non-colorful blog posts, but I love

  • CONTESTS and
  • WINNING.

I wonder if people who are reading this know that about me, or whether they are finding this out for the first time, much like I discovered, just now, that I can use colored letters in WordPress.

Anyway, the radio guy in the store announced that contest, and my mind went to work.

I now interrupt this story to bring you this question:

What band names, with colors in them, can you think of, right now?

While you’re thinking of those, here’s some mood music, brought to you this morning from high (or medium) atop the Koplow Family & Friends Building in beautiful suburban Boston:

(YouTube video of Duke Ellington‘s “Mood Indigo” found here)

And in case you prefer a different kind of music, here’s another tune, with the same color in the title:

(I found “Indigo Passion” by the Atlanta Rhythm Section on YouTube, in this video created by DJ Bayonic)

Okay, ladies and gentleman! For my listening and viewing pleasure, please place your colorful, musical names in the comment section, directly below this post.

For your listening and viewing pleasure, here are the band names I came up with, back then:

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.

.

.

.

.

.

Green Day

Simply Red

Whitesnake

Black Sabbath

Deep Purple

Pink Floyd

The Moody Blues

Blue Cheer

I remember the radio D.J. doubting “Blue Cheer” as a real band name, but I must have convinced him (without anybody having access to the internet, back then), because:

IMG_1814

Like I said, I love winning.

And I love colorful things, including these:

IMG_1805

and these:

IMG_1809… which are the “Coping and Healing” group handout folders, that people get to choose from, before they join my therapy groups.

I also love shades of grey (which is an antidote to the unhelpful cognitive distortion of Black-and-White Thinking), as you can see by this still life in my office:

IMG_1810

I like to point out the ever-present box of tissues to people in individual and group therapy, to let them know that all feelings are welcome. I like to point out that clock, too.

Speaking of feelings, time, color, and art, yesterday I got this email from my long-time friend and amazing artist Paul Nagano (previously appearing in posts here and here):

Dear Friends:                                

                    THE FINAL
                               OPEN STUDIO  
 
                 of PAUL NAGANO in Boston
Saturday and Sunday —     Nov. 15 and 16        11am to 5pm
                 This is a 
                             CLEARANCE SALE 
               because I will be leaving Boston and moving to Honolulu on December 19.
 
Almost EVERYTHING — 
art, frames, books, art materials, objects, kitchen utensils, tools, 
even a few pieces of furniture  —  will be available for sale.
 
You will also be able to view the original of my magnum opus from this past summer–
“PARINIRVANA in the Great Garden” —
 
PARINIRVANAinGreat Garden
 
 I look forward to seeing you for a fond farewell.
 
Please, as always, bring some canned goods or other non-perishable food items
to benefit our Annual Food Drive for the GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK.
 
 
Thanks.
  
lovanaloha,

P a u l — (after 47 years, leaving Boston on Dec. 19, to live in Hawaii 

                       …..and…….    arriving    there     on     Dec. 22)

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In response, I sent Paul this one-word email (even though I knew this move was coming):

 No!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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and Paul replied:

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Remember, Ann, CHANGE is GOOD!  –even when it’s bad, and a little sad.

lovanaloha,
.
I’m going to let Paul have the last words, today, except for these:
THANKTEVERYON!!!
Categories: inspiration, Nostalgia, personal growth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

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36 thoughts on “Day 676: Colors

  1. I love color. Usually I prefer the most vibrant ones.
    I have travelled three times to Guatemala where color seems to be the accepted norm. (See – I am still thinking of norms!).
    Every room in my house has C-O-L-O-R.

  2. Lawrence J. Siskind

    What about Barry White? He’s a rather large individual, so he might qualify as a group.

    Sent from my iPhone

    • Aha! A comment from my Junior High School competition for the Latin Prize. I guess you win again, Lawry (and you show your true colors).

  3. haha — I love Lawrence’s comment

    and (without cheating) I would only have gotten the three of Moody Blues, Pink Sabbath and Deep Purple. But… I did try to include Procol Harum as Purple Harum — does that count? 🙂

  4. And thanks for the Duke …! 😀

  5. Lovanalohapurple x

  6. I felt like I stepped out of Kansas and into Oz today, Ann. Wow. Thank you, And may the Red Hot Chili Peppers be as kind to you as Nano Poblano.

  7. I love this post, so colourful it all… thanks for these lively photos, and for the song 🙂

  8. I hope you do not love “winning” too much 🙂

  9. Colors, colors, colors – – –
    They often determine our mood. The sun here in Australia makes everything appear more colorful, including the sky looking great in a very deep blue. In Honululu the colors might be similar? And you’ll spend Christmas already in your new place! May you settle in very quickly and grow to like the new place. It certainly is going to be a change in your life. Very best Wishes, Ann.
    Aunty Uta

    • I am tickled pink that you visited and commented, Aunty. What you wrote reminded me that I’ve always wanted to visit Australia AND Hawaii — two places I’ve never been to, yet. And I just wanted to clarify to you that my friend, Paul, is moving to Hawaii, not I. Although who knows where I shall be, in the future? Very best wishes to you, also.

  10. Can I leave Texas and move to Hawaii with Paul? I am having a green day, with envy, but rather moody blue, because simply red is my favorite color. 😉

    • I understand the green, the blue, the red, and the other colors of your comment. And I’m tickled pink you visited, too.

      • An in depth analysis will hint at clinical depression, an anxiety disorder and a bipolar disorder, aside from that, I’m perfectly normal in this very dysfunctional world we live within. 😉

      • I love all the colors and the grounded qualities of your comment. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting here.

  11. Pingback: Day 677: Pink | The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally

  12. You have an amazing memory for music, Ann! I could only think of one band with a colour in its name (Moody Blues) even though I am familiar with all but two of the bands you named.

    I’m enjoying Duke Ellington right now (thanks) and writing my novel. I think I’ll put Mood Indigo on repeat as it’s such a great piece to write to. I love the sax part best. (Makes me think of pulling mine out of the storage room ….)

    • I DO have a good memory, I guess, which is nice for me, since I get to remember all the wonderful words of yours I’ve read. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed Mood Indigo (and that you’re a sax player!). Great to know about the novel writing, too. Lots of cool colours here, today.

  13. Your coloured folders are very cool, Ann. I’m curious as to what people put into them. Do people write their secret feelings and leave them in their folders? Take notes? Write poems? Do they take them home when they leave, or if they leave them behind, do they leave them full or empty? Do people know right away what colour they want? Do some people choose a different colour each time? Has anyone not been able to choose? And if that happens, do you choose for them or do they close their eyes and pick one blindly?

    • Love your colorful curiosity, Maureen. Each of these folders has the orientation materials for the group, including the information about cognitive distortions and antidotes which I’ve posted here on WordPress. People choose the colored folder they want once, at the beginning of the orientation session with me, and that’s their folder to keep. Some people choose immediately; others take a little time. Certain colors are definitely more popular than others, but every color has been chosen. Nobody has asked me to choose for them, yet. Which color would you choose?

  14. I love this post because of the colours and the happy/sadness of someone moving to a new life and I am crazy about shades of grey.

  15. Pingback: Day 685: No matter where you go, there you are | The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally

  16. I love how you include all the people you love as you wind your way through a piece. Magic.

  17. Pingback: Day 717: Interrupting | The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally

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