Mural Art in Westboro...

Not much progress on the Westfest mural today. The artist, Sean McInnis, had limited time to work on it, so I thought I'd offer a photo essay of some of the other murals that this talented man has contributed to my neighbourhood. Other than the first one pictured, these murals are all at least 10 - 12 feet tall. Enjoy the tour! PAX...

This is on the side of a local restaurant, Milagro's. The bricks on the left are real - everything else is painted.

This is on the side of a florist shop at Richmond & Edgewood. The only things that are real are the window, the door and the light above the door.

This is on the side of a commercial building at Richmond & Athlone Ave. The crate is real; the rest is painted on the doors of the - can you guess? - delivery entrance!

This can be found on the side of a commercial building at Richmond & Roosevelt. This is entirely painted. If you look carefully, you can see the door knob of the closed door (painted to look like an open door!).

This is on the side of a commercial building at Richmond & Churchill. The only things that are real are a few bushes and the stairway.

This one is near the former Firefighters' Credit Union on Richmond Road.

A Visual Celebration...

The commercial building at the corner of my street had its main east-facing wall painted black this weekend. Black. Black?! What could possibly have possessed them to do such a thing?, I wondered. Well, now I know... and I'm absolutely thrilled!

Meet Sean McInnis, an artist who is single-handedly dotting my neighbourhood with amazing murals. His latest masterpiece features Westfest, a free community celebration of the arts. Entering into its 4th year, Westfest is coming up June 8 - 10, 2007. The heart of this festival is, literally, at the end of my street. Should be fun!

I admire Sean's work every time I stroll through Westboro. I had been thinking of taking my camera along and capturing the great artwork around here. When I saw Sean working on this newest piece, I took the opportunity to stop & chat. Quite a friendly guy with a distinct east coast accent... My goal is to stop by daily and see how the mural progresses. I thought it would be neat to share its progress here. So, here are a couple of images from Westfest Mural: Day One.

PAX,

The Fever...

I think I'm coming down with a Fever... Stanley Cup Fever. Yes, it seems even a non-pro sport fanatic such as myself can be swept up in the hoopla! It's pretty amazing to live in a town whose NHL hockey team will be playing for Lord Stanley's Cup. I said to Hubby: I think we need to get something for the front of the house - a flag for our front porch would be nice!

Yesterday's game was excruciating to watch (and this is why I don't get into sports too much - I can't handle the stress! :-)). Mom & Dad are in town for a 5-day visit, and Dad, Sis and her boyfriend went to watch the game at a bar on newly-dubbed Sens Mile located downtown along a portion of Elgin Street. Mom, Hubby & I watched it at home. Mom & I missed the first period, opting to go shopping for a bit. Even the local chocolate & gelato shoppe had the game on their TV. It was everywhere!

It'll be fun to see how this city responds... Just how much spirit will Ottawans be able to muster? Will we come out from the shadow of our bigger cousins, Montreal & Toronto? Will the rest of Canada finally discover that there's more to Ottawa than government & hi-tech?? I suspect that a lot of people will discover what we already know: Ottawa really is the best and we wouldn't trade it for anything!

GO SENS GO!!!

PAX,

Congrats to...

Congrats to...

Hubby, for posting yet another personal record (PR) at the Mississauga Marathon - 3:25:19. Although he didn't qualify for Boston this time 'round, he still shaved about 8 minutes off his previous PR and finished in the top 12% of a field of 1,428 runners. Before we had even boarded the shuttle bus from the finish area back to the hotel, he said: "I'm still booking a hotel in Boston. I can run two more marathons before then, and I'm confident I'll qualify in at least one of them." I am too, Babe.

Congrats to...

My friend Stuart Hickox, for being named as one of three Community Award Finalists for a Canadian Environmental Award in the Climate Change category. As founder and executive director of One Change and the Project Porchlight campaign, Stuart has been a visionary and a true community leader. He turned a startling statistic about energy efficient lightbulbs into a grassroots call to action, empowering us to affect change on the environment - one bulb at a time. I'm proud to know you, Stuart!

Who, in your life, deserves to be congratulated today??

PAX,

Give yourself a break...

Here's something interesting to think about on May 15th. Although there is always room for improving ourselves, what would happen if - just for today - we admitted that we are totally OK, just the way we are?! What if we let go of our ideals and illusions of perfection? Our energies just might be directed towards whatever is right in front of us, at any given moment... be that a task or a friend or maybe even a stranger in need.

