March 6, 2021 thought for today, Eyes that see do not grow old.. Nicaraguan Proverb

It’s been a fairly eventful day. I think I mentioned at some point that a lens had fallen out of my glasses a few weeks ago and that I had called for an appointment to get an eye exam and new glasses. Well, the old pair of glasses that I had found at that time and was using were beginning to distort my vision. So I called to see if I could get the appointment at an earlier time. I couldn’t. So I asked for them to call me if there was a cancellation. Anyway, the office called me back with a message that they could fix the lens so that my vision wouldn’t be compromised. Then I could wait for the scheduled appointment. So I went in this morning for the repair....aaah so much better. 

On March 5th one of the photo challenges for the day was “e is for ....”. When it comes to finding images to fit the photo themes for alphabetical letters there is most often a wide array of choices. It usually gives me more pause for thought than a named theme. For this choice of E on this particular day of the theme I picked “ear”. This image is of my Australian Shepherds’s ear. I love the texture, shapes and patterns of the individual hairs. Can you imagine the creation and placement of each of those hairs? I love the position of the ear that she had chosen for this pose. I love the shades and hues of color.  

After leaving the eye doctor, I headed straight for the church. I had made a correction the cover page at home using Photoshop. There had been discovered a couple of other small corrections. It took about four minutes to move the old graphic from the cover page and replace it with the new. When Patti got there we made a couple of changes in about ten minutes. Then I started the printing. At about three quarters of the way through the printing the copier notified us that it had run out of staples. We realized we didn’t have staples for that copier. We found some for the last copier. Patti was able to get them to work long enough to finish our job. 

It was noon time when I left there so I stopped at McDonalds. When I pulled over in the parking lot to start munching my hamburger. I found they had given me a chicken sandwich instead. By then there was a long line forming so I just headed on home. 

The rest of the day is going to be easy work on the computer. 

The second photo of the day theme for yesterday was “minimalism” (a style or technique ...... or design that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity). I cheated a little, instead of making a shot especially for this theme I chose one that I shot a few days ago. The letter A. It was minimaliztic in that it is a lone subject and the background was blurred to “unclutter” the single thought. 

The word for today is should. It was God's word that made us; is it any wonder that His word should sustain us? Charles Spurgeon. Truth is contrary to our nature, not so error, and this for a very simple reason: truth demands that we should recognize ourselves as limited, error flatters us that, in one way or another, we are unlimited, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ..... enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, even ....... the animals, to whom Thou gavest the earth as their home in common with us. We must remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion of man with ruthless cruelty so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to thee in song, has been a groan of pain. May we realize that they live, not for us alone, but for themselves and for Thee and that they love the sweetness of life, Saint Basil.  Hours and days and months and years go by; the past returns no more, and what is to be we cannot know; but whatever the time gives us in which we live, we should therefore be content, Marcus Tullius Cicero.  I have never thought, for my part, that man's freedom consists in his being able to do whatever he wills, but that he should not, by any human power, be forced to do what is against his will, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Wise people say it is folly to think anybody perfect; and as to likes and dislikes, we should be friendly to all, and worship none, Charlotte Bronte. A preacher should have the skill to teach the unlearned simply roundly, and plainly; for teaching is of more importance than exhorting, Martin Luther.  Our impatience of miles, when we are in a hurry; but it is still best that a mile should have seventeen hundred and sixty yards, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The small hopes and plans and pleasures of children should be tenderly respected by grown-up people, and never rudely thwarted or ridiculed, Louisa May Alcott   It takes so little to make a child happy, that it is a pity in a world full of sunshine and pleasant things, that there should be any wistful faces, empty hands, or lonely little hearts, Louisa May Alcott    

Today’s photo challenge is “f is for....”. My Christmas cactus has chosen to bloom again. I decided to use one of it’s delicately gorgeous flowers as my offering today. I can’t help but be drawn to the gossamer-like texture of each of the petals and of the thin filaments and the tiny anthers. As well as the touch of the red stigma to announce boldness and “look at me” pull to look and admire the whole body of this flower and small gift of nature and nature’s creator.  

Here’s more news about exciting plans for more green space in our area. There are plans for an “Alkire Road park”. It will be located at 6084 Alkire Road in Galloway and offer family activities.  There will be a path for walking and biking from Georgesville Road. There will be twenty-five parking spaces, a family shelter, a trail head and a playground. The playground will feature natural equipment such as logs to walk on and rocks to climb and lots of green space. Hopefully people using the Camp Chase Trail will come into the park too. That would be a 325 mile long trail that goes right by Alkire Road. For this plan there is a proposed bike repair station and drinking fountain for riders. If all goes as planned the construction for the park will begin in late summer or early fall. 

I can’t make up my mind between hot dogs and baked-breaded orange roughy for dinner. 

Joy