November 29, 2019 thought for the day: What good is it to run when you are on the wrong road?  German Proverb

Our Thanksgiving turned out beautifully. It started out with making the menu list, then deciding what we wanted to get already prepared and what we (I) would cook. I haven’t cooked for more than three people in a long time and I haven’t been seventy-nine and cooked for more than three people for a long time. So this is an adventure in “memory movements”. That day was on the first food pantry of this month. On the second day, Wednesday, I went to the store before I went to pantry to get the Thanksgiving supplies I needed as well as things I was out of. I went before pantry because I didn’t want to fight the crowds that would build by the time I left the church after pantry.

Even on the busiest days I still keep up with my photo of the day. Sometimes it is even soothing to be able to take a few minutes to look for and at things moving the focus to something less stressful than the holiday rush. The theme for November 27 was “pastel”. That was a relatively easy one for me. I have a bag full of yarn I am using for my crochet projects.

On Thanksgiving morning the plan began to take place. Mopping floors, doing dishes in the dish washer twice so that it would be clear for after the meal. I also worked on the laundry. I made the deviled eggs, rest or worked on cleaning/laundry then on the corn casserole and so on. I had cooked the turkey on Monday because it was thawed and I didn’t know how long it would be safe in the frig. So on Thursday I reheated it for the meal. I didn’t go to church to print the bulletin on Thursday so I went this morning.

The meal was perfect, the gathering was warm and loving as they are supposed to be and there were plenty of left overs for some who couldn’t make it do to just getting out of the hospital and for others who wanted another meal for later. It was different for me for this year due to some changes in family interactions. But it was memory making on the warm side.

The word is clouds. Behind the cloud the sun is still shining, Abraham Lincoln. Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility, Saint Augustine.  Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself, Pythagoras. Anger so clouds the mind that it cannot perceive the truth, Cato the Elder. Clouds symbolize the veils that shroud God, Honore de Balzac. To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education, Thomas Jefferson.  Every dew-drop and rain-drop had a whole heaven within it, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Clouds cannot cover secret places, nor denials conceal truth, Demosthenes.




The theme for 28th was “bright”. That one was a little harder for me. That was the “big” day with the tidying up, cooking and laundry as well as making the small changed to the church bulletin. So the shot had to be something from close by. The sun wasn’t cooperative for it’s rays and bounced light. So I had to search. I have a set of plant lights for my “indoor garden”. That was the brightest thing I could think of and find.

I like hearing about any help our service people get to brighten their lives. The title to this article seemed unique and interesting. It concerns a group named The Ohio Christmas Tree Association sent 100 Christmas trees to military units and bases. They wanted to send more but due to lack of finances they had to keep it at 100. This program started in 1995 for troops in Bosnia. Earlier the costs were manageable due to sending the trees through the military distribution center. The Association is seeking donations to cover the cost for this year. There is a GoFundMe page to help with the funding. The Army Family and Moral, Welfare and Recreation divisions pass out the trees. Then place them in the boxes. One year school children helped pack the boxes. Some of the volunteers who help prepare the trees and the rest of the material to be placed in the boxes are teachers, engineers, medical people and ministers.

Thank goodness it’s pizza night again.

The theme for today was “golden”. I was at church to do the printing. I knew there were some golden objects there. I stopped on my path through the sanctuary to get a shot of the golden cross on the altar. I use no light except what was coming through the stained glass window and then a few with my flash turned on. As I moved on through the church completing my tasks I spotted the golden tip of the pole with the Christian flag on it in the junior room on the lower level.  

Joy

November 26, 2019 thought for the day: Practice not your art, and it will soon depart. German Proverb

I got a few things accomplished before I had to leave for church and food pantry. I couldn’t complete the bulletin though I did get another piece entered now I am just waiting for the last bit of material I need.

I worked on one of the two books I am toying around with. I want to put together the photos that I have been taking daily for the past two years. I have belonged to a photo club on line for fifteen years but the photo a day is comparatively  new. I would like to share the photos with their themes for people to enjoy. Maybe it could encourage people to look closer at things they see every day and see them with new interest. For me, it seems like seeing things through a child’s eye. It really can make the world a whole new place. I find that it calms me. I think I mentioned before, or if I didn’t, 

The photo theme for today was “monochrome”. This is so close to black and white but with the difference that it is tones of color rather than tones of black. I did some driving around. I found several possibilities but oddly enough I found the one I used in the group of photos that I had taken yesterday.

.....I am back from food pantry. It was a slow day which surprised us. This being so close to Thanksgiving we figured people would need for food. Maybe they stocked up last week. We were much busier then. We have another day this week. I suspect that it is going to be slow too. We will have fewer volunteers too, some will be getting ready for the holiday with their own families.

