The Mary Christopher Podcast

If you are considering starting a garden to grow vegetables and a few fruits this Spring, here is a guide that explains how the ground beneath your feet shapes the health of your garden, your food, and your family.  Remember, our health starts in the Soil !!!
 

Supporting your yard, wildlife, and your health…
January might seem like a “quiet” month outdoors, but it’s actually one of the best times to do simple and basic, healthy activities that improve your yard, support wildlife, and set your garden up for a strong growing season. These activities get you moving in the cool air which is beneficial for body, mind, and spirit while directly benefiting (1) native birds, (2) beneficial insects and pollinators, and (3) planning your Spring Garden.
Create a Winter Bird & Beneficial Insect Haven
Remember: January is a tough month for wildlife: natural food is scarce, and shelter can be limited. You can help All Creatures Great and Small by doing the following:
Setting up or refreshing bird feeders and water sources
Clean existing feeders with warm, soapy water (or a mild bleach solution, rinsed thoroughly) to reduce disease.
Refill with high-energy foods: black oil sunflower seeds, suet, nuts, and for some species, nyjer seed.
Provide fresh water in a shallow birdbath; in very cold climates, use a birdbath heater or change water frequently.
 
Maintain “wild” microhabitats
Keep as much leaf litter, seed heads, and brush piles in as many places as possible around your yard.  These areas provide a safe place for beneficial insects to survive the winter. 
Seed heads from flowers like coneflower, rudbeckia, or grasses provide both food and shelter.
A loosely stacked brush pile offers hiding spots for small birds and overwintering insects.
Add simple insect hotels or bundles
Tie hollow stems (like bamboo or spent perennials) in bundles and place them under an eave or inside a sheltered shrub.
These can provide nesting and overwintering sites for solitary bees and other beneficial insects later in the season.
Environmental and ecological benefits
Supports native birds in lean times: Supplemental food and unfrozen water help birds maintain body weight and survive freezing nights, especially in urban and suburban areas with limited natural forage.
Boosts natural pest control: Birds and beneficial insects you support in winter often help control pests (like caterpillars, aphids, and beetles) once spring arrives.
Increases biodiversity: Even a small yard can become a mini refuge, helping migratory birds and local insect populations persist in developed landscapes.
Reduces yard waste impacts: Leaving some natural “mess” (leaves, stems, twigs) keeps organic matter on-site instead of in landfills, where it can contribute to methane emissions.
Why is January ideal to care for Birds?
Food scarcity is highest: Many berries and seeds have already been eaten or knocked down; your feeders and seed heads become crucial resources.
Insects are dormant: Cleaning and rearranging is less disruptive when many insects are tucked away in leaves, bark crevices, or underground.
Easier observation and enjoyment: Bare branches make birds easier to see, turning this into a relaxing, mindful outdoor hobby during an otherwise quiet month.
If you are considering a Spring herb or vegetable garden, you can do this in January 2026.
Determining the appropriate planting zone and last frost dates for North Central Georgia.
Plan your garden layout based on space, sun exposure, as well as companion planting principles.
Selecting native or well-adapted vegetable, herb, and flowering plant species that are ideal if you are just starting a garden this year.  Look for seeds for plants that are quick to germinate, and resistant to mold or mildew.
Be sure to use seeds that are organic, non-GMO varieties, with region-appropriate cultivars.
Develop a seed-starting schedule, including soil preparation, indoor light requirements, and watering systems
Then, in late March or early Spring, you can set up your garden beds or containers for transplanting in early Spring, using organic soil amendments and mulching strategies
We will cover more about “getting your Spring Garden ready” in later articles.  If you start planning now, you will be all set to plant when Spring arrives !!!

