Meanderings with Trudy

On this, the last PauseCast episode for the season, we talk summer… what we hope to do, or be, for the coming summer break. Considering summer from a place of intention. But also, how to find our way into rest, and joy, and experiences that enrich our lives and memories to sustain us through those long winter months.As David Whyte says in his great book “Consolations”: “Rest is the conversation between what we love to do and how we love to be…”. With this, rest is the great enabler of returning to our balanced self. Summer allows times for languishing, for watching clouds and the shapes they make; sitting under deep velvet night skies and catching fireflies. Angie and I wish this for each of you, whenever summer lands in your place in this world. And Angie will embark on a summer of “Re” – re-reading, re-turning, re-membering, re-experiencing languid summer days.The thumbnail of our episode this week is a peony from my garden… to honour Angie's love of this perennial flower.Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Trudy's company, Chapman Coaching Inc. sponsors this podcast.You can hear Trudy's son Callum Lurie on his YouTube page. He's playing in Grand Bend and in Penetanguishene, Ontario with the Dreyton Theatre Festival.Books we mentioned: Maggie Smith “Dear Writer” and “You Could Make This Place Beautiful;” “Bird by Bird” by Annie Lamott; “On Writing” by Stephen King; Michael Ondaatje “The English Patient” and “In the Skin of a Lion;” David Whyte's “Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words”; “Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” by Katherine May; anything by Alan Alda but we mentioned “Never Have Your Dog Stuffed” and his podcast “Clear and Vivid”You can read more from Angie on her Substack, called “the bigger picture”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

One of my favourite things about summer is sitting outside at a cottage in the early morning and listening to the world come alive. That's what I'm bringing you today on this bonus episode.Bruce's university friend owns this cottage on Bob's Lake, just outside Minden, Ontario. Allan lives in the UK but returns to Canada several times a year for his fix of "home." Bruce and Allan met as young men and have sustained a quiet friendship over these many years. Both from Winnipeg, Manitoba, they share my love of nature. Allan gives us occasional use of his place while he's not here, and we take full advantage whenever we can.Mornings by a lake are so peaceful; they take me away from any worries I hold, and just support me as I bath in the sounds of the world.I hope you enjoy these early morning sounds of nature, awakening.Episode links:As usual, this podcast is sponsored by my company,Chapman Coaching Inc.Minden, OntarioRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

It's been a cold May, and I'm hoping for a warmer June. We're getting ready for our summer break but first... on today's podcast we do a little review of where we've been this season, and offer a taste of where we are going in the month to come. It's the last month of regular programming, with a summer break from July to September coming in which I will rest, and travel, and think of new things to show joy in the every day. Do stay tuned as I will likely drop a few soundscapes over the break, just to keep you connected.I hope you've subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts; please, share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars, it really does help. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:This podcast is supported by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

This month's book review looks at life and choice, through the eyes of a woman contemplating leaving her marriage, or staying put. She meets up with a woman of incredible wisdom and understanding, and with her guidance and support, our author moves through this transitional time, back into her own self.This book, "Tales of Wisdom from an Unconventional Woman: A Walk on the Beach" by Joan Anderson, came to me in the early days of my recovery from my divorce, long before my coach training. I can now see what a pivotal part this book played in becoming the me I am today. I feel such gratitude for this book and its support at this vulnerable time in my life.As I experience it now, I realize how much of Erikson's tidbits of wisdom I hold to, even now. Things like: Always be willing to dance. And know that no matter how hard you dance, not everyone will clap.Make time for play.It's a gift, being your own person.We grow from emotional conflict.Do something with your hands when you seek clarity.By being open, welcoming, and ready to receive, grace happens.And live the dash. You'll understand this one after you listen to the episode.I hope you've subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts; please, share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars, it really does help. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:This podcast is supported by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.A GoodReads review of “A Walk on the Beach” by Joan AndersonA GoodReads review of “Wisdom and the Senses: The Way of Creativity” by Joan EriksonRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

