Every beginning ends something...

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."

- Alan Cohen

It's been almost four years since I first claimed this little corner of cyberspace as my own. I've taken a lot of risks here and have encountered nothing but love & encouragement. For that, I am grateful!

But for some time now, I've been feeling disengaged from jag e*space. I'm itching for a change. And so, after much thought, I've decided to bring this blog to a close. Oh, it'll live on in cyberspace; I can't bring myself to delete it... but it's time to move on to a new beginning. It's time to adopt A Simple Focus - my new blog!

For those of you who have made a habit of stopping by, thanks for listening - and for coming back! :-) Here's hoping you'll drop by the new digs and take in A Simple Focus...

pace e bene,

And baby makes... five!

Our heartfelt CONGRATS go out to our friends, K & C, as they add a new member to their family!! We look forward to your return from Beijing and hope we can arrange for a visit before not too long... I'm sure the girls will be wonderful big sisters to Baby Brother B!

Read more about K & C's journey here.

Pace e bene,

where was i when i did that...

It all started with the bananas.

I went to buy two bananas at the deli on my way into work. I reached into my bag to grab my wallet and it wasn't there. I could distinctly remember putting it in my bag earlier that morning! I asked the girl if I could pay her tomorrow and she said that was fine. Baffled about the whereabouts of my wallet, I left with my bananas.

I stopped just outside the deli, determined to search my bag more thoroughly. As I put down the bag and the bananas, I noticed something tucked under my arm. It was my wallet.

It's amazing how the brain can go into full auto-pilot mode sometimes. As someone who tries to live a life of presence and awareness, these moments of complete lack of consciousness catch me by surprise. When did I take my wallet out of my bag? And I tucked it under my arm?! I had no clue I had done that. I probably have more moments like these then I care to think about - the Universe simply protects me from my own foolishness by not telling me about them.

Great way to start the new year!

pace e bene,

Peace... Joy... Love...

Hi Friends:
Thanks for joining me this past week! I enjoyed preparing the posts and, especially, re-visiting many of the videos that have made me laugh, and cry, and sigh...

To wrap things up on this journey of Peace & Joy, I can't think of anything better than combining Jason Mraz and the Nobel Peace Prize in one shot, can you?! How is that possible, you ask?? Click here and you'll find out! :-)


As we prepare to spend time with my family in NB, I'd like to wish you all the best of PEACE, JOY & LOVE this Christmas and in the New Year! And may we ALL continue to take time to be Peace...

"We can never obtain peace in the world if we neglect the inner world and don't make peace with ourselves. World Peace must develop out of Inner Peace." - the Dalai Lama


Pace e bene,

day seven of the journey...

I offer you peace.
I offer you love.
I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty.
I hear your need.
I feel your feelings.
My wisdom flows from the Highest Source.
I salute that Source in you.
Let us work together for unity and love.
- Ghandi's Prayer for Peace

Pace e bene,

day six of the journey...

O Almighty Sun, whose light clears away all clouds,

We take refuge in you.

Guide of all people,

God of all deities,

Lord of all angels,

We pray you to dispel the mists of illusion from the hearts of the nations

And lift their lives by your all-sufficient power,

Your ever shining light, your everlasting life,

Your heavenly joy and your perfect peace.

- Sufi Prayer for Peace

Pace e bene,

day five of the journey...

In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful.
Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us
and made us into tribes and nations,
that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other.
If the enemy incline towards peace,
do thou also incline towards peace,
and trust in God,
for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things.
And the servants of God, Most Gracious
are those who walk on the Earth in humility,
and when we address them,
we say "PEACE."
- Muslim Prayer for Peace




(For more info: www.teamhoyt.com)

Pace e bene,

day four of the journey...

O Great Spirit of our Ancestors,

I raise my pipe to you.

To your messengers the four winds,

and to Mother Earth who provides for your children.

Give us the wisdom to teach our children

to love,

to respect,

and to be kind to each other

so that they may grow with peace in mind.

Let us learn to share all the good things you provide for us on this Earth.

- Native American Prayer for Peace

Pace e bene,

day three of the journey...

Lord, make me
an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred,
let me sow love;
Where there is injury,
pardon;
Where there is doubt,
faith;
Where there is despair,
hope;
Where there is darkness,
light;
Where there is sadness,
joy.
- from the Prayer of St. Francis

pace e bene,

day two of the journey...

If anyone speaks ill of you,

Praise them always.

If anyone injures you,

Serve them nicely.