Some years ago when I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, I worked at the University of Nebraska Planetarium.  I loved working there.  I did research, helped write programs, and did presentations.  Our Christmas Star program was one of the most interesting, especially for grade school and middle school young people.  And, their teachers loved it as well.
The 30 to 40 minute program focused on what could have been seen in the sky long enough to be spectacular.  And, been there long enough for the Three Wise Men to follow it to Bethlehem?  So, how could anyone figure that out … ?  Astronomers have been working on this for centuries.  Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton discovered formulas describing how planets move.  After Issac Newton figured out the “Laws of Motion”, tracking the placement of planets through the Heavens was much easier.
However, in the planetarium, we didn’t need to do any calculations.  The projector that put all the planets and stars on the overhead dome could do that for us.  All we had to do was “run the projector backward” to the general time frame of Jesus' birth.  Then we would run the projector forward and watch as different planets aligned to create “bright conjunctions” in specific constellations.  Astronomers could also compare these calculations with historical records of ancient observers in the Middle East and China.  These comparisons helped confirm possible time frames for very bright planetary conjunctions.
Most current historians think Jesus was probably born sometime between about 7 BCE and 2 BCE (BCE is another way of saying BC).  That is a window of a few years.  During that time there was a conjunction of planets in the constellation we know as Pisces that could definitely qualify as a “bright star”.  It would have been difficult for the people who wrote the gospels to explain “planetary conjunctions”.  
There is general agreement that the “Three Wisemen” were Ancient Astronomers who kept meticulous records of the movements of the planets.  They also would have studied the records of astromers who came before them.  In other words, they knew how to track the movement of planets through the sky, even though these planets moved at different speeds.  They could have known far enough in advance when to “pack up”, arrange for a caravan, load their camels, and head west.  In those days, everyone traveled by caravan for protection.  These were Wise Men, so they would have definitely been traveling with a group of people!
Within that particular ancient time frame, astronomers agree there was a specific ongoing conjunction of 3 planets in Pisces.  The 3 planets that converged, over time, in Pisces were Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and possibly Venus.  They gathered in or near that constellation for longer periods because they are farther from the Sun, so their orbits are larger and take longer.  Also, planets have retrograde motion that makes them look like they are going in reverse.  This is only an apparent motion based on our perspective from Earth.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System and is usually very bright because it gives off more energy than it absorbs from the Sun!  Saturn orbits outside the path of Jupiter, and can be followed easily without any assistance.  This was especially true when there wasn’t any Light Pollution!  Mars is visible as a red planet.  Venus also moved through Pisces later in that time frame.  In ancient times, everyone paid attention to Sunrise and Sunset, Moon rising and setting, as well as those “bright planets” that moved across the backdrop of Stars.
It is definitely possible that the convergence of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, including the occasional appearance of sparkling bright Venus, could have been our Christmas Star.  Tracking the convergence of these planets would have given the Wise Men enough travel time to get to Bethlehem.  We may never know for sure, but this is one explanation that does make sense and can be verified.
Our “Christmas Star” programs at the planetarium were the most popular and held everyone’s attention.  It was always amazing to see those planets converging in the area known as the Pisces constellation.  We even had oooohs and aaaaaahs from many young people as well as adults.  Socrates is believed to have said, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom!"  And, the expression of wonder or awe on people’s faces following the “Christmas Star” program was always gratifying.

