February 28, 2020 thought for the day: In order to get from what was to what will be, 
you must go through what is. Traditional Proverb

It’s been a productive Friday. I finally called to make an appointment to have my taxes done. It is getting pretty close to the deadline but, since I am so late in making the appointment, I couldn’t get it done until April 11. At least the appointment is set up. I also got the bills paid for the month and still have a little change for some light groceries shopping. I updated my to-do computerized reminder calendar.

The February 27th theme was “delicious”. Being the foodie that I am, there is an abundance of delicious things in the world. I happened to pick up a honeydew melon a couple of hours ago and used the melon ball to make small candy size bites thinking I would have instead of “candy size” bites of chocolate as I went by a full bowl of melon balls. When Sue and Bob saw them the pile went down quickly.

I had a couple of other things that I was anxious to try. I enjoy working in my “darkroom (Photoshop)” but needed to get the household chores done first.

The twins will be here later today for their weekend overnight. I need to be prepared to print their choice of computer graphics so they can play make believe with them. Being around the youngest stirs the thinking process as it fills with memories along with seeing surroundings and ideas with new eyes.

As I worked on the other agenda items, I kept in mind the photo theme for today. I have taken a few shots and may take a few more before I start the post processing.

The word is ego. Apology is only egotism wrong side out, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Our own self-love draws a thick veil between us and our faults, Lord Chesterfield.  The well-run group is not a battlefield of egos, Lao Tzu. It is the nature of the ego to take, and the nature of the spirit to share, Proverb. Life is a compromise of what your ego wants to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do, Walter Bagehot. A man is arrogant in proportion to his ignorance. Man's natural tendency is to egotism. Man, in his infancy of knowledge, thinks that all creation was formed for him, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton. I am a man for whom the outside world exists, Theophile Gautier.  How we hate this solemn Ego that accompanies the learned, like a double, wherever he goes, Ralph Waldo Emerson. A good disposition I far prefer to gold; for gold is the gift of fortune; goodness of disposition is the gift of nature. I prefer much rather to be called good than fortunate, Plautus.  

Today’s photo challenge is “under”. There is no limit to ideas for this titled theme. I didn’t want to go outside in the cold, snowy weather so I looked around inside and came up with this arrangement of spaces and patterns “under” my beautifully constructed vintage gate leg table.

We seem to keep moving in the direction of keeping Columbus a modern and vibrant community. That is exciting. The article is updating the process of the Long Street mixed-use improvements. Along with the over two hundred apartments and garage space there is a dog park, rooftop pool and hot tub. The new building will be taking the place of a parking lot. Some parts of the original plans are already in place which include another apartment development and other businesses. All of this is “transforming into walkable, urban neighborhood”. According to the article the space was good for companies and tech startup projects as well as studio apartments.

Finally, pizza night is here again.

Joy

February 26, 2020 thought for the day: It's easy to get lost in thought if it's not familiar territory to you. Traditional Proverb

I was awake at four but tossed and turned until six. After Bob got ready for work, I had him help me get some boxes out on the porch for the Kidney Foundation to pick up. It had been raining so I had him look for a dry spot, at least it wasn’t raining at the time.

The photo theme for yesterday was “heart-shaped”. I don’t have much laying around the house that is heart shaped. While I was at food pantry I looked around for cereal boxes and other food boxes that may be advertising the helpful ingredients toward heart health but that was to not avail. When I got home, I thought of a bowl of M&Ms that are filled with dark chocolate (DARK chocolate...heart healthy, right?) So I made a photo prop of the shape of a heart with M&Ms. A bit of a weak idea but it fit the challenge and it was colorful.

I finished the bulletin and sent it to some proofreaders. Then I ran the Roomba in another room, living room Monday and Kitchen today.

I took some crocheting with me to food pantry today. We have had a low turn out for the past couple of weeks. We never have any inkling of how many people will come each day. For the past few months we have had a really good turn out. It’s a puzzle. One of the ladies came up with a great idea. We are going to have a sign made and put it in front of the church each pantry day. That will let folks know in case they forgot the dates that we would be open.

The weather is supposed to be wet for the next couple of day. I will be going to Ash Wednesday Services in the rain/snow mix tonight.

The word today is effort. People pretend not to like grapes when the vines are too high for them to reach, Marguerite de Navarre. An effort made for the happiness of others lifts above ourselves, Lydia M. Child. Without some goal and some efforts to reach it, no man can live,  Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Virtues are acquired through endeavor, Which rests wholly upon yourself. So, to praise others for their virtues Can but encourage one's own efforts, Thomas Paine. Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times, Aeschylus. Travelers, it is late. Life's sun is going to set. During these brief days that you have strength, be quick and spare no effort of your wings, Rumi.  The best effort of a fine person is felt after we have left their presence, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Much effort, much prosperity, Euripides. What is human warfare but just this; an effort to make the laws of God and nature take sides with one party, Henry David Thoreau. We can't control the impressions others form about us, and the effort to do so only debases our character, Epictetus. There is about wisdom a nobility and magnificence in the fact that she doesn't just fall to a person's lot, that each man owes her to his own efforts, that one doesn't go to anyone other than oneself to find her. Seneca the Younger.

Today’s challenge is “white and white” this is another subject that is difficult for me to shoot properly as is black on black. I need some lessons, practice and experience on these two subjects.

I think this is a kind of neat idea. (I am dating myself using the work “neat” in the context). I am mentioning this, neat idea, as a description of the article that I chose today about a man trying to make something that could be a bit of a blight into something that is pretty and adds some safety. This gentleman looked at a stretch of a city block that was full of windows and doors boarded up. The article called this a slapdash fix for break-ins in many areas of large cities. Much of this is caused by owners not able to afford repairs and maintain accurate security. Seeing this conundrum, he found a nonprofit Angels from Parsons Avenue. It was started in July with the purpose to: “to provide free metal security bars to businesses, churches and residential properties in need, and to train people in the skilled trades through an apprenticeship program...” The person the article was interviewing is a self taught welder and is gifted with a creative way of forming security bars where needed. He also added art pieces to detract from any blight that may be attached to the circumstances of the area, there have been metal cyclists, sun-rays and clouds. The designer of this method of security called the commonly used bars on doors and windows a “jailhouse look”. His added art work of angels to spider webs add a portion of aesthetic vision.  The “artist” has called them “security murals”.  According to the article he was contacted by the Columbus Historical Society to help with break-ins in one area of town. A sunray motif was used on windows and door screens. His wife said  “He loves what he does and enjoys giving back, and he’s very passionate about it.”

