August 5, 2026, a thought for today, Wounds heal, but not ill words. Spanish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “green”. I used the greenery of the tree tops and “sweeping lawns” of the local park from my house.

The second upload was “my choice” and one of my “texture overlay” image. I used an image of one of the lights in the church with its three shadows as the basic shot with a draped like vision as the overlay. 

The last assignment was “remember”. This is my son whom I went home to our heavenly father a few years ago. I miss his person being in my sight and life. 

Life today. Yesterday Tami and Andy came to switch television sets for me. There was a Smart TV in Bob’s room. I asked them to bring that one down here and take this one up, it is not a “Smart TV”. Now I have to get use to a whole new set of “button” and icons as well as a whole new series of available shows to experience. Its nearly as technical as having a new and updated computer all with fancy new updates to software programs. Not all that easy and smooth for an “old timer”. Just getting the news on channel 4 tv was an experience this morning. 

Today the bulletin and it’s accessories are all done. I am ready for printing tomorrow. All that is on the agenda is my letter and photos. 

Sue had an appointment at one of her doctors so I took her and waited in the waiting room. The visit wasn’t very long. We went by her pharmacy to see if there was an order to pick up. The drive through window was  closed. So, rather than going inside, I pulled off to the side to call to see if anything was ready. They transferred me and put me on hold. A message kept coming on saying “please wait....”. So while we were on hold and we were in the car I moved on to a mail box, Sue had some mail to go out. Then, sill on hold, we drove on, about 2 + miles, to Taco Bell for a burrito for her then, still on hold to McDonalds for me. I finally hung up so I could speak to the cashier. 

As soon as we got home we had lunch together as I got back to work on the computer. I am almost ready for downloads now. I have some plants to take care of after that and some time to spend on my daily “downsizing” plan.

The word to ponder today is comfort.  We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about. Charles Kingsley. Minds, like bodies, will often fall into a pimpled, ill-conditioned state from mere excess of comfort. Charles Dickens. Man seeketh in society comfort, use and protection. Sir Francis Bacon. Do not measure your loss by itself; if you do, it will seem intolerable; but if you will take all human affairs into account you will find that some comfort is to be derived from them. Saint Basil. The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar. Confucius. Knowledge is a comfortable and necessary retreat and shelter for us in advanced age, and if we do not plant it while young, it will give us no shade when we grow old. Lord Chesterfield. Nothing is so bitter that a calm mind cannot find comfort in it. Seneca. He who would pass his declining years with honor and comfort, should, when young, consider that he may one day become old, and remember when he is old, that he has once been young. Joseph Addison. All His glory and beauty come from within, and there He delights to dwell, His visits there are frequent, His conversation sweet, His comforts refreshing; and His peace passing all understanding. Thomas a Kempis. To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage. Samuel Johnson. Habit is a man's sole comfort. We dislike doing without even unpleasant things to which we have become accustomed. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Article summary. I don’t think most of us know how hard it would be to make ourselves comfortable and less in the fear of danger if we didn’t have a home to go to. We can see what this view in the article shows. The title is How the homeless create homes. Susan Fraiman, Professor of English, University of Virginia. At theconversaton.com. It starts about mentioning “housing insecurity” is on the rise and climbing quickly in a manner that doesn’t show any signs of stopping soon. The feelings for the people suffering most from this situation experience signs of “fear and disgust” or “pity and guilt” from onlookers. Older versions of this plight may be hobo, “bowery bum” or bag ladies, even criminal. Many of the homeless learn to be “resourceful” in ways other than being able for one reason or another to possess the benefits of any kind of a “home” as most of enjoy. We see them as a guy with as sign on a street corner, a woman sitting on a sidewalk with her only possessions in a bundle beside her, a persons sleeping in a car or cardboard box. Some are able to stay with friends or in shelters. Some may have had jobs at some point in their lives but lost them for a variety of reasons. There are children in these numbers too. Some are family members, some “aging out of foster care”, some college students with no financial aid. These people still have “domestic needs”. They have to consider dry and safe places more than other people, maybe under a bridge or a tent of cardboard. They may have thoughts like what’s for breakfast, is there some place for a shower or how about an open soup kitchen. How may they consider medications, important papers they need for any kind of assistance and maybe photos of remembrances.  None of that begins to cover more unforeseeable things like makeshift camps and eating needs that lead to eating out of a dumpsters. For some there may be a psychological need a of a companion and warmth of a pet since that might be more likely than another human. Where there are kids there is homework if they have an outside change of schooling. With all of the things listed they still have to think of “cooking, cleaning and caring”. There have to be ways of dealing with “rats, garbage, arson and violence”. Some may be able to find “necessities” and things that may be seen for them as “luxuries” like “a dartboard, toaster oven, dogs, cats and a gerbil named Peaches”, most anything homeowners may throw in the trash. Homeless people find the need for not to be “isolated”  by being in some kind of “camping” area where there are others in the same boat maybe by being in “well-defined subgroups”. Another thing that many people in homes many not think about is the mental health care for those on the streets, those kinds of lives can be traumatic”. As the article is ending is says: But it’s only dehumanizing if you’re regarded as less than human”. 

