Monthly Archives: July 2013

July 29, 2013 · 6:36 am

Table for one at the Gratitude Cafe…

Highway 101 just outside Santa Barbara...

Highway 101 just outside Santa Barbara…

Driving down Highway 101 from Santa Barbara to San Diego early Sunday morning, along the familiar coastline I’ve traveled seemingly all my life, a line from Jason Mraz passes through the speakers in the car:  “I keep my life on a heavy rotation, requesting that it’s lifting you up, up, up and away…and over to a table at the Gratitude Cafe.”  This analogy of placing yourself into a metaphorical space to be mindful of your gratitude for life, resonates deeply. Continue reading →

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July 22, 2013 · 12:35 am

Lightening the Load

I am reading an excellent book, A Midwife’s Story, about a midwife (Penny Armstrong) who takes on a job delivering the babies of the Amish. She knows that many English view the Amish as an old-fashioned society, but as she gets to know the ways and cultures of this community she makes observations about her own – which gradually seems less sophisticated after all.

In the following excerpt, Penny is considering why she (a “worldly, independent and self- sufficient modern woman”) did not feel ready to marry her partner Richie and “take her place in the modern world”, yet a 16-year old “child-mother” she was attending did. Continue reading →

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July 15, 2013 · 6:00 am

Who Am I Being?

I spent this past week gathered in Toronto with people from all over the world and entered into conversations about many things.  The main thread I immersed myself in centered around loneliness and connection.  Our group, facilitated by Connie Lyle O’Brien and Lynda Kahn, shared personal stories of loneliness and isolation.  This conversation quickly grew into a dialogue about what we are doing in our own lives to combat loneliness and isolation.  What emerged was the idea of authenticity, or as I wrote about a few weeks ago, identifying our integrity gaps.  It is paramount for all of us to truly live the values we speak about…something I strive to do, though not always well, everyday. Continue reading →

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July 8, 2013 · 9:28 am

Deepening Connection (a surprise post for Kirk!)

Kirk and I often write here about the kind of connection one might find at the beginning of a relationship; where neighbours reach out to one another or communities create contexts for citizens to meet. Today I want to write about those connections becoming deeper. I want to write about friendship.

one

With beer

It has been several months since I posted in this blog. I have been on maternity leave while Kirk holds the fort. Because of his generosity Continue reading →

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July 8, 2013 · 6:00 am

The Gathering…

Stone Soup

Stone Soup

I’m blessed to have happened across a global community of colleagues, friends and loved ones 4 years ago at the Toronto Summer Institute. This year, along with Chris Lee, Sheldon Schwitek, Peter Leidy, Beth Gallagher, Michelle Schwartz Continue reading →

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July 1, 2013 · 6:00 am

Time for a quick break…

With summer upon us and travel ahead, we are taking this week and perhaps the next week off from posting. Have an amazing week and we’ll see you soon.

Thanks for the love and support…we won’t leave you out in the cold for long 😉

 

Cheers!

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