Help them in all possible ways.

You will attain immense strength.

You will control anger and pride.

You will enjoy peace, poise and serenity.

You will become divine.

- Swami Sivananda

(For more info: www.wherethehellismatt.com)

Pace e bene,

day one of the journey...

I am Peace
surrounded by Peace
secure in Peace.
Peace protects me
Peace supports me
Peace is in me
Peace is mine --
All is well.
Peace to all beings
Peace among all beings
Peace from all beings
I am steeped in Peace
Absorbed in Peace
In the streets, at our work,
having peaceful thoughts,
Peaceful words, peaceful acts.
- Buddhist meditation on Peace

(For more info: www.freehugscampaign.org)

Pace e bene,

A seven-day journey...

There is a lot of tension in the city these days.

The good-natured hustle & bustle of the Christmas season is being challenged by a city-wide public transit strike. The 35 cm of snow we got this week is pretty, but didn't help the situation. Downtown, I hear horns honking... people yelling... I see traffic crawling at a snail's pace... and tempers flaring.

And yet, there ARE acts of kindness. Times like these bring out both the best and the worst in the citizens of Ottawa. There is no black & white here... there are no winners & losers... only infinite shades of grey. In this environment of heightened stress, I want to be Peace all-the-more. So, for the next seven days, I invite you to join me in a Prayer of Peace & Joy. Starting tomorrow (Saturday), I'll post words of prayer & wisdom from a different tradition, accompanied by my photography, as well as a short video that made me smile. I believe that taking a few moments to be Peace & Joy, we can counter-balance the craziness that's going on in the streets and malls.

Won't you join me on this short journey of Peace & Joy?

Pace e bene,

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,

Re-connected...

Connected...

Dis-connected...

Re-connected...

That seems to be my pattern lately. Nice thing is that it runs in cycles. Waves. Ebbs & flows.

I'm coming out of a period particularly full of activity & commitments. All good. All chosen by me. It's been hectic, and fulfilling! A turning point was certainly my 5-day silent retreat at Stillpoint earlier this month. Been there. Done that. Will certainly do it again. I realized that this was my 14th visit to Stillpoint since I first started going in October 2000. It truly is a healing place... a place to re-connect.

Still Point House of Prayer, Springtown, ON

View from Room #2

One of my favourite spots for prayer & reflection: the dock.

Not long after I got back, we started having phone line/modem problems. It took Bell almost a week to find, then fix, the problem. Connected. Dis-connected. Re-connected. The break from the computer was good for me though. It seems to have broken my obsession with Flickr... for now anyway. :-)

There is so much wisdom to be found in silence & solitude - wisdom from within that can be tapped into any time. I need only take the time to... re-connect.

"Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together." - Thomas Carlyle

Pace e bene,

Remembering...

pace e bene,

Yes, they can...

We all can. We live in exciting times, friends!



I'm heading into 5 days of silence. I'll see you on the other side!
Pace e bene,

I'm off to Toronto for a few days. In the meantime...

Pace e bene,

...but never unloved

Have you ever come across something written by a total stranger and wondered how the heck they could know you so well?! That's exactly what happened when I read these words today...

Strangers? I don't know if there is such a thing. We are bound together by our humanity. We just haven't met face-to-face yet.

Just for today, I'm feeling disjointed... unengaged... scattered. It's good to know that's OK and that I'm not alone. As my new friend wrote: unsure, but never unloved.

Pace e bene,

In the absence of words...

...here are a few shots from my neighbourhood. Enjoy!

architectural interest

peace love van

yin yang van

Pace e bene,

a mraz-ing experience...

Things you tend to forget when you're over 40...

• When attending a concert with NO assigned seating, plan to stand in line for hours; apparently 90 minutes before the show is not enough.
• It's useful to get advance insider information on the layout of the music hall; for example, it helps to even know that there is an upper level.
• When it comes to staking your viewing territory at a general seating concert, there are no rules.
• The first 15 rows of a mosh pit are virtually impenetrable.
• No matter how much the shared object of our attention sings of Love...and Togetherness... and Peace, do not expect fans to give you an inch of space so you can take a photo.
• Just when you think you're an uber-fan, remember that most kids have memorized all the lyrics; they've got you beat hands down.
• There is no age limit to enjoying great live music!

Needless to say, seeing Jason Mraz perform live was an AWESOME way to spend Thanksgiving Monday! Here's hoping your holiday was all you needed it to be...

Pace e bene,