It is my privilege to meander today with my friend Cheryl Marita, and we explore her book “Touching the Veil: End of Life Stories Through the Eyes of a Nurse.”This podcast looks at joy in the everyday, and Cheryl's work as a hospice nurse does that for her… it brings joy to her everyday, that's clear. After a career spanning almost 60 years, and at 79 years of age, she continues to work as a hospice nurse two days a week because not doing so, well, it's just not possible for her. In her book, she talks about the beginnings of her career, in the early 1960s, and her entry into supporting people to their natural death at a time when death meant "failure" to the medical professionals. Since she started her career, we've come a long way in human-focused care. Cheryl's book shares some of those stories. It was a pleasure to meander with Cheryl; I hope you too enjoy this episode.I hope you've subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts; please, share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars, it really does help. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:This podcast is supported by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.You can get Cheryl's book, "Touching the Veil: End of Life Stories Through the Eyes of a Nurse" via her blog, "Morsels of Marita" or via Indigo if you're in Canada, or via your independent book store You can read her blog on Medium “Good Trouble” and the history of John Lewis in the fight for equal rights in the US“Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maude MongomeryThe origins of the quote I used: “Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'." is Viktor E. Frankl, from "Man's Search for Meaning"; Hersh Goldberg-Polin modified it to help himself and his fellow hostages find hope while in captivity in GazaRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Angie and I regularly look at what we consider are the ingredients of joy. Ritual is one we go back to again and again. Today, I ask: what happens when ritual becomes empty? When Easter weekend, past just last month, is no longer connected to its Christian origins? When Christmas is all about the presents, not the love we all have capacity to share or the birth of a child, born to die for our sins (again, a Christian idea). And what does religion have to offer anymore anyway? Angie would say religion offers a container of teachings and practices that ground us in our belief; rituals help us remember what that's all about.This is a good wrestle between Angie and me. And we don't wrap it up in a bow, but come at it from different places, landing in a more explored place of seeing ritual and its importance.Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.You can read more from Angie on her Substack, called “the bigger picture”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Today, you'll hear from me as I launch this month of May. I recap a bit of where we are going, and I leave with you a taste of summer to come… via a walk on the beach I took in Lagos, Portugal.Please, share this around, and if you're of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; and give us a review. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:As usual, this podcast is sponsored by my company,Chapman Coaching Inc.This month's book to be reviewed will be: “A Walk on the Beach” by Joan AndersonRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

The forest across from us teems with life all year, but no time is more magical than the spring when the frogs mate in the forest swamps. We don't always time it right to hear them, but this year we got lucky! I hope you enjoy this bonus episode...Episode links:This podcast is supported by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Cleats bite into the icy path and the ice snaps in response. The forest path, packed down by months of winter boots, is slick, and slippery, even with the cleats on.It always amazes me how the different types and depths of ice and icy snow make all kinds of crunchy sounds as I walk. You can hear the stream as it flows, coming to life with all the water running off the forest and into the creak. It's lovely, and kind of magical. Just a wee taste of life in Ottawa as the world reawakens, birds tweet and geese honk.I hope you've subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts; please, share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars, it really does help. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:This podcast is supported by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

It's a relevant topic for our stress-filled times of economic and political upheaval, and for our every day “hurry hurry” lifestyle, so the topic seemed apt. I've faced burnout in my past, and I talk about some of that here as we unpack the stress cycle and what to do when you're stuck in that space. I haven't talked much about this before, so this is a new experience for me. I hope you'll find this helpful, and will pick up this book by the Nagoski sisters, “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.” They go into the science and the “how to” of restoration in much more detail than I do here.I hope you've subscribed to us wherever you get your podcasts; please, share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars, it really does help. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:This podcast is supported by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.Nagoski sister's websiteInterview with the Nogoski sisters on “Unlocking Us,” Brené Brown's podcast Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

These novels are seeped in Canadiana – set in Montreal, Quebec in 2012, the novel explores the emerging fentanyl problem in Canada and the havoc it wrecks on people in Denny's life. The first in a series of detective novels, this is a great tale, I read it in a few sittings. With a background in poetry, Chris has a deft hand in painting scenes, truly bringing us into feeling the scenes he's painted. It's a good read.We also talk “inside baseball” about the process of publishing a book, independently. The big benefit – you have total creative control. There's good insight here if self-publishing is on your mind.I hope you enjoy this episode. Please, share it around, and if you're of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; and give us a review. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.If you'd like to buy his book, look for “The Freelancer,” by C.J. Fournier in your favourite independent bookstoreOne of the authors Chris mentioned was Graeme Greene“May 2-4 Weekend” in Canada is a play on words. 2-4 refers to a case of 24 beer. And the weekend celebrates the birthday of the colonial British Queen, Victoria. The weekend also marks the beginning of summer in Canada.Book cover designed by award winning designer, David Drummond of Salamander Hill design studioSome background about Canada's war in AfghanistanRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

On today's PauseCast, we catch up with Angie as she shares with about her father's passing. And in this conversation, we talk about all the things that make life precious to us – love, loss, community, ritual, grace, honour, and so much more.Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.The music here is offered joyfully by Olive Tree Hymns, and I so appreciate their offering. They are a small team of young Christian volunteer musicians from Australia devoted to the worship of God through song and you can find them on YouTube. The song: "God Be With You Till We Meet Again."Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

