Much of our yard either receives full sun or is taken up with the blueberry orchard. But in the back corner there is a spot which is shaded for much of the day because of the neighbor’s pine trees. This is one spot where ferns, such as surrounded me in my childhood, flourish. Here we have bleeding hearts, violets, johnny jump-ups and ferns. This is where I placed a small statue of Mary.

Yards can be a quiet communicator about religious beliefs without shouting or arguing. In my neighborhood there are little shrines to Our Lady of Fatima, clam shell coverings for Mary, and statues of Buddha. All seem to happily co-exist. And when we go to our favorite Indian restaurant we notice the shrine signifying their Hindu faith. I wish that we could live together on the earth as peacefully as these little statues seem to.