December 20, 2022 a thought for today, Listen to that which is well said even if it is from the mouth of an enemy. Greek Proverb 

An upload for yesterday was “joy is....”. For this upload I feel that family is joy and as an extra in this image, unwrapping gifts is also a joy.

It looks like I have all the formatting and typing done for the season (except for one entry). Whew....Now I can enjoy the holidays (after a little cleaning). 

The meeting last night was productive and interesting. It is always good for me to be with peers and share ideas and information in hopes to make things the best they can be for the church.

A second upload for yesterday is “winter”. This one is that park down the street from my house that I use often in my photo uploads. 

I am getting things here at home done early this morning so that I can get ready to go to church for food pantry. 

My first upload for today is “begins with S...”. I chose the star at the top of one of my grandchildren’s Christmas trees. 

The word for today is useful.  Always desire to learn something useful. Sophocles.  Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person. Chanakya. We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience. George Washington. A harmful truth is better than a useful lie. Thomas Mann. Can anything that is useful be accomplished without change? Marcus Aurelius.   It is useful to constantly observe, note, and consider, Leonardo da Vinci.  Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success. Louisa May Alcott.   Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires but according to our powers. Henri Frederic Amiel. Where I am not understood, it shall be concluded that something very useful and profound is couched underneath. Jonathan Swift. Choose the life that is most useful, and habit will make it the most agreeable. Francis Bacon.  

My second upload for today was “a decoration”. This is one of the columns in my church that gets a red bow and greenery each Christmas season.

At this time of year even more help may be needed for people who suffer disabilities of one kind or another. This article points out one such situation for adult people with all sorts of disabilities. There is a group of social workers in the area who gather items they know their “clients” would enjoy. As they have worked with their friends who have needed their assistance they have learned many of their likes and things that give them comfort. After the individual social workers shop and gather their choices for each of their clients they meet with other social worker to wrap their gifts with the provided holiday paper and scissors and tape as they listened to holiday music. This article is focusing on focus who work with the “Franklin County Guardianship Service Board, a board that is part of the probate court and employs social workers who act as legal guardians of adults who need them”. This organization has a gift drive each year. Companies and private citizens buy gifts from places like Amazon, Walmart and Target and donates them for the holiday cause.  In 2015 Franklin County choose to use social workers as guardians for adults in need and have been declared incompetent. These social workers are licensed, trained, educated and know who and when  to call other professionals when necessary. They “are guardians of last resort – meaning they enter the picture only when no family member or other person can act as an individual’s guardian – they are sometimes responsible for nearly 500 clients....with a variety of needs”. There are 19 social workers with 40 people to work with. Some of the people in need are homeless others are aging and don’t have family, still other may have dementia or other disabilities. The social workers give all kinds of help through the year, just talking sometimes helps them to discover needs beyond just the attention of the conversation. Imagine the warmth these people feel for that moment in time and at this special time of year..... seems to me there is another Hand in the mix. 

I had a third upload for today. Its title is “3:00". The image is self explanatory. And along with the time we have some greenery added for interest. 

 I think I am having beer battered fish (air fryer) and potato salad from the deli section of the store with cole slaw for dinner.

Joy

A crate left at a stop sign to be used as a small shelf by people holding signs and seeking assistance