I think I am having Welsh Rarebit again tonight. 

Photos in my life today

My first challenge in this set is “blue” it is my handy dandy fly swatter which I still use when Bobbi can’t quiet catch the “beast” even if she gives all her effort into the chase. 

The next upload is another of “my choice” and another of my “texture overlay”. It is one of my daises with an texture of ageing cloth in the background.

The last assignment is “chair”. It is one I picked up at one of out church fall
sales a few years ago. 

Joy

this image was uploaded to Fine Art America contest of asthenic stained glass windows

want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)

 August 3, 2026, a thought for today, The wise man does not hang his knowledge on a hook. Spanish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “orange”. This is a close up of one of the lilies from another of the store bought bouquets. 

The second upload was “twisted”. I was hoping one of the girls at church would have had braided hair this week but neither of them did. One of them had a hair twist with a comb. attached. I took a shot of that but didn’t ask her for her permission to use the photo, she knew I took the photo but not that I was going to upload it. So I got the other image of some twisted morning glory vines. 

The last assignment for yesterday was “hamburger”. I threw in a cheeseburger on this one too. 

Life today. Mondays are always busy with catch up things on my back burner agenda, put aside chores. Usually little things, things that don’t need too much time. Most of them are things I don’t mind doing, sometimes even things that give me pleasure. Time is the culprit. I don’t hesitate to thank God for the energy he has given me, it is slipping and getting a little harder but it still works for  now. 

I have the dish washer running, it should have been done yesterday. One thing I have added to my daily agendas, not just for Monday’s, is taking baby steps to “down sizing”. It is hard to do away with things that I have stubbornly held on to for so long. When I get a shelf or small space clear of things it is a bit of an accomplishment and I’ll have to admit that the space looks better. A lot of the things are things I haven’t used in years and most likely never will. I do have inklings that some of the things I get rid of will come up as something I will “need”. 

So far this has been a summer of things different than I am normally use to. Some are changes in both my and Sue’s life styles at a faster pace than I expected. Some of it is hard for me to face and adjust to” but still it’s a small part of a thing called the “circle of life” I think. So its “buck up” and take it, so be it.  

When you own property or are in making a comfortable life style “things”, changes come up. I am changing the way I “enjoy” my leisure time, the television mostly. I am dropping my cable way of receiving programs to “smart TV with a few “apps” to get the shows I like. I am getting help with setting up that change. I believe it will be a lot less expensive in the long run. Then another of the happenings in the journey of a home body is a stuck window. I have one that doesn’t go up and down any more so I am going to ask for some help from my family again to see if we can get it fixed. As mentioned just above the thing about changes is handing even what use to be a small thing like to lift and/or move even small things has become something I need help with. My photo gallery wall for example and now another thing, moving some of the boxes I am filling with things I am getting rid of. I need help to get them from here to there..... I think I have done enough whining for today, so I’ll stop for today.

The word to ponder for today is class. There is always more misery among the lower classes than there is humanity in the higher. Victor Hugo. There are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, and the third is useless. Niccolo Machiavelli. The best political community is formed by citizens of the middle class. Aristotle. Other lands have their vitality in a few, a class, but we have it in the bulk of our people. Walt Whitman. Democracy is that form of society, no matter what its political classification, in which every man has a chance and knows that he has it. James Russell Lowell. It is only by not paying one's bills that one can hope to live in the memory of the commercial classes. Oscar Wilde. Let him who expects one class of society to prosper into highest degree, while the other is in distress, try whether one side of his face can smile while the other is pinched. Thomas Fuller. Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses or avoids. Aristotle. Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses and avoids. Aristotle. The ignorant classes are the dangerous classes. Henry Ward Beecher. 

