A bit of earth

Mary has the makings of a green thumb.  I say makings because it’s still too soon to tell.   

What she does have for certain, is enthusiasm and desire.  She has planted two flower gardens in her grow box- her own bit of earth.  The first garden was annihilated by slugs.  That was pretty disappointing for her.  This second time around we baited the yard. 

She went to the store with me and helped pick out the bait.  She read the labels on the boxes and bottles out loud to me, as we crouched near the bottom shelf of the slug and snail section, our heads together, conferring about the appropriate choice.  Then we went to the seed section, and she picked a packet of mixed wildflowers.  She held my hand and smiled, and there was little skip in her step as we walked to the cashier.

Back at the house, we spread the bait all around and over her little grow box, 

and planted her seeds.  Then she got her watering can out and drenched them.   

Every morning and most evenings, she checks on her little plants, watering them, 

talking to them, delighting in their growth.  She notices everything about them.

memories of gardens past

Last week, she and Siwa planted some vegetables seeds in little containers.  She watches over these too, and gets mad at her friends when they get overzealous with the watering can.  

 She came crying to me one day, when she thought one of her friends had drowned them.

I was thinking about why a garden means so much to her.  I know it does to me.   

A garden is the hope of good things to come. 

It’s the promise of green and beautiful tomorrows. 

A bit of earth can fit into a mason jar, or it can stretch over acres, 

but as long as I’ve got a bit of it, 

I will always try to make green things grow, 

because of what a garden means to me . . .

 hope in the harvest; 

satisfaction in self-sufficiency; 

serenity in the sight of it;

 and most of all,

life- nourishing, vibrant life, 

flowing from the earth to me,

 body and spirit.

 I thank God for a bit of earth, and for the green good things that come of it..

Prayers for my son

I’m sorry I was gone for so long.  I had some family matters to attend to, and felt I needed to gather in all my resources, both physical and spiritual to conserve them for my family.  My son has just had a major surgery, and thanks to the prayers and fasting of hundreds of people, all has gone well, better than expected. 

Throughout the days and hours of tests, and procedures and waiting, waiting, waiting, I felt deeply peaceful, and as the time approached for the surgery, and especially on the day of it, God took all fear from me.  I couldn’t exactly say I knew what the outcome of the surgery would be, but I trusted God, and felt that everything would be alright, even though I didn’t know all that that would entail. 

I found out later that there were some of you saying prayers, amongst all the other prayers being offered for my son, that were specifically requesting peace for our family.  I want you to know that I felt it, and I’m grateful.  After we had found out the outcome of the first part of the surgery, I was talking to Scott about all the people praying and fasting, and he said, “Well, it’s working.”

All this has brought home to me, once again, how incredibly powerful prayer is.  I know there is a God in heaven, who is our Father.  I know He loves us, and wants to grant us the good things we ask for.  I thank Him for preserving the life of my son, for filling me with peace and trust, and taking away fear.  And I thank you for lending your faith in our behalf, and for sending your prayers up to that God who hears, loves, and answers.

Bright colors by Siwa

Shark infested waters at Sea Life Park. I love the colors that water takes on.  Photos never seem to be able to do them justice.

A Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) at the nursery. These lizards change colors from green to brown like chameleons. The purple thing is called a dewlap. These lizards use them to impress mates and to challenge others when fighting over territory.

A Seven Spotted Lady Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) on a Metal Leaf plant (Hemigraphis alternata).

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) leaves, the green ones are new while the pink one is older. They always start out bright green and yellow but as they age they gain reds, oranges and pinks.

The nursery where I work is full of these colorful Day Geckos.  They are curious and love sweet fruit.

Mary's words

-One day Elena asked me what she was supposed to say, so that she doesn't sound cocky when someone pays her a compliment.  I told her to believe them, and just say, "Thank you."

-One day, I said to Mary, "Do you know you're cute?"  She said, "How can I not, when you tell me everyday?"

-One day, when I was sick, I came from my bed straight to the living room couch.  I was just sitting there staring off into space, and Mary said to me, "Mommy you're pretty, even when you're sick."  I smiled at her and said, "Thank you baby, I don't think so, but thank you."  And she said, "Well I do, but it only matters what you think."

-One day I found Mary at the computer drawing.  I was really impressed with what she had done.  I told her how good her drawing was, and how smart I thought she was.  She had that shy dimpled grin on her face that says she's pleased, and that she believed me.  She stood up and said, "Thank you Mommy.  I love to draw. . ."  Then she wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my stomach.

-One day Siwa took Mary to the ceramic studio.  This time Siwa helped her make a little bowl for me.  You can't see it in the picture, but it says Mary heart Mom.  They fired it and glazed it in blue, and this last week Mary gave it to me.

For as long as I can remember, from the time she was first able to draw, speak or write, Mary has been telling me, over and over, in countless ways, that she loves and adores me.  My sister Angela sent this music video to me, on a hard day, and it was so uplifting I watched it three times.  On the third viewing, paper airplanes started flying around the room.  They had Mary's loving words written all over them . . .

 

I like the final scene, where the paper airplane is thrown out there, just hovering, 

like an open invitation to all of us, to "say love."  

Sometimes when I look at Mary, 

all I can think, or say in my heart is  

love, love, love . . .

Under the guava tree

Twice now, in the last few weeks, I’ve been working in the yard, focused on pruning and weeding, and have stopped suddenly, looking up and around me.  The first time I looked up, it was nearing evening, but still broad daylight.  There was a single pink cloud in the center of a sky of white ones.  It looked like cotton candy floating peacefully, far above me.  I stared up at it for a moment, wondering at its pink uniqueness.  Then I turned back to my work with a smile on my face.

