March 17, 2020 thought for the day: When the devil says his prayers he wants to cheat you. Spanish Proverb

Well, plans for this day actually started yesterday. I got a call that our food pantry had been closed. I was planning on working there today, tomorrow and two days next week but they have been canceled in trying to join others in keeping this virus at bay. It looks like we will be home bodies, more or less, whether we want it or not. We are keeping the church open at this point because we are a small congregation and church related meetings are also small. My biggest worry is going to the grocery store.

Here at my house we are ok on that front, grocery shopping, for about a week. For me staying home won’t be too bad as long as I have my computer, crocheting and TV. I am a "home body" by nature.

The photo a day challenge for March 16 was “fresh”. I haven’t been to the store for a few days so “fresh” fruits and vegetable were not readily available for me today. My thoughts went to the “fresh” growth that is occurring in the earth as nature moves on its merry way in spite of the destruction of the infamous virus of 2020. 

The minister for this week sent me her information early this morning so I was able to get the bulletin completed and sent to the proofreaders. That is the biggest thing on my to-do list for today. I still want to get a few things done in the kitchen.

This is the day Bob gets off work early. He is home and helped me with my photo challenge for today. The title is “throw”. That would be hard to do without a little help. This image is my photo of the day and met the required theme title. I used some Photoshop darkroom tricks to give a more conducive background. The original back ground had one of the dogs walking past Bob (I didn’t see it at the time I stopped time).

The word is enlightened. Reading nurtures the soul, and an enlightened friend brings it solace, Voltaire. True religion extends alike to the intellect and the heart. Intellect is in vain if it lead not to emotion, and emotion is vain if not enlightened by intellect; and both are vain if not guided by truth and leading to duty, Tryon Edwards. Every burned book or house enlightens the world; every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day, Thomas Jefferson. Love works a different way in different minds, the fool it enlightens and the wise it blinds, John Dryden. The press is the best instrument for enlightening the mind of man, and improving him as a rational, moral and social being, Thomas Jefferson. The true grandeur of humanity is in moral elevation, sustained, enlightened and decorated by the intellect of man, Charles Sumner. He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened, Lao Tzu. So it is with human reason, which strives not against faith, when enlightened, but rather furthers and advances it, Martin Luther. He that fancies himself very enlightened, because he sees the deficiencies of others, may be very ignorant, because he has not studied his own, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton.   

This time in history is interesting. It seems governments, local and federal, are doing a pretty good job of working things out under nearly impossible time constraints. People in businesses seem to be trying to make adjustment in their services too. We may all make it through this and have learned valuable lessons and renewed thought to the way we live our lives in the process. The article today is about one way the schools are trying to keep the kids fed even though the schools are closed. The article described one of the cafeteria workers as she prepared food in an “eerily” quiet building, South High School. She had on her mask and gloves as she filled and stacked the foam containers. Pepperoni pizza and apples were among the foods in the containers. These containers of food were offered to not only students who are out of classes but to anyone under eighteen.  On Monday 837 breakfasts and 1,103 lunches were served. It is planned that these free meals will go on as long as the schools are closed. On Sunday, Ohio's Governor DeWine, said schools could remain closed for the rest of the spring semester depending on the rate of the spread of this virus. Spring is normally the time of testing and preps for graduations. Many areas are offering on-line learning with the teachers scrambling to set up the lessons for that method of teaching. The article said that there would be none of the regular end of semester testing during this period. The ACT tests have been moved to June 13. The article went on to explain that Google Classroom and Canvas are two of the platforms being used for the assignments from home. There are some students who don’t have computer access which is further limited by the closure of libraries. These students are being provided technology or assignments on paper. I was happily surprised to learn that Hilliard is extending its WiFi into the school parking lots so that students can do their assignments outside the building.  Programs are being set up to assist special needs students. A couple of personal views on this subject are: one grandmother is strongly suggesting her grand children has use of her computer. Another, a student mentioned in the article was sent home with a 100 page packet of work along with her teacher’s phone number to use if she needed help.

It’s amazing, and proudly so, to me as I hear many of America’s plans taking place to help with the problems that this ugly virus dumps on society. For example, I hear that there are plans held in reserve for military assistance in setting up “Mash” style hospital quarters if/when necessary. Also assistance from construction companies (masks) and veterinary facilities offering their masks and other supplies where needed because they are hard to get for our medical personnel.

I am using mom’s recipe for chicken cutlets for dinner tonight.

Joy