June 12, 2021 a thought for today, The face is the portrait of the mind; the eyes, its informers. Latin Proverb

I have a new great grand son. He was born early in the morning yesterday. I haven’t met him yet, probably in another day or two. I am making booties for him but he beat me by a few days. This is the third crochet pattern I have tried. The first had some confusing steps so I gave up after three times of crocheting and tearing out. The second pattern was to simple looking, not pretty enough. Now this one, I like it but time ran out. When I go to see him, I will show him the first bootie which is finished and the sole of the second which I will finish and get to him the next week. 

Yesterday’s photo theme was titled “balance”. I gave some thought to what I might be able to use as a model for this photo. I also looked around for ideas as I was out and about. I took several shots. When I pulled them up in the “dark room” I felt that this one was the one out of the lot that best fit the idea of balance. 

To begin the morning Bob helped me get a couple of tiny new plants in the ground. I have been trying and trying with one misfortune after another to get a Lenten rose plant started. I am trying one more time. I also planted a small little starting of a portulaca plant also called a moss rose. The back story of the plant for me is related to my father-in-law. He was dying of cancer when he came to live with us. I had planted some portulaca by an outdoor light pole in our front yard. When he needed to get some fresh air and was able to get himself outside now and then he would sit on the front porch. He seemed to be in wonder of that plant. Many times he told me “I think that is my favorite flower”. So in remembrance of him we will have that growing in one of my along-the-slide-of-the-yard gardens. It looks like today will be the first after three or four cloudy and/or raining days. There are lawn mowers going all over the place.

After we got the planting done, I went to the church to drop off the message and bible study. After that I drove by some art activity that is going on (I mentioned the event in the news article below). It wasn’t as extensive as I had pictured in my thoughts but it is impressive. After the  stop at McDonalds I went by the park for some quick photo shoots as has become my habit of late. I wasn’t thinking of this being Saturday so I got a bit of a surprise when the parking lot was nearly full with little league activity. A ball game seemed to be forming and there were tiny cheer leaders having their practice...... It’s great to be alive right now. 

I have to make Sweet Pea’s meatball treats and freeze them this afternoon and think about what I want to fix for dinner, hot dogs, I think. But I need something to go with it. 

The word for today is adventure.  Adventure is worthwhile. Aesop.  Adventure is not outside man; it is within. George Eliot. I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship, Louisa May Alcott. Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Confucius.  Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character, Henry David Thoreau. The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek, Robert Louis Stevenson. I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate, Vincent Van Gogh.  A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably, William Penn. In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors, William Blake. Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present, Marcus Aurelius. 

The photo challenge for today is “eye spy”. When I considered this title, I couldn’t seem to separate it
from the idea of “peek a boo”. So I looked for that sort of image. Along the way I found several more images with not quite as “tight” a perimeter as “peeking” for the subject.

I kind of picked this article because there are many memories at this spot in Columbus. In one of the photos there is the church I went to all my childhood. Across the street from that is a garage that one of my uncles owned. Behind the photos is where I went to school for six years of my life in the elementary grades. And now, a minor space in history is being made. Apparently there is an “infrastructure project underway” called “Sullivant Bright”. It is a “two-phase public art project” that is beginning with the painting of murals in the street and poems stenciled in the sidewalks. This should be an interesting form of art that I, for one, have never had the experience of seeing or even hearing about. A few young artists were photographed sweeping away dirt that had gathered on the rainbow she had spent the week painting on the street. As they tried to worked all last week, they experienced rain and thunderstorms that caused them to pause in the work of painting. The plan is for more such murals along Sullivant Avenue between Interstate 70 and Hague Avenue. I don’t know that such a project will improve the neighborhood in the long run. I think something like a permanent improvement requires a different kind of structured effort. Art is an international language and a strong influence but not of the more sturdy art of architecture when it comes to giving support to the needs of human existence, in my opinion. The artists are paid for their equipment and supplies by the city. Apparently in this plan there is sidewalk replacement, road repair, alley clean up, storm water consideration, stop sign replacement all of which I hope will be up kept so as too truly improve the downcast neighborhood in a lasting rehabilitation. Hopefully it will be enough to energize the thinking of the inhabitants to feel it is important and want it to last. At least it will make the area look much better than it does now, for a while. I gather these early murals are temporary and will be replaced by “long-term” murals and maybe some more life affirming improvements will also come about from the effort. 

Hot dogs/coneys for dinner tonight. 

Joy