Article summary. Animals, all animals including pets, were put on this planet for a purpose. I can’t imagine it would have been of a negative nature. From 86 years of experience and observation I have not recognized an evil purpose for their existence. The most that I can understand is that we are stewards. I read somewhere that ‘every animal helps keep our planet healthy’ and as stewards we should do the same. Apparently they are doing their “assigned jobs”, are we?  The title is Pets and our health: why we should take them more seriously. Lecturer in health policy, politics and promotion, University of South Australia. Lisel O'Dwyer, Senior Researcher, Social and Policy Studies, Flinders University. At theconversation.com. As with most articles I see as well as some I share expound on the fact that pets are an influence on are health and well being, of which I wholly agree. This one pointed out that a recent study “found children with a pet dog were less likely to suffer from anxiety than those without”. I noted that it further mentioned that scientists and their peers are still interested in studies of how health systems and public policy can and should further search answers in these kinds of studies. Fields in criminology and psychology     should more regularly contribute findings of how animals can show signs “linking human mental health to human-animal relationships with positive benefits”. Some in these fields don’t put the small evidences they may experience all together as one vital piece of evidence into the value of this information. This article relates this to being “seen as devaluing animals”. The article went on to talk about the subject of pets in relation to events in domestic violence. Some of the women who suffer this action will not leave the situation for the sake of their pet. Some places that help them don’t allow pets. I myself have heard of situations where individuals were told their pet had to be left outside the building even for the owners temporary visits. My thought would be to supply a space for the person or persons with pets that could be apart from the other people. The article also mentioned events in the lives of older people where pets are removed for one reason or another leaving the aged person “condemned” to “isolation and loneliness”. The article ends relating how pets can contribute to our overall health in a myriad of ways. My thoughts are all animals contribute to our well being and balance of life.

I think I will have eggs sunny side up for dinner with a peanut butter sandwich. 

Photos in my life today 

My first challenge was “yellow”. This is one of my miniature roses in my window/rail baskets. I have three bushes with yellow and three with and orange color. 

The next assignment was “my choice”. It is one of my “texture overlays”. This is one of Bobbi staring out the window. 

The last upload “party”. This one from my archives it is one of my great
grandson as his birthday party, testing his cake to make sure it was ok for the rest of us

joy

the bonus image here is one of my Fine Art America contest image of “reflections” of a downtown office buildings and our flags

want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)

 August 1, 2026 a thought for today, It is not the load but the overload that kills. Spanish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge for today is “my choice”. It is one of my “minimalist” images. This is a candle holder I have had for years. 

The second assignment is “something messy”. I am really happy about drawers
that in my opinion should be shelves in a cupboard. They are more difficult to keep in any form of neatness.

The last upload for yesterday was “path”. This is one of the many paths in the park near my house where I go for many of my photos. 

Life today. I don’t know how many people are like me when it comes to their pets. Mine are next to my  children as in concerns for health and welfare. Yesterday was the day for Bobbi’s first annual set of booster shots. Like it was when my kids were growing up, I was nervous for them and now her. Tami and Andy went with me, I told them I thought I needed a tranquilizer (smile, sort of). She was not happy from the beginning. She didn’t like the harness I had on her or the carrying crate we put her in (she cried all the way to the vets office). She did well as the vet examined her but was glad when he gave her back to us. When we got home and she was out of the crate and the harness was off she was a bee line to a hiding place. It was about three hours before I saw her again. And then she kept her distance from me for a while. 

Saturdays aren’t on the busy side as a rule and this one is in that line. The only thing on the agenda was to pick up my grocery order and put it all away. When I got home with the order, it was just beginning to rain. I unload the groceries from the car to the porch then from the porch to the house. I needed to step it up to get it done before the rain got stronger. 

