October 6, 2026 a thought for today, The tongue speaks, the conduct shows. Welsh Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “e is for....” envelopes. This month is alphabet month. I used envelopes as my image for this one. 

The next assignment was “my choice” and is one of my series of “still life”. I had a red light bulb packed away from some past project. As I was doing some down sizing I decided to throw it away but first wanted to get an photo of it. 

The last upload was “breast cancer awareness”. I used this quiet and simple pink loop to bring to memory a time fo awareness. 

Life today. Yesterday, Monday, Tami and Andy went with me to take Bobbi to the vet. She has been scratching and grooming her self way beyond what I think is normal. I considered food allergies or mites, wondering where she might have gotten those. She has never been outside. Anyway, I was able to get an appointment the same day. I was so concerned that I sent an email message Sunday evening, since they weren’t open, to let them know when they opened the office in the morning I would be calling for an appointment. I figured someone most likely checked their email when they opened the office. The vet took a quick look and said it’s fleas. He gave her a steroid, and antibiotic injection, and a flea treatment. She seems to be a happy kitty again today. 

Today has been a good Tuesday. Everything is ready for printing on Thursday. I have the envelops and extras all ready. I also have a few placards ready to be attached to the gallery photos while I am there on Thursday. 

I took some time to prune the plants in the window gardens getting them ready for a rest until next spring. I hope to bring the miniature rose window boxes into the house to put them under grow lights. Ones I had had in the past and left out all winter didn’t make to the next spring. I want to see if this idea will work. 

The weather is getting cooler as the days go by. The temperature is fluctuating. I need to think about when to move the roses.

The word to ponder today is earth. Light be the earth upon you, lightly rest. Euripides. Beauty is truth, truth beauty, --that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. John Keats. I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth. John Adams. One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever come to sit by it. Passersby see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on the way. Vincent Van Gogh. A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. Josh Billings. If heaven made him, earth can find some use for him. Chinese Proverb. Justice is the greatest interest of man on earth. Daniel Webster. The materials of wealth are in the earth, in the seas, and in their natural and unaided productions. Daniel Webster. 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. 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. Mountains are earth's undecaying monuments. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact. Honore de Balzac. What is grace? It is the inspiration from on high: it is love; it is liberty. Grace is the spirit of law. This discovery of the spirit of law belongs to Saint Paul; and what he calls "grace" from a heavenly point of view, we, from an earthly point, call "rigtheousness." Victor Hugo. I exhort you also to take part in the great combat, which is the combat of life, and greater than every other earthly combat. Plato. Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be God's Paradise. Phillips Brooks. Commit a crime and the earth is made of glass. Ralph Waldo Emerson. The bad fortune of the good turns their faces up to heaven; the good fortune of the bad bows their heads down to the earth. Saadi. 

Article summary. I try not to delve to deeply into politics and religious subjects. They are very personal and strong subjects to most people. I haven’t read the article yet, only scanned it. It doesn’t seem to be to deep into Christianity itself, just some research on finding faith based material that has disappeared from biblical times and how it is progressing. The title is Why people keep looking for Noah’s Ark in a natural rock formation in Turkey: A scholar of early Christianity explains. Eric Vanden Eykel. Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Ferrum College. At theconversation.com. There is a research group in Turkey who were looking into a the east of the country where there is a “boat-shaped geological formation” that some be in it the remains of Noah’s Ark. The formation in question is called Durupinar and for around 70 years has been felt to be the Ark. The research in Turkey had been joined with a US based Christian organizaiton called Noah’s Ark Scans. This formation is “composed of sedimentary material rich in iron oxides”. Some of the “preliminary findings” are “potentially consistent with a ship like structure”. One consideration being made is that the formation may be man made not geological. In 1959 a boat like shape was seen in aerial photos. Due to it’s location, Mount Ararat, which, according to the article in reading Genesis and about the flood  is about the place where Noah’s Ark would have “come to rest”. Some wonder if the formation is the “petrified remains of the ark, preserved in the landscape over time”. The following year there was an expedition of the site. It is reported that a survey showed that it “revealed no sign that the object was man made” and concluded that it is a natural geological formation, not the remains of the Ark. So the “case was closed” until another expedition began in the 1970s. In this exception “radar and other scans showed evidence of walls, decks, petrified wood” and more material that would be found in old wooden ships. In that expedition they found stones near the “boat” that it is believed would have hung form the boat to steady it. Again those “findings” were questioned in 1998 and felt it to be “a completely natural rock formation”. There is still small  research projects in the works but at the moment are “still preliminary and inconclusive”.  Further in the article a biblical scholar relates more about the story of the flood from the book of Genesis and the “covenant with all of humankind and every living creature”. It is felt that “behind the biblical story there is tangible evidence just waiting to be found”. The article ended with something like, how people make sense of catastrophe and starting over may not be found in a “boat-shaped formation in eastern Turkey”.