The word is circle. The friendship that can cease has never been real, St. Jerome. I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that  much better, Plutarch.  Friendship is one mind in two bodies, Mencius.  It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle ready-made from the hands of opportunity, Robert Louis Stevenson.  There is a magic in that little world, home; it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues never known beyond its hallowed limits,  Robert Southey.  The nature of God is a circle of which the center is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere,  Empedocles. Conversation is a game of circles, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Whosoever wishes to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details. Knowledge is not intelligence. In searching for the truth be ready for the unexpected. Change alone is unchanging. The same road goes both up and down. The beginning of a circle is also its end. Not I, but the world says it: all is one. And yet everything comes in season, Heraclitus.

I love reading. I think it is important for not just children but for all of us so this article is interesting. It is a story about something called Moby. It is a 4 feet tall, three cubbies and roof of book jackets object. It is a mobile library. It is part of the Cbus Library system and is used at summer festivals, “wellness walk” and “Trick or Trunks” as a way of giving books to central Ohio kids and adults. Recently at a local book shop where there was a “Booksgiving” book drive.  At that event over $2,000 worth of books given by people attending the event. The money was donated to the Columbus Early Learning Centers. This organization promotes a love of reading by helping to place library kiosks in “underserved communities”. Moby not only helps in the above mentioned events but takes part in adult oriented events to encourage reading. The Cbus Library has donated thousands of books.  The article said that the Cbus Libraries hope to help in areas were other libraries need a boost. Cbus helps librarians  do projects then can’t do during the day.

Today photo was fun and I used a photo technique in post processing to select just the color I wanted and put the rest of the photo in black and white. I have been wanting to take a shot of this porch. I pass it almost every day. There are four like rockers with red pillows on them. It is eye catching.

I will be frying the left over meat loaf from last night for dinner tonight along with potato pancakes.

Joy

November 24, 2019 thought for today: If you want to be strong, conquer yourself. German Proverb

I was up just a little early this morning which is good on a Sunday morning when church is on the agenda.

Because of transportation problems we didn’t have the twins this week end. It has made for a bit of a downer for all of us. Hopefully things will get straightened out so that we may have them for Thanksgiving day. 

Yesterday’s photo challenge was a challenge, as many are and that makes it exciting. It was a dreary day and, of course this time of year the leaves are mostly gone so that made, for me, the feeling of “cool” which was the theme.

The service was great at church today. It almost always is when we have Rev. Wayne with us. Some of us stayed after service to begin decorating the sanctuary for Christmas. Next week is the first day of Advent.

Lowell will be coming to get some more of the rehab things done in the house.

The word is chosen. The measure of choosing well, is, whether a man likes and finds good in what he has chosen, Charles Lamb.  A smile is the chosen vehicle of all ambiguities, Herman Melville.  Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable, Louisa May Alcott.   A good name is rather to be chosen than riches, Solomon.  Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill, Gautama Buddha.  Out of two evils, the less is always to be chosen, Thomas a Kempis. You must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance, Confucius.  The books we read should be chosen with great care, that they may be, as an Egyptian king wrote over his library,'The medicines of the soul, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.  What is a well-chosen collection of pictures, but walls hung round with thoughts? Joshua Reynolds.  Friends are good,--good, if well chosen, Daniel Defoe

The challenge today was fun, “colour pop”. I was driving through McDonald’s. As I was in line my eyed the brake light on the car ahead of me. I got the camera ready and made the shot. When I got home and checked it out in the “darkroom” (Photoshop) I was pleased with it. It needed very little post processing.   

Today’s article writes about nice idea, a nice way for friends to keep in touch and a nice way for people who may not have a family or one close by to have a way to celebrate the ideas of Thanksgiving day. An event takes places for a group of about 40 people on each Saturday before Thanksgiving day. The folks call it “Friendsgiving”. They celebrate with all the usual Thanksgiving fun. It all started with a group of friends at OSU. It is also called Robotsgiving. This name came from a thing the group did. They use to share robotic memorabilia. The idea is to spend the day with classic dishes with buddies. It is less stressful in some cases than Thanksgiving day can be when families may disagree or try to keep from offending family in one way or another. Some of the participants may not have family near by. The event has grown from it’s beginning due to their families growing and joining the party.  One of the people in the gorup related that their first year they had Cornish hens. As the years passed it became a potluck type of gathering. There are lots of Crockpots around the kitchen and a spreadsheet helps keep food offerings in order. They have even started having taken out containers on hand.

I am making Parmesan chicken and cheesy potatoes for dinner.

