December 28, 2020 thought for the day: After all, harming others means you first harm yourself. Chinese Proverb

I’ve had better days. I had a lot of interruptions while I was trying to complete the newsletter and bulletin. That kind of sets my mood to one that is not so pleasant for myself especially. Then I don’t like myself very much. Despite the mood and the interruptions I did, surprisingly, get a good bit done. I should be able to complete them both tomorrow or at least Wednesday by the latest.

Yesterday’s photo challenge was titled “warm”. The twins were spending some time with us so I had models to work with. They got new gloves and hats for Christmas. Having them try them on gave me the chance for a few images. 

I started work on the newsletter about nine thirty and switched to the bulletin about twelve thirty. By about one thirty I had the biggest part of that one done. 

When I checked my email there were a couple of more pieces to be put in the newsletter. That’s good because there were some spaces to be filled. 

One thing that made the whole day one of the “less than better” was in the midst of all of this Sue and I got in a nasty squabble. That always affects me deep into my soul. I’m sure there will be some healing and things will get better. This pandemic doesn’t make anything easy. Working on things makes the rough journey days easier to travel, though it is two-edged. It is hard to concentrate and on the other hand easier to get over the hump. ‘Nuf of this feeling sorry for myself. 

The word today is reason.  The reason we bitterly hate those who deceive us is because they think they are cleverer than we are, Francois de La Rochefoucauld. When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless, and reason is powerless, Herophilos.  Ambition is to the mind what the cap is to the falcon; it blinds us first, and then compels us to tower by reason of our blindness, Charles Caleb Colton. I see men ordinarily more eager to discover a reason for things than to find out whether the things are so, Michel de Montaigne. Time discovers truth. Time heals what reason cannot, Seneca the Younger. Fortune seldom troubles the wise man. Reason has controlled his greatest and most important affairs, controls them throughout his life, and will continue to control them, Epicurus.  Reason, too late perhaps, may convince you of the folly of misspending time, George Washington. The improvement of forest trees is the work of centuries. So much more the reason for beginning now, George Perkins Marsh.  Reason is the substance of the universe. The design of the world is absolutely rational, Christian Friedrich Hebbel. Reason speaks and feeling bites, Plutarch. Men suppose their reason has command over their  words; still it happens that words in return exercise authority on reason, Francis Bacon. Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven, and you are answerable for, not the rightness, but the uprightness of the decision, Thomas Jefferson. Faith is led confidently to expect what reason would never suggest, Charles Spurgeon.  

Today’s photo title is “monochrome”. I wanted something with a little move character than straight black and white, although I love black and white images with interesting subject matter. Anyway, instead of setting the camera for a monochrome I created one in Photoshop, the modern darkroom.  I was going for sepia but this one is just a touch too red/orange in hue for my liking. 

This article has some suggestions on how to dispose of “holiday decor”. I’ve heard some but not all of these before. Thought it would be a good idea to pass it on. The article mentioned how there is a variety of times that people begin this process. Some dispose of the live tree at the end of Christmas day, some “begin the process” of taking down around Epiphany. Regardless of the time frame it may be a good idea to consider recycling or “re-purposing”.  The article starts with ways to handle a cut tree. A lot of areas collect used trees then chip them for mulch. The trees can be put by the curbs to be picked up on yard-waste pick up day. The article went on to suggest that the trees can be “re-purposed” by putting them in the back yard for birds and small animals to enjoy. They can also be put in ponds and lakes for the fish to use as a habitat. As for tending to holiday plants they can be maintained for continued growth and use in the next season. I learned that Amaryllis plant need “a rest period of several months in a cool, dark area in order to bloom again”. Poinsettia plants just need proper watering and “lots” of light through winter and spring. It went on to say in the care of the poinsettia it is good to prune it to approximately six or eight inches in the summer. It needs twelve hours of complete darkness each night for two months. That can be accomplished by putting a cardboard box over it in the evenings. On to Christmas cacti....they need bright filtered light in the day and twelve hours of darkness for six weeks before blooming. As for evergreen wreaths, roping and holly boughs, they can be used as mulch or composted. Cut the branches and boughs into smaller pieces.

I think I want to make goulash for dinner. 

Joy