Photos in my life today 

My first assignment is “f is for...”. I used one of the several overhead fan in the house. This one is in my living room. 

The next upload is another of “my choice” and another of my series of “sill life”. This is one of the carnations in my current store bought bouquet.

The last challenge is “Oktoberfest”. This one had to be something I had
around the house to that would depict this annual celebration day. I have a can of beer that I have on hand for a couple of recipes and my favorite evening snack, pretzel twists. 

Fried rice sounds good for dinner. 

Joy

this image is on the galley wall at church. An image of he pulpit in sepia color with this placard: Pulpit in Sepia-timeless glow of sepia the pulpit stands as testament to enduring faith, stripping away modern distractions leaving feelings deeply rooted in sacred history, podium of deep textures and grain, mimicking life weathered by the seasons held together by divine grace, sepia wash deepens the shadows within its hand-carved panels, an altar of revelation and a beacon of hope 

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)

 October 4, 2026 a thought for today, Old age will not come alone. Welsh Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “travel inspiration”. The open high way with a huge amount of sky are an inspiration.

The next assignment was “low horizon” so this one also has a lot of
high showing. 

The last upload was “rocks”. This one doesn’t need an explanation, its merely a collection of rock. The different shapes and postions do make an interesting subject. 

Life today. During today’s service the word “sin” was brought up, it was mentioned that an omission of information can be a sin too.  Then during another part of the service another sin came to mind. It is an internal sin called envy. It is the tenth commandment and is one of the seven deadly sins also said to be a “root of evil”.  Lying is an external sin possibly affecting other people. 

As I was coming home I got an invitation to lunch at Cracker Barrel with Lowell, Rebecca and Louanna. It was really crowded there today. I don’t go there often but I don’t recall it ever being that crowded.

So with my usual “schedule”, the Sunday schedule today is a little different today than most other Sunday’s. I will be putting the photo on the list for tomorrow, they will be a day late. Tomorrow list will be done to so it will be a catch up day on those. 

I made my virtual call to two of my great grand children but once again I could not hear them but they could hear me.....I guess it is back to the drawing board. The battery on the tablet that I use was very low. I plugged it in but I don’t think it was plugged in long enough to work properly. 

The word to ponder today is duty. The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another. George Eliot. How can you come to know yourself? Never by thinking, always by doing. Try to do your duty, and you'll know right away what you amount to. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty. Jean Jacques Rousseau. There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. Robert Louis Stevenson. There is no such thing as luck. It's a fancy name for being always at our duty, and so sure to be ready when good time comes. Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. What then is your duty? What the day demands. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The preservation of health is a duty. Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality. Herbert Spencer. There is no such thing as luck. It's a fancy name for being always at our duty, and so sure to be ready when good time comes. Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton. He who is false to present duty breaks a thread in the loom, and will find the flaw when he may have forgotten its cause. Henry Ward Beecher. We have an intuitive sense of our duty. Jonathan Swift. Men must be either the slaves of duty, or the slaves of force. Joseph Joubert. Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others. Mencius. Put thou thy trust in God; In duty's path go on; Fix on His word thy steadfast eye;So shall thy work be done. Martin Luther. 

