I have enjoyed many a brunch and lunch at Amir's restaurant, Grounded Kitchen. 

Amir is an Ottawa entrepreneur who has built a space in which people can connect and build community. It’s important to him that his is a scratch kitchen where every bite is homemade and fabulous. His restaurant came about through relationships – with himself, with his family, with friends, with his religion, and with his staff. He’s built it from the ground up and he loves what he does. 

His family immigrated to Canada from Pakistan via San Francisco. And the spirit of his Ismaili Muslem faith guides his life. Our meander is wide and the topics are varied. 

We have a lovely meander! I hope you enjoy this too.

All comments are welcome. Please drop me a line at [email protected]. And share this episode around, and if you’re of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode links:

Learn more about Grounded Kitchen at their website, and via their FaceBook and Instagram

"On Joy and Sorrow" from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran 

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

Angie and I meander further around the idea of community, but this time, it’s through Angie’s remembrances of the communities she’s been part of in different times of her life. 

Stories matter. Sharing happens here, and it’s kinda lovely in the doing. I hope you’ll relate to some of what she shares. I certainly did.

I forgot to voice the sign off properly, but I didn't add it after the fact because I liked how we ended this week. I hope you'll subscribe and share, and reivew, despite it all. Thanks, all. Please drop me a line if anything piqued your interest at [email protected]. 

Episode links:

Information about Angie’s community event in June is via Big Stone House

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

Spring has sprung in my neck of the woods... the snow and ice are melting and the world is awakening. I love this time of the year!

Today's podcast is short and sweet. I give you a brief review of what's on offer in the coming weeks, but there's wee treat in today's offering... a little sound of the season. I hope you enjoy!

Please shoot me a note if you'd like more sound. I can be reached at [email protected]. I read everything you send. And like and subscribe, as you wish.

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

My mom and I used to attend "sound baths" at our local yoga studio. With mom gone, and the yoga studio closed, I haven't gone to one in ages, but this memory came up, which I share here.

As this is a bonus episode, I thought I'd offer a soundscape with a Tibetan Singing Bowl. I'm no expert in playing it, but I hope this is soothing and joyful nonetheless.

I hope you enjoy this sound bath as much as I did. All questions and comments are welcome, feel free to send me a note at [email protected]. Like and subscribe as you will.

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

We’re now covering the fifth and sixth guideposts to wholehearted living – cultivating intuition and faith, and cultivating creativity so we can let go of comparison. 

I hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts, and share this episode widely. If you have questions or comments, please send them to me at [email protected]. I will address them in the next episode.

Episode links:

The 2010 TedTalk that started Brené’s rise to international helper

Biography

Brené Brown podcast “Dare To Lead” with Adam Grant on her new book

Our episode on Truth in Martha Beck's book "The Joy Diet" and the book review of "Burnout" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

While the rework of this is mine, the path was laid for me by Staci. She has graciously agreed to my use of it here.

One of the blessings from my Tuscany trip was the enduring friendship of two women - Cheryl Marita and Jackie Rowe, both of whom have previously appeared on the podcast (links below). 

Cheryl has organized a monthly journalling group for some of us to explore aging in our own lives. Our small group of about 20 meet monthly to support Cheryl (link to her blog below) who turned 80 this year. She is about to retire her nursing work as a palliative care nurse this May. She wanted company in journalling about her experience as she contemplates retiring and her aging body. As part of the experience, I offer a grounding meditation for the group to prepare us for the writing. This month, I riffered off Staci's meditation, called "Balancing on Four Planes" and I offer a version of this to you here.

I hope you enjoy this guided meditation. If you'd like more guided meditations, please let me know and I'll consider it. I can be reached at [email protected]. 

You can hear Cheryl's meander, and Jackie's meander, via these links.

Cheryl's blog is called "Morsels of Marita" and it is gentle, and lovely, and so very full of wisdom. I'm a regular reader.

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

By 15 he was writing music and playing professionally. A degree in music led to playing music on cruise ships. In today's meander Ed tells us about his journey through music and life. 

Since he immigrated to Canada in 2011, he’s made his way in the jazz music scene in Ottawa and the country at large. Ed leads The Prime Rib Big Band, and feels as much business person as musician. “I get all of that entrepreneurial side from my mom. She’s a shark.” His philosophy of “don’t ask don’t get” has helped him build a jazz music career in our capital city, and he shares a few wee stories about how that unfolded. 

We talk about the Ottawa music scene, and the value of being a big fish in a small pond. 

It's hard to be so far from family, and we talk about how he stays connected with them from across the pond. We also explore what to do with mementos of our careers, and the value of celebrating our successes.

We have a lovely meander; it's so much fun! I hope you enjoy this too.

All comments welcome. Please drop me a line at [email protected]. And share this episode around, and if you’re of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode links:

The Prime Rib Big Band

Ed Lister and “The Espionage Orchestra” which plays themes from the James Bond oeuvre 

Paquin Entertainment is the agency that just signed Ed and The Espionage Orchestra

Ed Lister Music Productions on YouTube

Ottawa IS a friendly place, with lots going on. Check out Ottawa Tourism

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

Angie and I talk “we” – what is conjured up with the notion of us? Who are we in community and why does this matter so much? Martha Beck, in “The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life” tells us that 1+1=3… that when you and me talk, we create a third entity, we become “we.” 

This is a true meander folks, and I hope you’ll sit down with us with a cup of your favourite beverage and join us for the ride.

Please drop me a line if anything piqued your interest at [email protected]. And share this episode around, and if you’re of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode links:

You can find "The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life" by Martha Beck at Indigo in Canada, and at local bookstores near you, like Books on Beechwood.

Learn more about Martha Beck

The except that I read is from Richard Wagamese’s book “Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations”

You can learn more about Angie and her work at Big Stone House. And Angie quoted from poet Mary Oliver's poem "Summer Day"

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

Back after my two-month winter break, I’m coming in with new energy and verve!

This week I share with you what I did on my Christmas vacation, but also what I have in store for you in the coming winter and spring episodes on the podcast. 

I’m also trying to show not only joy, but how I put into practice the learnings we’ve had from books that I’ve reviewed as we go along. Perceptive listeners will pick up in today’s episode some of Martha Beck’s learnings from “The Joy Diet.” Feel free to drop me a line if you discern which practice I'm using.

One quick note: you’ll hear a little new music here in the intro. This is from the Prime Rib Big Band; band leader Ed Lister has given me permission to us this song, called “Stampede.”

All comments welcome. Please drop me a line at [email protected]. And share this episode around, and if you’re of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode links:

Prime Rib Big Band

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

A favourite family tradition for me and many is to attend Christmas concerts as the holiday season approaches. This year was no different. Today, I share with you two clips from concerts I attended, and I hope you’ll enjoy them both! 

The first is a clip from Choir Choir Choir taped in Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa - I've included a bit of the background as to how they do what they do, as well as what was for us, the final product. The second clip I use with permission from band leader Ed Lister... a clever band member reworked the iconic theme song from Dr. Seuss' classic story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! called "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." It's a wild rendition, and I offer you a fair chunk of it. Enjoy!

As always, all comments are welcome. Please drop me a line at [email protected]. And share this episode around, and if you’re of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

And join me again in March, 2026 after my winter break for more meanders on joy in the every day. Happy New Year!

Episode links:

Choir Choir Choir

Prime Rib Big Band 

As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.

Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Live life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.