January 2, 2022 a thought for today, He that would make a golden gate, must bring a nail to it daily. Dutch Proverb

Here it is Sunday again. The huge photo screen has been removed from in front of the altar. It felt much more like the house of God that I am use to and comfortable with. For me a much better way to absorb the message and renew my strength for the coming week and its adventures. We were far from being crowded. Our number hasn’t come anywhere near what it was before the pandemic as a matter of fact it seems we have lost many familiar and “old timer” faces. Today was even more scarce, mostly likely because of holiday activities. At any rate, the message and the hymns did their job of renewal. 

The photo a day theme for January 1 was “how I’m starting 2022". I didn’t know whether to choose a morning cup of tea, the long habit of sausage and sauerkraut, or a wider look. I chose the image I have form New Years evening where I was volunteering at a church activity. 

There isn’t much on the agenda today. Just a day of rest and thinking. I had a particular topic on my mind and needed some inner guidance in how to go about proceeding with the subject. The stimulation of the church service helped activate a positive direction. Hopefully positive, at least, in the final outcome. 

The word for today is mountains.  Mountains are earth's undecaying monuments. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Great things are done when men and mountains meet. William Blake.  Mountains will go into labour, and a silly little mouse will be born. Horace. I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now. Henry David Thoreau. A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in an equally short time. Mencius.  A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle. George William Curtis.  What are men to rocks and mountains? Jane Austen. The tops of mountains are among the unfinished parts of the globe, whither it is a slight insult to the gods to climb and pry into their secrets, and try their effect on our humanity. Only daring and insolent men, perchance, go there, Henry David Thoreau. 

Today’s challenge is “this is me”. Another one of those pesky selfies. So here is me working on the
computer with iced tea at my finger tips. 

I just finished reading the Last Mile by David Baldacci and down loaded End Games, same author. I can’t go one evening without a book. So as soon as one is finished I download another. 

Here is some history about the F&R Lazarus store in Columbus. It all started when Simon Lazarus, who had come from Germany, opened a one room men’s clothing store in 1851. That led to memories for a lot of us of shoppers rushing about, animated windows, a talking tree, rooftop lights and visits with Santa. The one room store moved to a six-story building in 1909. No longer just a men’s clothing store it had grown to a twenty-department store. The store grew and lasted here in Columbus for 153 years. As the years passed shoppers moved to the “newer malls”. The main store that was in downtown Columbus closed in 2004. Here are some items that the article mentioned that made Lazarus a pioneer in “national shopping firsts”.  Here’s one I didn’t realize, Lazarus was one of the first to sell merchandise at one price, in other words no “bargaining”.  And was it exciting when they introduced the moving stairs....an escalator. They added the “bargain basement” that offered great reduced price sales. In 1918 when there was the influenza pandemic, Lazarus advertised itself as the Good Health Store which, to add to this claim, they added a ventilating system that changed the air every four minutes. In 1920 it became part of a federation of department stores. They joined with Abraham & Straus, Bloomingdales, and Filene’s of Boston. In 1934 to stay up with new technology they added air conditioning. Here’s something else I learned from this article, in 1939 Fred Lazarus, Jr. campaigned to have the national Thanksgiving celebration to the fourth Thursday in November rather than the final Thursday giving the holiday shopping season a little longer. As the main store went into “decline” restaurants closed in eight of the spaces and went down to one that was left open. The holiday season window disappeared, the annual Christmas parade ended, and Santa was no longer there. Lazarus opened stores in some of the shopping malls but the “sparkle” for many was gone, it was one of the things that end an era.  

Most likely it will be Taco Bell for dinner tonight. 

Joy

Another of the captures from my archives of trash/left behinds, things added to the landscape by carelessness