By Mary Tatem Tiny footprints. Waffle soles of sporting shoes. Delicate three-pronged bird tracks. What an interesting variety of footprints I saw in the sand on my early-morning walk down the beach.
Tag: Mary Tatem
This is our archive pageMoulding Glass
Molding glass Devotional by Mary Tatem The blob of molten glass was fiery orange from the hot furnace. As spectators, we stood at a respectful distance from the glassblowers who worked to create beautiful, useful items from a scorching globule. Before our eyes, the twisting, stretching, and blowing formed colorful bird feeders, glass ornaments, and multicolored handles. We were awed by the speed necessary to perform the quick work before the glass hardened. We were impressed by the skill to know just when to reheat the work for further molding, when to cut, when and how to press the heated…
The Gargoyles of Life
The Gargoyles of Life by Mary Tatem We parked in a mall parking garage that overlooked a cathedral. From this viewpoint we could see that the decorative curlicues on the tall towers were not shaped like the gargoyles of European Cathedrals. Gargoyles are an architectural term for decorations of long-necked animal heads or ugly human ones built into a structure to ward off evil spirits or, more practically, drain the water running off the roof away from the mortar of the building to ward off deterioration. The name sounds as strange as these appendages to the churches look. The concrete…
Lily Pads
Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement — Lily Pads The lake teamed with life, both plant and animal life. The interesting view of varied grasses punctuated with groups of lily pads called for us to sit and enjoy the scene. We spotted a crane land and watched him fish for his breakfast. We heard his rasping call. Every morning the large white lily blooms opened to greet me when I slipped past sleeping family and out the door to enjoy the scene. Every evening they closed their petals into a ball resting upon its wide green leaf. The lilies on…
Encouraging Words
Mary’s Monday Musings on Encouraging words by Mary Tatem The hotel was amazing. With its size, extravagant lobbies, chandeliers, and shiny stair rails, the establishment reeked money. One can only imagine what a night there would cost. But the staff was lovely, not an ounce of exclusiveness in evidence. A night’s lodging or a dinner in one of the several restaurants might cost a mint, but a dish of ice cream was reasonable and a cup of tea affordable. Both were served with elegance and thoughtfulness as if we were as ritzy as the overnight guests. Does God enjoy dropping…
Look Around
Quilting Encouragement with Mary Tatem Look Around A recent visit to Yosemite National Park kept us craning our necks to look up at the magnificent granite mountains that surrounded us. Regardless of which direction we faced, immense pillars of stone reached to the sky, dwarfing even the tall Pines and occasional Sequoia. Beauty surrounding us. From the sounds of water crashing from tall mountain ledges to the caw of iridescent Ravens foraging for food, our ears were as absorbed with the of beauty as our eyes. We left for home, our hearts bursting with thankfulness for the world God made…
Courageous
Quilting Encouragement with Mary Tatem When I visit the Jamestown ship, the Susan Constant, which sailed from England to land in the wilderness of Virginia, I never fail to marvel at the courage of those who left the security of a known life style for the uncertainty of how they would secure the basic necessities. The 116 foot ship bobbed over the ocean for four months with seventy-one passengers crammed into the cramped spaces. I would hesitate to travel to the Bahamas on that little ship, let alone across the Atlantic. In May of 1607 when they disembarked on mosquito…
God’s Smile
Quilting Encouragement with Mary Tatem Lifting her feet high in order to run through the loose sand, the five-year-old girl’s face broadcast her delight in seeing me. She threw her arms around my legs. I bent to plant a welcoming kiss on her blonde curls, my heart awash with love for this precious child. Our faces beamed with smiles, and both of us laughed out loud at the joy of being together. In a moment she was back playing with her beach toys, but the bond between us was reinforced by that enthusiastic greeting. Her zeal wasn’t always so exuberant,…
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