After the store, I was going to stop at McDonalds but the drive through line was way long. I went on over to Taco Bell to see if I could get a chili cheese burrito for Sue. They were open, they had been closed for a couple of days. Then I headed on over to Wendy’s for my lunch. Next a stop at the Westgate Salon. I need a hair cut and had been calling there several time this week with no answer. The stylist was there today, she said she had been out all week. Anyway, I got my appointment for next week. That’s all the running for today. 

I got the photos I needed on the way to the store and have them processed and they are ready for uploading. This being the first day of the month means generating new photo-a-day calendars for daily upload for my portfolio. I had that done before going out. 

The word to ponder today is cannot. Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything. Blaise Pascal. He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave. Sir William Drummond. Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble. Samuel Johnson. What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. Ralph Waldo Emerson. There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. John Ruskin. The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. Chinese Proverb. You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one. James A. Froude. We cannot control the evil tongues of others; but a good life enables us to disregard them. Cato the Elder. What you cannot enforce, do not command. Sophocles. Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. John Adams. You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. Abraham Lincoln. He that can heroically endure adversity will bear prosperity with equal greatness of the soul; for the mind that cannot be dejected by the former is not likely to be transported without the latter. Henry Fielding. People often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves. Aesop. You cannot conceive the many without the one. Plato. There is a measure in everything. There are fixed limits beyond which and short of which right cannot find a resting place. Horace. 

Article summary. I think this article touches on wisdom in making decisions while leading to a decision that can be helpful at the same time being humble and wise. The title is Making good choices when life gets messy – practical wisdom relies on human judgment, not rules. Tim Hulsey, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee. At theconversation.com. It begins with the author describing a problem she had with a student she had who started a “cheating ring”. When she caught him he admitted it and cried explaining problems at home and needing to get good grades. The professor was angry and questioned how to handle it. She finally decided to call the mother with the young many in her office as she placed the call. The mother wanted to speak to the son. The instructor watched the son as the conversation went on. He kept saying “yes mam”. The professor felt sorry for him. After the call and the young man was gone from the office the professor thought about her decision and recalled that it was an “example of phronesis, an ancient Greek word usually translated as “practical wisdom.” (A researched definition of phronesis on my part is: gained through lived experience and reflection over time, not through abstract book learning.) It is supposed to “guide” one in virtues toward what is good and what is bad about the circumstances. It leads how to choose the “right action at the right time for the right reasons”.  Phronesis is about handling a “messy” and “unpredictable” part of life. It is using knowledge for an action that is helpful. It centers on “character development and morality”. Some aspects of our thinking and solution making like “generosity, justice and temperance” help with the decisions but not how much or when or in what way to act. In the case of phronesis the decision is thought through to a “practical wisdom”. Features like courage is used with wisdom and the virtue of being fair and what is right to achieve the goal. This way of developing ways to help when there may be difficult situations “takes time and effort”. The article used an example of forcing a child to go to bed at a given time when there is something special going on. Bedtime may be “nonnegotiable” but the practical side is “the value of shared family experiences”. This kind of action is “practical wisdom” to “anticipate future needs” not just the immediate result. “Human judgment still matters”. The article ends by mentioning that life’s problems don’t always have simple solutions, good judgement needs “time, empathy and reflection”.

I think hamburgers and hash browns for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

My first upload for today is “red”. This is a cover for my filing cabinet, and one that Bobbi like to push around on the floor with her paw. I think she is looking for something hidden somewhere in all that draped cloth.

The next challenge is “not often seen”. I found the left behind cup of soda on a concrete piling in the parking lot of the shopping center. Besides that I liked all the color and shapes in the image. 

The last assignment is “edited/unedited”. This is a composite of an image I took as few days ago. It shows the original image as well as the same image with a filter added. 

Joy

yesterday being that last day of the month means an end to that set of challenges and assignments, here are my portfolio calendars for each group I belong to

 

 

want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)

 July 30, 2026 a thought for today, He who knows little soon tells it. Spanish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “a red food”. Tomatoes work of this one, at least the ones I have on hand, not green tomatoes. 

The second upload was “my choice” and one of my minimalist images. It is
one of my house plants the famous spider plant. 

The last assignment was “j is for....”. This is my largest “jar” with a “lock” system on it.

Life today. Food pantry week is over and the printing for the week is done. I went in early and was finished in really good time. I stopped to drop off the mail and stopped at White Castle. 

Sue wanted to try out making an order at Kroger in her own name and having it delivered. So I spent some time helping her with that. 