So, I decided that this month, I'd look at the issue of burnout. In Canada, like the rest of the world to varying degrees, we're facing a sea change with America no longer willing to play the role they've played since the end of World War II. With tariffs applied to our long-standing trade, and threats to annex us, Canadians feel this new threat to their core. And people simmer in the stress of it without any real awareness of the havoc this is playing in our nervous systems. In today's episode, I'm sharing a few thoughts, and some found music from Lisbon, Portugal. I hope it helps you find some calmness in your day.  And a word of gratitude for street musicians all over the world, but particularly those in Lisbon who have unknowingly contributed to this episode. You all Rock!! And you make the world a better place as you share your talents. Thank you.Please, share this episode around, and if you're of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; and give us a review. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:As usual, this podcast is sponsored by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.Meander with Maddalena Molina from December, 2022, and her company, Comfortable Hiking HolidaysInside Lisbon was the company our Lisbon tour guide Pedro worked for, and learn more about his work in Ukraine with UNESCORoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

This gentle book explores the deep knowledge coming out of the Indigenous way of living on the land. Using stories coming from her Potawatomi ancestors, Dr. Kimmerer shares traditional ways of gardening and harvesting, as well as some of the origin stories of her people. She then weaves these together with knowledge from botany and Western Science, showing us that both traditions have legitimacy. She underlines practices of gratitude in how we live on the land, and reminds us that we live in reciprocal relationships with our world. I especially love the chapter on language and how it holds the world view of the speaker.Dr. Kimmerer lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. I hope you enjoy this episode. Please, share it around, and if you're of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; and give us a review. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc. and the blog post I mentioned about how to find balanceHere's Dr. Kimmerer talking about the spring, and in it she speaks in her Anishinaabe language“Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall KimmererRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

While he'd started soaring as a teen, Ian sought it out again when he immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1980. In reconnecting with the soaring community, he built lifelong friendships, now more than 40 years old. His life is richer with soaring in it - the connection to nature, the challenge of an ever-changing environment of wind and temperature, and the alchemy of mixing science and creativity, art and whimsey, keeps bringing him back to the sport year after year. It truly lights Ian up to be in the air, travelling with the birds, that much is clear. It was such a joy for me to chat with him about his passion.I hope you enjoy this episode. Please, share it around, and if you're of a mind, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; and give us a review. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Sole sponsor of this podcast is my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.Gatineau Gliding Club at the Pendleton Airdrome near Wendover, Ontario, the small club from where Ian fliesSoaring Association of Canada2023 National Soaring CompetitionJonathan Livingston Seagull, by American author Richard Bach Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Episode NotesEpisode link:Chapman Coaching Inc.

Discerning happiness versus joy is where Angie starts, as we wrestle with these big questions. “But happiness is a short-lived drug when it comes from outside of us,” she reminds us. And we meander from there, landing in a formula of “love is a noun and a verb + begin again + community” as one tonic for getting through these perilous times.I hope you enjoy this wee chat. Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Book by Mark Nepo “You Don't Have to Do It Alone” Netflix documentary, “Join or Die” based on the book by Robert Putnam “Bowling Alone”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

It's about choice. Knowing who you BE, understanding your habits in who you are, how they get in your way, and how to develop a way to choose.We all have habits of being that were grooved into us long ago. In how we were raised, in who we are when we're born, and in what we go through in our lives. These are unconscious, and help us navigate our world. Just as we outgrow our jeans, we can also outgrow our habits, but we don't often realize that this has happened.So how do you gain awareness of this, so that you can stop getting in your own way and choose a life of intention? How do we manage to  feel steady enough to see who we really are, so that we can ask these questions of ourselves? Well, I think, joy is key. It supports us in our humanity, in seeing ourselves without judgement, and in seeing the humanity of others as well. It enables both hope, and grace. Hope in something better, and grace for lapses in ourselves and others.All this is why, in my fifth year, I'm doing these podcasts. These topics matter. More than ever.Thoughts and comments are welcome. Send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

My break went well, full of writing, and a little travel. I talk a bit about that.  I also explore how I find calm, and make way for joy, despite the crazy that is so much of our world right now.As usual, I've dipped into "Embers" by Richard Wagamese, and also “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” for inspiration. Coming out of that, I have an invitation for you to consider… What beauty do you care for in your life? And how does it enhance your world? Drop me a note and share what you find... I read everything you send me.I hope you've subscribed to this wherever you get your podcasts. Please, share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars, it really does help. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.“Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations” by Richard Wagamese“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie MackseyAlison Wearing, a writer and teacher I've studied with this past year, who is helping me grow as a writerBook by my friend Cheryl Marita, the friend I visit in New Mexico, “Touching the Veil: End of Life Stories Through the Eyes of a Nurse”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Episode link:Chapman Coaching Inc.