Article summary. I am a believer of looking at the right and wrong of all that life presents us. So I thought I would take a look at this article if for no other reason than seeing comparisons.  The title is From tattoos to plastic bottles, here’s how society assigns moral values to everyday things. Aya Aboelenien, Associate Professor of Marketing, HEC Montréal. Zeynep Arsel. Professor, Management, University of Bath and Concordia University Chair in Consumption, Markets, and Society, Concordia University. It opens by saying how there are “moral” concerns about all kinds of things like plastic, cell phones, even food and the debates on these items change over time. Some research shows that objects themselves can not only carry moral weight, but that these judgments can change over time. Tattoos were on this list. The opinion on the morality of tattoos has changed over the years. For me personally I am probably in the “olden days” over this one. They use to be a mark of “identity”, social and spiritual protection. In the 19th century there was a change involving moral meaning and negative ones. Since that time they have “fluctuated” with moral or immoral beliefs. At times they were considered forms and signs of bravery at other time they were associated with criminality and gangs. Then the article mentioned foods that invole time changes and other things that hold a good or bad attitude and then change in time. Sometimes a major part of society counts on a thing being agreeable when something is moral or immoral. At other times there is one group of society have a feeling an object its good morally with another group goes the other way. Some times an item in question of being moral or not may then be subjected to regulations or policies. In some cases brands of products can be controlled by “supporting social moments by promoting eco-friendly products”. That way can result in “debates and negotiations”. The article moved into the subject of AI and how it will affect “environmental, cognitive and other ethical issues”. The article says this will affect the moral judgment of objects rather than it’s “inherent or immutable moral value”. 

It will be a light supper since we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. 

Photos in my life today 

My first assignment is “d is for....”. I used some dimes for this image. It was a quick and handy item to
choose. 

The next challenges is “countryside bridge”. This isn’t really country side but an area like that in a state park. 

The last upload today is “bedtime”. It was really get up time but I though that
was close enough. My nightgown made the point too. 

Joy

one of the images on the gallery wall - Single Red Apple-between light and darkness, truth and isolation, represents the weight of the first temptation in the Garden of Eden, deep red mirrors the color of redeeming blood and ultimate grace,  the apple’s flawless design—a testament to divine craftsmanship, powerful biblical archetype

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)

 October 2, 2026 a thought for today, One does not ring a bell for the deaf. Welsh  Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “a is for...”. I used an old photo I have in the archives of my sisters car after an accident, a is for accident. No one was injured. 

The next assignment was “my choice” and one of my “in camera filters”. It is not quite as pronounced as I was trying for but passable. 

The last upload was “work”. This was taken a few years ago before I was retired. It was taken on my way to work. It could have been taken most any time with road work a constant thing. 

Life today. I made a bit of a change to my “regular” routine for most Fridays, I changed my curbside grocery pick up from Saturday to today. There is a memorial service at church tomorrow at a time I am normally tied up. A thing I did not know when I made the change was that we were supposed to have some strong rains today. I have a little problem getting the groceries into the house by myself when it is pouring down rain. As it turned out the rain had taken a break during the time of pick up and of getting from the car to the house. 

I had the letter started and part of todays photos picked when I left for the store. Usually Fridays are a relaxed kind of productive day, the change made it a little more “scheduled”. 

I left the groceries to be put away for a little while so that I could get back to my back burner/downsizing list sooner. Some of the things on the list are “fun”. It helps break up the “must be done now” things. 

One of the things on my back burner/downsizing list is shredding old paper work including receipt and tax papers from five or more years ago. My point in bringing this up is that I am using some of the shredded slips of paper in my Christmas paper quilling project for this year. I am trying to have a bit of a jump on getting ready. I work slowly so that I can enjoy what I am doing as I get them finished without that “deadline” feeling. I do the paper quilling in the evening while I am in the lounge chair. 

The word to ponder today is down. How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live. David Thoreau. It is a mistake to regard age as a downhill grade toward dissolution. The reverse is true. As one grows older, one climbs with surprising strides. George Sand. Worries go down better with soup than without. Jewish Proverb. Be courteous, be obliging, but don't give yourself over to be melted down for the benefit of the tallow trade. George Eliot. Cease to ask what the morrow will bring forth. And set down as gain each day that Fortune grants. Horace. Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion... or you shall learn nothing. Thomas H. Huxley. We sleep, but the loom of life never stops, and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up in the morning. Henry Ward Beecher. A true philosopher is like an elephant; he never puts the second foot down until the first one is solidly in place. Fontenelle. The road up and the road down is one and the same. Heraclitus. Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered. Aristotle. Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Love is like a tree, it grows of its own accord, it puts down deep roots into our whole being. Victor Hugo. Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined. Patrick Henry.  The way by which you may get money almost without exception leads downward. Henry David Thoreau.  The surest method against scandal is to live it down by perseverance in well doing. Boerhaave.  The brave workman... must replace the grace or elegance forfeited, by the merit of the work done. Ralph Waldo Emerson.    

