August 31, 2026a thought for today, Chips don't fall without being hacked from the tree. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “one color”. This is one of the pews in my church. It is really two colors with the bit of the side is showing. I had difficulty separating anything I was seeing to get one color unless I did a complete macro/close up. I decided to use this one. 

The next assignment was “swamp or pond”. This a view of the pond in the part close to my house. 

The last upload for yesterday was “off the beaten tack”. This is one of the alley ways in my community. It is very little used. It use to be where the trash collections took place. But when the trucks were updated they were too big to go through so we had to take it to the curb in front of the house. 

Life today. Yesterday’s church service was unique. We had a visiting lay pastor. The congregation was particularly small. A few key people were out of town. Some of us have had little experience turning on lights in the sanctuary, opening some windows and turning on some fans. We found just as we were about to start there was no one there to “man” the sound system. Our choir director did her best to tackle the situation to no avail. The reader and visiting lay pastor could barely be heard. So the few sitting further back in the church moved forward. It felt to me like a small country church may have felt back in history. 

This Monday is going along as it should, actually more smoothly than usual. This is one of the weeks that I can sometimes get the whole bulletin done in one day. It is done and on its way for some proof reading. 

I have a good start on the letter and all of the photos shot, keyworded, added to the files and ready for upload. 

I plan on clearing the frig and loading the dish washer. Then I have a few other house hold chores to get done. I should be able to spend some quality time on my “back burner” items today and maybe the rest of the week.

Summer seems to still be around in full force. There was a bit of a break for a few days. It is supposed to get into the high eighties today. 

The word to ponder today is deal. Everyone is as God has made him, and oftentimes a great deal worse. Miguel de Cervantes. It is better wither to be silent, or to say things of more value than silence. Sooner throw a pearl at hazard than an idle or useless word; and do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in a few. Pythagoras. Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Man is born a predestined idealist, for he is born to act. To act is to affirm the worth of an end, and to persist in affirming the worth of an end is to make an ideal. Oliver Wendell Holme. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. Charles Haddon Spurgeon. The ideal condition Would be, I admit, that men should be right by instinct; But since we are all likely to go astray, The reasonable thing is to learn from those who can teach. Sophocles. Errors to be dangerous must have a great deal of truth mingled with them. It is only from this alliance that they can ever obtain an extensive circulation. Sydney Smith. Deep-seated are the wounds dealt in civil brawls. Lucan. There is a great deal of wishful thinking in such cases; it is the easiest thing of all to deceive one’s self. Demosthenes. All virtue is summed up in dealing justly. Aristotle. A very little thief of occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience. William Shakespeare. Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them. Charles de Montesquieu. A little and a little, collected together, become a great deal; the heap in the barn consists of single grains, and drop and drop makes an inundation. Saadi. 

Article summary. I believe all creatures were put here as a gift and for a purpose, usually the purpose unknown to us, but a purpose mostly beyond our understanding. So I thought I would take a look at this view on one of those chosen creatures. The title is Should I kill spiders in my home? An entomologist explains why not to. Matt  Bertone  Extension Associate in Entomology, North Carolina State University. At theconvesation.com. I like in the opening statements the explaining that spiders are important in nature and to the ecosystem “as well as being fellow organisms in their own right”. The author goes on to say that most all that we may “meet” are not “aggressive nor dangerous”. Some prefer to live indoors others outdoors.  One of their benefits and it seems “purposes” is  “eating pests” as well as other spiders. There was a survey made in fifty North Carolina homes to see which kind live inside as “house guests”. The author said there was a spider in every one of those homes. The author cataloged them as “cobweb spiders and cellar spiders”. They “build” their webs to catch “prey”. The “cellar spiders” may leave their webs to go in hunt of other spiders that are “on their turf”. Spiders are “generalist predators” in that the eat anything they catch some of which are “nuisance pests” and some are disease carrying insects, some are mosquitoes. The article pointed out nicely that killing the spider may remove an important asset to you home environment. Still further, the article went on to mention one feature most people would disapprove of and that is most of them are “venomous” though too weak to cause harm to humans even if their tiny “fangs” could pierce the skin at all. Here is another point that interested me, entomologists can “fall prey to ‘arachnophobia’” and many have been known to have actually overcome that phobia by simply “observing and working with these fascinating creatures”. Spiders would like to avoid humans as much as humans would like to avoid them. We can (and do) hurt them more than they can hurt us. In coming to a close the article suggest that if you find one in your home “try to capture it and release it outside”. It ends by saying that its OK to have them in your home, even if you don’t see them they are most likely still there. So “consider a live-and-let-live approach to the next spider you encounter.”