Today I offer you my year end/year beginning ritual, which is how I stay on track all year. I also offer a wee recap of how I think things have been going on this podcast this year… and I talk about what I'm planning for my break between now and the first week of March when I return with new material.Invitations and housekeeping, that's mostly what I have for you today, but that's ok, sometimes such things are a necessary part of our relationships… running a podcast is no different really.I hope you'll return to my podcast after my two-month break… I'll have a new episode on the first Tuesday in March, and I'll let you know how my writing has been going. With any luck, I'll have some new blog posts up, maybe you'll have read a few... you can find them under "blog" on my website. Fingers crossed! Please, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts; and please, share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars, it really does help. If you have comments or questions, go ahead and send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. I read everything you send!Happy New Year to us all. May 2025 bring kindness, and grace, and yes, joy, to your life. Thank you for listening.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.CJ Fournier, “The Freelancer” is the book I mentioned and the author I hope to interview this coming season, and a review of his first mystery novel on goodreadsRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In this fourth week of the month, I'm offering you another book that I love. This week I bring you a rip roaring tale about the early years of the 21st Century, and how a driven journalist finally found his way into a more calm and balanced life through mindfulness meditation.This book plays two roles for me. First, it's just a good story about affairs as they unfolded in the US in the early days of the turn of the century. 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, all told by someone who covered them on the ground. Secondly, Dan shares with us how he managed to shift from hard-driving journalist into a more balanced version of himself. His invitation into mindfulness meditation via his app helped me find my way into a more relaxed version of meditation that I follow to this day. He's a guy out there truly doing good in this world, and I appreciate him. And this book is great.If you're of a mind, share your thoughts with me about this, or any, book review at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. If there is a book you recommend, let me know and I'll give it a look, no promises though. Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dan Harris' Ted Talk about how he became less of a jerk to himself – I laughed, and cried, when I watched this one.The revised app is called “Happier”And his podcast is Ten% Happier with Dan HarrisPoem “'Twas the Night Before Christmas” just 'cause it's traditionThe book, reviewed on Good ReadsRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

I met many lovely women while on my writing retreat in Tuscany this past October. Jacki Rowe was one of them and I'm grateful to her for sharing her heart and her festive traditions with me on this wee meander.While I've met Jackie as a writer, she also ran a very successful company for 25 years, an occupation which kept her away from home and occupied more space in her life than she might have liked. Now that she's into the next phase of her life, she's tending to her family in a much different way than she had time for while she was working. She writes – memoir and poetry – and cooks, and paints… We talk about that and a whole lot more on this episode.I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Please, share these episodes widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. I read everything that arrives in my in-box.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Jackie's company was The Garlic Box and you can learn more about it here. It's now been sold, so the tradition lives on!Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

We meander around beginning again, around little monsters that join us when we engage in a meditation or a “sit,” around what Advent offers to us as we prepare for the coming holidays… It's a nice complement to my solo meander from last week, and I hope you'll listen to these both in that understanding.December, at least in the northern hemisphere where we live, gets increasingly dark, the days, shorter, until the longest day of the year, Dec 21, and the Winter Solstice. In December, hope, peace, joy and love are centered week by week as Christmas approaches… which is an invitation for Christians and non alike to name what is in the dark, and turn towards something life giving… hope, peace, joy and love... and begin again. And yet, life includes a lot of fear these days… mostly of the unknown. So, in the face of this fear, naming that, pausing, and turning towards… hope peace, joy and love…. Forgiveness, and trust too. This and more we cover in this meander. I hope you enjoy this free-wheeling exploration. Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Angie's Substack channel, “The Bigger Picture”Thomas KeatingBlue Rodeo, “Try”The Tragically Hip documentary, “No Dress Rehearsal”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

I start with how I build and tape my podcast… the technical components and the space I work in. We also talk about other inside activities, like how we can prepare our hearts for the coming holidays with families, for family dinners that spark both joy and, sometimes, dread... Certainly sparking old habits of behaviour that no longer serve our relationships or reflect who we are, now.I hope this lands well for you. Share your thoughts with me too, I'd love to hear from you, please write me at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. I hope you've subscribed where ever you get your podcasts. And please share this widely to spread these conversations about joy in the every day. Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Reading page 115 from Richard Wagamese, “Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Deceptively simple, it is a story of courage and friendship. A reminder that it is love for each other that makes life feel rich and full. This book reflects themes that I explore often in conversation – love, community, courage, risk – and how they enrich our lives.If you're of a mind, share your thoughts with me about these book reviews  at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. If there is a book you recommend, let me know and I'll give it a look, no promises though. And… if you tried sitting with nothing and it became something, tell me about that too, I'd love to hear about your experience. Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Good Reads reviewThe movie it became has been world renown. You can see the trailer here.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma 

