Mary's Heartbeats

  Scrolling through the articles on this blog, I am flooded with memories and passages.  Yes, I don't really generate traffic for my writing, but it is a record of my thoughts and feelings for the past 14 years.  What was I thinking in documenting so much? Perhaps, I really am a hidden writer at heart.  Hidden is the best term for me to use, as I frequently get waves of self doubt when I think that someone would actually read my posts and may even enjoy what I have to say . . . O well, here I ago again, putting myself out there! 2023 has been quite a year, starting with unbelievable cold winter weather and record snowfall here in our mountains of southern California.  It actually snowed in Alta Loma! And the snow that is still present even now in late May has graced our foothills and peaks with beautiful wild flowers, abundant water falls, and raging rivers.  Every week of hiking brings new images of beauty that weren't there a week ago.  "Green therap...

      Verna was always an unusual name to me, and when I remember her now, her name perfectly fits.   After having my brothers, I came along to her when she was 44 years old.   To me she was the 50’s Mom icon, she wore a crisp dress and apron, with nylon stockings and cinnamon brown shoes everyday as she went about her household duties of cooking, cleaning and washing.   Meals were always homecooked, rarely did we ever go out to a restaurant or for a MacDonald’s burger.     As a pastor’s wife, she was also the gifted pianist.   She chose to sit on the piano bench with a hymnal book underneath her to raise her up.     She could easily play by ear, and change keys of any song or hymn.   She was a proficient typist, and worked part time the year my Dad went to grad school.   She typed his master’s thesis, and many years later did his doctorate thesis as well.     I never saw her in a pair of pants until she went...

  Stepping out my front door, I am greeted with the sweet fragrance of lilacs, welcoming me to the morning of a brand new day.   All the rain of this year has caused my bush to burst with several bundles of the lavender blossoms.   I breathe it all in, as Gypsy Rose and I begin our daily walk.   Walking eastward, I am almost blinded by the rising sun, but the warmth of it seems to give me a comfortable hug, how good it is to feel heat again! The only conversation on our walk that morning is the rhythmic panting of Gypsy, the chirping chattering of birds waking up and the thoughts in my head. . . Walking is one of my spiritual disciplines I practice.   God has marvelously equipped us with ability to walk upright, the unique feature out of all of his creatures.   Time and time again, His word reminds us to walk, in fact the Bible mentions walking over 300+ times.   We are to “walk in His law, walk humbly, walk in His way, walk by the Spirit, walk in ...

 I decided to start my gardening early, before the sun would find its way into our front yard atrium.  I started trimming the jasmine and alyssum that seem to think they are the only plants that matter.  I am sure that they feel they are justified in spreading beyond their borders.  The Bird of Paradise, now over 25 years plus old also sprawls across its center spot.  Its large leaves attempt to curtail the jasmine growth, but the jasmine just kindly winds itself around the leaves and doesn't particularly feel bothered by them.  The ferns have continued to show resilience and repeated growth, and yet when I rearrange them, I see a spot of dryness that they cleverly hid.  The roses too required pruning, and defend their growth by poking me with their thorns.  I try to be careful as I work because I actually have the privilege of hosting a morning Dove mother and her nest.  She took up residence in the center of my hanging plants, just after I ...

  Usually, we read tales of ancient war heroes and men who paved the way for civilization.  The Bible is full of historic accounts of those who certainly played that part.  But within those stories are also accounts of women, often nameless, who demonstrated unbelievable compassion, faith, hope and endurance.  Because of them, children were conceived, born or revived, and husbands were spared from death or other near death disasters.  I have often wondered why some of these women are only known by their role in ancient culture, i.e. the widow; or they are identified only from where they lived, i.e the Shunammite.  Perhaps it is the genre of ancient literature.  But their courage and faith encourages me. Overcoming the odds is always inspiring.  I think that is why I enjoy come back sports stories so well. When the competitor is the underdog, the old legend, the one past his/her prime, victory is ever so much sweeter.  I guess I like to think ...