I am thinking some kind of pasta for dinner tonight. 

Photos in my life today

My first upload today is “neutral color”. I like the shade of color along with the lines in this photo of my leather sofa. 

The second challenge is “my choice”. It is one of my series of “still life”, a pad and pen with a candle for light presented on a serving board. 

The last assignment is “a is for...”. I used on one and only apple for this one. I
only had one apple on hand so I did a close up view. 

Joy

these are composites of each of the photo a day and fine art clubs I belong to and upload daily for the month of August

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 29, 2026 a thought for today, Where wisdom doesn't go in it doesn't come out. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “shapes in color”. These are the first alphabet letter cement statues in painted in color and found in the park near my home. 

The next assignment was “my choice” and is one of my series of “double
exposure”, this was a neighbor’s window I shot for a series of windows. The “double” image is one from my latest bouquet. 

The last upload was “round”. This is one of the water towers in the park near my house.

Life today. Finally Saturday. It’s been a week with some worries. They are common in all lives and they pass in time. I had a dream last night that, as many do, has carried over into the following day, leaving a feeling of being overwhelmed and lonely. It is slowly “processing”. The dream was one of walking in the city and being lost. Taking every turn that seemed possible then coming up with a dead end or not in the right direction all the while getting farther and further from “home” and family. And woke up meeting no destination.

The groceries are picked up and put away. After I got them put away I did some research on ideas I am forming for my gallery and my book and my Christmas calendar and a couple of other things. I put those things aside when I have my church activities on my to-do list. The next two weeks the calender is relative open so I should be able to work on those back burner items.

I am still getting use to the “smart tv” in contrast to the cable tv that I decided to cancel after several years. Actually I had never really considered cable all those years ago but Bob was interested and signed us up. He paid for it as long as he was working then I inherited it. I got use to some of the shows even counted on them at times so it stuck until a few weeks ago. 

The word to ponder today is cross.  Without the aid of prejudice and custom I should not be able to find my way across the room. William Hazlitt. He who postpones the hour of living rightly is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses. Horace. Be entirely tolerant or not at all; follow the good path or the evil one. To stand at the crossroads requires more strength than you possess. Heinrich Heine. Help thy brother's boat across, and lo! thine own has reached the shore. Hindu Proverb. What is life? It is a flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. Crowfoot. No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown. William Penn. In the city that the wolf enters, enemies will be close by. An alien force will sack a great country. Allies will cross the mountains and the borders. Nostradamus. Few cross the river of time and are able to reach non-being. Most of them run up and down only on this side of the river. But those who when they know the law follow the path of the law, they shall reach the other shore and go beyond the realm of death. Horace. To shun one's cross is to make it heavier. Henri Frederic Amiel.  If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Thomas Aquinas. 

Article summary. I think I did a summary on decision making just a few days ago. I think this one relates somewhat to that one. So I decided to take a look. The title is Should we worry that half of Americans trust their gut to tell them what’s true? R. Kelly Garrett, Associate Professor of Communication, The Ohio State University. At theconversation.com. The opening paragraph talked about how about 50 percent of people polled said that they would say something like “I trust my gut to tell me what’s true and what’s not”  in making decisions before getting all the facts. It seems after there was some study on the subject that there is a variation in how Americans decide on what to believe. Using another survey they found there are “different approaches people take when deciding what’s true”. The differences seem to be thinking about intuition and thinking about evidence. It seems people’s ability to tell truth from fiction rather than trusting “their gut” is what makes the difference. A point was approached that in the field of politics people tend to make their decision due to “believe (in) things that favor their side – even if it isn’t grounded in data or science”. According to the article this may lead to things that aren’t true.  Other than politics there are other factors in the decision making processes in life. Another factor is believing in something or not relates to what has been heard often, over and over. The article points out that trusting the gut feeling connected to conspiracy theories may not always be wrong, saying that “intuition isn’t all bad”.  Many people trust their own instincts while wanting evidence also, some don’t use either. Those who check the evidence are more likely to be right. It seems that in much of the study on the subject valuing evidence plays a bigger role in forming beliefs and it leads to a more accurate decision. These discussions on making good decisions can help in being able to not fall for a hoax as has happened in many historical political situations as mentioned in the original article and is well known in history. In coming to an end the article relates that more than common sense will help in negating falsehoods. It says there is no need for serious disagreements in conversations and that “providing evidence can make a difference”.

