Physically Distanced but Spiritually Connected
Dive In

Dear Mayfield,
There was a pair of elderly sisters in my first church named Mabel and Helen. Neither one of them had married, and they lived together throughout their lives. They kept a beautiful home and garden. When we renovated the church’s beautiful old parsonage in our ragged urban neighborhood a few years into ministry there, Mabel and Helen brought us an assortment of lily bulbs from the plants busy propagating in their yard. Some of them were the descendents of lilies that had come from Germany years before. They represented a variety of colors and blooming times, so that the lily portion of the parsonage garden would have blooms all summer long.  Their attention to many colors and to staggered blooming times reminds me of plant decisions Diana has made for our Monarch Waystation. All these years later, I never see lilies without thinking of Helen and Mabel. They were generous, worked hard at church, and each had a substantial sense of humor. One of my favorite memories of them goes back to a dinner we shared one evening. They looked at me and told me they really didn’t like to be away on a Sunday because something new was always happening and they didn’t want to miss it. They were always ready to dive into fresh experiences and learning.

In and among all the current controversy and uncertainty regarding learning from preschool through college and university, in person or online, there is a steady stream of at-home learning going on in these pandemic days. Mayfield is going to join that learning stream with three special, earth-related learning times in July, August, and September. Peggy will offer these richly-illustrated sessions via Zoom and will send the Zoom connection information on our email list closer to each session. These sessions are intended for Mayfield people.  If you would like to invite someone else who might be interested, that’s fine.  Please do not post this information on your Facebook page or anywhere else on social media. Peggy wants to facilitate a more intimate learning time.  If you have any questions about setting yourself up on Zoom, let her know.

The topics, dates, and times are as follows:
MAKE MINE A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN — When you build a native garden, you naturally attract our one and only hummingbird species, so let’s double dip. Thursday, July 23, 6:30 pm
BUTTERFLY BASICS — To truly appreciate our butterflies you need to know more about them.  This session will cover butterflies, their anatomy, and pictures of some of our Mayfield Monarch Waystation locals. Thursday, August 20, 6:30 pm
IF YOU PLANT IT, THEY WILL COME…GARDENING FOR THE BIRDS — When we want to attract birds to the garden, the first and most important thing is to attract native insects!  Let’s look at the other yard components that will keep our feathered friends close by to enjoy. Thursday, September 17, 6:30 pm
Each session will include Peggy’s presentation and questions and answers and will last approximately an hour.

Hopefully, a number of us will be able to dive into these topics with Peggy this summer. We are grateful for her upcoming learning evenings which she has tailored for Mayfield.  On another subject, when you leave a chalk talk message at Mayfield,  take a picture of it on your phone and email it to Randy (rcaspersen@niu.edu).  Randy is archiving all of them. Thanks for your help.  And one pastoral care note–JT’s mom, Betsy, took a fall the beginning of last week and broke her hip. She is coming home today to rehab and recoup. Prayers are with Betsy, JT, and his sister Maria at this time. Please continue to stay safe and well.
Peace, Martha