I started the laundry. I also took some time to setup some of the photos I need for today. Now for some reason I am sleepy because I think I have had too many carbs and sweets. I wasn’t careful with the breaded and fried from Castle and other snacks here and there.

The air was really chilly this morning but is moving up to the high 80s. My plants have been needing watering every day. I am taking care of a couple for Lowell too, they are sucking up the water like crazy when I go to take care of them. I think they are pot bound and need transplanted. 

The word to ponder today is candle.  If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it. Margaret Fuller. All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. Saint Francis of Assisi. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. William Shakespeare. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Chinese Proverb. Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire. La Rochefoucald. Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. Buddha. There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. Rumi. One idea lights a thousand candles. Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is better to light one small candle of gratitude than to curse the darkness. Confucius. The teacher is like the candle which lights others in consuming itself. Giovanni Ruffini. Man loves company - even if it is only that of a small burning candle. Georg C. Lichtenberg. Burn not thy fingers to snuff another man's candle. James Howell. A million candles have burned themselves out. Still I read on. (Montresor). Edgar Allan Poe. Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit. James Russell Lowell. I want to shine like a little candle before His altar. Therese of Lisieux. He who lights his [candle] at mine receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson. If God lights the candle, none can blow it out. Charles Spurgeon. The wind which snuffs the candle fans the fire. Francois de La Rochefoucauld.

Article summary. I like to find and look into things that will make our lives happier and make us better people. This may be one, just one, of the areas that may be worth taking a look at for that purpose. There are different ways of looking at most things we think about in life. Examining different ones on the same subject may impart additional benefits to our over all understanding. The title is Being humble about what you know is just one part of what makes you a good thinker. Eranda Jayawickreme, Professor of Psychology & Senior Research Fellow, Program for Leadership and Character, Wake Forest University. At theconversation.com. I like two things in the first paragraph, “good person” and “develop the character”. The author and a peer talked about focusing on “intellectual humility” when teaching students in college. They decided that it means acknowledging that you are open to realizing that you could be wrong about any given subject so that you can go on learning.  Scientists feel that “possessing a high level of intellectual humility is associated with multiple positive outcomes”. It helps in developing empathy, better social relationships, less chance in accepting “misinformation” and more ways to work toward compromises. They have found in this kind of research that there are other aspects to the intellectual humility type of action. You also have to care about being “right”. That means adding to the intellectual humility a “love of knowledge, carefulness and open-mindedness.” So being humble means being a “good thinker” as well as being motivated about the finding the truth. 

 It will be Welsh Rarebit for dinner.

Photos in my life today 

The first upload for today is one of the blooms in my current store bought bouquet. 

The next assignment is “a cookbook”.  This is the oldest cookbook I have. It is a copy of one my mom used for many years. 

The last challenge is “liquid”. I use bottled water for my hydroponic plants. I didn’t mean to buy one this size. At least it will last twice as long at the size I usually buy. 

Joy

"yellow dahlia" Fine Art American uploaded in a contes at my Fine Art Site

want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)

 July 28, 2026 a thought for today, As is the king, so are his people. Spanish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

My first challenge yesterday was “favorite mug”. This was my husband’s mug when he was in the Navy. It used it every day, filling it several times a day.

The next assignment was “my choice”. It was another of my “minimalist”
images. It is a single yellow rose from the bouquet I got from the store this week. 

The last upload was “donuts”. I took this shot at our last donut fellowship hour at church. 

Live today. I am a TV fan. Most of the time it is on in the background of what I am doing. I have always been able to “listen” halfway while focused on whatever else I am doing. I have a knack for piking up a sound or a word that make me want to change my focus to listen/see. I have the TV on in my room before I go to sleep, I know, I know they say not to have the TV on before bed. Anyway, long story short (shorter) the cable box went out last night. The TV is not a “smart television” so I couldn’t get a picture until, this morning, I realized I have to have an antenna, so by chance I found one on another “old tv”.

The cleaning lady was here today and didn’t leave until a little before I had to get ready to go to help at food pantry at church I was able to get a good start on this letter. We had a heavy rain last night. 

I took a break for pantry.  I am back now. I got the photos I needed while I was out and just processed them. 