Article summary. I am one of those people who don’t deal with change easily so making choices is important. I also would like to consider the act of making a choice with another person, thereby having one more point of view. I am alone so making choices is a big sticking point in my life even ones that are not “messy”. 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. I realized once I really paid attention that I may have summarized this article before, if so maybe a second time will ingrain it for my own use more strongly. I will finish it maybe with new insight. It opens with the author telling about having a student who had started a “cheating ring” and got caught. With tears he related that his mother was raising him alone and he didn’t’ want to “crush” her by being “dismissed from the university”. She called his mother with him in the office, she gave him the phone, apparently his mother “chewed him out”. The teacher felt that was more punishment than she could have given herself. She further said that calling his mother ended being “practical wisdom” thereby making a good decision with no “clear rules” on how to do it. So she went on to mention some “rules” about making those decisions, taking the right action at the right time. Apparently there is a name for this kind of thinking, phronesis.  This is Greek meaning something that is practical action, beyond a rule book and a link to ethics. I gather that using this technique helps make better decisions. My problem is I am a “this moment in time” kind of person and one who “reacts to an action” at the time of the “action”. Maybe my answer should be just don’t “react”. That is what I would have to learn. I did some research on this point “react to an action” and found that that is an instinct and a trigger. It should be “responding” to the action with deliberation and being proactive. In other words practice not “reacting” to things, think first. This would be relying on past experience, quick reflection, and developing a habit of recall, which would be knowing when to hold back. I am learning with age and experience that many times it is best to keep my mouth shut and let what will be ...be. After the fact and in an effort to build on wisdom in many occasions it might be worth revisiting what ever the situation and discussing a different way of having seen it.

Photos in my life today 

The first assignment for today is “b is for....”. I was unloading groceries and found these bananas. I felt they would make a good choice for this upload.

The next challenge is another of the “my choice” and another of the “in camera filters”. I’m not sure I like this filter, it is a bit strong. 

The last upload is “fold”. It was an easy on to set up but took a while looking
for something folded, clothing, papers, origami????

DoorDash and pizza sounds good for dinner. 

Joy 

it is another image from the gallery wall, Pink Flowers on Faded Background-soft pink blossoms of delicate petals capturing gentle, warmth of light, a softly faded, minimalist background focuses the flowers, distractions of the world fade away, visual reminder of God's design and tender care,  they reflect a quiet sanctuary of faith, a sense of renewal and hope

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)

 September 30, 2026 a thought for today, Virtue is the mother of all happiness. Welsh Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The fist challenge was “something unexpected”. It is just a puddle of water with a reflection. We can’t always know what will be in those reflections.

The next assignment was “my choice” and “a tough of color”. It was one of
the blossoms from a recent store bought. The bloom was ready to call it a day. 

The last upload was titled “morning”. I took it as I was “opening the house” for the morning. That is mostly opening window shades. This particular morning I opened the door to “feel” the temperature. 

Life today. I started this letter before I left for food pantry this morning. When I got home, about an hour ago, I pulled up the four photos for the day. I have them touched up, keyworded and filed to the portfolio calendar page. 

I was able to sneak in most of the “check list” of “back burner” things between the other chores. I have two of them left to do. I think I will be able to get them done after the uploads and before dinner time.

I am ready to print tomorrow. I have two bulletins and a sermon to print and distribute. I am hoping to get a couple of more placards attached to the gallery photos while I am at church. 

The word to ponder today is done.  We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way. Jane Austen. The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men. George Eliot. A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures. Daniel Webster. Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not. Thomas Henry Huxley. What may be done at any time will be done at no time. Scottish Proverb. Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitation. Thomas H. Huxley. Determine never to be idle...It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. Thomas Jefferson. Well done is better than well said. Benjamin Franklin. Whatever you do, do it to the purpose; do it thoroughly, not superficially. Go to the bottom of things. Any thing half done, or half known, is in my mind, neither done nor known at all. Nay, worse, for it often misleads. Lord Chesterfield. Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done. C. E. Stowe. Once harm has been done, even a fool understands it. Homer. Things that are done, it is needless to speak about...things that are past, it is needless to blame. Confucius. Mine honour is my life; both grow in one; take honour from me and my life is done. William Shakespeare. If we say a little it is easy to add, but having said too much it is hard to withdraw and never can it be done so quickly as to hinder the harm of our success. Saint Francis de Sales. However often you may have done them a favour, if you once refuse they forget everything except your refusal. Pliny the Younger. 