We are having pork chops and Spanish rice for dinner.

Joy

February 24, 2020 thought for the day: Judge people from where they stand, not from where you stand. Traditional Proverb

I started the week out right with being up earlier enough to get a good start on the day. After my daily (sometimes two or three times a day) virtual checks, I got things together to go to church to print the Ash Wednesday bulletin. Before I got to the church I swung by Walgreen to pick up Sue’s meds. After the church I went to Kroger to do some grocery shopping. Then a stop at White Castle for a snack.

The photo theme for yesterday was “big and small”. That day and the theme was a real challenge for some reason. I was in for the day so needed to search around the house for my shot for the day. I have all kinds of house plants and all kinds of sizes. So that was the best choice for me to make for the day.

After all the groceries were put up I got back to the computer. After a few more virtual checks I switched back to household tasks. I started the Roomba (irobot). After it had a short run I noticed a “heavy” sound coming from the machine so I decided the brushes and the collection cup needed cleaned.

I had left some of the groceries out because they need transferred to covered containers so I added that to the next part of the agenda.

I got the theme for today captured while I was at church. Next on the agenda, once I have the post processing done on the photo, will be working on the photo-a-day book that I am generating.

The word is educate.  To the Greeks, the supreme function of music was to "praise the gods and educate the youth". In Egypt... Initiatory music was heard only in Temple rites because it carried the vibratory rhythms of other worlds and of a life beyond the mortal, Plutarch. It is defeat which educates us, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. Enable them to see that it is their interest to preserve peace and order, and they will preserve them, Thomas Jefferson. It has been the office of art to educate the perception of beauty. We are immersed in beauty but our eyes have no clear vision, Ralph Waldo Emerson.To educate the intelligence is to expand the horizon of its wants and desires, James Russell Lowell. The true function of philosophy is to educate us in the principles of reasoning and not to put an end to further reasoning by the introduction of fixed conclusions, George Henry Lewes. If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children, Confucius. To Educate is to Free, Jose Marti.  People commonly educate their children as they build their houses, according to some plan they think beautiful, without considering whether it is suited to the purposes for which they are designed, Mary Wortley Montagu. If I had the choice of educating a boy or a girl, I would educate the girl. If you educate a boy, you educate one, but if you educate a girl, you educate a generation, Brigham Young. 

I got the post processing done on the photos I took a church this morning . I had two in competition.  After some processing work on both I chose this one. The theme is “corner”.

Something of note happened  at the zoo this week. A pair of cheetah cubs were born. Their birth was a little unusual and exciting for members of the zoological community. It’s always interesting to see new animals at the zoo. And this is a particularly interesting event. These cubs were the first in vitro cheetah cubs born at the Columbus zoo. It was announced that they were the first cubs to be conceived through in vitro fertilization and implanted in a surrogate female cheetah. There is one male and one female cub.  They were incubated and created to embryos. The embryos were implanted in both Izzy and her sister Ophelia. The implantation did not take for Ophelia. The cheetahs live in the Heart of Africa region of the Columbus zoo. They are friendly with the zoo keepers and are trained to allow ultrasounds, x-rays, blood draws and other medical procedures. Cheetahs bodies develop complications that can affect pregnancy so it takes care to chose the eggs and sperm to be used for the in vitro process as well as the surrogate.

We are having roast chicken and baked french “fries” for dinner to night.

Joy

February 22, 2020 thought for the day: Like two golden birds perched on the selfsame tree, intimate friends, the ego and the Self dwell in the same ..Traditional Proverb

The twins are here for their weekend overnight. So we have toys all over the tables and floors. And the usual clip art for cut outs.

The photo theme for February 21 was “fri-yay!” My fri-yay is pizza night. This habit began when I worked full time. It was the end of the week, I had Saturday and Sunday off so it was the beginning of the weekend. I didn’t want to cook and clean up. Pizza was healthy, easy and quick. The habit has hung on all through the years. It is now a tradition in our house.

I have photos stored on four external hard drives, a couple are duplicates for backup. I am trying to put together a book of photos-of-the day that I have been doing over the past few years. I belong to two photo clubs, one more active than the other. I have my first book about three quarters complete of the photos I have had from one of the clubs. I just decided I want to put some photos from the other club in the book also. This second club only has a photo-a-day on four to five days a month. Anyway, I spent about two hours this morning searching for the photos I want from the archives. From this I have, once again, learned that I need to find another way to name and store the photos to make it easier to find later when I want them.

This has turned out to be a perfect day for searching the archives. I got the Ash Wednesday bulletin done yesterday so I have a break for a couple of days.

One thing on the agenda that I am going to have to work on is a dish for the church pot luck tomorrow. I think I will make a coka-cola cake with coka-cola frosting.

I need to use some time yet today to add one of the photos I searched for to the book.

The word today is edges. Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges, Herman Melville. So near is falsehood to truth that a wise man would do well not to trust himself on the narrow edge, Marcus Tullius Cicero. A sharp tongue is the only edge tool that grows keener with constant use, Washington Irving. Resolve to edge in a little reading every day, if it is but a single sentence. If you gain fifteen minutes a day, it will make itself felt at the end of the year, Horace Mann.  Though familiarity may not breed contempt, it takes the edge off admiration, William Hazlitt. But whoso is heroic will always find crises to try his edge, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance, Confucius. 'Tis the sharpness of our mind that gives the edge to our pains and pleasures, Michel de Montaigne. Our interest's on the dangerous edge of things. The honest thief, the tender murderer, the superstitious atheist, Robert Browning.   

The challenge for today is “home decor”. My decor is eclectic, so it was hard to decide what to use to meet the challenge. After some searching and shooting a few corners, I came up with one of our chairs and a lap blanket.