I think DoorDash tonight. 

Photos in my life today

The first upload for today is “colorful corner”. Though there is not a lot of colors as in many colors with the red and yellow set it off. It is a “colorful corner” in another way, the store employees take their break here to smoke, check their phones and chat with one another. 

The next challenge is “from another camera”. This photo was taken with one of my earlier Sony cameras. I mostly use my Samsung phone camera now. 

The last assignment is “a pair”. I chose the pair of boots belonging to a US
Marines. They were place there as he enjoyed a bit of R and R with our family. 

Joy

this bonus image is a digitally art piece generated from a photo of a ripe tomato on the vine.  I used filters and algorithms to get the “hidden” image in the tomato it is uploaded to 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)

 August 27, 2026, a thought for today, The calendar is made by man; the weather by God. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

My first upload was “colors in nature”. It is a garden in one of my neighbor’s yards. The colors at this time of year are beautiful. 

The next challenge was “my choice” and one of my series of “double
exposure” . I chose one of the flag along with one of the day lilies from my lawn. 

The last assignment was “ice cream”.  I added a little chocolate syrup and some whipped cream. 

Life today. It was with careful anticipation that I left for the printing at church this morning. We haven’t used the copier since there was maintenance on it. When I opened the office door, I saw the red trouble light flashing on the copier. I was anxious, I turned the copier off and then restarted. From there everything ran normally, as a matter of fact a little faster than before. The bulletin and the newsletter are done. While I was there, I was able to get the first “placard” on one of the gallery photos. I think they will be helpful and inviting. 

I stopped at the mail box and then picked up some lunch. Once at home I got back to my ususal call from the computer. I had a bit of a start on the letter and an idea for a couple of the photos. 

I have two weeks with nothing on the calendar so I will have time to spend on more photos for the gallery wall and start printing on the Christmas calendar that I do every year. I want to get some work done on more of the placard for the rest of the gallery photos. 

I am dealing with the silent worries of motherhood that don’t go away when the kids are grown, well into their own lives. Though they are grown and away I am on my own dealing with what it is to still be a mom. The worries will be resolved in time. 

The word to ponder today is course. ...the safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death. Voltaire. Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence. Democritus. Be brief, for no discourse can please when too long. Miguel de Cervantes. Read not to contradict and confute, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Sir Francis Bacon. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death. Patrick Henry. Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue. Confucius. I have nothing but contempt for the kind of governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State; and as for the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare - I have no use for him either. Sophocles. There is one thing alone that stands the brunt of life throughout its course: a quiet conscience. Euripides. Read not to contradict and confute, not to believe and take for granted, not to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Sir Francis Bacon. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Bible, 2 Timothy 4. 7. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course. William Shakespeare. Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Article summary. I saw this title and decided to have a look and share. I don’t like making decisions on my own. I like to have back up thought. Maybe this article will help me understand. The title is What St. Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th century mystic, can teach us about making good decisions. Annmarie Caño. Professor of Psychology and Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Success, Wayne State University. At theconversation.com. For one thing right off the bat I learned that st. Ignatius of Loyola was a “soldier-turned mystic”. The author mentions that in her career she “became acquainted” with the mystic in an internship program. She found that what she learned in that experience helped her decided it would be useful to use it in her study of “mindfulness and other reflective practices”too. She mentioned something I thought when I first read the title that as Ignatius used the ideas in the “language of faith” it can apply his methods in decision making in any walk of life. To understand him she gave a brief “bio” of his life. He was born into “a noble family” in Spain in 1493. He was severely injured in a “battle” that affected his health the rest of his life. As he was recuperating, he was bed ridden and used the time “reading and reflecting”. He became more spiritual during that time. This outcome led to a form of “spiritual exercises”. He is known for founding the Jesuit society along with a method of decision-making that is still “relevant” today that all people can practice. The first suggestion is to “rely on reason and feelings”. It is mentioned that “emotions act as compass points”. Then he says to prob the origin of the feelings. Are they due to a want of power or is it greed related, maybe being afraid of what others think, want to good or be considerate. The article goes on to suggest that we should want to “share our “deliberations” with a confidant”. The author goes on to say that modern psychological science says “sharing emotions with others helps make sense of our thoughts and feelings”. It is suggested to think of how your decisions will affect others particularly the vulnerable and “maginalized”. Ignatius suggested “imaginative exercises”. One of the exercises is to imagine that a friend with the same situation you are having asks for your advice. They describe their pros and cons. Think what your advice would be. Then consider how they would feel about your decision. Last in the decision you have to make in your own situation “act on reason”. Try to feel that you have “invested time and energy to make a good choice”.