Article summary. I have heard on tv about personal diaries and reflection journals and how Journaling is a comforting way to “process emotions”. I have read this kind of description of writing in many instances and how it is a healthy path to an over all well-being. I wanted to take a look at this author’s thoughts on the subject. I find writing useful in many aspects of my own life. The title is  Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges. Emily Ronay Johnston, Assistant Teaching Professor of Global Arts, Media and Writing Studies, University of California, Merced. At theconversation.com. It started by mentioning that writing “changes the brain” allowing for a shift that “reflects resilience”. It describes resilience as “an ongoing process of personal growth through life’s challenges”. They say “relentless self-improvement” is a way to resilience. In describing how it works in part in that it “externalizes” emotional upset which “fosters” emotional safety. It relates to a “book on a shelf” while putting memories (and planning) into writing leading to “activating the brain’s visual and motor systems.” One major point the author makes is that when you write it allows for combining short term memories into long term ones that then allows us to “re-frame painful experiences and manage their emotions”. As it helps in managing emotions in terms that lets us go from experiencing an emotion in memory to better responding in the thinking and managing of that memory. Writing can make feelings more manageable by seeing them in a different form. I like the statement in the article that writing is a form of thinking and by that can reshape the outcome of a thought. The article suggests that writing by hand rather than typing allows for more careful thought. Writing every day, with just notes or longer it allows us to plan by seeing a direction. Writing makes us think before reacting or speaking. It also suggests to write a letter that never gets mailed, allowing for venting. The practice of writing lets us “consider alternative perspectives”.

Photos in my life today

My first challenge today is “a favorite thing”. In my life now there are many things I “favor”. At the top of the list is Bobbi, sleeping or awake, playful or getting in to “trouble”. 

My next assignment is another of “my choice” and another of my series of a “touch of color”. It looks like some are getting ready for “harvest” or holloween.

The last upload is my sister having one of her “yummy” burritos. Naturally
the upload title was “yummy”. 

I had salmon patties and mac and cheese last night for dinner and found that I have enough for dinner again tonight. 

Joy

my Fine Art America upload was old books where I had used the in camera filer

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)

 September 28, 2026 a thought for today, Fear is greater than danger. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

My first challenge yesterday was “on my bedside table”. It’s just a lamp and a television control and my glasses case (so the cat can’t play with them while I am sleeping). 

The next assignment was “textures in nature”. This is the morning glory fine
beginning to take on a autumn look with all of that texture in the fines and the chainlink fence. 

The last upload was “relax”. That is me taking a break and relaxing for a few minutes. 

Life today. It is been a hodgepodge day. I have gotten off one thing to look at another then back to the first in more than one project today. I did get the bulletin done. I put that at the top of the to-do list as I always do for a Monday. One good thing from yesterday, I have finally figured out what the problem was with my virtual visits on my tablet, I solved it and got to speak/see some of family yesterday.

Finding the photo for my uploads was a bit of work today. I had more difficulty in choosing and deciding what to use to meet the challenges and assignments. 

The weather has been cool but pleasingly pleasant for the last few days. I am trying to enjoy it before winter gets here and the snow and cold that will come with it. 

My desk chair faces a window that allows me to take a break from typing to enjoy the weather and maybe some of watching some of the neighbors and one out enjoying the work he likes to do in his yard. But today someone has parked in the neighbors drive right outside my window so the view is restricted to just a car right now and has been for the last couple of hours. 