Joy

I had two “winners” in one of my contest sites.  On the beach was in the top 10% out of 15,679 entries and the under the gate was 50% out of 10,738 entries.

November 22, 2019 thought for the day: When you rely too much on reason, you end up not relying enough on feeling. French Proverb

Days like yesterday bring to mind a ride on a roller coaster. It comes around for me once a week but particularly this week with an extra appointment thrown in for good measure. I got up with an alarm so I could allow time to get to church to print before I had to leave for the doctor’s appointment. The printing went well time-wise so I had plenty of time to get ready for the next move. On the way to the appointment our normal path for the adventure was blocked due to road construction. So we had to make a detour. But still made it one time. Thankfully I didn’t have a lot of waiting and the appointment went well. One thing that was a disappointment for me was I lost a crochet piece that I have been working on for about a month. It was supposed to be a section of a blanket that I am working on, the pattern is called Woven in Time. I had taken it with me to stay occupied while I waited. It was my own fault. I put it in a fanny pack that I carry my compact cameras in. The zipper wouldn’t go completely shut, that should have warned me.

The doctor had put drops in my eyes to dilated so I couldn’t focus very well to use the computer....it affected my post processing of the photo of the day.

We pulled TV dinners from the freezer for dinner. I was not in the mood to cook.

I had difficulty with yesterday’s photo. The theme was black and white. I can change the in the processing but I like to photograph something that is black and white rather then process in black and white. I played round with a few things. I ended up with the one I am sharing.

Today I went to the church early again because two ladies were coming to help me finish the newsletters. One of them was waiting there for me. With the ladies’ help we got through the newsletter in very good time.

I left the church to head for Kroger to get some of the supplies for Thanksgiving. That went more smoothly than I expected. I found everything on my list and was done within an hour. It took that long or longer to get it unloaded from the car, into the house and put away. Then I placed a ‘click and pull” order at Sams Club for pick up tomorrow.

Lowell stopped to pick up a list for presents for the twins and to leave some things for Mick.

I needed to get my photo shot for the photo of the day. The theme is “warm” so I had my sister put on her fur coat and act like it was cold outside. Now I have to post process it......I’m not totally happy with the outcome of the filter I chose to use in the post processing. The coat looked more like a fur coat in the original image. In this image it is to clunky.

The word today is choices. The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice, George Eliot.  We have freedom to do good or evil; yet to make choice of evil, is not to use, but to abuse our freedom, Saint Francis de Sales.  Every man has a choice between love of truth and love of repose. Love of repose brings him a solid reputation and peaceful life; love of truth keeps him in suspense. A man who loves truth respects the highest law of his being, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Do you know what is the hardest thing in life? To make a choice, Honore de Balzac.     



The movie in today’s article has been an interest to me since I heard they were making it. I enjoyed watching the TV show it with my kids as they grew up. I thought what a wonderful man. Later, just a couple of years ago, I learned that he was a Presbyterian minister and went to the seminary with one of our favorite preachers. So the movie has a double meaning for me. I hope I get the chance to see it. I was also surprised to learn that Tom Hanks, actor,  found out after the movie was made that he and Mr. Rogers are actually 6th cousins. As the article mentioned, Fred Rogers was an advocate for children. His manners of kindness and gentleness were very evident in his shows. Again as mentioned in the article how to you make a move without drama and scandal. The movie is based on reporter learning about Mr. Rogers for an article he was doing. Though most of the movie was fictional, except most of the words and Mr. Rogers says. The journalist was called an “attack dog in print” so many don’t want to talk to him, so his wife was worried about his enter workings with Mr. Rogers. I haven’t seen the film yet but apparently much of the time is with the reporter and his family.  It is said that the movie show Mr. Rogers as an “almost-perfect person”. The article related that by the end of the movie there is a feeling that the time was spent with Mr. Rogers and left you as a benefactor of his presence.

Here it is again.....the “relaxing” dinner time evening....Pizza.

Joy

I am sharing a couple of photos that have popped up on my facebook page that I uploaded in the past.

November 20, 2019 thought for the day  The more you stir it the more it stinks. French Proverb

Yesterday food pantry was an adventure. We had twice the number of families that we were having just a few months ago. But it all began with one of the computers not booting up. I played around with it using some of the techniques I have learned over the years and finally got it to come up. At the end of the day it had the same problem, I think it is warning us of its coming demise. Before that there was a problem with coping a document for hand out at pantry. I was asked to see if I could get it to print. Not having a good working relationship with the new copier I was not certain I could do anything. However, I made an attempt and after a reboot the copy came through as needed.

