October 13, 2020 thought for the day: When you reject gifts from heaven you will be rewarded in hell. Japanese Proverb

When I work on the bulletin, my thinking goes to the dates that are showing on the screen. I was certain that this was a food pantry week and I had agreed to work for one of the volunteers. So at the appropriate time I got myself ready and headed for the church. As I got there the person I was going to be there for was leaving the church. As it turned out I had the wrong date, it is next week. The week I was putting dates in for the bulletin calendar. 

I was a little worried about working on a computer in the sunlight as I would be doing for pantry and is it is bright today. We are still holding the food handouts outside the church during the pandemic and for safety reasons. The weather isn’t bad as far as to cold or rainy hope that part hold out until next week. I am going to have to have a bit of training to do it. The process has changed a little since we are outside the church.

I came back home and started work on the Scioto Valley ladies’ newsletter. I also started on the message for Saturday’s free meal. 

The photo challenge for October 12th was “a hand shadow”. Some of the challenges we get in the group are more challenging than other for me. This one was one of the hard ones. I had to take a photo of one hand making a shadow while holding the camera with the other (none of our children were here to be my model). I tired using a tiny tripod, then a blue tooth wand, then setting a timer. It was just not working. I finally ended with the one I have here. I am not real happy with the result. Oh well, win some lose some. 

I got a bit of news yesterday that has caused a concern to be planted in the current thoughts of my mind. I got the results of my pet’s blood tests from last week’s visit. Things look good except for just one of the tests. It looks like Sugar, my oldest, almost fourteen, probably has cancer. I don’t want to put her through all of what would have to be done for her at her age. Further more I’m not sure I could be of much help to her as she would travel through it at my age. It looks like we will make the best of things. We will keep her as happy and comfortable as we can until all we do can’t help any more. Right now she seems to be happy and not in any noticeable pain. She is blind now but we have learned how to get her past any dangers that come with that. Her place in my heart is aching but still there with all the good memories forever. Life’s full of lessons and experiences, good and bad, happy and sad. 

The word today is nourish.  A preacher must be both soldier and shepherd. He must nourish, defend, and teach; he must have teeth in his mouth, and be able to bite and fight, Martin Luther. Whenever you are sincerely pleased you are nourished,  Ralph Waldo Emerson.  True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment, William Penn. Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom, Francis Bacon. We do not ask for what useful purpose the birds do sing, for song is their pleasure since they were created for singing. Similarly, we ought not to ask why the human mind troubles to fathom the secrets of the heavens, Johannes Kepler.  If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him, Gautama Buddha. Old age takes in part savoury wisdom for its food - see to that your old age will not lack in nourishment, Leonardo da Vinci. Other relaxations are peculiar to certain times, places and stages of life, but the study of letters is the nourishment of our youth, and the joy of our old age, Marcus Tullius Cicero. Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment, Victor Hugo. 

The photo theme for today is “a book cover”.  I don’t have a lot of books around since I do most of my reading on the computer, ebooks and Google. But I do have a few and I have several here that belong to the twins. I shot several of the ones I could drag off the shelves and came up with this one. The font sizes and colors seemed pleasing. 

This is a beautiful time of the year no matter about all the ugliness that is happening in this time of pandemic and the apparent low thought capabilities of some of the people in this period of what they have titled social injustice. The article today “Ohio showing its true colors Changing leaves offer comfort in an uncertain year”. According to the article the leaves are exceptionally beautiful in Ohio. A lot of data is gathered to figure the best times to few the changing colors. Some of the things looked at to tell when the changes will take place are past weather conditions, average light exposure, latitude and altitude, and tree species. The information gathered are compared with the SmokyMountains.com group who produces a fall foliage map for each state. The biochemical process begins to happen at the days begin to get shorter.  There are other components in the leaves besides chlorophyll that give off the reds, oranges, and yellows. The chlorophyll breaks down as the days get sorter allowing the leaves to reveal the “true” colors. For the most vibrant colors warm sunny days, cool nights and a good amount of rain are needed. This summer has cooled down faster than in previous years so the colors are a little earlier. In Ohio the color change is moving from northern Ohio south. There are 125 species of trees in Ohio each showing it on unique colors. Since the colors move from the northern part of Ohio to the southern weekend trips in Ohio from top to bottom and could catch all the different changed from October into November. There is a list of outdoor activities from the ‘100 Things to Do in Ohio This Fall’ which could allow for exploring other sites in Ohio the color changes are on the agenda. 

I think it is going to be hot dogs and potato soup. 

Joy