"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." -John Lubbock Take a moment of rest today...and don't feel guilty about it!

Eddie and I stumbled across a beautiful park in Bernardsville, NJ. I had never seen such a pristine paradise, and to top it all off, wouldn't you know it? A family of ducklings. (Click to enlarge)  Five happy babies glided behind mamma through a perfectly painted masterpiece of sky. The water was so clear, it was as if they swam through thin air. This Blue Heron was surrounded by lush color, above and below him. They camouflage well with the ripples they create. And continue on to swim in the sky. Until they hit a shallow point! Uh oh. It's not the sky after all. Could have fooled me.

It just hit me recently, that I'm a musician. No really. When people ask me what I do for a living, I can actually reply, "I play the piano." Not, "I wait tables, but  really , I want to play the piano." A year ago, I was  hopelessly unemployed , and totally clueless as to how to go about entering the confusing, frustrating world of the music industry. I was questioning my talent, my future, and my prospects. So far in that I actually  applied to law school  as a "back-up" for when music didn't work out. But somehow, a  ballet accompanist job  landed in my lap - a position that intimidated me and left me wondering if I was even qualified for it. And after some struggles and much studying and practice, I am comfortable in the job and more thankful for it than ever. It has made me a much better and more professional pianist. Last night was my first day at work in a  beautiful restaurant , not waiting tables, but playing dinner music for its custome...

My thumbs are not green. The budding sprouts that my husband got me in a dummy-proof plant kit however, are! It's so simple, just add water and place next to a window. I have no idea what kind of flowers these will turn out to be. Hopefully, I won't kill them before I have a chance to find out! "Green fingers are the extension of a verdant heart."   -Russell Page "Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration."   -Lou Erickson ~~ The Seed Planters

One undeniable truth about music, is that the simplest melody or lyric has the power to conjure up a flood of memories and emotions. Nowhere is this more evident, than in an intimate hospital room, where the charity organization  Sing for Hope  reaches out to patients through music. Five volunteer performers met in a NYC hospital for the first time last night, to visit patients, room to room, and provide a bedside song for them. This was my third time and I knew to expect many smiles, stories, and maybe even a few tears. Some musicians are brave enough to perform a song acapella. I'm not one of them. Neither am I a great guitarist, but I bring it anyway. It's no piano, but at least it's  something  to hide behind. I have a few songs I do on guitar, and it seems to be enough of a selection to accommodate what the patient might want to hear. We entered an older woman's room. She was lying in her bed with who appeared to be her daughter standing next to her. Both wer...

I was 6 years old when my mom became pregnant with my little sister, Erica, and 7 when she was born. I've heard a few stories about my childhood, mostly the same few funny ones over and over. But recently, my mom told me a new one that I had never heard, and certainly have no recollection of. I don't know what spurred this memory, but she told me the story in between bouts of uncontrollable laughter and with tears rolling down her cheeks.  Apparently I asked my mother something about the new baby sister that was on the way. She gave me the usual spiel about how the baby lives in the mommy's tummy until she's born. I then asked the logical question, "How does the baby get  out  of the mommy's tummy?" To which my mom eloquently and truthfully replied, "Through a hole in the mother's body." It was here in the story that my mom paused to compose herself long enough to do her best impression of a 6-year-old, little Elizabeth asking with honest, ...

I'll never get used to the out-of-the-ordinary things I see walking around NYC. Commuting in and out of New Jersey, I'm usually only in the city for a specific purpose or job. I'm focused on getting where I need to be and rarely get the chance to roam around, get a cup of coffee, and people watch. I've learned to always have my camera with me, because who knows what shots I might get to or from the subway! ...Like a high fashion photo shoot in Chelsea with this model in a fur coat in 90 degree weather. Just as I passed by I heard the photographer yell, "That's a wrap!" So I snapped a quick picture before they packed up their gear. ...Or a beautiful grand piano with first rate musicians serenading the passers-by of Washington Square Park. This pianist is there pretty often and I'm dying to know how he drags his piano to and from the park each day.  I guess part of what makes New York so special, is these "unusual sightings" are actually pre...