Today’s article  may not be “news” but it could be a bit educational. We may just need to know this down the road. It begins by relating that a kind of science fiction-ish yellow slime is on the soil of an indoor house plant. After some research it was noted that the “goo” was possibly healthy for the plant. The article went on to note things that can be beneficial to your personal pit of nature in your plants. First leave the slime, the dog vomited there, it can effectively break down woody matter in the potting soil. Going on in the article are several other things that plants like. Here they are: over watering can “suffocate” the roots. If the soil is dry to the touch, it needs a drink. “Stale water rules”. It is beneficial to let a water container sit for twenty-four hours to allow the fluoride and chlorine to “dissipate”. Also the room temperature it finds as it sits helps. Something the article mentions is hard for me to do. It stated that sometimes cutting back certain plants makes them healthier.  Here is something I didn’t fully realize. Some house plants seem to “prefer” being “rootbound” in a small container. A sign that they need replanted is roots coming out the drainage hole or when the plant is three times the size of the container. Many plants that “take over” an outdoor space are “foolproof” indoor plants. House plants make ideal gifts especially when they are cuttings from your own plants such as aloe vera or spider plants. According to the article aloe vera houseplants are easy to grow and propagate and they can “give back”. Their “gel” can treat dry skin, burns, insect bites and more. The article suggests starting hyacinth or narcissus indoors before spring appears. They can be started without soil in a bed of pebbles and water. House plants like a “vacation” by being outdoors, out of direct sun, in the warm spring and summer weather.

We are having chili and fried potatoes for dinner.

Joy

February 20, 2020 thought for the day: Listen to advice and accept correction,  then in the end you will be wise. Traditional Proverb

The annual report is out of the way, food pantry is half through for the month, and my two evening meetings are done for the week. Today I got the bulletin done and the newsletter printed. Janet came in while I was running the prints so she helped me getting the first step of the newsletter  done, folding and putting the extra piece in. Dorothy and I will finish it tomorrow.

The photo challenge for February 19, yesterday, was “more than one”. I was volunteering at a food pantry yesterday and was searching for an image that fit the theme. I am always on the look out for photos as I move about the day. This is a collection of just some of the foods we offer at the food pantry.

I ordered a “broom”type vacuum since the Sharp I had before storage didn’t seem to be working as easily as it use to and was hard for me to use. Today when I got home from church, I decided to give the new one a try. It works just great on the wooden floor but when it comes to the area rugs it seems to be as hard to move forward as the Shark was. At least it is smaller and lighter in weight, that makes it slightly easier to manage than the Shark.

I had a second photo of the day for today with the other photo club that I belong to. This theme title was wabi sabi (this definition is from google: In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".

This is my laundry day (remember the child’s poem, “wash on Monday, iron on Tuesday...” my “wash on Monday, is wash on Thursday). So that was the next box to check off on my agenda for today. At least I got it started along with putting some potatoes on for potato salad.

The word today is ecstasy. You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment, Henry David Thoreau. And don't think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It's quiet, but the roots are down there riotous, Rumi.  Life is an ecstasy. Life is sweet as nitrous oxide, Ralph Waldo Emerson. I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul, Therese of Lisieux.  I drank that Wine of which the Soul is its vessel. Its ecstasy has stolen my intellect away. A Light came and kindled a Flame in the depth of my Soul. A Light so radiant that the sun orbits around it like a butterfly, Rumi.  A journal, is a book that shall contain a record of all your joy, your ecstasy, what you are grateful for, Henry David Thoreau. In the country It seems as if every tree Said to me 'Holy! Holy!' Who can ever express The ecstasy of the woods! Almighty One, In the woods I am blessed. Happy every one in the woods. Every tree speaks through Thee. O God! What glory in the woodland, Ludwig van Beethoven. This is the very coinage of your brain: this bodiless creation ecstasy, William Shakespeare. If there is anything for which I would go back to childhood, and live this weary life over again, it is for the burning, exalting, transporting thrill and ecstasy with which the young faculties hold their earliest communion with knowledge, Horace Mann.  

Today’s photo challenge is “growing”. This is a challenge that is relatively easy to find if given some thought. Lots of things are growing, hopefully most living things. This particular one is one of my houseplants that is developing new growth preparing for spring in its continuous development. 

There seems to be a lot of construction going on in the area. That is exciting but, as I mentioned before, I hope it means revitalizing old structures also. The article is about a revitalizing plan taking place in the Thurber Village in Victorian Village vicinity. Facilities that occupied part of the space where the plan is taking place are an assortment of restaurants, including Spinelli’s Deli, Boston Stoker Coffee Company and a CVS pharmacy, and the Giant Eagle. The company who will be doing the redevelopment has a facebook page that will keep the public informed about how things are proceeding. It is hoped that there will be neighborhood feed back for the project as it begins to take place. A residential tower that is being planned could reach ten or mor stories tall as well as smaller scale residential units. The location is near the OSU and Battelle Memorial Institute. historic architecture in Victorian Village. This neighborhood is one of the earliest suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, and it's home to a number of lovely Victorian-style houses, I picked up a bit of other information about the site to share with you. “To preserve, protect and enhance the unique architectural and historical features, the Victorian Village Historic District was established in 1973.”

I am hungry for potato salad so that will be one of the side dishes for dinner tonight along with creamed chipped beef.

Joy

February 18, 2020 thought for the day: Look for the good in everything and you will find it. Traditional Proverb

Normally I set my alarm for morning a wake-up call. I have no good reason for doing that except that if I get up too late in the morning it feels like I have wasted time. Anyway, even though I didn’t set the alarm I was up and beginning the day just after seven o’clock.

The photo theme for yesterday was “leaf”. There aren’t any on the trees outdoors right now in my community. There are just a few leaves that fell on the ground in late autumn and early winter. The fallen ones that have become dried and wrinkled still have something to offer in form and shape. The process of time that follows a detachment adds a character. I have indoor plants with fresh growth that I could have captured but I chose to find one of the fallen.

The dogs are completely out of food so I planned on going to Kroger before pantry. I don’t want to do any major shopping but I had to at least get their food. I was going around nine but I got started on working on the newsletter and the bulletin. It was getting close to time to leave when I finally glanced at the clock. I wanted to have time to get the food and then to church and not be late.

At Kroger, I got a good parking place right off the bat. When I left there and since I hadn’t stopped to eat breakfast I was hungry. I saw that I had a few minutes before I would be late so I stopped at Wendy’s for a sandwich.

I picked up an additional item to put in the newsletter while I was at church. We had some time before clients came in so I managed to get it typed and saved to a flash drive. Now it is ready to be cut and pasted to the newsletter. Pastor Tom told me when I saw him today that he had just sent me his information for the newsletter too. It looks like I will be able to completely finish both articles tomorrow before going to food pantry again.

Today’s photo challenge is “show half”. That’s not too much of a problem it just takes camera position. Choosing what to show half of makes it a bit more of a task considering a pleasing image. I use my pets a lot as models because they have so much to offer photographically. So here is Sugar again with some of her furry attributes.