“If I can forgive myself my imperfections, I can forgive them in others.
If I can forgive them in others, I can be more loving and at ease in the world.
If I can be more loving and at ease, people will delight in my company and be grateful for my presence.
If people delight in my company, than what need have I for perfection?” - Lauren Rosenfeld

Happy Freedom from Self-Improvement Day, Friends... Remember, you may not be perfect, but you are excellent!
PAX,

Mission Accomplished...

I did it! I actually did it!! Just as I had hoped, the adrenaline of a real race atmosphere propelled me towards my goal of finishing in under 30 minutes. My final chip time? 29:30.1 Not too shabby for my first race of the season, huh?! My previous personal best was 31:38.3 from a race last September.

I felt great throughout the run. Hubby laughed when I told him I could have gone faster, but there were too many slow people ahead of me on the narrow running path. :-) This was also my first race where all finishers received a medal. I have my first running medal!

Needless to say, I am thrilled with my results. I'll no doubt be running a few more 5km races this season, and I'll be working towards my new goal: completing a 10km run this fall.

Tomorrow, it's Hubby's time to shine... They're calling for ideal weather and he seems ready to give it his all. I'll let you know how it goes!

PAX,

Off & Runnin'...

Well, we're off & running this weekend. Literally. We're heading to Mississauga on Friday, where Hubby will be running the Mississauga Marathon on Sunday morning. This is the one where he's running to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2008. He's trained hard in the past 6 months since New York and, if everything comes together as planned, we'll soon be planning our trip to Boston! For most of us, the very thought of running 42km is enough to just make us go back to bed. But somehow, for some people, it just clicks. He's just one of those people.

I'll be running the 5km race on Saturday evening. It's my first official race of the season. My goal for this season is to run 5km in under 30 minutes. It would be great to do that in Mississauga, but I honestly don't think I'm there yet. I'll let you know how it goes!

So, send good thoughts our way this weekend...
PAX,

To swap...or not to swap?

I went wild at a book swap today. Some of you may know that I am on a self-imposed book-buying moratorium. I have only slipped twice since last September, both times buying books related to my new career path. The main reason for this moratorium is that I already own many, many books - including a large number that I have never even read. I figured if I focussed on reading the books already waiting for me on my shelves, I could save a bundle. Plus, the clutter. Oh, the clutter! Did I really need any more?? Indeed, it seems I had problems walking out of a bookstore empty-handed.

The transition has been easier than I expected. I use the public library more, and I seek to borrow books rather than to automatically buy them. And of course, there are still all those un-read books of my own. However today, at work, they organized a book swap. You could bring in books that you no longer wanted, and pick up books given by others. All for the price of a non-perishable food donation for the local food bank. What a great idea! All those months of non-acquisition mode were wiped out in a single 20-minute period. I walked out of there with 12 books, some of them for me... some to offer to others. Here's a sampling:

• Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox (got this one for Hubby - I've already read it and I loved it...)
• Farriers' Lane by Anne Perry (I'm not much into the mystery genre, but I do enjoy the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt stories by Perry...)
• Safety and Security for Women Who Travel by Sheila Swan & Peter Laufer (in preparation for my trip to Italy in July...)
• The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (because I'm told it's a fun summer read...)
• September by Rosamunde Pilcher (for mum-in-law...)

and the award for "Most Unusual Title" goes to...

• How to Shit in the Woods: An environmentally sound approach to a lost art (for Sis and her boyfriend in preparation for their upcoming camping expeditions... :-))

All that, and more. All in all, a very good haul! Now, about that clutter...
PAX,

Sadness...

My heart is heavy. I found out today that a friend is in hospital, cancer running rampant throughout her body (lungs, kidney, bones...). She is being given only a few months to live.

Although this woman is not a close friend, I have been touched by her strength, her generosity and her great sense of humour on many occasions. She is loved by many and her illness is a cause of great pain for other friends of mine.

Yes, tonite, my heart is heavy with sadness...
PAX,

Abundance...

Every day, my life spills over with blog fodder! I have written many, many posts over the past couple of weeks. In my head. I just don't seem to have time to sit at the computer, coax the stories out through my fingertips... to the keyboard... to the screen... to your eyes. Indeed, I am blessed with an abundant life!

So, if you notice that I go a while without posting, you'll know that I'm busy filling my life with new experiences. Experiences like listening to Ray Zahab talk about running across the Sahara desert... or researching accomodation options for my trip to Italy... or working on my new model for diagnosing organizational health (inspired by the Serenity Prayer!)... or gathering for meaningful conversation with The Mad Chatters... or spending quality time with Sis... or going for a run with Hubby (warm-up for him/work-out for me).