The November 19th photo of the day theme was “two color”. That was a fun one for me as I was out searching. I found some beautiful architecture incorporating two colors. The one that fascinated me the most is shown in this capture. I love the colors, tones, and hues as well as the branches acting as a sort of foreground frame.  I fount these subjects as I was in route to and or from church.

I completed the newsletter yesterday when I got home from pantry. But I still need information to complete the bulletin. I sent a second request for it so I should be getting it soon. I was hoping to get it done before I need to leave for my literary club meeting. Time will be tight tomorrow with a morning appointment that may end up taking most of the day.

This morning I put together a paper I would like to use at today’s meeting. We will be doing some exercises to get to know each other better. Since I am the secretary, I hope to use the papers that I put together today to help me with the minutes for next month’s meeting. What I put together is a list of questions about likes and dislikes and activities. We have several new members. It should be an interesting day.

The word is childhood.  Let your old age be childlike, and your childhood like old age; that is, so that neither may your wisdom be with pride, nor your humility without wisdom, Saint Augustine,  I always entreat the good Lord to give me my childhood back, that is to say, to grant that I may see nature and render it like a child, without prejudice, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot.  I'd give all the wealth that years have piled, the slow result of life's decay, To be once more a little child for one bright summer day, Lewis Carroll. We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it, George Eliot.  Sweet childish days, that were as long, As twenty days are now, William Wordsworth. The childhood shows the man, as morning shows the day, John Milton.  


Today’s photo theme is “three colors”. I had a few things in mind to shoot for this one. It was a little more of a challenge for me than yesterdays. I was short on time when I thought of the assignment so I looked around the house. I remembered that there were still three bloom on my anthurium. The red and yellow of the flower against the green foliage fit the theme.

It’s interesting to see updates on this state wide well known eatery. Many parts of our, the family, lives have a history with White Castle. This article is talking about how White Castle is a century old and is moving to a new”castle”. The restaurant is the oldest hamburger chain in the country. A second headquarter for the chair is being developed in Wichita, Kansas. When they were preparing the new space the people in authority decided they wanted to keep some of the old design as they built in the new.  I learned from the article that there are 375 restaurants in states. Some of the “old” kept in mind was a passage in blue porcelain panels from the old building. And that the “1921" conference room off the lobby contains memorabilia such as a heavy spatulas , a custom made throne. A desk that the owner once used in 1934. There will be a test kitchen for developing possible new menu items. The upper floors will feature a library. There is a penthouse level and a roof top terrace. According to the article there will be a stairwell featuring a company time line. There is a two story slide to use as a method of going down a level. Again, according to the article the new headquarters are located at Goodale and Route 315.

Dinner will be a quick prep, maybe chicken nuggets from the freezer and chips.

Joy

I had a second photo of the day from the day. It is from my other photo group, the yahoo “photogoup101", is “portrait of a person”. I cheated a little, twice actually. One when I used a photo that I shot a little earlier instead of today. Secondly, it is of two rather than one “person’. They are my beautiful grand-nieces. I used a filter in the post processing that pleased me with it’s results. 

November 18, 2019 thought for the day:   Life is an onion that you peel crying French Proverb

Yesterday’s sermon helps me with some low mood problems that along with lunch, and a talk with Lowell made a perfect Sunday.

It has been a busy day at home. I worked on the bulletin and the newsletter. I have both up to the point of incoming information. It would be such a blessing for me if I have all of it by tomorrow morning but I am not counting on that. I have a day at food pantry, a literary meeting, an eye doctors appointment and the newsletter to fold and prep for mailing as well as two evening meetings this week. So getting as much completed as soon as possible will relieve some stress.

The photo of the day for the 17th was “rainbow.” Since I didn’t plan on going out today, I searched around the house. I was thinking of the twin’s large art kit with watercolors, canyons and colored pencils. But I couldn’t find it. So as I was looking around I found the bag of “loops” for the pot holder loom. Since it was a bag of mixed colors, I used it.

I ran the roomba sweeper, cleared the frig and loaded the dish washer on a break from the computer.

I need to go on the search for my photo of the day. Today’s theme is one color.

I have chosen two more crochet projects to my agenda. I have two great grand children that I haven’t been able to see for some time and want to send them something to let them know I love them and think of them with every stitch I make.

The word is cherish.  The true purpose of education is to cherish and unfold the seed of immortality already sown within us, Anna Brownell Jameson.  I cherish my childish loves--the memory of that warm little nest where my affections were fledged, George Eliot. Let us cherish and love old age; for it is full of pleasure, if you know how to use it. The best morsel is reserved for last, Seneca the Younger.  What worries you, masters you, John Locke.  Nature, like a kind and smiling mother, lends herself to our dreams and cherishes our fancies, Victor Hugo. Goodwill toward all beings is the true religion; cherish in your hearts boundless goodwill to all that lives, Gautama Buddha. 


