Mary’s Moments Blog

I’ve been dreaming of this trip to Croatia & Slovenia for the past 8 months. I am a week into my venture & have been delighted by how my venture has unfolded . 

First of all, I had a delightful seat mate for my overnight flight from New York City- Vanessa was born in Croatia; however, she has resided in the US since she was 5 months old.  Over the years she & her family have spent significant time in Croatia so she was interested in my travel plans; plus, she gave me some additional ideas for my travels. All in all, she provided very positive vibes for my upcoming jaunt.

I am grateful that Vanessa continues to be a resource for me. In turn it makes me wonder, how I might be a resource to others in a manner that enhances their life experience(s).

…shortly after surgery……so far so good

less than 24 hours later…there’s no place like home…

Please, don’t report me for removing my ankle bracelets…

…and today felt really good as I made my first snowshoe picnic venture since the surgery…

I decided to not attend church on Sunday as I was anticipating a wireless pacemaker implant the next day and didn’t want to get exposed to whatever might be floating around. Instead I opted to go for a picnic snowshoe yearning for the nurturing power of nature. I figured that the river would soothe me as well as remind me to go with the flow.

Enroute I saw a bald eagle fly down to perch on a pole just off the highway in front of me. It was so unexpected; however, it reminded me of the song “On Eagle’s Wings.” Thus, I sensed the eagle was a messenger relaying to me that all would flow well with my procedure the next day as the words “And He will raise you up on eagle/s wings” reverberated in my mind. Then, I had an after thought; maybe it was “and He will lift you up on angels wings” which indicated a different outcome/destination. It was nice to find myself concluding that it was an angel disguised as an eagle.

Glad to say, i’m still here following a very positive experience that hopefully continues for years to come.

• On Eagle s Wings : You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, Who abide in His shadow for life, Say to the Lord, My Refuge, My Rock in Whom I trust. And He will raise you up on eagle s wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand. The snare of the fowler will never …youtube.com6 years ago

Recently, a friend invited me to join her for the Beach Boys concert at Deer Valley. I enthusiastically accepted her offer. Thus, I quick stashed some picnic supplies in my pack, grabbed my foam folding seat, & headed to the nearby bus stop for the Park City free bus service.

The bus was pretty full so I grabbed a pole for stability & braced my legs. Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was a young mother who was with her daughter. She offered me her seat next to her daughter. I was touched; however, turned her down as I wasn’t sure how her daughter would react. The mother insisted so I took her seat & promptly struck up a conversation with her young daughter about her unicorn. It was only a few stops later & they got off. I thanked the Mom again realizing that I had almost deprived her of the opportunity to be a gracious giver even if it was just her seat on the bus.

Later, I joked with my friend at the concert recognizing that I needed to “act my age” now & then; especially, when someone is intentionally being kind. This also reminded me to “play it forward” whenever I have the opportunity. I encourage you to do the same as the price tag is usually minimal for the positive vibes you receive in return.

My father passed on when I was 12 so we moved into town from a large farm in Iowa owned by 4 brothers. My father was herdsman for Woodland Farms. Some of the owners sons were younger than me; however, they got to drive tractors- back then, the tractors were a lot smaller than they are today. Anyway, I have had driving a tractor on my bucket list till just this past week.

Fortunately, my latest trip to the Midwest included dinner at my cousin’s farm. Before I arrived, I shared with Steve my desire to drive a tractor. Thus, he had the one pictured above handy for me to drive- of course, he was in the cab with me.

This experience reminded me to be an opportunist & always be open to new experiences; especially, those on your bucket list. Thus, you can transfer it to your chuck-it list.

Meet my buddy, Harlie. She is really smart & not only rings the bells hanging on the door when she wants out, but she’s realized that the doorstop on the door coming in from the garage works as a knocker. During my stay with her she has utilized both as a means to communicate with me.