The word today is earth. Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children, Crazy Horse. The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself, Chief Seattle. Take away love and our earth is a tomb, Robert Browning. Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do. With such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling,  Virgil.  Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal, Thomas More. As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives, Henry David Thoreau. Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God: But only he who sees takes off his shoes, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Earth's crammed with Heaven, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Equality may be a right, but no power on earth can convert it into fact, Honore de Balzac.   

There seem to be a lot of newness going on in and around Columbus. That’s great. I am always glad to see the cleanness of new things. Hopefully, too, there may be some revitalization of older architecture that may be in the neighborhood. I like that outlook toward growth too. The article to day is about the Grandview Crossing revitalization and growth that has been going on in that area of town. The project will continue with the start of construction on sixteen of the twenty-six buildings planned on the north side of Dublin Road near Grandview Avenue. Plans for this former landfill have been in the works for twenty years. After the project is completed there will be offices, shops, restaurants, apartments, a senior center and a hotel. Apparently things got slowed down on an earlier attempt to get started because of some pollution at the site. That has been corrected. The plan is to have people living and working there by mid 2021.

I am fixing baked spaghetti for dinner from the left over spaghetti and meatballs that I made last night.

Joy

February 16, 2020 thought for the day:  Never let any mechanical device know that you are in a hurry. Traditional Proverb

I have had a couple of days of saddening awakenings in my daily existence. One involving a need for personal family contact and then a situation that came up bringing attention to the fact that there was a major move for a near loved one that I was unaware of for over a year. Both were difficult for me to adjust to but I did. I eventually “let it go and let God”. 

On February 15 the photo theme was “get in the photo...”. This type of theme always gives me pause for thinking it through. I am not fond of ‘selifies’. My twin great grand nieces where here at the time I was in search of the challenge. One was playing a game and wanted me to play the game with her. That was the perfect time for this shot.

There was another more pleasant happening. A young cousin whom I haven’t seen in twenty years came to Columbus (from Texas) for a quick visit. The visit was brought on by a loss for him (and for us) so there was a need for a reconnecting for some healing.

Today has been more on the calm and encouraging side of life’s realizations. Church was an ointment  for my wounds of the past few days. It was good to hear the message and feel the touch of friends. There has to be times like this in our life’s cycle. We learn from them and enjoy the better days because of them.

The word today is early. It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men, Frederick Douglass. If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The darkness is at its deepest. Just before the sunrise, Voltaire. The early morning hour should be dedicated to praise: do not the birds set us the example? Charles Spurgeon. When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love, Marcus Aurelius. Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night, William Blake. It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom, Aristotle. As the shadow in early morning, is friendship with the wicked; it dwindles hour by hour. But friendship with the good increases, like the evening shadows, till the sun of life sets, Johann Gottfried Herder.  I long for wildness, a nature which I cannot put my foot through, woods where the wood thrush forever sings, where the hours are early morning ones, and there is dew on the grass, and the day is forever unproved, where I might have a fertile unknown for a soil about me, Henry David Thoreau. The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep, Rumi .  

One of the two photo challenges for today were “wings”. Again, this is winter in Ohio. There is not a lot of activity of birds in the trees and planes weren’t drifting by much today. I had to revert to my archive again for a photo of one of the geese that find the pond at the neighborhood park nearly all year around. This one was taken just a few days ago so I didn’t have to go to far into the thousands of shots in the archives.

If all of these plans go through for the westside of Columbus there will be a lot of happy people. We have been waiting for a long time for some city officials to pay attention to the needs of the westside. Maybe this is a sign that our turn has come. My believe is that whenever something small needs fixed and is let go the worse it gets and the harder it is to fix. A good example is a car beginning to need attention or a house needing small repairs, then let go and days, months, years later more and more damage from the original minor problem.  The article I found today, which is a second one on this area of town, was about the efforts trying to bring Sullivant Avenue back to pleasant living conditions for those who hung on to property on that avenue and those who may want to live there once its outlook  has been improved. One of the lady’s in the article has lived in her home on Sullivant for nearly fifty-four years. She has been given hope of attention for the area over and over again to no avail. She is hoping that this time it will work and the improvements will begin, maybe a simple first step of cleaning up the streets. She, a long with others I am sure, hope that it can be done without “displacing” those who have stayed and hung in for years. They have established a home in those houses. After some planning by the mayor and his committees the people in the neighborhood are hoping the improvements will start immediately. Plans are for better streets, curbs, sidewalks, signs and lighting. There is a code enforcement officer with the people to listen to their complaints. The people were told that land is being considered for a new police substation so the work may not start for a couple of years. (This sounds a little shaky to me). Among some of the plans are a community garden and basketball court. There will be a “drop in-center for victims of human trafficking, which has been a big problem, near by. This center will be open on a 24/7 system.  Someone stated in the article that “I feel like Sullivant Avenue has always been the piece of the puzzle that no one wanted to touch”. (I agree with that statement).

The second photo challenge for today was for the second online photo group I belong to. This theme title is “true blue”. Since the twins were here there was a myriad of items to choose from. They have bags of toys around and I find that many time those toys and books have a challenge photo in their mist.

We are going to Red Lobster with Danny, Lowell and Rebecca tonight for dinner.

Joy

February 14, 2020 thought for the day: Treat the days well and they will treat you well. Zambian Proverb 

It was nice to have Natalie stop by after work yesterday. I had a box to be mailed that she agreed to take care of for me. And we had a chance to visit for a bit. I am in a “family togetherness mood” right now. I needed a visit like  needing a fix must feel.

There has been a touch of nostalgia tinged with melancholy stemming from several layers of my life, hanging on for most of the day. It is hard to shake. It is one of those moods that has to teach a lesson and then move on.  It seemed I needed for my son to contact me for a mood boost and he did.

On February 13 the theme was “on the ground”. So we could have captured something that fell on the floor or grew on the ground or sets on the floor or ground, right? Well, first I placed the camera with the timer set on the cement of the front porch to try to capture the left over snow. There wasn’t enough color or shape to satisfy me so I tried again. I moved on to my indoor house plant garden in the corner of my living room on the floor. I wasn’t happy with the results of that either. Moving on....I noticed Sweet Pea sitting near by looking at me as I ran around thinking and searching. I decided to photo shoot her sitting on the floor. Here she is. 