For today’s photo of the day, “one color”, again I was at home and in search around the house. I decided on my plants. I also tried a yellow sticky note attached to a yellow file folder and a skein of yarn laying on an unfinished crochet project.

I probably pick a lot of articles about pets and animals, that is the kind of person I am. This article seemed to have some useful information. In it the author describes how your pet may need a little help posing for the camera to get a good image for the annual Christmas card.  It can be a great help if you have someone who will be out of the photo to handle getting the pet to pose. Larger dogs can be on a leash, smaller pets may need to be held. Having the person not in the photo behind the camera attempting to get the animal’s attention with noises, treats and toys. Some people may want just the pet on their Christmas card. The background could be holiday oriented. Kneeling down to the animals eye level helps put them at ease and makes for a better position in the position in the finished photo. And don’t forget the pet with Christmas treats and toys.

I am making sloppy joes and cheesy potatoes for dinner tonight. Then I have to get ready for a Session (Board) meeting at church. I used ground sirloin for the base, added an 8 ounce can of Kroger tomato sauce, a half cup of Kroger catsup, squirt of Kroger yellow mustard, a large pinch of brown sugar and Mrs. Dash’s onion powder as the seasonings. For the cheesy potatoes I sliced the potatoes as thinly as I could (I am missing may mandolin right now). I started with 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of flour, then added a cup and a half of A2 milk, a squirt of Kroger yellow mustard, Mrs. Dash’s onion powder, and about 6 ounces of Cracker Barrel extra sharp cheese, a dash of white wine. I added this sauce to the sliced potatoes in a baking dish, baked them at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half.

Joy

November 16, 2019 today’s thought: Wherever you find sugar, you'll find ants. Filipino Proverb

It has been a slow and easy Saturday. I slept until about 8:30. I woke up about 4:00 with a lot of the “problem solving” kinds of thinking that I couldn’t get rid of but then fell back to a deep sleep.

The girls were here for the past two days. I made pancakes and pulled out a can of Spam for them to try. Sonja loved it.

Sue and I got some seldom memory-talking done along with how we agree that, as we age, it seems, sadly, that we become less of a presence in our children’s lives.

Bob made an event of putting his OSU flag up for the upcoming football game.

The only productive thing I have accomplished is a little work on an idea for a photo coffee table book I would like to put together. I also got some work done one a couple of photo of the day projects for today.

I made some coloring pages to take to church for HM3 tonight (Hoge (Memorial Presbyterian Church), music, message, meal). On the way back from there I will pick up a pizza for dinner.

One of my worries during that wake up time at four this morning was that I may be boring the kids with the letters that I write each day. Maybe I should back off, for a while at least.

Of course the searching for the photo of the day adds a bright spot. It also pushes me to look around for interesting things close by taking my mind off of whatever may be bothering me. Yesterday’s theme was “light” so as I was going and coming in the car I was on the alert. The traffic light is what I ultimately came up with.

The word today is charm.  Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand, William Makepeace Thackeray.  It is this simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences-makes them, as the poets tell us, 'charm the crowd's ears more finely.' Educated men lay down broad general principles; uneducated men argue from common knowledge and draw obvious conclusions, Aristotle.  Love, all agreeable as it is, charms more by the fashion in which it displays itself, than by its own true merit, Francois de La Rochefoucauld. 

There was a second photo of the day for me today. It was with another on-line group that I belong to, a yahoo group called “thephotogroup101.” This one was a challenge for me. It so happened that my sister was helping the twins make book marks. They were pieces of cardboard with a rainbow of colored stripes. It so happened that the theme was “stripes”. That was my answer. Many of my shots from this group are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/parksfan/28017346409/in/dateposted-public/

What a wonderful project, kids helping kids. Both are receiving benefits from this one project, one physical and both emotional. This article is about a class of students at Grandview Heights that are making prosthetics for children around the world. The kids were using pliers, screws, rubber bands and plastic bags of plastic fingers to put together a hand. The kids are fascinated when it comes together. This project will be sent to Honduras for a child either born without a hand or a hand lost to an accident or land-mine explosion. On Friday 80 hands were given to the Hands of Gratitude. According to the article every grade in the Grandview Heights schools worked on building prosthetics for the group. These projects started about four years ago. The parts are made from 3D printers and put together by the children. The Hands of Gratitude worked with the schools for the first time in 2018. Photos from the kids who got those hands were shown to this group of children so that they could see them in use. One was a boy who was born with a defect. The hands are “designed with strings to help move the fingers and felt tips that act as finger pads.” The kid s who worked on the hands said they were hard to put together but that didn’t stop the smiles when they hand was done. I like the fact that it shows the children that they can make a difference.