On another day, I looked around me and a soft smooth breeze was coming around the corner of the house.  I was standing under the guava tree.  I noticed how the branches swayed, like an instrument being played upon by the wind, making a rustling and a rushing sound.  Playful patches of sunlight dappled the ground.  The wind washed over me, died down, and was gone.   It left me feeling grateful . . . peaceful.

There are so many messages in nature.  I sometimes think of it as God’s vast message board.  I check it on a regular basis, and find messages posted there in clear, bold letters- like “I’m here,” “You are loved,” “I know you and all that you are going through,” and “You are not alone.”  Even in times of storm, the messages are “You are stronger than you know,” “You will heal and rise above all this,” “Trust Me,” and “Patience . . . growth and beauty will come again.”  Nature has been a renewing, wondrous place for me; and through it, God has lifted, moved, healed, taught and soothed.  I know it’s one of His great gifts to us, and I thank Him for it, everyday, with all my heart.

Summer is here!

It's been a busy, good month. Here are some moments:

-We have a haku lei making marathon.  We make them for Jesse's seminary graduation, and then some more for the high school graduation.  We pick flowers from the yard and from a friend's.  Siwa forms the little bouquets and I wrap them onto the lei.  They turn out really beautiful, and a lot of love goes into them.

-At the high school graduation, the graduates put on a show and rock the house.  There's singing and dancing and backflips, and one senior crouches on the podium clapping and gets the audience going.  Afterwards, outside, we can barely maneuver through the crowd.  It's a throng of people, jumbled with signs, leis, balloons and blaring music. It's a fun night, but I'm glad to get out of the noise when it's over.

-A friend of mine is visiting from the mainland.  She and one other friend come over for lunch.  Our trio is reunited.  We have sandwiches with homemade bread, a green salad, and lilikoi (passion fruit) juice with chunks of oranges and pineapple, basil and ice floating in it.  The lilikoi and basil are from the garden.  It  feels like old times. Some people are like that, you pick up with them where you left off, as if you never parted.

-We have family coming.  We work really hard to get things ready.  We deep clean and move furniture and make space for eight people.  We wash curtains, clean screens, windows and sills, sweep, mop, dust, wash bedding and towels, make beds, and more.  It is so worth the effort.  Can't wait to see them!

-Saturday morning.  The weather turns warm and still these days.  

Scott and I are up before the kids. We open all the windows to let the fresh air in.  

There is hardly a leaf quivering.  It's going to be a hot one.  

Summer is here.

Elena catching a gecko.

Eternal vigilance

All week long I have been doing battle against the weeds and slugs and snails.  It feels good to stand back and survey my work.  Little by little, the wildness and chaos that was my yard is coming into order, and its a pleasure to look at it.  I feel satisfaction and peace.  There's still so much to do- like the west side of the yard.  I wasn't paying attention and the slugs, especially, have multiplied to the point that I need to bring in reinforcements.  We'll need to go on slug hunts every night, and scatter bait, and clean up those wet, shaded areas where they hide.

It's the same with the weeds- one plant left unchecked can yield hundreds to thousands of seeds.  Constant vigilance is required in this life, because negative things will always be creeping in when we're not looking, and seemingly innocent things (what harm can one slug do?) have a way of multiplying exponentially.  Prevention is better than cure, and vigilance and diligence do win the battle.  My yard is proof of that.

Seminary graduation

On Sunday, Jesse graduated from seminary- that's four years of early morning religious instruction (to learn more about it click here).  Every weekday morning (during the school year) she would rise at 5 am, and be out the door by six.  For about an hour each morning she and her classmates would study the scriptures, then she would come home, and do her chores and school.  It hasn't been easy, and I know there were days when she would have loved to have slept in, but she always did it freely, of her own choice.  I'm really proud of her, of the discipline she has shown, and of her knowledge of the scriptures.

 After the commencement exercises, the graduates and family and friends met in the cultural hall, and the  congratulations began to flow.  There was a whole lot of hugging and kissing and lei giving.  We had made five haku leis for Jesse and her close friends, and a bunch of leis.  We were all over the place looking for them in the crowd, and taking pictures.  It made me really happy to stand back and look at Jesse and her girls, with their arms over each others' shoulders, smiling and laughing.  It made me happy to think about how they've grown up together, and how much they love each other- all of them good and virtuous young women.  I also felt an overwhelming gratitude to Jesse's seminary teacher, for years of preparing lessons, and rising so early in the morning, for putting her heart and soul into her teaching, and all without pay.

That's pure love.

Seminary has required hours and hours of scripture study and scripture memorizing of Jesse.  

It's the kind of effort that writes the gospel upon one's heart,
and in her life and countenance, it shows.

Keep walking

Lately, I’ve had some decisions to make.  

When I come to a fork in the road, and I don’t know what to do,

 I ask for guidance, and sometimes it seems like none is forthcoming, 

so I make a choice.   

 I choose what seems best, and go with it.   

I’ve a firm belief that if I’m trying to do what’s right in every other way, 

God will redirect me,

 if I take a wrong turn.

 Putting my trust in Him- that He’ll direct me aright, 

and putting trust in myself- that I have the sense and goodness to make wise choices, 

keeps me from being stuck, or paralyzed with the fear of making a mistake.   

When so much rides on a decision,

 and we can’t see the end, or even what’s around the bend,

 it’s easy to feel afraid or worried.  

I just tell myself “keep walking.”  

When the way ahead is dark and uncertain, it takes courage to keep going, 

but I trust that my life is in His hands, 

and that He will support me in every trouble and trial, 

all along the way.  

So I just keep walking.

“Walk to the edge of the light, and perhaps a few steps into the darkness, and you will find that the light will appear and move ahead of you”    

Harold B. Lee