I have been trying all week to get one of my prescriptions refilled. The machine on the other end of the phone both times I tried to place the order said that it was accepted and will be available tomorrow. Twice this week I went to pick it up (“tomorrow”) and there was no order according to the clerk. Yesterday I called to speak to a person, as opposed to a machine, to try to straighten out the mis-communication, wherever/however it occurred. They called this morning and it was in so I went to pick it up. I hadn’t planned on going out today but c'est la vie.

I got a little house work done, dishes out and in the dishwasher and the kitchen floor mopped. After that I searched around for the photo of the day and then just took the rest of the day as it came.

The photo theme for today is “I love this...” Well, that could be many things. After several attempts at different settings the thing that touched my soul was the winter sun coming in the side window. I did my best to capture it and send the feeling to you. After I made the shot and started the post processing I saw that one of my spider plant’s leaves, or it’s shadow, was leaning across the award winning photo of my dulcimer photo that was artully placed among the garden plants.

The word is dust. We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust, Rumi.  Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life, Pablo Picasso.  ...the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it, Moses.  Write your injuries in dust, your benefits in marble, Benjamin Franklin.  The soul, which is spirit, can not dwell in dust; it is carried along to dwell in the blood, Saint Augustine. Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with, Thomas Carlyle. The devil is not afraid of a dust-covered Bible, Charles Spurgeon.  Our lives are but specks of dust falling through the fingers of time. Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives, Socrates. The true harvest of my life is intangible - a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched, Henry David Thoreau. Wash the dust from your soul and heart with wisdom's water, Rumi.  For everything exists and not one sigh nor smile nor tear, one hair nor particle of dust, not one can pass away, William Blake. Many a humble soul will be amazed to find that the seed it sowed in weakness, in the dust of daily life, has blossomed into immortal flowers under the eye of the Lord, Harriet Beecher Stowe.  

There wasn’t much news that caught my attention on the pleasing side today but this one sounded a bit educational, especially for foodies. It is about the flavoring vanilla. According to the article it’s not boring as it may seem to some. I like this statement “Vanilla gives unselfishly and helps its teammates succeed.....especially in chocolate sauce”. Did you know that vanilla came from orchids? Orchids, therefor vanilla, is difficult to grow. When the farmers ran into troubles with the growth artificial vanilla came into being. An educational part of this article for me was: “Real vanilla contains more than 250 organic components, while artificial vanilla contains only vanilla.” Vanilla comes in the orchid’s seed pod and took at least three years to grow. Vanilla can come mixed with alcohol or glycerin or in powder form. The author of this article did some experimenting with the amounts of vanilla she used in cooking. She doubled even tripled the amounts of vanilla that she added. There were some interesting responses from the children in her family. The moral of that part of the article was “finding the sweet spot” without adding sugar. .

I am looking forward to dinner tonight.....pizza.

Joy

February 12, 2020 thought of the day: Even if the whole world conspired against you -- that would not inflict a quarter of the harm you inflict ...Turkish Proverb

It has been a tiring day. It usually is any day I do as much walking as I did today.  Sue and I went to Kroger and then stopped at White Castle drive through for lunch. We are expecting some nasty weather later today so I wanted to get the groceries out of the way.

The photo of the day for yesterday was titled “skyline”. Anyone living in Ohio on this date knows, if they remember, that it was totally overcast. There was very little distinguishing horizons and a gray nondescript skyline. So, once again I had to dip into the archives.

After I got most of the groceries put up, I got back to work on the annual report. I picked up one of the two articles that I had left to get done last night at the circle meeting. I got that information typed and entered into the template. I think I will try to print a draft copy when I print the bulletin tomorrow. I can make any updates easier that way. I had received some of the changes to make on the bulletin from the proofreaders so I finished the bulletin too.

I need to change direction in a few minutes to put the rest of the groceries away and make some meatballs for the dogs.

The word is dream. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream, Laozi. Dare to be wrong and to dream, Friedrich Schiller. Dreams are the touchstones of our character, Henry David Thoreau. I have dreamed in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind, Emily Bronte.  Friends... they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams, Henry David Thoreau. Stay true to the dreams of thy youth, Herman Melville. They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night, Edgar Allan Poe. At every crossroad, follow your dream. It is courageous to let your heart lead the way, Thomas Leland. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them, Henry David Thoreau. Dreams are excursions into the limbo of things, a semi-deliverance from the human prison, Henri Frederic Amiel. A skillful man reads his dreams for his self knowledge; yet not the details, but the quality, Ralph Waldo Emerson. If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours, Henry David Thoreau.   

The theme for today’s photo caused my thinking cells to open. I thought of several things, then the thoughts stopped spinning and hit upon a photo I took when I visited my great grand son last Friday. The theme title is “the small things”. This one is perfect, tiny fingers, and tiny button nose and a tiny pull on the heart strings. Not to pass by the artful parts of the image with the lines and colors and shapes. The awe of such perfection in every part of this tiny person at this moment stopped in time overwhelms me.

I like the idea of kids getting books or at least reading whenever the opportunity presents itself. In my opinion reading has abounding benefits to the human spirit and well being. So today’s article caught my attention. It is telling about Ohio’s first lady’s recent visit to Nationwide Children’s Hospital to read to kids and to tell them how they can get free books. This event will launch the “Imagination Library” in Franklin County. The article stated that about 83,000 children are eligible for free books that can be mailed to their home each month.  The Imagination Library was started by Dolly Parton. Every child to start kindergarten with a strong start. The money to fund the project comes from donations. Here is Columbus it is sponsored by Children’s Hospital and American Electric Power and some others. The article mentioned that the Ohio General Assembly also committed $5 million to the project. Ohio’s firs lady said the kids who come to the program tend to want to be educated. The project started by Dolly Parton began in Tennessee and has become a multinational project. Apparently Ohio has invested more energy in this project than any other state outside Tennessee, 56 of our 88 counties participate.

I think this is going to be a left overs night.

Joy

February 10, 2020 thought for the day: The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but you still have to mow it. Traditional Proverb


Monday has come around again so the usual list in effect. Do you remember the poem “Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Bake on Wednesday, Brew on Thursday, Churn on Friday, Mend on Saturday, Go to meeting on Sunday”, I think I adopted that habit with a few modifications. I have a set to-do list most days particularly on Monday. I normally work on the church bulletin. Today was slightly askew in that respect. I got caught up in work on the church’s annual report.