I think it will be fish sticks and macaroni salad for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

The first challenge is “colorful outfit”. I don’t have any outfits that are colorful in the sense of a lot ofdifferent colors. So I chose a top and a bottom of two bright colors. 

The second assignment is “inspirational person”. This is my son Bob wirh Gideon. His attitude of life was an inspiration to me. He was a person God gave me for a while, a message of love and pure simple peace. He was and always will be my angel unaware.

The last upload was another “my choice” and another “double exposure”. It is a corner of my front porch with my flag flying free in the breeze. 

Joy

on the placard for this image I have written: A chapel in darkness, quiet with a sacred hush, untouched by the noise of the outside day, dim light offering distraction of the world, shadows of the pew a place to rest unseen, silent is a waiting altar, a symbol of God's presence

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 25, 2026 a thought for today, Youth has a beautiful face and old age a beautiful soul. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday 

My first challenge was “two colors”. I had a container of my “sun tea” “brewing in the window by my computer desk and decided to use it. 

The next assignment was “my choice”. It is one of my series of “double exposure” techniques. This one is one of my photos of a duck by the pond in the park with a lightened floral image on top of the first.

The last upload was “polka dots” I was looking for a black blouse with white polka dots that I have but couldn’t find it. I must have put in “storage” for winter time. So I used a pair of dress shows with a sort of polka dot affect. 

Life today. I have a few things on the agenda right now. I have food pantry today. I will also be meeting a repair person for the copier today. Patti is out of town and we needed some maintenance right now so I told her I would be there for pantry and could meet with him. 

Lowell was going to come by to set up a new humidifier in the basement. He is also going to help me find someone to repair a side mirror on my car. The glass shattered and needs replaced. 

I am having a time getting use to the smart tv. There are so many choices on it, I had no idea. We did away with cable and have found that for us it is much more efficient and cost saving.  

I have a feeling that the weather is slowly shifting toward preparing for autumn. We are having cooler temperatures creeping in here and there. This past summer has been one for the books weather wise, lots of high temps and rain like I have never seen it before.

I am back from food pantry. It was slow today, that worked well with me having to spend time with a copier repair person. He did what appeared to be a very thorough job of cleaning and checking and replacing rollers. I’ll give it a good work out Thursday. 

Now it’s time to catch up on my letter and photos for the day.

The word to ponder today is country. A country can be judged by the quality of its proverbs. German Proverb. The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion. Thomas Paine. The family is the country of the heart. Giuseppe Mazzini. Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives. John Adams. In a progressive country change is constant; ...change... is inevitable. Benjamin Disraeli. From the beginning of our history the country has been afflicted with compromise. It is by compromise that human rights have been abandoned. I insist that this shall cease. The country needs repose after all its trials; it deserves repose. And repose can only be found in everlasting principles. Charles Sumner. The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities. Lord Acton. And for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of that country know them to be sharp and violent, and subject to cruel and fierce storms. William Bradford. A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats. Benjamin Franklin. When my country, into which I had just set my foot, was set on fire about my ears, it was time to stir. It was time for every man to stir. Thomas Paine. A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. Bible, Matthew 13. 57. We fight not to enslave, but to set a country free, and to make room upon the earth for honest men to live in. Thomas Paine. The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country. Abraham Lincoln. God grant that not only the love of liberty but a thorough knowledge of the rights of man may pervade all the nations of the earth, so that a philosopher may set his foot anywhere on its surface and say: "This is my country." Benjamin Franklin. 