Today’s photo theme for the fatmumslim.com.au group was “patterns”. I went out in front of the house and looked around. I saw several possibilities, fences, shadows. Then my eyes fell on this capture.

Bob was late getting home last night so we didn’t have the normal Friday night pizza. Instead we rounded up left overs. We will have the pizza tonight.

Joy

November 14, 2019 thought for the day: Whatever you do, think about it seven times. Filipino Proverb

I got the bulletin printed and a nice long chat with Tony. I stopped for a birthday cake for the twins. We, Sue and I, have not been invited to their family birthday party so we will have a little one for them here tonight.

When I got home, Lowell was here to park the trailer. We chatted for a minute, he had to get to work to teach a class. And I had to get the laundry started.

I wonder what makes families splinter. I wondered that when I was younger when it happened to a good friend of mine. I couldn’t understand it then and haven’t been able to find the answer for her case in all these years....that was over sixty years ago... and still unanswerable; my friend begged for re-bonding but her mother died without agreeing. Life on earth is way to short to not share with each other no matter what the differences. If I have been the cause of the rift, God forgive me. I am learning that truth and honesty as I see them are getting me in so much trouble. But as honorable people we strive  to be honest so I will continue to be. The problem is the “facts” are what gets misunderstood and/or twisted, that is where truth comes in. ‘Nuf said on that subject.

The November 13 photo theme was “white”. Since I was home all day the subject came from a collection of shots in the kitchen.

The word is charity.  No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else, Charles Dickens. The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green, Thomas Carlyle. To give requires good sense, Ovid.  The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all others, charity, Benjamin Franklin. 

I enjoy seeing that things are being redeveloped in Franklinton and that it seems there is a rebirth there. I appreciate that in any down trodden area of this city. This particular article is about an unusual art group is coming to the area to offer a taste of an airways atmosphere. The group is called Gorilla Cinema and the event is called “Pan Am Layover Lounge”. This event will be held at the River and Rich building in Franklinton.  The hope is to give a picture of the “golden age of aviation” back to life. A replica of a 1969 Pan Am layover lounge will be constructed. Drinks and food will be offered. There will a vintage Pan Am “store”. The “play” will last 45 minutes and will cost $65. The dates will be December 12 through 23. The Gorilla Cinema now operates four restaurants in Cincinnati based on movies of the past, ‘The Shining” is one example. The venue here in Columbus for this event, the River and Rich building, is a new structure in Franklinton. It includes 230 apartments. Addition of offices and apartments is planned.

I was at church this morning for the printing. When I am working there in the mornings there are no lights in the sanctuary so I knew this would be a good place to do some creating. I made several images and chose this one for the theme “dark”.  I used an additional filter in the darkroom (Photoshop) to give the image a painterly look, not necessary but artistic (I hope).

I haven’t decided on dinner tonight. I don’t want to cook so we as a family will decide on what to do for the birthday dinner.

Joy

November 11, 2019 thought for the day: An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship. Spanish Proverb

I enjoyed the luxury of rolling over to catch another nap before starting the day. This is going to be a this-and-that day, nothing with dead lines, except for getting a start on the bulletin. I am the hostess for our Martha Club meeting at church tomorrow night so I have to get to the store to pick out what I what to offer. I had planned on going today but I think I will put it off until tomorrow. When I leave the store, I may swing by the church to mournfully plea to Tony to help me get the bags to the kitchenette for our meeting later in the day. Navigating the steps with (or without) my hands full of bags is becoming a rapidly growing chore.

As is a fixed habit now whenever I am out in the car I am looking for the photo of the day. Yesterday’s theme was “brown.” That was a relatively easy color to find especially on architectural trims. I passed some as I was heading for church and decided that I wouldn’t be late if I stopped for a few shots on the way to my destination.

As I was beginning the day, I turned on the TV to the Today Show. The announcers were wearing red poppy flowers...this is Veterans Day. It immediately brought to mind my teen years when I was a girl scout. Our troop met with other troops in downtown Columbus on Veterans Day to pass out artificial poppy flowers to all passers-by. As a side note, White Castle fed all of us (scouts) at noon. Poppies became a way of remembering those who lost their lives for our freedoms. The idea of the poppy being the icon of remembrance for that day was taken from a poem called “In Flanders Field” by John McCrae. “In Flanders Field the poppies blow ....”

