Blissed & Blessed...

Forty-three years ago today, a baby girl was born. She grew up to be the woman I am today.



I called my mother this morning to say "Merci, Mame!" Thank you for giving me Life. She was reminiscing... She entered the hospital on a Friday night and I was born by c-section the next day. She did not have heavy labour pains, apparently. I was a wee thing, weighing a mere 6 lbs 2 on. After I was born, my father said: "Merci." (She still remembers that part clearly.) We spent the next 11 days at the hospital. My dad was so excited when he came to pick us up that he locked the keys in the car. But obviously, it all worked out in the end! :-)

Fast forward to this past weekend... I spent some time with a wise woman, a friend who happens to be 20 months into her cancer journey. Her perspective is amazing. Her cancer has been a powerful teacher. She now knows, without a doubt, that - in her words - it's all about the Love!

I believe her. On this day, my birthday, I am blissed and blessed. I am loved by family & friends... and I recognize the presence of God/Love as being the energy that guides my Life.

Pace e bene,

Feels like home to me...

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to come back to." - John Ed Pearce


This sentiment certainly rang true last weekend. Last Friday, Sis & I hit the road before 6am and headed home to New Brunswick for the long weekend. I've lived in Ottawa for 22 years now (more than half my life), yet NB will always be home to me. There's just something about it... The ocean sounds salty and the air smells of green. It's intangible, yet unmistakably there. And it is ripe with music.

Home is Pont-du-milieu, halfway between St-Louis and St-Ignace. We headed east to attend my parents' 3rd Annual Music Jam. They simply issue an invitation to all their musical friends to come and spend the weekend. And come, they do! The yard becomes a campground and a large tent serves as a stage. The fire-pit becomes the epicentre from which much of the activity radiates.


It's become clear to me now: my parents are cool. And it happened without my even noticing!

Music has always been a part of my parents' lives, but nothing like it is now. They are both retired and, to me, seem to be having the time of their life! The most beautiful thing is seeing my Mom blossom and grow into a confident musician... singer... person. Although she's been singing at family parties ever since I can remember, she started performing on stage at small gatherings about three or four years ago. Now, she's known as having one of the most beautiful voices in the area and is sought out to perform at other musical jams.

As of this year, she can even call herself a "singer-songwriter". She blew us all away last weekend by performing an original song she wrote for my Dad to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. Needless to say, I got quite teary hearing her sing that. When I asked her if I could have the words, she replied that they were all in her head! This woman is phenomenal and, as I've said, just downright cool.

The music was just one of the highlights of this trip. The other major blessing is the time shared with my sister. Although we talk on the phone about every second day, we spent the first six hours of the trip talking non-stop... I am so grateful that my sister is also my friend.

And so, with this wonderful weekend, my summer is coming to an end. It's been a full, full summer and I now need time to settle into a routine once again. I look forward to time in this home: time doing something... time doing nothing... I hunger for those practices that keep me centred, practices which have gone by the wayside all too often. I look forward to the ordinary.

Pace e bene,

p.s. Here are a few more images from my weekend down home...