Celebrating all our wonderful holidays this time of year is a great opportunity to “Count Our Many Blessings”.  Why would we want to do this?  What benefit would we have from actually counting “our blessings”?  And, which blessings would we count?
All good questions, for sure.  I would suggest counting the Blessings we have from Creation.  Blessings like Fresh Air, Clean Water, Bird song, fertile fields and gardens, Earthworms !, Lady Beetles, Honey Bees, Carpenter Bees, Wasps, Spiders, Fish, and so many more!  These are just a few of the inherent and essential “Blessings” that make it possible for us to live on Earth as Human Beings !!!
I did a search using Chatgpt, my new research assistant, and discovered some interesting numbers about the steady decline in “farm families” since 50 years before the Industrial Revolution.  I compared this to the number of “family farmers” from 1950 to 2000.  I knew there was a very steep decline, but I was not prepared for the numbers.
In the United States, from 1780 to 1800, approximately 85% of the population were “farm families”.  By 1950, approximately 15% of the population were “farm families”.  By 2000, approximately 1-2% were “family farms”, and these farms were run more and more like “large-scale” corporate businesses.
Farming has become more and more “mechanized”, based on a few specific crops that are planted and harvested by large and technically advanced machines.  If your tractor breaks down, you may wait for several days for a “properly trained” technician to arrive at your farm with all his sophisticated equipment to “run scans and fix” your tractor!  In the good ol’ days, some baling wire and a few adjustments with the carburetor might get you rolling again!  And, your wheat crop would be harvested before that hail storm arrived the next afternoon and flattened the entire crop!  Farming has become “industrialised”!  There are many benefits to that as well as many disadvantages!
One of the obvious disadvantages is that fewer and fewer of us are engaged in any kind of farming or even gardening.  As a result, we are more and more dependent on corporations for our food and other essentials.  Many of us are at a distinct disadvantage because we don’t know or remember how to garden, or we are living in situations where we can’t grow any food.  And, we have forgotten what is “Essential” for living a productive and healthy life on Earth!  No one planned this to happen, but this is our current situation.
Bottom Line:  In order for us, as Human Beings, to survive and even thrive, we need fresh air.  We need clean water, not just water that has been cleaned, but Energized Water that restores our health and vibrancy.  We need food without chemicals.  We need lots of fresh air from healthy Trees that are producing O2 through Photosynthesis.  We need Birds to maintain balance in the Insect World.  Birds need Insects for food for themselves and their young.  Since 1970, the Bird Population in the United States has declined by 1 Billion!  If we enough Birds, we don’t need to spray insecticides!
We have forgotten there is a Balance and a Rhythm to Life.  We have forgotten because so many of us are removed from Nature.  We have forgotten that all Creation Is Sacred.  We need Grass, Trees, Birds, Earthworms, and Bugs.  Our lives on Earth depend on Nature.  And, we need to remember that Nature could easily do really well without us!
During this holiday season, when you take a breath of crisp, clean air, thank the Trees for all the O2 they provide.  When you see a Bird in flight, and you watch them making a graceful landing on a limb, tell them “thank you” for their Songs, and their Insect Consumption.  If we take care of the Birds this Winter, they will take care of the Bugs this Spring and Summer!
Many things in our lives are beneficial, but not all things are Essential.  Creation Is Essential, all day, every day.  Let’s remember how Blessed we are to live on this Amazing Planet we call Home!