Article summary. I think I have done another summary on the homeless situation. In some of the volunteer work I do with the church I see just a little into their lives. It may help to understand the plight better by learning more about it. Just talking or writing about it won’t solve the problem but it puts a light on the sadness or maybe a light bulb moment to a solution or compromise of some sort to pass on to where it might help. The title is Being homeless means not being free − as Americans are supposed to be. Paul Schofield, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Bates College. At theconversation.com. It starts by mentioning the many simple things that most people need and take for granted that homeless people do not have. These things are not just for comfort like toilets, and showers, they are things that affect health and quality of life. In this particular article it talks about how this also “compromises” those persons’ freedoms, freedoms we Americans are proud of and sometimes take for granted. The article talks about how some part of the US government or authoritative peoples should consider how to  “implement anti-homelessness policy as a way of liberating people who lack housing”. As the article goes on it points out that freedom relates a lot to having a place to live where ones can take care of needs and choices to do as they please without interference. A person without a home has no place to do any of that. All they have are public places, out in the open where anyone/everyone can see as they take care of their needs and/or their emotions in sickness, death, and birth in the open. Then there are the laws and ordinances they have “live by” or try to. Freedom? The author points out that “anti-homelessness” is not about “benevolence and generosity” it is about “protecting liberty”. Homeless people do have the “freedom” to sleep and relieve themselves but must have permission of some sort to do so by a property owner or the “grace of another” putting them in a position of mercy. The article points out that if “someone else always has the power to determine your choices, then you aren’t free”. The article ends by saying “allowing homelessness to persist contradicts values that are, at heart, fundamentally (the) American (ideal).

This has been a long day so it will be something from the freezer for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

One of the challenges for today is “rainbow”. This is the best “rainbow” type image I have on hand so I chose to use it due to lace of time to search my archives. 

The second assignment was “my choice”. This one is from my series of “double exposures”. It is an image of my sister’s hands with the top image of a lightened photo of a cloth. 

The last upload is “cherries”. The only cherries I could use for this one was in
my freezer. I had to “thaw” them before I made the shot.

Joy 

This bonus image is one of my digital creations from a photo of a downtown 100 + year old church next door to a modern office building. I used filters and  algorithms to create the image then uploaded to a contest and my “shop”  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)

 August 23, 2026, a thought for today, When it rains soup the poor man has no spoons. Swedish Proverb

Photo in my life yesterday

My first challenge was “favorite color”. I have several “favorite colors”. This image shows some of them. 

The next assignment was “circles”. This is a part of a graffiti on a wall near a Wendy’s that I frequent. 

The last upload “hard work”. I decided to use this image of a heavy duty truck that must be needed for some kind of heavy labor, I’m not sure what is the purpose is but it looks like something very sturdy.

Life today. What a beautiful Sunday morning. The powerful sermon was given in a tone of softness yet holding a message of unseen strength. There was a feeling in the words of our human weaknesses on a journey to complete holiness. The reasons He placed us here and the path to follow was gently touched upon. I’m even more proud to be one of His creations with the gifts He embedded in me to share. 

Today offered another more personal gift to me....a part of my family back in the church I chose (with my Scottish father and Irish mother many many years ago)  and the place some of them have experienced in the past. 

Some of us had lunch at York, another of my temptations, meals out with good food and no prep and clean up on my part. 

The weather is cooperative too. The sun is bright but the temps are comfortable and no rain in sight for the present. 

The rest of the day, being Sunday, it rest and recharge for the coming week. 

It looks like I will be putting off printing this month’s newsletter for at least another week. I will finish it tomorrow. I will send it by email to Hoge members but hard copy will have to wait until the copier has been checked out. 