Nancy was first on the podcast in January of 2022 and we just talked about what brings her joy. Today, she shares with us her love of playing in the mud, shaping it, painting, and firing it into things of beauty…. Functional, useful, sentimental and beautiful.  We talk about the meaning that she derives out of the potting; you'll see what I mean when it comes up.Nancy is an effervescent spirit, and it is such a joy to meander again with her on this episode.If you're of a mind, shoot me a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com and let me know how this episode landed for you. Please like and subscribe where ever you get your podcasts... and share widely, to spread the joy that comes from these conversations that matter.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.The soundscape at Lac NominiqueNancy's previous meander with meCapital Pottery, Nancy's one stop Ottawa shop for pottery suppliesRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-HumaPlease send thoughts and comments to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com

It's funny how our lives spiral around certain themes, and while Angie is a storyteller at heart, bred in her bones also is teaching, mentoring, and supporting others, or as she calls it, being a "human-evoker.” She talks with us about the invitation she's had to move into a different role in her organization, as well as the things she's learned through all this change she's experienced this last year. As this is a meander, we also flit around ideas like grace, and hope, ritual and joy. And love. And as Angie is back in the US, the thrust and parry of being a US citizen right now, and how in the end, we are all human beings worthy of respect.As always, this being human is best supported by presence. Being present to our selves, and each other. To love and be loved. Simple. And not, too.I hope you enjoy this update as we reconnect, again, with Angie.Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Donor Network of Arizona, where Angie now worksRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

This week, I'm all about fall and its bounty. Not the vegetable harvest as much as the opportunity to start again… that kind of bounty. Fall is a natural time to consider where I've been, and where I am going, and that's some of what I'll meander around today.I hope this lands well for you. Share your thoughts with me too about how the fall bounty shows up for you. I'd love to hear from you, please write me at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. I hope you've subscribed where ever you get your podcasts. And please share this widely to spread these conversations about joy in the every day. Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Today, we are exploring "Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations" by Richard Wagamese.Wagamese died in 2017, leaving behind 16 books. The bulk of his writing was fiction, telling stories about his people, informed by his experience. These are hard reads sometimes for they are full of heartbreak and challenge. His first book, "Keeper'n Me" tells the story of Garnet Raven, a story that parallels Wagamese's own life experience.  It's worth your time too.Two of his books are autobiographies, and several others explore Indigenous spirituality and wisdom. "Embers" is of that latter type, offering us hard-won wisdom about how to live a fulfilling life. I like to pick this book up and just open it up to see what is alive for me in that moment. I've never been let down. Also, it is beautifully laid out, a feast for your eyes!I've read from "Embers" countless times on this podcast, particularly on the PauseCast in conversation with Angie Arendt, so it seemed like the right place to start.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Richard Wagamese biography"Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations"Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

This week, I speak with weaver Jane Perry about her love of nature, and how she finds joy in working with natural fibers as she pulls wool threads into beautiful tapestries. A retired forester, she's been able to spend her days creating and playing on her loom in her studio in a gorgeous log cabin in the forest, west of Williams Lake, BC.I'm a little rusty and forgot to remind you to please subscribe if you haven't already, and share my work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Jane's company is Cariboo Handwoven Petra Fisher Movement and Yoga with AdrieneRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

You can't make this stuff up,  the gunshots that landed just as we started to meditate are one of the happenstance occurances that happen in "live to tape" podcasting. I left them in there because they made me laugh, and the reflect life at it's crazy best.I hope you liked this all the same. Please, share it around, like this one your favourite social media, and subscribe where ever you get your podcasts. All feedback welcome at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.  Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

On this episode, Angie fills us in on what she's been doing now that she's moved to Arizona and her new work helping people after facing a catastrophic loss. We also explore what we'd like to do for the coming fall season.Please, share our work widely, give us a review or a drop us a few stars. If you have comments or questions, please send them to meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Donor Network of Arizona, where Angie now worksThe Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Charlie MackesyThe poem Angie read was “Good Bones,” by Maggie SmithRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