The word to ponder today is divine.  A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Do not judge men by mere appearances; for the light laughter that bubbles on the lip often mantles over the depths of sadness, and the serious look may be the sober veil that covers a divine peace and joy. Edward Chapin. So divinely is the world organized that every one of us, in our place and time, is in balance with everything else. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Man...is a tame or civilized animal; never the less, he requires proper instruction and a fortunate nature, and then of all animals he becomes the most divine and most civilized; but if he be insufficiently or ill- educated he is the most savage of earthly creatures. Plato. Speech is human, silence is divine, yet also brutish and dead: therefore we must learn both arts. Thomas Carlyle. Words learned by rote a parrot may rehearse; but talking is not always to converse, not more distinct from harmony divine, the constant creaking of a country sign. William Cowper. To the poet, to the philosopher, to the saint, all things are friendly and sacred, all events profitable, all days holy, all men divine. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Whatever that be which thinks, understands, wills, and acts. it is something celestial and divine. Cicero. I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I don't mean by humility, doubt of his power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful. John Ruskin. Remember even when alone, that the divine is everywhere. Confucius. There is a divine depth in silence. We meet God alone. Frederick William Robertson.

Article summary. I have been “exercising” with what I call “brain games” for a good while now. I am hoping they are holding off any dementia symptoms that may try to enter my life. So when I saw this title, even though I thought it may be for young people, I decided to have a look at this it looks like it may be in a effort to help in way other than the memory issue.  The title is 5 digital games that teach civics through play, Karen "Kat" Schrier, Associate Professor and Director of Games and Emerging Media, Marist College. At theconversation.com. The author says that she sees harassment and disinformation a problem right now in some games but along with that there is a good side too in a community setting. She feels people of all age are “participating in civic life without even realizing it – through play” in allowing for “debates and political discussions”. In explaining that comment she says playing certain games can encourage “skills related to civics and pubic life”. She names some of the games, one is Fornite. In this game in which she feels people develop their thinking processes through building shelters, finding protection and adapting o weather conditions, all of this is problem solving. She feels this game touches on race and politics. She goes on to mention Minecraft. I’ve heard the name of this game in overheard conversations. Some of the things she says that came up in players of this game were the ability to use tools, building projects, gathering food, even survival modes and “maintaining health”. Some players have touched on “civic-related stories”. There have been fictional elections and voter fraud issues. It improves communication skills and has even been played by “real-world politicians”. Another game mentioned in this article is “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. As explained in this article one can learn about design and clothe as one clothes their avatars. They learn to express identity and “understand the needs of neighbors”. “Among Us” is a game where people, in this game find imposters and deal with them. Another game named in the article was Plague, Inc: The Cure. In this one players help solve civic problems. When playing these games with others it should be considered that everyone can “participate equally” which involves “computers or smart phones, internet access and spare time to play”. These games allow people to “experiment in a digital world”. With this in mind people can learn about productive and destructive “policies that might be adopted in the physical world”. In ending the article the author said “digital games provide opportunities to learn, grow, explore and change – not just individually, but in terms of humanity and society as well.” It’s different in the reasoning of my type of game playing but sounds like it could be interesting.

Photos in my life today 

The first upload for today is “flat lay”. This is a simple one, a couple of my miniture roses and a pruning tool. This bushes didn’t to too well this season. They need pruned all the way back now. 

The next challenge is “my choice” and one of my series of “touch of color”. This is one of the art pieces at the park down the street. 

The last assignment is “fountain”. This is another image from the metro park not far from my house. I visit there for many of my photos. 

I did some “off my list” playing on the computer this morning besides the bulletin so dinner will be a quicky of left over potato soup and fist sticks.

Joy 

One of the photos for the gallery wall. Dandelion Buffball - Dandelion Buffball-a delicate window into themes of faith, divine design, and the spreading of God's love, a breath of the Creator’s  masterpiece of heavenly architecture, every tiny, feathery seed perfectly forming a sphere that echoes the intricate precision of the Creator’s hand, soft light filtering through the fragile white canopy quiet, pure, and breathtakingly detailed, the geometric wonder holds a powerful spiritual truth,  trust, and the quiet beauty of God's renewing grace

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)

 September 26, 2026 a thought for today, In calm water every ship has a good captain. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “in my bathroom”. Well, it what it is, a tub, a bowl, another accessory. This one is a standard for this neck of the woods. 

The next assignment was “my choice” and one of my series of an “in camera
filter”. This was a pink rose with babies breath that I shot some time ago. I was able to pull it up and use a filter on it  to get this effect. 

The last upload was “peace in nature” . This is part of a scene in the metro park near my home. 

