aloha! just checking in after being away from home & internet connections for a week & a half...it was soooo cool to be sitting around the table, talking & eating with my wonderful jmdler friends IN PERSON! very special thanks to rick & brad for being such extraordinary hosts...what a beautiful casa they have...the after dinner music was another highlight & i wish we could have stayed all night singing & playing with everyone but i had to get up at 5 am to take the shuttle to LAX which at 5:30 am monday morning (holiday & heavy biz travel day) was a NIGHTMARE. The line to check in was like a loooooong disneyland line but fortunately they opened up the curbside checking or i may have not made my 8 am flight...the security checks were long but i got through in a little over an hour...phew...
kauai was out of this world...so far it is my most favorite of all the hawaiian islands that i have visited (i have not yet been to the big island or to molokai-sp?)...there is such a strong & powerful yet peaceful & beautiful energy there...the island remains rural & relatively unspoiled but has a few beautiful luxo hotels in georgous surroundings ...we had many adventures- in the on & off sun & light rain ...hiking to waterfalls, surfing in hanalei bay (well the board paddling part...such hard work)...music & hula (old style & new), visiting old friends who i haven't seen in a very long time who radiated the aloha spirit, visiting sacred sites by the sea & mountains...i had magical dreams & took in the ancient & deep spiritual healing power of that warm red earth, gentle wind, soft rain, purifying sea...i was ready to leave, i missed jeff, yet i cried a little to leave such a beautiful pristine place... i am home now...its california winter here...jeff said there were snow flurries yesterday...& i hope we have snow on our mountain again this year (feb & early march is usually when it is cold & rainy enough to happen) i am now sludging through hundreds of emails, half of them spam...haven't read the jmdl digests yet... time to get ready for some really exciting shows...i hope to see some southern cal jmdlers at steve dulson's anaheim show on feb 16th & some east coast jmdlers in nyc on feb 12! ******************************************** Kate Bennett www.katebennett.com sponsored by Polysonics Discover the Indies at Taylor Guitars: http://www.taylorguitars.com/artists/awp/indies/bennett.html ********************************************