February 9th photo title was “silence”. Here is another one that requires a feeling to be captured. I did a lot of thinking on this one. I finally decided to try to capture stillness which to me reflects silence. I asked my son to be my model.

I have restricted touch with two of my great grand babies. I have crocheted them some things and want to send it to them. Since Sue’s driving is at a stand still right now and she  needed to mail some things today I took her to the post office. Since I was there I picked up a box I need to send my package to the kids.

I need to do two photo shoots for photos-of-the day. So I will be taking a break from the computer to look around for the themes. After that, or maybe before that, I need to get the dishwasher unloaded and reloaded.

The word is doubt. When in doubt, lean to the side of  mercy, Miguel de Cervantes. That painter who has no doubts will achieve little, Leonardo da Vinci. To know much is often the cause of doubting more, Michel de Montaigne. Jealousy lives upon doubts. It becomes madness or ceases entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty, Francois de La Rochefoucauld.  There is no rule more invariable than that we are paid for our suspicions by finding what we suspect, Henry David Thoreau. The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth, Peter Abelard.  How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise! Homer. Who knows most, doubts most, Robert Browning. Cleave ever to the sunnier side of doubt, Alfred Lord Tennyson. Regarding Christianity: Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt, John Henry Newman. Doubt follows white-winged hope with trembling steps, Honore de Balzac. To doubt is a misfortune, but to seek when in doubt is an indispensable duty. So he who doubts and seeks not is at once unfortunate and unfair, Blaise Pascal. Faith keeps many doubts in her pay. If I could not doubt, I should not believe, Henry David Thoreau. In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't, Blaise Pascal. Despair is the conclusion of fools, Benjamin Disraeli. There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed, to have despaired and have recovered hope, George Eliot.   

The theme today is “writing”. I wonder if people write much anymore. With keyboards and printers and texting. I presumed it meant hand writing so I looked around for what I could find. There are a few folks who don’t use computers and texts and I found a slip of paper with just what I needed.

The article is about the changes going on in the Franklinton district. This is going to change the landscape in that area of town considerably. Any of us who use Broad Street as a main route of transportation will have much newness to see. I drove and parked in that area of town for fifteen plus years so it will be a big change for me. From what I have seen so far it is looking modern, new, clean and exciting. This article is telling about the second phase of the “Gravity’ development that is taking place there. It will include several buildings one of which will be a twelve story residential tower that will have a park and office space. One of the first “tenants” in part of the other new facilities will be an OhioHealth primary and urgent care center. This second phase, called Gravity II, will be bigger including buildings spanning an entire city block, West Broad to McDowell and W. State Street to the railroad tracks. Besides the twelve story building there will be a single story building, a five story apartment and town house project, a five story “co-live” apartment building that offer bedrooms that share kitchen and living spaces and a large parking garage. The Gravity project is eclectic architecture, events and street life. One person described the development as “a new city.”

This is one of the few days that I have a second photo of the day with another group. This theme is “books”. Here in lies another story. I don’t have a lot of books anymore. I still read  recreationally daily as well as for information and knowledge. Most of my “recreational” reading is through ebooks borrowed from the library and downloaded to my ipad. Educational and technical information, for me, is mostly gathered from the web. Anyway, I do have a few books that I have for specific uses.

I have fried rice frozen from a couple of weeks ago when I made it. That will be dinner tonight.

Joy

February 8, 2020 thought for the day:  The time to make friends is before you need them. Traditional Proverb

To start this memorable weekend I had a visit with another of my great grand children yesterday, that makes seeing three of the five in one week, what a wonderful happening for me. He is so precious, all five are. I don’t seem to be able to get the time to visit any of them more often. I want to catch at least a glimpses of their steps and changes into life as I can catch before they leave Columbus on lifes journey or for other reasons I can’t make a brief visit in their lives.

For the photo of the day for February 7, “begins with F”. There are a lot of things that could work and to be considered for that as well as all the letters of the alphabet. But I was thinking of something close by. I have to dogs that have a lot of Fur. That figured out to be the photo of choice for today.

This is the first weekend that we have had the twins over to spend the night since Sue got home from the rehab center. It was good to have them here again although we do have a lot of toys to pick up.

I have absolutely nothing on a must-do list for today. I have the newsletter and annual report that I wanted to get as good a head start as I could. I have as much as I can get done at this point without getting the information from the rest of the committees. I need to amend that statement slightly, I do have some photo embellishments I want to add that I may work on yet this afternoon.

I made a coke-a-cola cake a little while ago, with some of my own additions (sour cream and more cocoa powder). Bob, Sonja and I just had a piece. Wow....was it ever rich. It was “sinfully” delicious.

The word is diverse.  Pain is as diverse as man. One suffers as one can, Victor Hugo. Because of the diverse conditions of humans, it happens that some acts are virtuous to some people, as appropriate and suitable to them, while the same acts are immoral for others, as inappropriate to them, Thomas Aquinas. There never were in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity, Michel de Montaigne.  The most tranquil house, with the most serene inhabitants, living upon the utmost regularity of system, is yet exemplifying infinite diversities, Henry Ward Beecher. One has freedom as the principal means of action; the other has servitude. Their . . . paths [are] diverse; nevertheless, each seems called by some secret design of Providence one day to hold in its hands the destinies of half the world, Alexis de Tocqueville. To believe and to understand are not diverse things, but the same things in different periods of growth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion, Thomas Paine. It is never too late to give up our prejudices, Henry David Thoreau. Difference of opinion is helpful in religion, Thomas Jefferson. The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities, Lord Acton.   

Today’s theme, “I have too many of”. There again, I have a lot to chose from especially since I am one of those people who have a hard time throwing things out...”I may need this down the line” and so on. The photo I chose probably shows that statement as well as any other. I have tones of spices.

The article today is about increasing homelessness in Columbus. Since I work at the food pantry, I have some contact with this situation. It is sad. According to the article the nation’s homeless is on a positive trend but in Columbus there is an increase in shelters of families with children. The article also stated that about a third of the families who leave the shelter get steady housing. One of the homeless that was interviewed for the article said “It’s one barrier after another.” That person went on to say that anxiety and depression are factors. It is felt that job loss, illness, rising rents low vacancy and landlords being more selective are considerations in this problem. Another factor is the changes in the welfare system. Some thing that effect the homeless situations are struggles with mental health and substance abuse that are relatively common.