The word to ponder today is could. I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him. Galileo Galilei. What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we open and shut our eyes! Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. For aught that I could ever read, could ever hear by tale or history, the course of true love never did run smooth. William Shakespeare. I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music. George Eliot. The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum. Frances Willard. We should conduct ourselves not as if we ought to live for the body, but as if we could not live without it. Seneca. I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn. Henry David Thoreau. The worst thing you can possibly do is worrying and thinking about what you could have done. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. As if you could kill time without injuring eternity. Henry David Thoreau. If we weren't all so interested in ourselves, life would be so uninteresting we couldn't endure it. Arthur Schopenhauer. Thinking to get at once all the gold the goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find - nothing. Aesop. You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you. Heraclitus.

Article summary. When I was in nurses training the word empathy came up a lot along with humility. Two words and feelings to consider through our daily lives journey. The title is Empathy can take a toll – but 2 philosophers explain why we should see it as a strength. Emad H. Atiq, Professor of Law and Philosophy, Cornell University. Colin Marshall, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Washington. At theconversation.com. It started by mentioning an answer to question of what motivates certain group of people to support immigration. This question was asked of some very prominent people. The answer, “the culprit was empathy” further saying it is “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization.” The article went on to say that empathy can “make people weaker” like in a burnout of counselors, nurses and surgeons. It says these people “devote” their lives to helping others in their feelings to show empathy to the point it “wears them down, making it harder to do their jobs”. Then it takes a bit of a turn. They say “at the core” empathy is a form of “mental strength” which helps them to understand the result of their actions. It says that the word empathy became a form of speech in the 1890s and was related to words like “pity,” “sympathy” and “compassion.”. The word pity gave off negative feelings. It lead to keeping people from “living the good life.” It seems the word empathy has much the same feel to pity.  It explained that it a loved one is pain you “feel” it too, it is different that empathizing with it. That seems to by why explaining empathy is “difficult to bear precisely because being in pain is difficult to bear”. So understanding empathy with a knowledge base can give credit to “appreciating empathy”. One philosopher and person of study says that “experience delivers a special kind of knowledge of things that can’t be reduced to knowledge of facts. To further explain that statement some of our come senses like seeing and heard leads something called “knowledge by acquaintance.”Boiling thing down the article made a statement that “through experiential simulation of another’s feelings, empathy affords us a rich grasp of the distress that others feel.”  It allows us to understand another’s “experiences and emotions”. In coming to a close it is mentioned that it take courage to see other problems. On the other hand not empathizing may come from “a fear of knowledge. As it ends it more or less goes back to the begining of the article mentioning immigration and understanding what is at stake“we need to ask ourselves “what policies we would favor if we were empathically acquainted with, and so fully informed of, the plight of others.”

Since there was a family dinner at York there will be “snacks” for supper. 

Photos in my life today

The first challenge today is “square”. Sue has a square that we have not decided what would be best mounted in the frames. So I am using it as my prop along with one of the roses in the current bouquet store bought bouquet. 

The second upload is a “colorful pattern”. Ths is one of the four weather related crochets lap blankets I made a few years ago. 

The last assignment “soft or peaceful”. This is Bobbi, my most precious furry
friend right now one of her favorite poses. She is both soft and at the moment peaceful. I think I have gotten more positive comments on this photo than I have any other. 

Joy 

the bonus is one of my floral uploads the a Fine Art America contest

ant 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 21, 2026, a thought for today, A proverb says what man thinks. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “bright”. The lights in the powder room are bright.  The brightness is reflected in an art design in front of  them.

The next upload was one of the “my choice” that we get frequently. I used one of my series of “mirror image”. It is one vase of daffodils that I have “mirrored” in an attached image. 

The last assignment was “pattern”. My sister has a chair and matching foot stool with the patterned design.

Life today. What an unusual day this has been. Yesterday when I got home from printing the bulletin. I started the laundry. It was the first I have been in the basement since the rain off and on in the past seven days. The floor was totally wet with puddles here and there. The water had gotten so high it had knocked over the xtra large trash container I use for all of activities in the basement. After picking up the water logged trash and up turning the trash container, I was able to start the waster. When I came up my slippers and socks were soaked. That it the wettest the basement has ever been in the more than 50 years I have been here. When I went back down to move the laundry to the dryer it wouldn’t start. I left the clothes in a basket. I was way too tired to go to the laundromat then so I waited until today.  