Once I got started on the bulletin I realized I had some work to do on the newsletter too. So I put more time in on that than I realized. I guess there was more on the agenda than I paid attention to earlier today. But all is well. I am up to date on the newsletter at this point.

The word is change.  Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside, Alexander Pope.  It is not well to make great changes in old age, Charles Spurgeon. The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions, James Russell Lowell. It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people, Giordano Bruno.  But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever, Jane Austen. Not to hope for things to last forever, is what the year teaches and even the hour which snatches a nice day away, Horace. One more, A man's character is his fate, Heraclitus

For today’s photo of the day I used some subjects around the house since I didn’t plan to go out. Black is a difficult color for me to manage. I like a wide range of “black” with a really deep black as the main focus with a wide array leading to or from white. I don’t know if I hit the mark with this one. I will come back to it from time to time and decide if I need to return to the “darkroom” with it.

There are a few fast food places in Columbus, two of which I think started here, Wendy’s and I think White Castle did too....(I just now learned that White Castle was founded in Kansas but headquartered in Columbus. I looked this up before I complete this paragraph....see..I learn as I go and I try to keep things here as close to fact as I can...) The article today is about Wendy’s celebrating it’s 50th year.  A man named Dave Thomas started the restaurant. His daughter said, in this article, that she thinks her dad wanted to have five restaurants because he had five kids so that each would eventually manage one of them. It all began on East Broad Street here in Columbus in 1969. He wanted it to be a little different than others. The first pick-up window began in 1970. The interiors of the restaurants have been full of architectural features and modern conveniences such as wifi and flat screen TVs. Early on they lived by the thinking “fresh, never frozen.”

They have proven that they can be “fast” in the drive thru and still use fresh beef. I leaned in this article that their first slogan, and still is, “quality is our recipe.” They added things other fast food facilities didn’t offer such as baked potatoes and salad bars. Wendy’s also stays involved in social media with 3.4 million followers on Twitter. Even though they once offered a salad bar that feature has been scrapped and now sells specialty salads. Also mentioned in the article is that Wendy’s owned Tim Horton’s. One Wendy’s way of keeping themselves unique is keeping their stores spread out enough to keep from competing with each other. In time there was a Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption founded to help find homes for foster children. Dave was an adopted child himself.

I am not in the mood to cook tonight so I think it will be another on our own.

Joy

I just found out this image of mine was selected at a finalist at Viewbug.com

November 9, 2019's thought is:  You don't always miss the bus. Sometimes, it misses you. Hebrews Proverb

I think winter is here. The calendar doesn’t say so but the temperature is making a full appearance. I used my electric blanket for the first time last night. I have never used an electric blanket before but the thought of it does bring to mind my youth when I remember mom and dad having one. It sure was nice and toasty.

I have been home all day. The girls are here so we had our usual time of finding and printing my little pony clip art and coloring pages. Since I was doing the coloring pages for one of the twins, I decided to print some extra pages for the HM3 (Hoge (Memorial Presbyterian Church), Music, Message and Meal, for people needing our love) kids. I will drop them by the church about quarter to five.

The theme photo for November 8 was "aqua". I couldn't find to many items that were aqua in color. I had to use some imagination
. I looked through some of the twins toys and coloring pages but still had to put together something, a prop of sorts. I had just received a package in the mail of a birthday gift I had ordered for the girls birthday. It had a section the color that I needed.

I haven’t mentioned for a while that I have some of my photo art pieces on web sites that make items using my designs and selling them. I haven’t been as active in that area for a while but my sites are still there and I am back to contributing on a less often bases the sites are: redbubble.com (https://www.redbubble.com/people/jarector), Society6.com (society6.com/joyanne), and  fineartaneruca.com (https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/joy-rector). Take a look.

Photography has come a long way since its beginnings. It is particularly interesting to me the many filters and lighting techniques that can be used to improve an image. Many of these techniques come from the original darkroom methods of postprocessing an image. Filters and focusing were used both on the camera and on the enlarger to create an artful image. Those same features are used in the digital darkroom. As is true in life’s path, new technology brings new outcomes and bonuses. I use some of the new additions to Photoshop to generate art pieces from my original photographs. Some of my work is found on the sites I mentioned in the paragraph above.

This has been a more or less non-productive day. I don’t have anything on the agenda so I have been just moving from one back burner thing to another to find one I feel like latching onto for a little while.

The photo for today was a little easier to find. I shot a few that I liked so that I had something to chose from. There seems to be more of the color navy than that of aqua.

