MS Walk Is Tomorrow!

And I have a new pair of shoes! HUZAH! They are Keens and I love them! I'll post a photo up of them soon :)

Today was a good day. It got up to 80 degrees in my area of NJ which is just south of Trenton and Princeton. My daughter got some much needed outdoor time. Dad mulched, Jayden dug dirt, Canela laid around doing nothing. My mom was able to get things done in the house. Dave and I went to the EMS store in Princeton Market Fair Mall to get much needed comfy shoes for tomorrow's walk and beyond.

Pretty much most of my church's adult choir is walking with me tomorrow so instead of singing our normal 8:30AM Mass tomorrow, we sang the 5PM Mass tonight. Unfortunatly my Fibromylgoa pain has been very bad lately and my left should was in a lot of pain during the Mass. Sigh...oh well!

Here's my list:
My daughter.
My husband.
My family.
My friends.
New shoes!
Our dog.
Going to Mass and singing in spite of severe FMS pain.
Awesome weather with sunshine and wind.
The Team Imagine t-shirts are awesome!
Prayer :)

Happy Easter!

photo by deirdre ryan

I just returned from singing Easter Vigil Mass at my church, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. I am an Alto and my mother is a Soprano. I have been a member since about after I graduated college and finally had some free time to make weekly practices and actually attend Mass weekly. I love to sing! I love and adore my choir members and we adore our choir directer, Jac.

So Holy Week is over. We practiced on Wed., and then sang Holy Thursday, Good Friday and then Easter Vigil. We get Easter Sunday off ;) I was not able to sing Good Friday, but I was there in spirit.

We wear our choir robes and tonight it was very hot in the choir loft. Holy Thursday we sang while following the Holy Eucharist into the smaller chapel. It's a little tricky to sing, walk, read the notes and verses and not trip on your choir robe ;)

I have so much to be thankful this Easter Season. So many to remember and so many that I am probably not aware of.





Here is my list:

-My daughter
-My family
-My husband
-Our friends
-Our dog, Canela
-The rain and thunderstorms and the sunny, windy weather.
-Photographing many new things that are blooming in my backyard.
-Creating new items :D
-Dying Easter eggs for the first time with our daughter :)
-My car is running great!
-Taking Easter weekend off.
-Prayer

Look What Flew Into My Yard Today!

This Yellow-crowned Night-Heron decided to casually hang out on one of the dogwood trees next to our greenhouse. Mom was doing something at the sink, looked out the window and there was this HUGE bird looking right at her. Black Creek is just down the hill from my house, and the Delaware River is right here too, so we have both fresh and salt water here.

Here is a site that describes it in more detail:
Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

As of right now, it's hanging out in a pine tree that overlooks what used to be our fish pond.

Such a blessing to see this gorgeous bird close-up like this!

My good friend Heather gave me this information oh Heron Medicine:
Here is the info I have on Heron Medicine:
"Heron teaches us how to become comfortable in uncertain situations where we need to watch for an opportunity to arise and quickly grasp it. It calls us to take courage and follow our true path, which will be discovered through exploring our inner selves, and finding what draws us to action..."

"The heron is a long legged wading bird. There are about 60 species of heron including several species called egrets. Most egrets have white plumage that is highly prized as ornaments in oriental ceremonies. Herons are often seen standing motionless, as if in a meditative state, on its long thin legs."

"This stance symbolizes its ability to maintain balance through proper focus. Its inner foundation is secure although not fixed.When the heron feeds it stands in water its neck is bent in an S shape.The flowing pattern of the letter S reflects the rhythm of this bird. Understanding your personal rhythm and responding to it accordingly is imperative for those"

"Herons are seldom seen flocking together. They are solitary birds that enjoy their own company. Heron medicine people are independent and willing to make changes when the need arises.They do not need a lot of people in their lives. This can sometimes lead to challenges in personal relationships especially if the other person has needs that require constant attention. Maintaining some type of social interaction and not withdrawing from others completely is helpful."

"Herons stand out in their uniqueness and know how to take advantage of things and events for their own benefit. By observing the heron, its actions and its lack of action we learn how to perfect our personal flight through life.Herons hold a silent power, their grace, agility and majestic presence reflect balance. This balance is the gift they offer to all who choose to receive it.

From http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.sayahda.com%2Fcyc.html as well as Animal Speak by Ted Andrews"

Those who know me...this is SO true!

My sister in-law says that this species of heron or the black crowned ones are rare sightings.

UPDATE:
my sister in law said: "Yes I just checked my birding list and one person said he saw 30-40 black crowned and only one yellow crowned (in their proper habitat, no their backyard."