This short soundscape is dedicated to those who lost their lives, and those who lost their souls, last year on October 7.I wish us all a better year to come, a return to our humanity, and a return to our sense of collective and mutual responsibility. Oh, and a reminder to find joy and beauty in your world.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Fattoria del Colle, Trequanda, ItalyRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In this episode, I'm all alone... explaining to you what you can expect from this fall and winter season. How I plan to give you a little more of me with the first episode of each month me alone, sharing whatever comes to mind. Week two, we're back to the "PauseCast with Angie Arendt." We'll explore more of the elements of joy in the every day. Week three each month goes back to the roots of this podcast - talking with regular people about joy in the every day. And week four is new... I'll be doing a book review of books that hold meaning for me. For any extra week in the month, like we have in October, I'll give you something special, maybe a soundscape, or another interview with a regular Jane or Joe, we shall see!I hope you'll find this a worthwhile way to spend some time together.  I sure do enjoy meandering with you, and playing with sound. Comments are always welcome; please send them to me at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com I read everything. And please subscribe and share this episode widely so we can all be reminded to look for how joy shows up for us, in our everyday worlds. Thank you for listening, I know there are many options out there. Thank you for spending this time with me.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dead Dog CafeRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Good morning from Horsefly Lake, BC! It's our usual summer visit to northern BC, to this glorious spot at Horsefly. Horsefly is a small town with a big heart and we enjoy our trips here every year to visit family and explore what the Cariboo region has to offer. Enjoy!Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Horsefly, BCRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Summer is turning to fall here in Canada, and hubby and I are making a pre-winter trip to BC to check in on my father-in-law, Bruce's dad. The flight from Ottawa takes about five hours, and then we stop off at Bruce's sister's place for a day before hitting the road for the day long trip north to their father's place. This gives me a day to resume my meditation routine, this time in Kathleen's hot tub in her yard in Vancouver, BC. There's a salmon run in her back yard, a yard full of tall cedar trees, just at the edge of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, in my humble opinion.Please enjoy this soundscape with me, of her hot tub, with the salmon stream and a few floatplanes and helicopters in the mix.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

The Pacific Great Blue Heron is featured in this bonus episode of Meanderings with Trudy. Turns out, Stanley Park in Vancouver BC is home to one of the largest colonies of these majestic birds, worldwide. The babies had hatched, and the sound was unlike anything I'd heard! We were there in late May of 2024.Stanley Park is an urban park, and so there is a lot of texture in this soundscape. There were lots of people walking with us, jogging around us, the usual car traffic, as well as buses carrying tourists around. Lot's here to hear! Enjoy!Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Pacific Great Blue Heron Colony at Stanley Park, Vancouver BCYou can see all the action in the nests via the Heron CamRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Into every life, some rain must fall… I don't know who said that, but has it ever been true of the summer of 2024! We've had some glorious weather, and we've had some incredible rainstorms!Today, this is what is on offer… one of our summer rainstorms with sound collected from my backyard. I hope you enjoy this reprieve from the summer heat, as we move from August to September, and the fall begins to be more present in cooler nights and back to school sales in the stores.Enjoy!Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

One of the great things about our short Canadian summers is spending time at a cottage. I'm lucky in that I have a good friend who rents hers out a few weeks a year. Hubby and I spent a week there this summer during one of the hottest weeks we've had so far. We swam in the lake, or lac as they say in Quebec, lite campfires and roasted marshmallows, cooked burgers and hot dogs on the BBQ, spent time with family and just generally soaked up the sights and sounds of nature. It was a blessed time.Grand Lac Nominique is a small lake, as they go here in Canada. The lake is 8 km long and 3 km wide and it can be found in the Laurentians, which are a mountain range in eastern Canada, in the province of Quebec. The lake is bounded by big rocks, and the water laps against them in a very pleasing way… a snippet of which is what I'm offering you today.Like the Canadian summer, this is a short and sweet taste of the glories of the Grand Lac Nominique. True bliss!Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Grand Lac NominiqueRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