Pantry turned out to be about maximum. It wasn’t over powering, it was a steady pace. That’s the best kind of day. We could have taken two or three more families I think was we took care of all who showed up. One personal thing I want to pass on, one of the people I checked in was a recovering alcoholic now in a “sober house”. After I had him “clocked” in he said “do you mind if I ask how old you are?” I said “of course not.  I will be 87 in a couple of months”. He said “you made my day!!”. I said “why?” He said “at your age with a mind like yours that can still work like this here and with a memory for what you are doing. Like, gives me hope!” Made my day.

So it has been a pretty successful day. I got the TV “fixed”, pantry was good, the cleaning lady was here earlier, now I’m ready for the uploads then dinner. 

The word to ponder today call.  Perhaps in time the so-called Dark Ages will be thought of as including our own. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good man upon easier terms than I was formerly. Samuel Johnson. One is tempted to define man as a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason. Oscar Wilde.  A person is always startled when he hears himself seriously called an old man for the first time. Oliver Wendell Holmes. We do what we must, and call it by the best names. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Perpetual devotion to what a man calls his business, is only to be sustained by perpetual neglect of many other things. Robert Louis Stevenson. Appetite, with an opinion of attaining, is called hope; the same, without such opinion, despair. Thomas Hobbes. We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words. Anna Sewell. Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Never fear the want of business. A man who qualifies himself well for his calling, never fails of employment. Thomas Jefferson. Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience. George Washington. It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy. Hesiod. The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run. Henry David Thoreau. We should every night call ourselves to an account: What infirmity have I mastered today? What passions opposed? What temptation resisted? What virtue acquired? Seneca. I tasted too what was called the sweet of revenge - but it was transient, it expired even with the object, that provoked it. Ann Radcliffe. That there should one Man die ignorant who had capacity for Knowledge, this I call a tragedy. Thomas Carlyle. 

Article summary. My belief is that reading is always a good pass time not to mention building health, and  knowledge and maybe even wisdom. Lets see what this author thinks. The title is How reading a little each week is a form of life support. Josie Billington, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director, Centre for Research into Reading, Literature and Society, University of Liverpool. At theconversation.com. It started with results of a survey of 4,164 adults, some read some didn’t. The results were that of the ones who read for at least 20 minutes a week 20 percent said they “feel satisfied with their lives”. During the survey they found that of those who had been regular readers in the past “lost the habit” due to a “significant life-event”, having children or an illness or other reasons of lack of time. As the article went on there were findings of how people were affected in “mood and relaxation” by reading. Non readers showed signs of depression while those who read regularly were “less lonely”. Reading helps connect “to wider life systems and more broadly shared meanings”. In some cases it helped “restore their sense of having a place and purpose in the world”. It has been found that reading brings a stronger kind of relaxation than from television, “engaging in social media” or in passively reading magazines. The article showed that “concentration which reading demands and the absorption” allows for “worries (to) recede”. Reading allows for seeing a “person” in the lines of text that may be a reminder of self and so has shared feelings. Readers seem more able to “cope” in difficult times. I was surprised to see and agree that the article suggests it is easier for readers to “make decisions, plan and prioritize” and experience more “self-esteem”. Readers are “connected” with others and have better communication with others also leading to respect and “tolerance of others’ views”. Readers may have a stronger awareness of social and cultural issues. In coming to a close it is mentioned that reading for at least 30 minutes a week shows you’re “52% more likely to feel socially included”.”

I am having biscuits and gravy for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

The first upload today is “utensils”. I took this one while I was at pantry today. It is one of the drawers in the church kitchen. 

The second challenge is another “my choice”. It is also another of my “minimalist”. This one is one of my resurrection lilies. This plant was given to me by my husband’s grandmother many, many years ago. I look for the bloom every year in July. As I was pulling out of the drive way to go to church I saw it had bloomed over night.

The last assignment is “art”. This is a small section of the “gallery wall” I have been working on (with Tami and Andy). This wall is complete now. There may be more later if it is worth while.

Joy

this bonus image is one of my macros of a golden colored peony bloom that I uploaded to a contest and my page at Fine Art America

want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)

 July 26, 2026 a thought for today, A good heart breaks bad fortune. Spanish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “on the bench”. The bench being one of the terms for “counter”. This is the load of groceries that I have to put away yet. 