Our Lady of Guadalupe — A Story from Tepeyac
The morning air on Tepeyac Hill had always felt different, a little cooler and quieter, as if it carried memories of the people who had once climbed it with offerings. Long before churches were built in Mexico, this hill had been sacred to the Indigenous communities in the Valley of Mexico.  For generations, they had honored Tonantzin, on this special hill.  She was the Aztec mother-goddess. Tepeyac had long been a place where people prayed for protection, good harvests, and guidance.
Near this same hill in December of 1531, Juan Diego, a quiet Indigenous man in his fifties, walked the dusty path toward the nearest church for morning worship. He wore a simple tilma, a cloak woven from coarse maguey fiber, and traditional sandals that protected his feet from pebbles.  In the 1500’s, life in this part of Mexico was complicated and difficult, due to the colonization by the Spanish.  Everyone, especially if they were native people, was suffering with disease, cultural upheaval, and deep uncertainty.
Juan Diego carried one additional worry: his elderly uncle, Juan Bernardino, who lay dangerously ill at home. Juan Diego was doing his best to care for him, though he had little to offer beyond herbs, water, and his prayers.
A Voice on the Hill ~
As Juan neared Tepeyac, something unusual happened. The air grew strangely bright, and he heard a soft voice calling him.
“Juanito, Juan Diego …”
Startled, he looked up but could not see anyone.  He heard someone call again and decided to climb up in case it was a traveler who had stumbled and fallen.  But, at the top of the hill, he saw a young woman, radiant and calm, dressed in a mantle of blue-green that shimmered like a sunset.  When she smiled, her face lit up.  Her voice was kind and compassionate.  Juan could tell that she was not Spanish.  Then she spoke to him in Nahuatl, his native language, and he immediately felt calm and reassured.  She asked him, "Juanito, the smallest of all my children, where are you going?”
When Juan didn’t answer, she said, “Do not be afraid.” “I am the Mother of the true God for whom we live, the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and of earth".  She told Juan she wanted a church to be built where she was standing, so her children would know where to find her.  She instructed Juan Diego to go to the Bishop of Mexico's palace and deliver her message. Then she said to Juan, “Go to the bishop and tell him what you have seen.”
This was not a request that Juan Diego liked to hear. The bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, was a very powerful man, and Juan Diego was very poor and ordinary.  But he agreed and promised the beautiful Lady he would go.
The Long Wait ~
When Juan Diego reached the bishop’s residence after a very long walk, he was treated with disdain.  He had to wait for hours, sitting on uncomfortable benches with others who were waiting.  He was only one of many seeking an audience, and no one cared to bring him forward. When his turn finally came, he told the bishop everything he had seen.
The bishop listened, but didn’t believe him. He told Juan Diego to return another day, and to bring proof or not return.
A Second Encounter ~
Tired but determined, Juan Diego walked back to Tepeyac. The Lady appeared again, and she asked him what had happened.  Juan told her everything.
“Juanito, do not be discouraged. Return to the bishop. Tell him again what I ask.”
Juan Diego nodded, though he felt sad and discouraged. This time, when he visited the bishop, the wait was even longer. While he waited, important officials questioned him.  They made him repeat his story, over and over, watching him closely.  They were hoping to catch him changing his version.  When Juan was finally able to see Bishop Fray, he told Juan Diego he needed a sign from this mysterious Lady.  Obviously, the Bishop didn’t expect Juan to return!
His Uncle’s Illness and the Roses ~
Before he could return to Tepeyac, Juan Diego looked in on his uncle and found he was much worse. Hoping to find a priest to administer last rites, he took a different path the next morning.  He was hurrying and trying to avoid the Beautiful Lady’s questions.
But the Lady found him anyway.
“Que pasa? “Why do you hide from me, Juan Diego?” she asked gently.
Ashamed, he explained about his uncle’s illness and the pressing need for help. She listened patiently.
Juanito, “Do not fear this illness. Your uncle has already been healed. Now go to the top of the hill and gather the flowers you find there.”
Juan Diego was puzzled, “flowers”? In December?  How would he find flowers on a rocky hill that could barely grow cactus?
But he did as she asked. At the top, he found something impossible: fresh Castilian roses ! They were a flower native to Spain and completely out of place during the winter in central Mexico. Their vibrant reds and soft petals were unlike anything that had ever grown there.
He gathered them into his tilma and carried them back to the Lady.  Before he left for the Bishop’s palace, she carefully arranged the flowers in his tilma and sent him on his way with her blessing.
The Sign ~
After another even longer wait at the bishop’s residence, Juan Diego was finally brought in to the ornate room where Bishop Fray received people.  The Bishop asked Juan if he had brought a Sign from the Lady.  When Juan opened his tilma to show the flowers to the Bishop, everyone in the room gasped.
Where the roses had touched the cloth, there was now an image of a beautiful woman in a shimmering cloak.  It was the same woman Juan Diego had seen on the hill, her gentle face, her mantle bright with stars, her hands folded in prayer. The bishop fell to his knees.
This was the sign he had asked to see!
He immediately agreed to build the church on Tepeyac, just as the Lady had requested.  And, he did!
Her Legacy ~
In the days that followed, Juan Diego learned his uncle had recovered, just as the Lady had promised. News of the miraculous image spread quickly.  Even as the church was being built, people came bringing their prayers, gifts from their meager harvest, as well as carrying sick family members or friends.
Over generations, Our Lady of Guadalupe became a symbol of unity, protection, and faith for millions. She is especially revered in Mexico, also in Central and South America, and in the Southwestern United States.  The same image that the Bishop saw, still on Juan’s tilma, hangs above the altar in a much larger church, close to the site of the original one.  There are altars and churches devoted to her all around the world.  Thousands of people come to her sanctuary, asking for healing, protection, and guidance.  Her image continues to bring comfort to families, workers, migrants, and communities seeking strength and comfort during these difficult days.
People turn to her for guidance, healing, and protection, and have done so for nearly five centuries. Her story connects Indigenous heritage, Christian faith, and the enduring promise that God’s love and compassion will meet people where they are, in the languages they speak, and in the struggles they share.

