Eagles and Ukeleles and Zip Lines

June 2010 I was at Whistler and facing a huge fear of heights as I was strapped in the harness for the longest and highest zip-line in North America.  It is called, 'The Eagle'.  After you are buckled in, you have to walk down some steps and then basically leap into the open air trusting that the harness will not break because if it does, you are 20 stories above ground, going over a huge gorge between two mountains.  I was so freaked out.  I went up and down the stairs about 3 times and wanted to back out.  Finally I realized that the only thing holding me back was fear itself.  I decided to trust the harness and trust the guy that put me in the harness! And jump!  I screamed all the way across the gorge!  I'm quite a chicken I guess - but no, actually in that moment...I declared myself an 'eagle'!  I was 'flying'!!

As I stepped out with the Love Shines dream this fall, the feeling from that zip-line kept coming back to me...and I realized I needed the same courage as I had in that moment - the courage of the 'eagle' to leap off of what was familiar and 'fly'.  I found this artwork on Pender Island by Christian Riese Lassen, which then became symbolic for me as I entered the recording.  I have looked at this art every day in my office and have asked for 'courage to fly'.

Last week, my new ukelele came.  I am really, really pumped about this uke.  It is a very good looking instrument - I mean no embarrassment at all about this baby!  I thought, maybe I should name this thing!  So, I picked up the label that came on the uke and on it was the word, 'Aquila'.  I decided to look it up on Google.  

To my shock, the definition of Aquila is:

'EAGLE' in Latin!

It is also a constellation - and the song that I play the uke on is the 'Love Shines' - all about starlight!  Isn't that CRAZY?????