happy easter!

Hello everybody! I hope you've all had a great Easter weekend. The weather here was so lovely, which is why CJ and I decided to go "down the shore" today. (As we New Jersians like to say.) As natives, we have a very different perspective of The Jersey Shore than the rest of the country. (And sadly the world.) It's a welcoming place, especially since the boardwalk isn't "officially" open yet and it wasn't super crowded. We walked around, enjoyed the ocean, (living only a short distance from it, I can say that I definitely take its shimmering endlessness for granted!) reflected on the message in church this morning, and enjoyed some Crab Fries. (I know...) All in all, it was a lovely day. We came home and celebrated my dad's birthday (part 2) and I made my first ever soup! It definitely needs some perfecting, but once I get it right, I'll share my INCREDIBLY easy, 100% improvised recipe.

In other news, tomorrow is Monday. Does anybody else find Mondays particularly difficult after holiday weekends? They can be unbearable at times. Before I go, I'll leave you with this:

This song was something that I always looked forward to as a little girl. My church would play it every Easter Sunday! I think it's actually one of the reasons why I play piano now. Enjoy! And don't take your Monday TOO seriously!

Happy Easter, guys! (He is risen!)

xo, e.m.

a special post for you music lovers

I'm sharing with you one of my all-time favorite albums from one of my all-time favorite bands. Cool Hand Luke, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Mark Nicks, is one of the most talented and versatile bands that I've ever known. I've always been drawn to the organic sound of Mark's music and the beautiful and poetic words that seem to wind around the melodies so flawlessly. This album touches upon the beautiful sentiment that is Passion Week-- the days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. It chronicles the entire story in a melodic and almost heart-wrenchingly honest way. Even if you don't celebrate Easter, the musical craft and storytelling displayed here are astounding, you'll definitely want to listen in.

If you like what you're hearing, you can find the album here. (And if you really, REALLY like what you're hearing, The Fires of Life is another amazing album!) Enjoy!

xo, e.m.