The word today is chance. Where observation is concerned, chance favors only the prepared mind, Louis Pasteur. All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire, Aristotle.  No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune, Plutarch. To talk of luck and chance only shows how little we really know of the laws which govern cause and effect, Hosea Ballou.  Nothing, including human suffering, happens by chance, John Calvin. Trials and tribulations offer us a chance to make reparation for our past faults and sins. On such occasions the Lord comes to us like a physician to heal the wounds left by our sins. Tribulation is the divine medicine, Saint Augustine.  

All the major holidays were cause for celebration in our lives as I grew up and as my children grew. Now that I am a senior citizen the excitement has waned a bit. The meaning for each is still there in the heart and mind it’s the physical involvement that has declined. The article I found today is about keeping Thanksgiving alive. It seems this holiday is losing some of it grandeur due to the holiday prior, Halloween and the coming of Christmas a whole month away. I like the author’s comment “Thanksgiving has morphed into an after-thought of family, food and football”. Being observant of clean and meaningful social events and habit is a way of living every day in a healthy lifestyle. It builds and sustains faithful people. According to the article it’s up to us to   keep the importance of the holiday alive and make it special.

I am going to stop at Taco Bell to pick up dinner tonight on my way back from dropping the coloring pages off at church.

Joy

I received this award at Veiwbug.com: Hero Award, A statement of your creative exploration and your commitment to photography...

October 25, 2019 thought for today: If you conduct yourself properly, then fear no one. Iraqi Proverb

I started this letter a couple of days ago but got busy with church bulletins and newsletter. Here I am again. I also had to make a note to defend myself in a decision I had made and ended up in a facebook comment.

My photo for October 22 was shot as I drove through the neighborhood on my way to volunteer at the church food pantry. I am drawn to the line and shapes of architecture as is seen in this shot.

I got the Sunday morning bulletin done yesterday and had the newsletter printed yesterday. I tried printing a draft copy of the special commissioning bulletin for Sunday afternoon done but couldn’t get it printed without paper jams over and over. I emailed a copy of it to Patti, and peer and friend at church, to see if she had any idea of how to set it up so the copier/printer would take 8 ½ x14 paper without jamming. She called me later and told me the trick she had figured out to get it to copy correctly. Simply change drawers that the paper was in. That shouldn’t be necessary....it’s a good thing we have a training session with Xerox next week. We have several complaints to solve. Anyway, I went in today to finish the printing. I got 116 copies of the 150 done when the electric went off. Tony discovered that a squirrel had been killed on the electric wires outside the church and that blew the transformer. He had me call the electric company. After I called them, I left and decided to go back before church Sunday to finish the printing. Tony called later to let me know the electric was back on. I was finishing the newsletter prep on my own without help from the other ladies so I didn’t go back today.

I got the newsletters done and promised the twins that after my soap operas were over today we would make banana cookies.

On October 23 I was on my way to food pantry again while paying attention to colors and things that attract the eye. I found this holiday decoration.

The word is break. 

After I left the church for printing the bulletin and newsletter on the 24th, I stopped at McDonalds for a bite of lunch. I noticed one of their holiday decorations and took a shot before my turn to move up in line.

What a wonderful idea. Maybe more hospitals should consider this approach to fresh and healthy food for their patients, and guests if they are used in the hospital cafeterias. Today’s article about a hospital in Michigan started their own garden for the purpose of supplying for the nutrition needs of the patients, visitors and staff. The hospital bought twenty-five acres of land at the edge of the hospital property. The lawn was converted to spaces for greenhouses and barns along with garden beds and rows of fresh vegetables. They made entry to one the greenhouse wheelchair accessible. The staff in the hospital kitchen was getting ready to handle the larger supply of fresh food. Food is supplied as a farmer market in the lobby. A group was formed named “Produce to Patients” who provide fresh vegetables and cooking tips to patients as they are discharged. One of the purposes of this “farm” is to help people stay healthy and not have to return to the hospital. They also try to see that school aged kids visit the farm. After they pick and eat the food they find they like it when before they didn’t like vegetables. One of the staff also works as a nutritionist for the Detroit Red Wings and the USA Olympic hockey teams and continues to teach the value of a fresh food diet to them. It states in the article that some of her recipes may be sold at concert venues and sports stadiums.

Finally, my photo today. When I left the church after trying to get the special Sunday afternoon bulletin done, I wandered through the neighborhood looking for interesting possibilities. I was going down an alley to get turned around and miss a one way street, I passed by an old weathered wooden privacy fence with some weeds at the bottom and a tiny vine of flowers that seemed to be growing through the fence. I named it The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The twins didn’t like the banana cookies and I have two dozen left to be ???

It has rolled around again.....Pizza night, thank goodness.

Joy