The genesis of this episode lies with an article I read as I was making my morning coffee about the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna this summer. Threatened by a terrorist plot, authorities closed down the phenom, breaking the hearts of some 200,000 fans who'd hope to attend. On its own, this story is simply a sign of our times. The mayhem on our streets playing itself out in myriad ways from day to day, heaping sadness and disappointment on many… but hey, it's only a concert, right?As I try to find and showcase the good in life, this piece about how the fans responded to the cancellation gives me hope that ultimately, things will be ok. In the face of challenge, human beings are amazing, and these fans, no less:  finding meaning in their shared loved, sharing connection, exhibiting resilience through song, sharing rituals and yes, joy… the fans showed it all. All in the face of the cancellatoin of "just a concert."All this and more is what we meander around every week as we shine the spotlight on joy. I believe that joy, and hope, are antidotes to fear and sadness about the state of the world. I hope you don't mind this impromptu meander from my kitchen, as I made coffee, and tea, and shared my thoughts with you. And please, give the article a read let me know if it gives you a little more hope in this broken, but beautiful, world of ours. The link is below.Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.“A Terrorist Plot Canceled the Show. But We Swifties Found Each Other on Cornelia Street” By Agnes Callard published in “The Free Press” August 17, 2024Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In our final meander together with Dina, we explore the final chapter in “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to wholehearted.” This Postlude explores the work that Dina is confidently and humbling stepping into, the work of a Grief Doula, which she defines as companioning people in their grief journey. This is such big work, and such important work, as life is full of grief and loss, not just death but losses of all kinds. And learning how to manage grief as a normal, healthy and involuntary activity has been the focus of this book, and all in service of helping us experience joy in our lives.My take-aways from the book, very high level, are:Loss is simply what happens to us in life. It's part of living fully. It is natural. Meaning is what we make of it. We all move through grief, and recovery, at our own pace.STUGs – sudden temporary upsurges of grief – happen because grieving is not linear; we ebb and flow in our experience for the rest of our lives.Listening to someone in their grief is our superpower as humans.Grieving takes effort, awareness, self-compassion, time, and community. We all have a part to play.Grief is love.My final invitation to you is to consider these take-aways and see how they land for you now. And what, if anything else, did you notice that is meaningful for you?Feedback is welcome, so please drop us a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dina's company is Grief UnleashedDina's book, “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted” can be purchased through her publisher or at Singing Pebble Bookstore in OttawaRichard Wagamese's book “Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations”Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In chapter five of Dina's book, we're looking at the gifts that come out of embodying our grief, of healing the wounds in a healthy way. I found this chapter a wonderful way of pulling together all the threads of learning in this book. In fact, the invited homework from the previous chapter on continuing bonds helped me with this too. The notion of post traumatic growth is a centrepiece of this chapter, and it is a much-overlooked reality of our effectively growing through our grief from a loss. This idea spotlights all the ways in which we as people grow stronger, learn more about ourselves, develop resilience and insight by experiencing grief and big life losses. All this helps us as we become our future selves. Or as Dina puts it “… post traumatic growth… describes the positive psychological change that is experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life occurrences.” The gifts of grief are many, sometimes simple, others profound. But always nurturing to us as we move forward into tomorrow.Invitations:Out of each episode this season, we are offering people ways to increase their grief literacy. This month, we're offering an invitation to you to explore one of the seven growth opportunities coming out of grief that Dina outlined for us from the literature. How have you experienced flourishing coming out of a loss experience you have had? And how has this affected your life?In the meanwhile, feedback is welcome, so please drop us a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dina's company is Grief UnleashedDina's book, “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted” can be purchased through her publisher or at Singing Pebble Bookstore in OttawaShe read us the poem “Hands of a Woman,” the wonderful BC poet Caroline MiskenackAn article from Karl Abrecht on the five basic human fearsRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In chapter four of Dina's book, we're looking at this idea of continuing bonds, of continuing our relationship with people who have died, by way of better owning, embodying, and coping with, our feelings of loss.  The thing about death is that we often can't accept the reality of our loss. Continuing bonds normalizes our desire to maintain a relationship with those who have died, and for this to be seen as a healthy way of coping. Continuing bonds can look like different things for different people – I like to invite my mom's spirit to come and meditate with me, for example. And for some, this idea of continuing bonds is not for them at all, and that's ok too.Another big part of this meander explores fear. It seems to us that understanding fear a bit better will help us cope through periods of grief, so Dina shares a bit about the five basic human fears, and how these manifest in us, in our lives.Invitations:Out of each episode this season, we are offering people ways to increase their grief literacy. This month, we're offering an invitation to you to explore two things: first, how does fear hold you in unhealthy ways of coping with loss? And second, if the idea of continuing bonds makes sense to you, what could that look like in your life? And if you try, how does this shift your experience of your grief?In the meanwhile, feedback is welcome, so please drop us a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dina's company is Grief UnleashedDina's book, “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted” can be purchased through her publisher or at Singing Pebble Bookstore in OttawaDina's song, cowritten with Leslie RohonczyAn article from Karl Abrecht on the five basic human fearsThe Enneagram Institute on Enneagram typesRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In chapter three of Dina's book, we're looking at the ways that we attend to our broken hearts. In this meander we show the shifts that Dina is still making in her own grief journey. How, after 22 years, she is finally making space for herself in this journey. It is such a beautiful way of appreciating how we embody grief and it nourishes our own experience in the world. And irrevocably changes us in the process.Invitations:Out of each episode this season, we are offering people ways to increase their grief literacy. This month, we're offering an invitation to you to explore how you cope with loss. What tools do you use? Are you an intuitive griever or an instrumental one? Do you take action and do things as you grieve, or do you emote? What happens when you do this?In the meanwhile, feedback is welcome, so please drop us a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dina's company is Grief UnleashedDina's book, “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted” can be purchased through her publisher or at Singing Pebble Bookstore in OttawaDina's song, cowritten with Leslie RohonczyRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In chapter two of Dina's book, we're looking at reconciling loss. We start with last month's exercise to look at our loss maps, and my extrapolation out, looking at belonging. It's a great example of how to do the exercise and apply the learning to our own lives. Dina tells us that reconciling loss is about reasserting harmony in our experience, and with the insight from my loss map, I find more harmony inside myself when issues of belonging come up. Belonging, and so much more, is part of this episode.Invitations:Out of each episode this season, we are offering people ways to increase their grief literacy. This month, we're offering an invitation to you to move out of your loss map and see how you've reconciled those losses you found. Start with one loss you've noticed, and move on from there. With a kind and non-judgemental mind, what do you see?In the meanwhile, feedback is welcome, so please drop us a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dina's company is Grief UnleashedDina's book, “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted” can be purchased through her publisher or at Singing Pebble Bookstore in OttawaRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In this second episode in our book review, we look at chapter one, which is all about grappling with grief. The starting point is understanding that we all grapple in different ways. And that is absolutely as it should be. But most of us don't know how we grapple, and don't realize that others ways can be different. So that is where we start, and we meander from there. I hope you find this both helpful and informative.Invitations:Out of each episode this season, we are offering people ways to increase their grief literacy. This month, we're offering an invitation to you to explore your “loss line;” here's how: divide your age by four, and create four boxes on a piece of paper, breaking your years of life into four spans. For each span, write down the memories of loss that come up for you. Take a few passes at this, maybe over a few sittings, and write until you feel complete. Then, sit with what you've explored and consider: what do you see? Any trends, or threads that you see? What does this tell you about your approach to loss and grieving... how do you grapple? Dina explains more, so make sure you listen if you're interested in trying this out.Feel free to share your expereince with this exercise, or anything that you hear, with us. Feedback is welcome, so please drop us a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dina's company is Grief UnleashedDina's book, “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted” can be purchased through her publisher or at Singing Pebble Bookstore in OttawaRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Canada Day is a delight here in the Great White North… the first heat of summer hits us, hard, and we settle into the dog days of summer, which are often too few but usually well appreciated.On this Canada Day, I went for a kayak with my brother Steve on a tributary of the Ottawa River. Green's Creek it's called, and while in the city, it's like going back into prehistoric time. We saw several heron, a large beaver and many turtles of many sizes. It was great.I hope you enjoy this wee paddle.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