Here's wishing you a life blessed with abundance - just for today!
PAX,

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day to youuuu...
Happy Earth Day toooo youuuuu....
Happy EARTH-Day dear stewards-of-this-woooorrld...
HAAAPPY Earth Daaay...
Toooooo....
Youuuuuuu!

At long last, the environment has become a media darling. But it's up to us to make sure it stays there. This can be no "15-minutes of fame" scenario.

This past week, the government of Ontario announced its intention to ban the sale of the archaic energy hog: the incandescent light bulb. Sure, it's easy to draw, but the time has come to say our good-byes. This announcement was welcome news for my friends at Project Porchlight. In fact, this successful campaign was even mentioned in the press release. It's amazing where ONE CHANGE can lead...

We can all do our part to support and heal Mother Earth. It can be as easy as changing a lightbulb... or it can be easy as taking any one of these actions.

PAX,

Loving it... again.

Prompted by yesterday's post, I watched The Red Violin. Again. I can confirm that it is still one of my all time favourite movies. The story winds its way through space & time following the thread of a common, haunting melody that seems to tie it all together. This film is a real treat for the senses!

PAX,

Listening to Life...

"If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that, then what else are we missing?" - Gene Weingarten

I was reading the Sunday edition of the Ottawa Citizen and got pulled into an article entitled "maestro in the metro". Condensed from an article in Washington Post, it's about an experiment where Joshua Bell, an internationally acclaimed classical violinist, played his Stradivarius in the D.C. Metro station for 45 minutes - busking incognito. Turns out very few busy D.C. bureaucrats took the time to stop and listen... One of the highlights for me was the author's exploration of the value of beauty. "If a great musician plays great music but no one hears... was he really any good?"

Admittedly, I'm also intrigued by the effect of this experiment on Bell's ego. When given a stage, people will pay $100 and more to hear him; put him in a ball cap and jeans during morning rush hour and even a masterfully crafted 18th-century instrument isn't enough to get people to take notice. Except for the children, it seems... the article points out that "every time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away."

This article seems to have generated quite a buzz in the blogosphere, from critics & fans alike. You can read a bit more about the author's intentions in this transcript of an online chat. And in case you are wondering, Bell made a whopping $32.17 (not including $20 from the lone commuter who actually recognized him). I'm sure he'll get over it. Just last week, he accepted the Avery Fisher Prize for outstanding achievement in classical music. It comes with a $75,000.00 cheque.

I don't know classical music that well and, until reading this article, had never heard of Joshua Bell. However, it seems I have, in fact, heard his music many times... He is the man behind the music of one of my favourite films, The Red Violin.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
- from Leisure by W.H. Davies

PAX,

Wishing you PAX...

A friend once asked me about the way I sign off on emails & blog posts: "PAX". She asked me what it stood for, perhaps thinking it was an acronym of some sort. Someone else in cyberworld recently seems to have misunderstood my use of the word, thinking it was my name. So I thought I'd explain...

PAX is the latin word for peace. In Roman mythology, Pax is also recognized as the goddess of Peace, one of the minor deities in the roman pantheon. When I sign off using this word, it is my way of wishing you Peace, even if it's just for a moment.

On this Holy Saturday, this wish seems especially fitting. In the Easter story, today represents the time when Jesus lay in the tomb. The world must have appeared particularly dark & troubling to his followers. How confused they must have been! Like so many of us, it must have been a struggle to continue to believe... to have faith... But as is told in many of the wisdom traditions, darkness and death often preceeds renewal and transformation. Nature also tells us this story time & time again. The caterpillar must spend time in a dark place in order to become a butterfly... The seed must die in order to produce the shoot...

And so, on this day which symbolizes those times in our life when we experience darkness and unknowing, it seems fitting to simply wish you...

PAX,

A story that keeps on telling...

Here we are, sitting in the paradox of Good Friday once again. After meditating this morning, I sat and read the story of Jesus' crucifixion from the Gospel of John. How many times have I heard/read that story?! Yet this time, I was given new clarity surrounding one of its many messages. Here is what I heard: we fear what we do not understand... we reject what we fear... what we reject, we in fact, kill.

As usual, I prayed to be shown the relevance of the message to my life. No answer has come yet; it rarely happens that quickly or conveniently. :-) Although I suspect it has to do with the ever-growing realization of the role fear has played - and continues to play - in my life.

This story begs the questions:

• What do I fear?
• What do I reject as a result of that fear?
• What opportunities or possibilities have I killed as a result of that rejection?

