BIG BLUE (our book) is up and running, and I am following the lead of the late Steve Jobs in passionately spreading her message

A lovely double rainbow over the saltwater marshes next to the vineyard as the party began. I will take that as a good thing.

Rainbows. Seven days ago, our book was officially launched at the Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, CT. Earlier that morning, while driving through a steady rain to retrieve my daughter Diana from Boston Logan, I remember thinking about finding a positive in that gloomy weather. My answer was simply, “You gotta have rain if you’re gonna have a rainbow.” And as the kick-off time of 5:30 p.m. approached, it was beginning to look like we had all the makings for just that.

Along about 4:00 p.m., while setting up tables and stacking over 400 books with Michael Connery, our host for the evening, I jokingly asked him what he could do about ordering up a rainbow for our event. But I wasn’t really joking, I was actually envisioning what a nice touch it would be — to have Mother Nature bless our event with one of her most glorious productions — a colorful rainbow. And she did.

And not just one rainbow, but several, including at least one double rainbow — I lost count at four. With an overall theme in the book of promoting health, hope and harmony on planet Earth, I simply can’t describe the exhilaration of having that colorful endorsement from the queen of our planet herself — on the birthday of “Big Blue.”

Having already signed every book with my new standard signature, “H3 — JMH,” it made that “H cubed” much more meaningful and a permanent reminder of a very special evening in Stonington, CT. FYI, you will find the word harmony in the first sentence of the Introduction and you will find the phrase health, hope and harmony in the final paragraph on the last page of the book.

"Big Blue" will be joining me for my very first college campus speech -- tonight at Brown University in Providence, RI, about 45 minutes from where I am now sitting at the Mystic, CT Starbucks.

Reviews. After spending a year researching, writing and editing — then another six months reading, proofing, correcting and polishing; I had no idea what the typical new reader would have to say about our book after reading it the for first time. Would she find it helpful? Would it help her believe that she could take charge of her own health? Would it influence her to get started? Would she tell others about her experience?

Will enough readers make enough changes to put a big smile on the face of Mother Nature? I am still wondering about all of those things, but at least I know that for a few dozen readers so far — Big Blue is already making a difference. Here is one review that I got yesterday:

FABULOUS. Jim, I finished reading “THE” book on the flight home yesterday.  It is truly outstanding, compelling, exceptionally well-written, insightful, informative, and….I believe….destined to become a best-seller.  I’m ordering another case—my third—and may need even more.  I must say, though, that the entire section on the factory farming was difficult to read—-I literally had to rest my head in my hand as I was reading some of those sections. EVERYONE needs to read this and be forced to learn about the stark reality of what’s taking place.

Susan Benigas -- sailing off Stonington, CT on 9-30-11. My Director of Encouragement

You’re reignited the fire inside me; now I have to figure out what to do about it.  This message needs passionate, resourceful, creative messengers—-but messengers who have the time to act!  Fortunately, you’ve been in the perfect season of your life to make this happen—with gusto! From Susan Benigas, St. Louis, MO 

As for the very first review, it was written by Dr. Bob Wyatt in Dallas and is now posted in the #1 position on Big Blue’s Amazon page and is featured here in an earlier post: First Book Review…from a PhD in Dallas

Steve and his company brought me my constant companion (My MacBook Pro) and for that I will be forever grateful.

Reality and Making a Difference. The entire world knows about the passing of Steve Jobs yesterday. And they also know that his life, his work and his passion made a difference for all of us.

Suspecting that Steve was approaching his final days, I dedicated a recent post to him last month on 9-8-11. (See below). The reality is that all of us are “on the clock.” No one lives forever. But, as Steve has demonstrated, it is simply amazing what a single person can get done if he is truly passionate about what he’s doing.

Now that I have found my passion, I know exactly what Steve was talking about in that commencement address at Stanford a few years ago. The reality is that we only have a limited number of days on this planet — the question is whether or not we’re going to do our best to make a difference in the limited time that we have? Steve’s speech on that topic is provided in its entirety in the link below. Here’s a brief excerpt from that speech:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”

J. Morris Hicks, author and activist. Working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

Steve Jobs — passion, vision and excellence

Order “Steve Jobs” biography by Walter Isaacson on Amazon

One final note about Apple, I am proud to say that the new leader at the helm of Apple, Tim Cook, is a graduate of my alma mater, Auburn University. If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

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