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,

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,

Obsessions...

life is no brief candle to me
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/jagspace/

I am a Flickr madwoman tonite... I got home from work around 5pm, came to the computer almost immediately, and haven't moved since. It's 8pm and I haven't even had anything to eat yet!

My name is jag... and I'm a Flickr Addict.

And speaking of obsession, have I mentioned that there are only five (5) more sleeps until I see Jason Mraz perform LIVE in Montreal??!

Time to eat now.

I leave you with another quote note; this one is dedicated to Lala at Mostly Musings.

Pace e bene,

Object of my Obsession...

Well, it's official. I am in the throes of a musical obsession. Seems I can't go a day with a fix of Jason Mraz. :-) My iPod now has over 50 tunes from this talented singer-songwriter. Check out his latest video to see what all the fuss is about!



Hope you enjoyed that... However my dream is to see Jason and his partner-in-music, Toca Rivera, live and ACOUSTIC. Maybe something like this one:



Hearing how the crowd knows the lyrics, I guess I'm not the only one caught up in this particular musical obsession!

Pace e bene,

Musical discoveries...

A short post to share with you my newest musical heartthrob, Jason Mraz. I've downloaded several of his songs from the iTunes store (a dangerous, dangerous place, BTW) and am actually looking forward to the release of his new album due out in May.

I have to admit... the iPod is giving me an opportunity to explore music in a way that I hadn't before. Some of my favourites from the past are there (Jesse Cook, Bruce Guthro, Great Big Sea, James Taylor, Indigo Girls...), but I'm enjoying some new-to-me stuff too (Andy McKee, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Vedder, Runrig... Jason Mraz!).

Hopefully it'll be a long while before I get myself into this situation again. :-)

Pace e bene,

Random News Bytes

1) Hubby got back from Disney last evening, and I am now the proud owner of a pair of black sequined Minnie Mouse ears! How cool is that?! :-) I was wearing them at breakfast this morning. Hubby looked at me and just shook his head.

2) I was waiting in line at the coffee shop today. The guy in front of me asked for a "tall dark Mexican", paused, then chuckled. I started laughing along with him. The girl behind the counter didn't even crack a smile as she explained that they didn't sell "tall" sizes. He changed his order: "OK, I'll take a medium Mexican please... or at least his phone number." :-D

3) I've added a new "list" to my blog. Take a look on the right and you'll find Recently Played on my iPod. If you know of an artist, band or podcast that I really should listen to, lest my life remain incomplete, let me know!

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...