Pelicans

I had a great interest in pelicans when I was little because I found them fascinating. Then we starting singing a hymn in our choir called "Pie Pellicane" and found the meaning most beautiful.  It is as follows:

The symbolism of the mother pelican feeding her little baby pelicans is rooted in an ancient legend which preceded Christianity. The legend was that in time of famine, the mother pelican wounded herself, striking her breast with the beak to feed her young with her blood, to prevent starvation. Another version of the legend was that the mother fed her dying young with her blood to revive
them from death, but in turn lost her own life. The early Christians adapted this tradition to symbolize our Lord, Jesus Christ. The pelican symbolizes Jesus our Redeemer, who gave His life for our redemption, and the atonement He made through His passion and death. We were dead to sin and have found new life through the  Blood of Christ. Moreover, Jesus continues to feed us on  our pilgrim way, with His body and blood in the Holy Eucharist. The pelican became part of our liturgical tradition. The image of the pelican feeding its baby pelicans was a popular artwork on altar frontals. In early times, when tabernacles were sometimes suspended over the altar, they were shaped like pelicans.
"The Symbolism of the Pelican" by Fr. William Saunders

(picture from one of our local chambers of commerce)

I was in town the other day when I saw (this very sight) of a flock of pelicans.  They are huge! Apparently they are about 5 feet tall and have a 9 foot wingspan!  That is amazing.  I'm hoping they will still be there tomorrow when I go into town again.

Urgent Prayers

Please pray for my dear Aunt Mary who had surgery and was intubated and put on a respirator; she has been in ICU on a breathing machine. One lung is collapsed; a bronchoscopy was performed by the Pulmonologist. He found a tumor in the large bronchus that was obstructing and causing the collapse and pneumonia. The tumor started to bleed, so they were not able to biopsy nor remove the mass.  She is in serious condition.  In all things, may God's Will be done.

Easter Day

 Bow ties are cool.

Team Demolition

Since we moved into our house 8 years ago we have bought about 60 door knobs... it's part of our budget. If you need a demolition job done quickly, we hire out for reasonable rates... and the tykes work quickly!

Feel free to donate to our door knob fund.

A Most Blessed Easter to All

 Christ has risen! Indeed, he has risen! Alleluia!

Adoration of the Paschal Lamb

What is the Pascha? 
It obtains its name from its characteristic: from suffer (pathein) comes suffering (paschein). 

Learn therefore who is the Suffering One, and who shares the suffering of the Suffering One, and why the Lord is present on the earth to clothe Himself with the Suffering One and carry Him off to the heights of  heaven. It is He that delivered us from slavery to liberty, from darkness to light, from death to life, from tyranny to eternal royalty; and made us a new priesthood and an eternal people personal to Him. He is the Pascha of our salvation.

St. Melito of Sardis - "On Pascha"

Waiting and Waiting

Lent was long... winter was long and cold... Holy Week was forever.... though I will say that we have had some very beautiful Masses, so for that we are exceedingly grateful for our dedicated priests! So here we are on Holy Saturday and the Paschal Fast waiting for the Paschal Feast.  So what better time than the present to get caught up on all my long lost pictures.

 Kili is total mischief.  He loves electrical cords, cupboards, doors fascinate him and he loves the great outdoors. He's now 11 months old.

 The children decided... once again reminded by a listening of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe... that it would be a good idea to make some Turkish Delight. I'm very much not turkish and I didn't find it delightful.

 Enjoying some springy weather.

 We had a litter of kitties.

 Sometimes it is best not to spy on your children as they play on the front yard.

 Poppy wanted to do a portrait of me.  I see a very strong resemblance.

 Yes, we had snow recently.  Really. Snow. Mid-April.

 Working on some Palm Sunday crowns of thorns made out of the fresh palms.

 We had a wild hail storm and then another time was seemed like a shredded foam storm, it looked just like it does in our living room when the kids get ahold of a piece of styrofoam packing material.

 We watched the lunar eclipse... yes, we were crazy enough to get up at 1:30 am and watch for a couple hours.  It was incredible.

Our Lord was crucified on the First Friday after the first full moon of the spring equinox.  This year's full moon included a full lunar eclipse.

Jersey Cow

We got a second milking cow.  Poor thing came with a horrible case of mastitis and bad kicking habits but Frodo has been great in persevering through it.  I kid you not when I say that one pitcher of milk had 25% cream on it.  Great butter making cow.... I think I'll call her Buttercup.