The Beautiful, and Very Busy Life of Leaves …
There’s something quietly comforting about leaves - the way they flutter in a soft breeze, brighten up a yard, or paint the world with bursts of color every fall.  But behind their appearance, leaves on trees and bushes are some of the hardest-working little factories in nature.  Their daily activities keep our air clean, our soil healthy, our planet stable, our spirits uplifted.
First and most famously, leaves are nature’s tiny solar panels.  Through photosynthesis, they absorb Sunlight and carbon dioxide, turning it into oxygen and energy for the plant.  This beautifully efficient system does more than just feed a tree - it generates the air we breathe!  Every leafy branch outside your window is quietly and efficiently producing oxygen all day long, without needing any help from Humans!  This highly efficient process has been going on for millions of years and is one of the core reasons that mammals are able to live on Earth!
Leaves are also excellent at keeping trees and bushes hydrated and cool.  When they release water vapor - a process called transpiration - they help regulate the plant’s temperature, almost like tiny natural air-conditioners. This same process adds moisture to the air, contributing to local rainfall as well as keeping the environment feeling fresh and alive.
Here is another amazing benefit!  Leaves are natural filters. They trap dust, pollutants, and even noise, making neighborhoods quieter and the air cleaner.  This is one of the reasons streets lined with trees just feel healthier, because they are.  Numerous scientific studies have also shown that neighborhoods with Trees have less crime!
When leaves finish their active season and fall to the ground, their work isn’t over.  As they break down, they feed the soil with valuable nutrients. This creates a rich, fertile environment for future growth - like nature’s own compost.  Even the leaf piles children love to jump in are part of a this amazing cycle of renewal.
Finally, leaves create a sense of emotional well-being.  Whether it’s the peaceful rustle on a summer night, the brilliant reds and golds of autumn, or the promise of spring’s first buds, leaves are woven into our sense of comfort and seasonal rhythms.  These cycles of renewal and restoration remind us that life all around us changes, renews, rests, and grows again.
In every season and stage, leaves are always blessing our world.  So, the next time you walk past a tree or brush your hand against a leafy shrub, remember to say “Thank You”!  Remember, you are standing beside one of nature’s greatest Blessings - doing a hundred important jobs at once, always reliable and extremely efficient, without any assistance from us!

