May 17, 2021a thought for today, The eyes have one language everywhere. Romanian Proverb

The sun isn’t shining today, that’s a bit of a downer. But from what I am hearing on the weather reports I think I will be able to start taking the house plants outside soon. I had a particular arrangement on the back porch for them for the spring and summer but we have a new back door. Its opens in the opposite direction than in past years so I am going to have to plan a new lay out for them. 

The May 16 photo challenge was titled “something small”. This another of the wide open subjects for image choices. When I was scanning around for something small to use for my image I settled on this single dandelion.  

I did get what I call my Monday agenda done today. I got my part of the bulletin done with the added updates needed since we are going back to some of the normal things as the pandemic eases. I also got the bible study ready to print. Now I need to wait for the rest of the bulletin information and for the message information for next Saturday. 

That’s about all I have on the agenda for today. Whenever I have a break in other parts of the agenda, as I seem to today, I have been trying to add old files to my new external hard drive as a backup. I have been neglecting backing up files for far too long. 

The word for today is voice.  Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Music is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world. Giuseppe Mazzini. The greatest musical instrument given to a human being is the voice. Dayananda Saraswati. The voice of conscience is so delicate that it is easy to stifle it; but it is also so clear that it is impossible to mistake it. Madame de Stael. Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things. Dogen. How wonderful is the human voice! It is indeed the organ of the soul. The intellect of man is enthroned visibly on his forehead and in his eye, and the heart of man is written on his countenance, but the soul, the soul reveals itself in the voice only, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Let there be a door to thy mouth, that it may be shut when need arises, and let it be carefully barred, that none may rouse thy voice to anger, and thou pay back abuse with abuse. Saint Ambrose. The message behind the words is the voice of the heart, Rumi. A man's style is his mind's voice. Wooden minds, wooden voices, Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Two voices are there; one is of the sea, One of the mountains: each a mighty Voice, William Wordsworth. Raise your words, not your voice, Rumi. The one who sings, prays twice, Saint Augustine.  It is impossible that the whisper of a faction should prevail against the voice of a nation, John Russell, 1st Earl Russell. 

The photo theme for today is “made me smile”. I had two particular photos in mind. One of them I shot the on mother’s day that is the one I uploaded to the group I belong to. The other one was sent to me since I couldn't be there for his birthday celebration. I am uploading the other to share here in the blog. They are of two of my very favorite people, two of my great grand sons. One is paying peek-a-boo and the other is admiring the fire truck and all of it’s awesome equipment. 

Here’s another article about people helping people. The Meals on Wheels program is in need of volunteers, it seems the need for this service is more and more in “demand”. One of the recipients of there meals said that the delivery of these meals “saves me time and energy”. The article went on to say “thousands of sick or elderly central Ohioans who depend on Meals on Wheels to help keep them fed.....And the need has mushroomed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit”. In March of 2019 to February of 2020, 4,751 people in Central Ohio were served by meals on wheels. By February 2021 the number had grown to 7,873 and to day the numbers have not gone down. It is surmised that many people lost their support system during the pandemic. This increase in the number of people served has let to “an urgent need for more volunteers”. LifeCare Alliance who run the Meals on Wheels program have had to hire more drivers with a cost estimate of $1,900 more a day. It stands to reason then that that would lead to $475,000 a year. That kind of money is not available and hard to raise. Last year the CARES Act helped with costs.  The Ohio Department of Aging also helps where it can. Many of the volunteers from LifeCare do the deliveries on their lunch breaks. During the pandemic some of the employees had to be let go for a while and haven’t returned to the office yet. Some of the outer counties “are dying on the vine because we can’t find volunteers”.  One of the volunteers took her three children, 6, 8 and 9) along as she made the delivers in the south campus area of OSU and Grandview heights. She believes it helped them learn about life. They saw different people and different neighborhoods.  During the pandemic the volunteers would place the meal in a “designated spot” then let the client it was there. Now they are beginning to knock on the doors and deliver the meal. This way they also serve as “eyes and ears” towards other needs the client may have. 

I think I am making Johnny Marzetti (goulash) for dinner tonight. 

Joy

My discard today makes me wonder were they simply forgotten? Were they left behind? Or was the owner kidnapped (just kidding)?