Life today. Yesterday was the day for finishing the newsletter. I have a pardner who helps with that. Dorothy was my partner for years but has recently moved to another city. Now I have a new helper. She missed coming yesterday so I went ahead and finished on my own. It took longer and I didn’t have the chance for a “bonding” chat. I think she may have forgotten. 

Today was grocery pick-up day. The weather today is better than last week when I had to move the groceries from the car to the house between rain drops. They are all put away now. 

Before I left for the groceries I got the dish washer loaded and started after I cleared out the frig. I also got a bit of plant watering done on the indoor house plants. 

Since I got all the groceries up, I was able to get some work done on the Christmas calendar, the placards and my book. 

All that is left to do before I make some potato soup is finishing this letter and uploading the photos that I got filed and ready. 

This is a perfect autumn day. Yesterday was nearly as nice for the OSU football game. 

The word to ponder today is distress. If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. To pity distress is but human; to relieve it is Godlike. Horace Mann. The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress. Confucius. The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection. Thomas Paine. Small minds are much distressed by little things. Great minds see them all but are not upset by them. Francois de La Rochefoucauld. 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. The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection. Thomas Paine. Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse. George Washington. Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty. Edmund Burke. Fortitude is a great help in distress. Plautus. In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength. Robert E. Lee. There is no distress so complete but that even in the most critical moments the inexplicable sunrise of hope is seen in its depths. Victor Hugo. A mere trifle consoles us, for a mere trifle distresses us. Blaise Pascal. The rich, by unfair combinations, contribute frequently to prolong a season of distress among the poor. Thomas Malthus. When people fall in deep distress, their native sense departs. Sophocles.

Article summary. This was a quick pick. I saw the words happiness and the meaning of life and wanted to examine more closely. The title is Happiness and meaning in life: The sweet spot where they meet. Thaddeus Metz, Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy, University of Johannesburg. At theconversation.com. It began by telling how doing things that make us happy don’t always make it more meaningful. The author mentioned that some philosophers call it “hypothetical” thought experiments, imagining a life spent in a virtual reality machine”, thinking about doing pleasant or interesting things but it turns out it’s more a life of “rolling a rock up hill”. On the other had when we do something “meaningful” it doesn’t necessarily make us “happier”. Then the author mentions people like Nelson Mandela who was in prison for 27 years trying in his way to make a point about apartheid and other “heros” who have giving up comfort and safety for others. These instances “are cases of happy meaninglessness and unhappy meaningfulness, respectively”. The author says to think of happiness as a series of pleasant experiences that add meaningfulness.  He mentions that many of the world’s religions believe there are ways to make these go together. According to the article these ways include the idea of “a spiritual realm that includes a soul.” He thinks we should be working toward “both happiness and meaningfulness” in our actions. One way would be to do something in a day that is meaningful then in another part of the day something that is happiness alone. However he suggests we try to combine the two sensations at the same time, one being a reaction of “esteem and admiration” the other “by nature” tends to be pleasant. He suggests gardening as one way of doing that. Other ways he suggests are writing, taking care of a pet, or conversing with children about their world, or encouraging a group of people to work together. All of those leading to a ways to “spend a good amount of time living in the “sweet spot” where they (meaningfulness and happiness) meet.”

Photos in my life today

The first upload for today is “a corner of my room”. This is one of the corners I am closest to for most of the day. It is right behind my desk chair. 

The next assignment is “fall leaves”. The leaves haven’t been changing so much yet but I found a couple whose leaves were beginning to turn color. 

The last challenge was “childhood”. This is an image from many years ago.  It
is my first born. She was enjoying a walk with tennis shoes. 

Potato soup sounds good for dinner. 

Joy

this bonus image is another of the in camera filter images I uploaded to Fine Art America

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)

 September 24, 2026 a thought for today, Where sin drives, shame sits in the back seat. Swedish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “open door”. This is one of the doors to our food pantry. I had to catch ir when there were no people coming and going since I don’t use people in most of my photos. 

The second assignment was “my choice” and is one of my “in camera filters”.
The original image was a store that has been closed and abandoned. I used one of the six new filers in the camera for this one. 

The last upload was “autumn”. This has become a typical arrangement at McDonalds for the last few years. It is perfect for the season. 