Why Does Leaving the Leaves Matter for Birds and Bees and Other Tiny Creatures in Your Yard?
Keeping fall leaves on the ground - or gathering them into quiet leaf piles - is one of the simplest and most beneficial ways to Care for Creation! Leaves are not “yard waste.” They are Winter Homes, excellent Food Sources, and Protective Blankets for thousands of species who depend on those resources to survive the cold months.
1. Leaves Provide Winter Shelter for Insects and Pollinators
Butterflies, moths, fireflies, lady beetles, native bees, ground beetles, and many tiny beneficial insects overwinter in leaf beds. Leaves protect them from frost, wind, predators, and sudden temperature drops. Many pollinator species cannot survive without this natural insulation.
2. Birds Depend on Leaf Beds for Winter Food
Leaf litter is a natural feeding ground for thrushes, wrens, robins, chickadees, towhees, and other birds. They search for dormant insects, larvae, pupae, and eggs hidden beneath the leaves. Without leaf beds, birds lose key winter nutrition - especially protein needed for spring nesting.  Birds also need these Insects later in the Spring to feed their young nestlings.
3. Leaf Piles Create Mini Wildlife Sanctuaries
A simple leaf pile in a quiet corner supports:
overwintering butterflies
native bees
frogs, toads, and salamanders (regionally)
fireflies
small mammals
beneficial beetles and spiders
These piles stay warmer than exposed ground and release moisture slowly, protecting wildlife from harsh winter conditions.
4. Leaves Feed the Soil and Protect Tree Roots
As leaves break down, they return minerals and organic matter to the soil, helping trees regain nutrients they shed. Leaf mulch also:
prevents erosion
reduces compaction
keeps roots warm
improves moisture retention
supports earthworms and beneficial fungi
5. Leaving Leaves Helps Reduce Emissions
Avoiding gas-powered leaf blowers reduces noise pollution and carbon emissions while keeping Wildlife from being disturbed during critical rest periods.
6. Simple Ways to “Leave the Leaves”
Leave leaves beneath trees and shrubs.
Create 1–2 leaf beds or leaf piles in corners of your yard.
Wait until mid-spring to move or compost them—after nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F.
Use rakes instead of blowers whenever possible.
Lightly mulch some leaves into garden beds while keeping plenty whole for wildlife.
Sources
Xerces Society, National Wildlife Federation, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, USDA Forest Service, Wagner (2020), Tallamy & Shropshire (2021), Hallmann et al. (2017–2022), USGS & USFWS.
 

Season of Gratitude   
Caring for Creation by Mary Christopher
 
Many of us know that in the Celtic spiritual tradition, all Creation is considered sacred. From the tiniest bug to the tallest Giraffe and the largest Whale in the deepest ocean, all of Creation is Sacred.  All Human Beings, regardless of their place of birth, the color of their skin, or the sound of their voice, are Sacred!  Our eyes may be different colors.  Our hair may have a different texture.  And, we come in many sizes, some tall, some short, some round, and some skinny.  We are all the Children of G~D, regardless of size, or intelligence, or food preference!
 
In the Celtic spiritual tradition, every electron, proton, including the nucleus of every atom came into form from within the Creator.  Now that may sound like a play on words, but it is not.  Our science and technology is sufficiently developed for us to understand that particles become waves and waves can become particles.  The Biblical reference I think goes well with current science is from John:1 KJV.
  
John 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" is the first verse of the Gospel of John in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. 
 
We know that when we “speak”, our vocal organs create “sound” which is, of course, waves.  So, one way we could think about Creation, is that all form was the result of sound.  Or, Creation reflects the “sound” of the Creator’s voice.  So, listening to rain, or the song of a bird during Sunrise, or someone humming a lullaby to their child is the “sound” of the Creator.  Obviously, we can use our voices to create, to build up, or to harm … our choice.
 
Most of us know that Creation is Amazing, and Wonderful, and Funny, and Awesome!  We experience that whenever we make the time to wander around in the woods, or rest by a lake, or just sit on the porch, watching the Sun come up!
 
As we move into this Season of Gratitude, let us remember and, by remembering, once again feel how blessed we are by living in Creation.  Even when “the world” all around us seems to get crazier and crazier, we can still breathe fresh air, see amazing colors, and watch Squirrels chase each other endlessly up and down Trees!
 
Here are 2 prayers from the Celtic tradition that may help us move more gracefully through our day.
~ Morning Prayer ~
 
Almighty G~D, Creator,
This morning is Yours, rising into fullness.
This Summer is Yours, dipping into Autumn.
Eternity is Yours, dipping into Time.
The vibrant grasses, the scent of flowers,
The lichen on the rocks, the tang of sea-weed.
All are Yours.
 
Gladly, we live in this Garden of Your Creating.
~ Evening Prayer ~
 
The Sacred Three,
To Save, 
To Shield,
To Surround the Hearth,
The House this Eve,
This Night,
 And Every Night,
Every Single Night,
Each Single Night.
 
Amen
Mary teaches mindfulness and spiritual practices 
for personal well-being and spiritual awareness.  
Her Caring for Creation podcast is an excellent resource 
for connecting with the Earth and restoring well-being. 
You can listen to her podcast here …
 
Caring for Creation!