I went to the laundromat that Sue use to go to, they wouldn’t open until an hour after they usually do so an hour after I had gotten there. So I turned around and went to the one closer to my house. I am not use to using the laundromat. I put the money in the slot and the clothes in, pushed the button to start the dryer. I found that I had put the money in the dryer above the one I put the clothes in. A lady next to me helped me move the clothes. That was a learning experience that I should have acknowledged in the first place, pay attention to arrows. There were large arrows putting to which machine was up and which down. 

When I was getting out of the car with the laundry Lowell pulled up behind me. I had forgotten that he was coming for the purpose he was here today. I had told him I wanted to switch it wifi television getting away from cable. He had come to take the cable boxes and hookups down. He also set up my smaller Roku tv in my bedroom. While he was here, I gave him a couple of other things on my list that I needed help with. He also checked out the dryer and said it is “fried”. So I will be going to the laundromat to use the dryer until we decide to pay to have checked/fixed or need to get new one. At least I will be more attuned to the up and down arrows next time. 

With all that we got done on those  projects I am way behind on the letter and the photos. The letter will go up today, the photos probably not until tomorrow. I still have a few things to put away from all of the changes we made as well as my laundry. Then I want to get my grocery order made for tomorrow. 

The word today is cost. Experience teaches slowly and at the cost of mistakes. James A. Froude. 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. That laughter costs too much which is purchased by the sacrifice of decency. Quintilian. Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises; for never intending to go beyond promises; it costs nothing. Edmund Burke. A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill, requires only our silence, which costs nothing. John Tillotson. Old houses mended, Cost little less than new before they ’re ended. Colley Cibber. Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills. Voltaire. Civility costs nothing and buys everything. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Peace is costly, but it is worth the expense. Kenyan Proverb. Nothing costs less nor is cheaper than compliments of civility. Miguel de Cervantes. The cost of obedience is small compared with the cost of disobedience. Saint Augustine. When a man has cast his longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct. Thomas Jefferson. 

Article summary. I don’t think this article applies just to this action on line. It happens and shouldn’t when person to person also. The title is “Think twice before shouting your virtues online – moral grandstanding is toxic. Joshua B. Grubbs. Assistant Professor, Bowling Green State University. At theconversation.com. It starts out talking about how things in society have grown toward leaning on a thing called moral grandstanding. It is at such a state that psychologists are making it into a study. In one sentence the author called it as a “widespread nastiness (that) is both a social problem and a research opportunity.” An example of the moral grandstanding may be when a friend, makes extreme “proclamations” on social media about untrue and ideological claims about popular subjects of the day. They “promote” themselves to “seek status”. People who use this kind of exchange in carrying on a “conversation is a means to an end – not a free exchange of ideas”. As the article moves on, it says that it is common for normal humans to want “safety, love and belonging”. The grandstanding is a “special kind of status seeking” by using “topics solely to get attention or impress others”.  Through some studies it was found that the grandstanders showed signs of “more experiences arguing with loved ones and severing ties with friends or family”. It seems the people with the moral grandstanding trait also used “toxic” behavior on social media and “picked” fights over political or moral issues. These types of people also, according to the article “ behave less moral” than other people. In trying to minimize boosting beyond respectful limits people should when they enter into a conversation where there are differences of opinions then consider would it be “connecting” with each other or trying to “score points”. The article ended by saying a way of to handle a moral grandstander situation would be by “depriving them of the attention they seek”.

Tuna Casserole for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

The first challenge was “muted”. I saw this wooden privacy fence that had aged and become “rustic” in color and character so I used it as my chosen image.

The second assignment is another of “my choice” and anoter of my series of “mirror images”. It is one of my great grandsons many years ago when he was young. 

The last upload is “picnic”. This is the open shelter house at the part down the street from my home. 

Joy

a bonus image today is huge bouquet of bright colored and assorted poesies this was 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)