We are having chicken and dumplings along with spam sandwiches for dinner.

Joy

February 6, 2020 thought for the day: Tis better to buy a small bouquet And give to your friend this very day, Than a bushel of roses. Traditional Proverb

I am so glad we didn’t get the icy streets and snow they were predicting last night. I got to the church to get the printing done. There were already people there for the food delivery that was coming today. This one was earlier than they usually are.

The photo challenge for February 5 was “tell a story”. I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that I have been using a lot of photos from my archives with winter clouds are here. This is another one of those photos. I am liking a lot of these assigned themes, they make me think and look around. This one seemed to tell the kind of story that stuck in my mind for this particular theme.

Sue needed to go to the bank and wanted to get it done as early as possible so I got the printing done as quickly as I could. Then we got the trip to the bank off the agenda.

I nearly forgot I had a couple of loads of laundry to get done. I got it started after noon, later than I had planned. I spent more time working on a home budget sheet then, also later than I had planned.

Today’s photo is going to be a problem. The theme is “flower”. We are well into winter and there is absolutely nothing blooming outside. Most of my plants are evergreen and don’t produce blossoms. I am going to have to try to find a flowered piece of clothing for this challenge.....Here is what I came up with. I went to the archives again. I really much prefer to shoot the theme photo for the day ON THAT DAY, I think, for me at least, that is what the purpose of the photo a day means.

The word is distress. The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection, Thomas Paine.  In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength, Robert E. Lee.  I love those who can smile in trouble, Leonardo da Vinci.  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. I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve, Charles de Montesquieu. If we want to make a statement about a man's nature on the basis of his physiognomy, we must take everything into account; it is in his distress that a man is tested, for then his nature is revealed, Paracelsus. If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace, Thomas Paine. In times of distress strengthen your heart, Samuel ibn Naghrillah. Fortitude is a great help in distress, Plautus.  

I am a little skeptical about this driverless cars. On the other hand I imagine people were skeptical os the Wright Brothers’ dreams too. Today’s article is about a new service being tried in the Linden area. There are two passenger shuttles in the program started by the Linden Empowers All People (LEAP) group. They are hoping to connect people to COTA routes and social services. The shuttle’s speed is up to 25 mph. It travels a 2.9 mile route with four stops. They run every 12 minutes between 6am and 8pm every day, these hours keep them from running during school travel time. At this point there is a customer service representative on board who can control the equipment if necessary. The “pilot” program will end in February 2021. Apparently there was a service such as this along the Scioto Mile. It was in operation for nine months. These experiments are a result of Columbus winning the Smart City Challenge in 2016. I didn’t learn from this article how the first project turned out or how this one in Linden is measuring up but I would think we will hear more about them down the line.

I think I will be making chili for dinner.

Joy

February 4, 2020 thought for the day: If you can’t live longer, live deeper. Italian Proverb

I had a wonderful afternoon yesterday. I got to visit two of my great grand children. It was Serenity’s birthday and she was out of school for the day. I got to chat with my four-year old grandson. I found that I was learning a new language at his instruction. It was a moment of light in my life. Thank goodness Sue went with me. She is my navigator when I am driving in places that are unfamiliar to me.

Yesterday’s photo theme title was “doorway”. As I made a few stops on my visits and errands, I took shots of doorways. That continued on my way home as I drove thorough the neighborhood so I had a few to choose from. This one interested me the most.

Today I got my virtual visits taken care of including finishing the bulletin for this week. Then I was off to Kroger. As usual I had to have someone reach something on an upper shelf for me but while they were pleasant encounters they weren’t as “memorable” as the ones on my last visit to the store (in an earlier blog).

When I got home the multi tasking began, putting up the groceries with a break to the computer for taking baby steps to begin the church’s annual report. Then a break from that for a few minutes to begin getting the Scioto Valley Women’s newsletter ready for mailing.

We have enjoyed a couple of days with a taste of spring but I think that is ending today. Weather men are predicting snow for tonight. We just have to keep our eye on the fact that it is only a few more weeks for spring to get here in reality. After all, so far at least, this hasn’t been too bad a winter.

The word is disposition. Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances, Benjamin Franklin. He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts, Samuel Johnson. In words are seen the state of mind and character and disposition of the speaker, Plutarch. Temperance is simply a disposition of the mind which binds the passion, Thomas Aquinas. Nothing in human nature is so God-like as the disposition to do good to our fellow-creatures, Samuel Richardson.  He who is of a calm and happy nature, will hardly feel the pressure of age, Plato. Truth is one forever absolute, but opinion is truth filtered through the moods, the blood, the disposition of the spectator, Wendell Phillips. A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man, John Adams. It must be that evil communications corrupt good dispositions, Menander of Athens. The best part of health is fine disposition, Ralph Waldo Emerson. A good disposition is a virtue in itself, and it is lasting; the burden of the years cannot depress it, and love that is founded on it endures to the end, Ovid.  

Today’s photo challenge was titled “in my hand”. That is, in my mind, more or less a selfie. Anyway. As I was waiting to pay for my drive thru lunch order at White Castle, I held the money in one hand and photographed it with the other. When I took the sandwich out of the bag/box I held that too in one hand and photographed it with the other. After I uploaded it to my facebook page and the group photo site, I got nine responses to the words “White Castle”. Wow, I knew they were popular. It’s amazing how many folks like sliders.

I like art and I like old persons and young persons sharing their birth-given and experience-related gifts with each other so this article fits that bill. There is a program called Opening Minds Through Art (OMA). This program pairs folks with dementia with a volunteer who is very often a college student. The pair work together weekly in hour long periods. The purpose is to stimulate the memory of patients and accommodate a relationship between young and old and share humanity of each other. One benefit for the younger part of the equation is that they get the experience of first hand acceptance and value and the feel of a person with dementia. This program, OMA, was founded at Miami University in 2007 and has spread to more than 160 sites in 27 states and Canada. According to the article, there is another place this program is being used presently, beside this one at  Mayfair Village, in Columbus at Westminster-Thurber. Each artist, the older member of the event, titles his or her own work. Here are a couple of the titles mentioned in the article. “Campus Moving Sidewalks”, the artist once worked in maintenance at OSU. Another title, “Ireland Forever”, this artist replied when asked about the title “this is where my people came from”. At the end of the session one of the participants was asked “how did you enjoy the day”, the response, “very much, because I got to meet you”.