In this first episode in our book review, we're exploring the information in the Prelude of Dina's book, “Grief Unleased: Moving from the hole in our hearts to wholehearted.” The Prelude sets the table for the book, sharing her “why” in writing…. which is to dispel the myths around grief, to demystify it in service of living a more full life, so we can better embody our experience and grow as a result of it. At the core, Dina knows that grief is an internal response to a severed attachment. The process of grieving effectively provides nutrients that builds our capacity to handle change. Invitations:Out of each episode this season, we will offer a few invitations for practice for our listeners. This session has two:Coming out of David Whyte's poem, “The Journey,” what is the one line already inside of you that if you looked, you'd find?Poetry is a window into our heart, an aid to help us mull over what matters to us. Find some that speaks to you. Explore. How does your grief show up here?In the meanwhile, feedback is welcome, so please drop us a note at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com.Episode Links:Chapman Coaching Inc.Dina's company is Grief UnleashedDina's book, “Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted” can be purchased through her publisher or at Singing Pebble Bookstore in OttawaWind Phone, contact Dina if you want to make a donation to the one planned for the Ottawa Regional Cancer FoundationRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma

Feasting… author Martha Beck tells us that feasting has three essential elements: celebration, nourishment and gratitude. That's what we talk about today in this final episode of the book, and of this 2024 spring season.I will be on break until October, but offering a “Meander Again” set of episodes, recasting my six conversations with Dina Bell-Laroche and her book, which takes us to mid-August. After that, I will go silent until October, a real break during which my creative juices will marinate. Thank you for your good company! See you in the fall!Feel free to share your thoughts with me at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. I'd love to hear how your work has gone, and how you are onboarding, or playing with, these ten daily practices. Episode links:Chapman Coaching Inc.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.“What Comes From Spirit,” by Richard WagameseRoyalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-HumaMy friend Richard Godin shot this beautiful picture of the water lily.  I use it with permission.