The second assignment was “red, white, and ?”. This is my red, white and
blue. I have the flag in the corner of my dining room. I see it and honor it everyday even inside. 

The last upload was “father”. This is my dad. It is a photo I have made from a sketch that someone made of him and my mother many, many years ago. 

Life today. I don’t know how I did it but I had the base of this letter off to a good start and even had all four photos for the day cataloged and ready for upload. I had that all done before it was time to get ready for church. 

One of my sites was giving me trouble both yesterday and up to the last minute this morning. It was my Fine Art America site. It wouldn’t load and I got a message that said they were doing some service work and to try again later. I tried several times between other work then again about fifteen minutes before leaving for church, then it loaded. 

I had an invitation to go to lunch but ended up not going. The chosen place to go is to loud, people yelling, loud music and dishes clattering. It is a little unnerving and, for me, uncomfortable especially on Sunday.  Just doesn’t seem respectful. 

Since I was able to get so much accomplished before church there is even less on my agenda for this Sunday so I will be playing with a new place on line that I can get other backgrounds for some of my “photo art work” side of things. I think I will use it for my “textured over lays” and some of my “still life” some of the time. But it’s new to me and I want to see what more is on the site. 

While I was coming awake (hypnopompic state) this morning thinking about the results of having a love and dislike feeling at the same time and how to handle it in a Christian way. Just one of those quirky things that are some how triggered to pop into my head now and then.  

The word to ponder today is bring. Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories. John Wilmot. The undertaking of a new action brings new strength. Evenius. Never refuse any advance of friendship, for if nine out of ten bring you nothing, one alone may repay you. Madame de Tencin. Reveal not every secret you have to a friend, for how can you tell but that friend may hereafter become an enemy. And bring not all mischief you are able to upon an enemy, for he may one day become your friend. Saadi. First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. Thomas a Kempis. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Cease to ask what the morrow will bring forth. And set down as gain each day that Fortune grants. Horace. The measure of a master is his success in bringing all men around to his opinion twenty years later. Ralph Waldo Emerson. A generation of men is like a generation of leaves; the wind scatters some leaves upon the ground, while others the burgeoning wood brings forth - and the season of spring comes on. So of men one generation springs forth and another ceases. Homer. Nobody likes the man who brings bad news. Sophocles. Haste in every business brings failures. Herodotus. History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity. Cicero. It takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity. Publilius Syrus. I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts. Abraham Lincoln. 

Article summary. I like looking at different opinions, some academic and some common sense, on things that affect our happiness, our growth to wisdom and our caring for each other. This is what I came up with for today. The word facts, opinions and particularly the word and meaning of truth interest me. The title is Facts are not always more important than opinions: here’s why. Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking, The University of Queensland. At theconversation.com. It begins by saying that some see opinions as being more important than fact. It explains that not all facts are true but doesn’t “devalue” knowledge. In my reading this is was confusing to me so I have to wrestle with it. The thing behind this is “what we think are facts – that is, those things we think are true – can end up being wrong”. It explains that facts can change, that’s my hang up. So I moved on. Calling something a fact is “to represent the best knowledge we have at any given time”. The article moves on to a point and says “if we think of an opinion as one person’s view on a subject, then many opinions can be solid”. So to make that “clearer in our meaning if we separate things into matters of fact and matters of opinion”. Matters of fact are “verifiable by observation, direct experience, rather than theory”.  Matters of opinion “rely on logical reasoning (questioning), definitions, or subjective values” (personal preference). The article comes to a point of ethics. Facts cannot decide a course of actions. It goes further with saying that “opinions are not just pale shadows of facts; they are judgements and conclusions”. In the closing it is stated that facts and opinions “have complementary functions in our decision-making”, ending with the author saying “they are equally useful. But that’s just my opinion – it’s not a fact.”

I think maybe DoorDash tonight for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

My first assignment is “from the freezer”. This is one of the many things in the freezer and one of my  favorites, probably part of dinner tonight. 

The next challenge is “including a beach”. This is my son so many years ago when he was in the military. 

The last upload today is “shadow”. I like the deep shadow from the over hang
on the buildings. I also like the lines of the bent sign pole. 

Joy

this bonus image is one from my archives when my house plants were much more in abundance is uploaded to a Fine Art America contest

want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)