I am making taco salad for dinner.

Joy

February 2, 2020 thought for the day: A needle is not sharp at both ends. Chinese Proverb

I picked up some gift cards that one of my groups was late in getting for Christmas gifts. I was elected to pick them up and hand them out.  I got to church early so I could leave them out for the people they were going too.

The photo of the day theme for February 1 was “imperfect”. There are all kinds of things I can think of that though to most would be faults and possible “junk” can also be artfully beautiful and thought provoking. I am thinking of rust spots, flowers with petals missing and are sadly departing their space. My choice for this one is the fallen leaves and berries that were once healthy and beautiful.

We had a bible study before our choir rehearsal today. A couple of surprise guests at church this morning along with a couple of regulars who haven’t been there for a while. That is always nice.

I am taking it slow and easy today, enjoying some of the sunshine that has been missing for the past few days. On top of that it is a little warmer than it has been for a while. It feels like a taste of sp

ring.

The word is display.  We attract hearts by the qualities we display; we retain them by he qualities we possess, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Suard. The sage wears clothes of coarse cloth but carries jewels in his bosom; He knows himself but does not display himself; He loves himself but does not hold himself in high esteem, Laozi. How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them! We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things, and there is nothing without them, Confucius. All the dancer's gestures are signs of things, and the dance called rational, because it aptly signifies and displays something over and above the pleasure of the senses, Saint Augustine. Behavior is a mirror in which every one displays his own image, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  When you see a man with a great deal of religion displayed in his shop window, you may depend upon it, he keeps a very small stock of it within,  Charles H. Spurgeon. Almost every man wastes part of his life attempting to display qualities which he does not possess, Samuel Johnson.   

Today’s theme is “in my cup”. Once again that could be a variety of ideas. It could be coffee, tea or hot chocolate with steam rising or containers for plants. I have often put a flower head or bud in a cup to float on top when it became detached from the parent plant or stem.

The article today sounded like such a fun adventure that I wanted to share it. It is about a couple who are building a “retirement castle”. The couple are experienced builders. When telling about their project they stated that it is a whimsical plan with hidden rooms. There are plans for a slide from the second floor to a guest room. According to the article the outside is already built, the inside is a plan that comes about every day. The couple have plans for a special room grandchildren. Here are a few of other listed plans: a gathering place with 20 foot ceilings and a huge limestone fireplace, a master bath with a two-story rain shower and waterfall. There will be a stained glass window with a story of “Beauty and the Beast”. This vision of a castle has been a dream since high school and a visit to Cedar Point’s Frontier Town. The walls are twelve inches thick and concrete in the center. The ground floor living area will have wide doorways and no steps so that as human aging takes place there are safety and comfort spaces available. The location for this castle is close to the homes of many other family members.  This is a family oriented clan having twenty or more people for dinner once a week. The couple hope to have the project finished this year.

I feel like ordering-in for dinner this evening. I will have to think about where we will order.

Joy

January 31, 2020 thought for the day:  Good deeds never leave home, bad ones echo a thousand miles. Chinese Proverb

I got up a little early since I knew I had to get to church to complete the newsletter. I have two ladies who help me with these last steps of preparing the newsletter. All three of us are early risers and like to get started on projects as early as possible. When I got to the church one of the lady’s was already there. We had it finished in less than an hour.

The photo theme for January 29 was “trio”. One of the first things that entered my mind was the trio of alphabet statues we have at Westgate Park so I headed there after I left the church. In order to make the statues stand out I used some filters to turn the background to black and white. I left the statues their original colors.

I had planned to visit my great grandson today but plans were changed. I am going to try to make it next week. He is growing so fast, he will be crawling soon.

It is a dreary day (with a few snow flurries here and there) and I don’t have much on my agenda. The impeachment talk has taken over most television stations so anything related to my favorite soap operas are on hold for now. I know this is an important time in history, or so we have been told, but I can’t help but picture kids on a play ground arguing when I see the grown men and women in suits sometimes making fools of themselves. The repetition of the same thing over and over and over is jarring and makes the whole thing seem useless. I’m sure it is important to history on more levels than one.

The word is divine. There is a deity within us who breathes that divine fire by which we are animated, Ovid  As the sun shines both on the cedar and the smallest flower, so the Divine sun illumines each soul, Therese of Lisieux. Heartsick, heartbroken - to know love is to know pain. What could be more common? Even so, each broken heart is so singular that with it we probe the divine, Rumi.  To err is human, to forgive divine, Alexander Pope. It is well to think well; it is divine to act well, Horace Mann. For Mercy has a human heart; Pity, a human face; Love, the human form divine; and Peace, the human dress, William Blake. As surgeons keep their instruments and knives always at hand for cases requiring immediate treatment, so shouldst thou have thy thoughts ready to understand things divine and human, remembering in thy every act, even the smallest, how close is the bond that unites the two, Marcus Aurelius.  The transition from cause to effect, from event to event, is often carried on by secret steps, which our foresight cannot divine, and our sagacity is unable to trace, Joseph Addison.

Today’s photo is “cheers!”. I went to the archives and found the cake used to celebrate my son’s return home from a deployment.

Bob Hope was a very well known presence in “my day”. The article today is about the new display at the Veterans museum in downtown Columbus. It is about the fifty years he spent entertaining troops. In 1941 he was invited to preform to troops stationed in California. We weren’t a war at the time and he was nervous about preforming outside the usual studios. That was the start of his fifty-year adventure of preforming for American troops all over the world and through five wars or conflicts. I have not been to see the exhibit. According to the article the World War II period is highlighted. They are calling the exhibit “So Ready for Laughter...The Legacy of Bob Hope”. Columbus is the first stop for a tour of the six city tour. One of the people involved in getting this show to Columbus has “firsthand” experience with Hope’s shows. His father was in the military stationed in Germany. Bob Hope did a show there at the time. The boy went to the show with his father; he said  “When you’re overseas and someone brings home to you, it’s amazing,”. Hope called his troupe “The Gypsies”, together they logged over 21,000 miles, sometimes preforming four or five shows a day. The article stated that he received an average of 38,000 pieces of mail a week. In the exhibit at the Veterans museum there is memorable artifacts such as a coconut and a wooden airplane propeller, and a letter from a services mans mother who told his mother about Hope’s visit. I may have a chance to visit it before it closes in mid April.

This is the composite of the photos for each day for the month of January 2020.

It’s pizza night again....love it!

Joy