The wisdom contained in the Christian stories never ceases to amaze me. Being raised as a Catholic, my knowledge of spiritual texts is limited to those of my faith tradition. And even that knowledge is not very deep. I can only imagine the wisdom to be found in sacred text from other religions too. Although somehow, I suspect they all point to the same fundamental truth: Love triumphs over fear.

PAX & Love to you this Easter weekend,

Going to the birds...

I pray to the birds.
I pray to the birds because I believe they will carry the messages of my heart upward.
I pray to them because I believe in their existence, the way their songs begin and end each day–the invocations and the benedictions of Earth.
I pray to the birds because they remind me of what I love rather than what I fear.
And at the end of my prayers, they teach me how to listen.
–Terry Tempest Williams

I dedicate this poem to my Mom, who still teaches me how to listen to the birds...

PAX,

Celebrating what is right...

At work, I set aside a minimum of 90 minutes a week for what I call "self-directed learning". This is a time for me to focus on my own development, professional & personal. This week, I decided to Celebrate What's Right with the World. This is a powerful DVD featuring long-time National Geographic photographer, Dewitt Jones. What a message! It's all about looking for possibility and recognizing abundance. It is everywhere. Everywhere. If I believe that, I will see it. The choice is mine.

The story that struck me the most was the one about Marion Campbell, a Scottish woman reknowned for her weaving. Decorated by royalty, and sought out for her talent, Jones went looking to photograph her and seek out her much talked about wisdom. When he asked her "What do you think about when you weave?", she answered: "I wonder if I'll run out of thread." Disappointed by this seemingly mundane answer, Jones' face must have shown it. She simply added: "When I weave, I weave."

Wow - talk about wisdom! When I weave, I weave. That is who I am, in truth and in simplicity. In the moment.

When I write, I write.
When I love, I love.
When I create, I create.
When I run, I run.
When I learn, I learn.

I could go on... The message to me is, when I am present to what I am doing in the moment, I will discover ample opportunity to celebrate what is right with the world. And from that place, the world will radiate with possibility.

Celebrate what's right in your world, and you will transform it. Don't keep it to yourself though - everyone loves to join in on a celebration... What will you celebrate today?

PAX,

Bear. With Me.

Hubby was out of town last weekend. He was busy posting yet another personal best at the historic Around the Bay road race in Hamilton. Last year, he came in 2385th out of 4110 runners. Granted, he did not have a good race in 2006. But this year, after focussing on his training in a BIG way, he finished an astounding 268th out of 4369 runners. By finishing the 30km distance in less that 2:15, he merited a shiny silver medal! His final chip time was 2:12:26 and I'm very proud of him.

It's amazing how we get comfortable having that special someone around. Even for just a few nights alone, I found myself reaching for a faithful friend. Known simply as "Bear", he's been in my life for over 30 years. His nose is missing, his fur is clumped and his eyes look downright evil, but he's been with me even when life wasn't so pretty.

Bear was even kidnapped in 1985-1986. I'm afraid it was my fault, since I brought him into university residence in the first place. After being missing for two days or so, I found him bound and gagged, along with Celia Jenny (my Cabbage Patch kid), in my closet. But he was alive... traumatized, but alive!

Interestingly, Hubby's been back since Monday, but Bear is still managing to squeeze into bed with me. It's wonderful to re-discover a sqooshy old friend!

Bear. With Me. Through Thick. And Thin.

PAX,

It's in the air...

Something to look forward to... t'is the season!

METAMORPHOSIS

Always it happens when we are not there —
The tree leaps up alive into the air,
Small open parasols of Chinese green
Wave on each twig. But who has ever seen
The latch sprung, the bud as it burst?
Spring always manages to get there first.

Lovers of wind, who will have been aware
Of a faint stirring in the empty air,
Look up one day through a dissolving screen
To find no star, but this multiplied green,
Shadow on shadow, singing sweet and clear.
Listen, lovers of wind, the leaves are here.

– May Sarton

Just another day... or not.

If you've ever thought "Ah, it's just another birthday..." (as Hubby did yesterday :-)), consider this:

• I was conceived in the same calendar year I was born.
• I am 361,965 hours old. Or, 21,717,947 minutes old.
• My age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.90254403131115 years old.
• The Mayan Calendar long count date of my birthday is 12.17.12.4.14 (which is12 baktun 17 katun 12 tun 4 uinal 14 kin).
• According to the Egyptian calendar, I was born in the month of Menchir, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).
• At my next birthday, the candles on my cake would be capable of boiling 4.8 ounces of water.

With this birthday calculator, you'll find out more that you ever wanted to know about your special day!

PAX,