Actually, there is a scripture in the Bible that encourages us tp do this. Through her actions, Harlie has reminded me that sometimes when I think my life is falling apart, a door will open- not always the one I knocked on. Other times, I find myself needing to be flexible & go in through an opened window. Thus, every day,I strive to incorporate activities/exercises that enhance my flexibility & I encourage you to do the same.

After all, life is unpredictable & hopefully we can be optimisitc opportunists no matter how our life unfolds.

Simply put, respect & admiration, sum up my feelings for nature. I am blessed to live in a community that has habitat where wildlife can still thrive.

Yesterday as I was biking along in a neighborhood with lush landscape, I was started by a deer who was going to cross the street right in front of me. It pivoted just in time to avoid a collision. As we made eye contact, I spontaneously said to the deer, ” Sorry, buddy” as I sensed that I had scared it.

Continuing down the road, I admit I marveled at my interaction with the deer. I realized how my spirit was uplifted by the connection with the deer even though it had just been for a few seconds. In turn, hopefully, this reminds us all to not only be respectful, but also that we each have a responsibility for creating an environmentally friendly planet for all God’s creatures- that includes all of our fellow human beings.

BTW; On my ride today to the post office, I encountered a wild turkey just wandering around & snacking on whatever it found delectable.

PS…The picture above of the deer is from another outing when I had a chance to pull out my phone…

I try to practice being an opportunist- an optimistic one at that…

The other day I received a notice in the mail informing me that I would need to show up in person to renew my driver’s license this go-around. The office is in a town 17 miles away so not that far; nonetheless, not exactly handy. Plus, one is required to make an appointment to proceed with the necessary paperwork & photo. I thought it was a good sign that they schedule every 10 minutes.

I didn’t need to complete this renewal till January; however, my mind shifted to how can I turn this into an opportunity to enjoy the awesome autumn weather & the scenery enhanced by the fall foliage. I’m dog sitting so didn’t want to be gone too long. Thus, I made my appointment for 11:40am and hoped the weather would cooperate for a picnic by the river on my way back to Park City.

The day of my appointment was amazing as you can see from the photo from where I enjoyed my picnic before heading back to reality.

I believe it wasMark Twain that reminds us in life “you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do vs the ones you did do.”

Carpe diem!!!

Wednesday morning when I turned on the news, I was disappointed-ok, downright bummed, by some of the election results. Thus, to console myself I grabbed a fortune cookie to go along with my hot chocolate in hopes of an uplifting message. I was pleasantly inspired: “Positive thoughts make life better.” It reminded me of how my attitude impacts my happiness along with my well-being & those whom I interact with. I take this fortune as a challenge to convert the power that comes from positive thinking to “reach out & touch somebody’s hand, and make this world a better place” even if it’s just here in my neighborhood.

I just hope this positive energy is contagious as the world continues to turn.

• Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) by Diana Ross

Reach out and touch
Somebody’s hand
Make this world a better place
If you can

Take a little time out your busy day
To give encouragement
To someone who’s lost the way
(Just try)
Or would I be talking to a stone
If I asked you
To share a problem that’s not your own
(Oh no)
We can change things if we start giving
Why don’t you

Reach out and touch
Somebody’s hand
Make this world a better place
If you can

If you see an old friend on the street
And he’s down
Remember his shoes could fit your feet
(Just try)
Try a little kindness and you’ll see
It’s something that comes
Very naturally
(Oh yeah)
We can change things if we start giving

Reach out and touch (reach out)
Somebody’s hand
Make this world a better place
If you can

“Don’t let the little things in life bug me”…

Afterwards, I was a little disappointed to notice that the ladybug only had 2 legs per side. A friend suggested that I could get more legs added if it was “bugging” me. I decided even though that was an option, I was letting the little things(legs) “bug” me. What an epi-“funny”!!!

Read more: One of my mottos is …

…and why a butterfly…My happiest moments seem to be when I’m in a spot where I see butterflies…It also reminds of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s quote: “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

Actually, this challenges me to recognize that real happiness is not having to think if you are- so, are you?