December 15, 2019 thought for the day: You'll beguile none but those that trust you. English Proverb

I woke up on my own this morning, without the alarm. This is Sunday so I wanted to be up or some virtual visits before getting ready for church.

The photo theme for December 14 was “red and white”. The first thing I thought of was a candy cane that had been in the crease of one of the car seats since last Christmas. I went straight out to my car to see if it was still there. It was. I also remembered that with one of my Christmas orders last week I got a “bonus” “gift” of a Santa hat. The red in the candy cane had faded some so I chose the Santa hat.

We had a low turn out for services this morning and the church was on the “cool” side. Most of us left our jackets or coats on. Some of us had a quick meeting after church to make final preparations for next weeks birthday party for Jesus.

I don’t have a lot planed for today. Yesterday Lowell made arrangements to have the “packrat” storage unit put in the driveway so that he and a “team” can unload it on Monday. We will be getting back some furniture pieces, kitchen supplies and other things that have been packed away since we started the refurbishing of the house. It will be nice to say “welcome home” to some of our familiar and comfortable parts and pieces.

There was a happening this week that brings to the forefront how much neighbors can mean to a person. My next door neighbor had a stroke two days ago. We have been concerned for him since we learned about it. Apparently it was one of the scarey things that can happen that has had a “good” turn out. We just saw him come home and seems to be doing well.

The word today is cooperation.  Men exist for the sake of one another, Marcus Aurelius. In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed, Charles Darwin. There is but one mode by which man can possess in perpetuity all the happiness which his nature is capable of enjoying, - that is by the union and co-operation of all for the benefit of each, Robert Owen. He that does good to another does good also to himself, Seneca the Younger. Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts, William Shakespeare. No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Light is the task where many share the toil, Homer. Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  



On December 15 the chosen photo theme is “fun”. This time I had to reach into my archives again. I came up with this one and added a motion filter to the background.

 It’s interesting to learn about new scientific finds. It makes me wonder, “how long has that “new” find actually been in existence?” Then I begin to wonder how the ability for humans to gain knowledge has no limits. Something “new” is always out there to be discovered and yet it could actually be something old and hidden. Today’s article is about the name of naming species of living things. The opening sentence of the article states that there are 1.7 million living species that have so far been named...it is estimated that the Earth may contain 10 million or more. Wow, that suggests to me are some out there we haven’t met yet.  The article states that new species are usually named for something about “their appearance, behavior, habitat or distribution.” Another story about finding new species is that of a scientist whose specialty is sea anemones. Found about fifteen species of sea anemones. On the other side of the coin are the losses of species due to habitat destruction and water quality. This could mean that some species could be lost without us ever knowing that have been in this world.

I think I will make chicken Parmesan for dinner. 

Joy

PS. My other photo group had a photo of the day on December 15. That theme was “antique or old (not a selfie). This was my choice from some things my mother had kept.