Life today. Wow what a day. I got up early to get uploads from yesterday done before I left for printing. Printing went very well considering I had four separate data sheets to print, cut, fold, post and distribute. It was all done in about two hours. While I was there, I “fixed” one of the picture hanging hooks, it was a bit loose. I also managed to get another placard attached to one of the photos. 

When I left the church I stopped at Kroger, dropped off the mail then picked up some meds and a couple of other items. Naturally that led to a stop for a bit refreshments, Wendy’s was too busy so McDonalds was the choice. 

Back to the computer when I got home along with starting the laundry. I also snuck in a couple of things from the check list including my book, the placards, and a touch on the “down sizing” on-going project.

The weather is more and more fall like with cooler temps and other small almost imperceptible (at this point) changes in nature. 

The word to ponder today is display. Whoever desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it. Niccolo Machiavelli. To be thrown upon one's own resources, is to be cast into the very lap of fortune; for our faculties then undergo a development and display an energy of which they were previously unsusceptible. Benjamin Franklin. If He had not known with certainty that He would be Master over sin and that out of evil would evolve the noblest display of His own glory, He would not have permitted it to enter the world. Charles Spurgeon. To all my friends without distinction I am ready to display my opulence: come one, come all; and whosoever likes to take a share is welcome to the wealth that lies within my soul. Antisthenes. If the giving of the Law, while it was yet unbroken, was attended with such a display of awe-inspiring power, what will that day be when the Lord shall, with flaming fire, take vengeance on those who have willfully broken that Law? Charles Spurgeon. God welcomes genuine service, and that is the service of a soul that offers the bare and simple sacrifice of truth; but from false service, the mere display of material wealth, He turns away. Philo. The northern wind his wings did broad display. Edmund Spense. Whoever interrupts the conversation of others to make a display of his fund of knowledge, makes notorious his own stock of ignorance. Saadi. The universe displays no proof of an all-directing mind. Auguste Comte. Display is as false as it is costly. Benjamin Franklin. There is no arena in which vanity displays itself under such a variety of forms as in conversation. Blaise Pascal.

Article summary. I think it “neat” to see pretty flowers and other nature’s beauties in cracks and crevices. It is encouraging that a tiny little bit of nature will find a way to exist. The title is The amazing flowers growing in pavement cracks and why you shouldn’t pass them by, Nienke Beets, PhD Candidate, Botany and Science Communication, Leiden University. At theconversation.com. In the spring we see flowers and maybe something we call weeds start to grow in lawns, playgrounds, fields and even cracks in the pavement. We may feel “frustrated” where some are growing. We may wonder why they are growing where we don’t necessarily want them.  The “simple answer is that they are wild”. The article reminds us that for millions of years seed have been blown or carried to varieties of places ro germinate as long as natural conditions as in weather are right. Plants have evolved and “learned” to adapt to wherever they came to be. There are the plants that even have adapted to growing on walls. Once it is pollinated and is in on wall it finds a crevice, a perfect place to grow. Though the wall may not sound like a fertile place “over time the wind and rain cause dirt and nutrients to get trapped in the pores” for some plants that’s all it takes. In established lawns clovers that are drought resistant can maintain soil moisture and fertilize the soil. Their roots are” home to a bacteria that give the plant nitrogen that spreads to other plants. Wallflowers are food for insects and benefit the soil. Plants in these kinds of conditions can aerated the soil and “boost water regulation” providing “unseen services to your own ecosystem”. Many of the wallflowers have other beneficial services like medicines and are offered as gifts to bring the pleasure of feelings and beauty. So the ending sentence was “the next time you see flowers growing through the pavement, why don’t you stop to take a look instead of just passing by these resilient and beautiful wild flowers.”

Photos in my life today

My first challenge is “favorite tool”. This is the “tool” I use every day, several times every day. I is the back side of my Samsung phone and camera. 

My next assignment is another of “my choice” and another of my series of “in camera filters”. This one is an image I took earlier of one of my bouquets with lilies. I used the in camera oil paint filter on this one. 

My last upload today is “craving”. I remember taking this image when this
great grandson is an infant and eager for his “smash cake”.

Dinner will be from the freezer or left overs again tonight, it’s been a long day. 

Joy

this is one of my Fine Art America contest entries. Is a half wall of as brick fireplace and mantel with a vase of iris flowers at one of my grandson’s home a few years ago.

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)