September 15, 2020 thought for to day: The devil will not bother you in a house full of children. Kurdish Proverb

This has been a productive day in the way of checking things off my to-do list. I had to return a couple of memory cards. I also needed to take a selfie stick back, one I didn’t need. Sue rode along with me to get out of the house for a while. On this outing, we drove by some scenery neither of us has seen in a long time.

Yesterday’s photo theme was “nook”. I thought of ones out in the yard under the evergreen trees, and a couple here in the house that we have niched out for ourselves. This one was the one that seemed most appropriate at the time.

On the way home we ran into some construction on West Broad Street. On the way back from a stop we had to make past the bottle neck of traffic we decided to take the return path some way other than West Broad Street.  We happened to be right by the street where the two of us grew up so I made the turn down that street. What a wake up call for both of us. It looks nothing like what it did in our “formative” years. The structures were still there but in terribly poor shape. The mere space that the buildings took up and side walks and trees brought back memories, mostly happy ones from elementary school time to our weddings and then the death of our father followed by mom moving away.

I’m not getting “work” done today. The bulletin for church is completed. Yesterday, I made the first efforts to setting up the newsletter, a week ahead of time but that gives me a bit of a head start and takes a little of the stress of filling space or making room out of the task.

The theme for today is “delight”. I went by Westgate Park as one of our stops when we were out this morning. But I didn’t find anything I liked. This plant has pleased me all summer so I thought it should be honored.

The word for today is miracle.  Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?  Henry David Thoreau . Friendship is never established as an understood relation. It is a miracle which requires constant proofs. It is an exercise of the purest imagination and of the rarest faith, Henry David Thoreau. Out of difficulties grow miracles,  Jean de la Bruyere. Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance...is a celebration of that miracle, Martha Washington. Ignorance is the soil in which belief in miracles grows, Robert Green. The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common, Ralph Waldo Emerson. To me, every hour of the light and dark is a miracle. Every cubic inch of space is a miracle, Walt Whitman. The most ordinary things, the most common and familiar, if we could see them in their true light, would turn out to be the grandest miracles, Michel de Montaigne. Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle, Walt Whitman.  We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too, John Calvin.

It was one of the times of the month that I have a second photo of the day. The title for this one is “architecture”. I live in a neighborhood where each of the houses are unique not so much like mor modern neighborhoods with “cookie cutter” style buildings. This happens to be one that offers lines, textures and patterns as so many here do. 

This article is of interest to me due to all the civil servants in my family. Other people should know about this service too. There was a fire in Hilliard when the heat was almost overpowering. At the same time there was a group of volunteers passing out water and snacks to the fireman when they were able to take a break. This group of volunteers is called Box 15. The firemen are tried, sweaty and out of breath as they get this bit of comfort. This group is a nonprofit and has been in existence since 1947. This group here in Columbus has three trucks filled with bottled water, Gatorade, granola bars and other things to offer as a relief to men and women fighting fires. Other things they offer are fans, water misters, benches and even a decontamination shower. Box 15 has 21 active members, six of them are retired firefighters. One of the retired firemen mentioned that the Salvation Army were the volunteers that came to the aid of men fighting fires.  It is a big help for firefighters to stay hydrated and able to take a break before going “back in” to continue the fight. In the 1980s as Box 15 grew they partnered with the Salvation Army. The volunteers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are sent to emergencies through the Northwest Regional Emergency Communications Center in Dublin, the Metropolitan Emergency Communications Consortium and others. Also on the trucks that Box 15 respond in are water hoses, extension cords, portable lights, towels, blankets, and socks. The equipment that they use is housed at Columbus Division of Fire Station #1. Station #22 and the Fire Training Academy on Parsons Ave. The article went on to mention how the organization got its name, “a pharmacist named Max Haverman gathered 14 of his friends who all shared a desire to assist the Columbus Division of Fire.” Hence Box 15 (14 men plus the original paramedic).

It’s hamburgers for dinner.

Joy