November 29, 2023 a thought for today, Believe no man more than yourself when you are spoken of. Latin Proverb

The first upload for the 28th was “thanksgiving family”. This is from the archives. This is game time after dinner. This is some of the family in the game time with the rest elsewhere watching TV or chatting. 

 The second upload for yesterday was “to-do list”. Well, I have several, mostly in the form of sticky notes. They are all over my desk top. I know exactly where they are refer to them often during the day to refresh my memory. 

The third upload for yesterday was “books”. I have taken and uploaded several captures of the old books in my home collection. So since I was in the church library I decided to use some of the books on the shelves there for my entry.

 

Life today. The past ten days or so have been busy keeping me on my toes. It has been a happy time as well with moments of sadness. This is the last day of time deadlines for a while. I think now a time that I can let down and relax a little. 

I got the tree up bit by bit, between other things going on around me. I guess that was a true test of multi tasking. Sue put the finishing touches on it today. 

The first upload for today is “giving”. At food pantry we have an extra “free” table where our visitors can choose any item they would like as an extra.  

Food pantry was a bit slower the last two days compared to what they were last week. Today we had a good number count but they came in spaced far apart. There were times of lull then one or two would come in before another lull. I’m surprised that we ended up with the number of families we actually did serve today. 

I am down to four calendars to print as my annual gifts. I hope to get two more done today. Then I need to order some things for the younger family.

I have put off a few necessary household chores so I will have to spend the next couple of days or so catching up. By then the Christmas holidays will be upon us. 

The second upload for today is “a view”. This “view” fascinates me, to watch the traffic pass by overhead. I have used a different shot of this area in another upload earlier in the month. 

The word for today is identity.  He who knows others is clever; He who knows himself has discernment, Lao Tzu.  Explore thyself. Herein are demanded the eye and the nerve, Henry David Thoreau.   Beware of no man more than yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us, C. H. (Charles Haddon) Spurgeon.  We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. Francois de la Rochefoucauld.  If the fairest features of the landscape are to be named after men, let them be the noblest and worthiest men alone, Henry David Thoreau. To be idle requires a strong sense of personal identity, Robert Louis Stevenson.  Be not another, if you can be yourself, Paracelsus.  Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fullness and completion? Ralph Waldo Emerson. We know what we are, but not what we may be, William Shakespeare. We boil at different degrees, Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be, Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Mine honour is my life; both grow in one; Take honour from me, and my life is done William Shakespeare.  A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society, Thomas Jefferson.  One of the most wonderful things in nature is a glance of the eye; it transcends speech; it is the bodily symbol of identity. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  To practice virtue is to selflessly offer assistance to others, giving without limitation one's time, abilities, and possessions in service, whenever and wherever needed, without prejudice concerning the identity of those in need, Laozi. 

The third image upload for today is “wildlife”. Here in the city we don’t see to many wild life that present themselves in daylight hours and in an easy to capture presentation. There are almost always ducks at the pond in the park. There are also gobs of squirrels but they scamper so fast when I don’t have the camera at the ready. 

The story. I was surprised to learn that before the OSU stadium could be built the Olentangy River had to be dealt with and “re-routed.” This is just a note with some more history about Columbus. At the beginning of the article it mentioned three major building in Columbus, the Statehouse, the LeVeque Tower and the OSU stadium. Some facts about the stadium stand out, its size, “the amount of concrete it used, its seating capacity, total attendance over a century of football.” Then as is goes on it states the few people, including me, know about the construction and its relationship to the Olentangy River. Early on the campus extended to “the river’s east bank.” the “OSU powers” decided a new stadium was needed. A site was chosen. It was at the northwest corner of the land. The river had split into two channels forming two “small islands”. As the article described it the stadium “would be right on top of the eastern channel.” The plan was to  began cutting down the trees along the riverbank and got rid of the stumps. Then fill the channel, the land would be ready for construction. What happened when all of this started was that the water followed the channel. So the detour in the construction plan caused a slurry wall to be built. This technique “permits building a tall underground concrete wall impervious to water.” The track that circled the Ohio State playing field at that time was removed to accommodate “mandatory” increase in seating. That plan “required lowering the playing field over 14 feet, placing its surface well below the area’s water table.” The “slurry wall” technique was used to form a “a huge concrete bathtub.”

I am having Tuna Casserole for dinner. 

Joy

                                 waiting

 November 27, 2023 a thought for today, Lose your temper and you lose a friend; lie and you lose yourself. Hopi Indian Proverb

My fist upload for yesterday was “vegetables”. I didn’t have and fresh vegetable in the house, well some tomatoes and lettuce. I decided to use the bag of frozen mixed vegetables for the image and then for dinner.

The second upload for yesterday was “yummy”. When I was picked up my brunch for the day I got a pumpkin cream pie along with the burger. I picked it with this “assigned” subject image for the day. And it was yummy. 

My last upload for yesterday was  “silhouette”. I don’t do too many silhouette style images although I find them intriguing. I may have used one very similar to this one of one of my great grand sons.

Life happens. This day morphed into little bumps in the path. I took the balloons out of the last two crochet “snowballs.” I found that one instead of coming out in one piece as all the others had I had to fish for it with a crochet hook. That was number one bump. The printing went fine. I stopped at White Castle for a brunch order. Then made a round of some photo spots. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the photos I got. Maybe when I get them in Photoshop I will see more than I did when I did an in camera preview. Number two bump.

When I got home and started on the brunch I decided it wasn’t what I was really hungry for. That was the third bump. 

I started on some what turned out to be multitasking chores that need to be done. I put a few ornaments on the tree....I don’t seem to be getting it done all at one time. I put an ornament on in between other tasks. I put the new electric blanket on the bed and found that the plug is not at the spot ideal for the outlet in the wall. It works but a little on the awkward side. This is number four bump. Then when I started the download of todays photos the memory card reader wasn’t reading. Then the printer wasn’t printing until I ‘rebooted’ it. More “bumps.” 

The first upload for today s “thankful”. I am thankful for so many things it would be hard to share

them all in one upload. I decided on an everyday simple thing that I am grateful for.....ATM machines when I need them and the bank is closed.

I should go back to the beginning of the day. Yesterday I had two visits, one a visual call from my great grand children. It was a great call, two calls actually. Then Lowell and Rebecca stopped by. I put some of my uploads on hold for today. I had just about finished the sermon upload to facebook so that was off the todo list. When I got up this morning and before I left for church I finished yesterdays uploads. 

I think I will stop on the todo list for today. Tomorrow is another day, maybe a smoother path than today. 

The second image I chose for the subject matter “I remember....”. I have a bank of memories. To settle on one and chose it without going through the memory bank I chose a sliding board. I remember when I laughed and smiled while a flight downward. And when I watched as my kids and my grandchildren and great grand children laughed and smiled. Memories that don’t fade.

The word for today is humor. The secret to humor is surprise. Aristotle.  A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road.  Henry Ward Beecher.. Good humor is one of the best articles of dress one can wear in society. William Makepeace Thackeray. True humor springs not more from the head than from the heart. It is not contempt; its essence is love. It issues not in laughter, but in still smiles, which lie far deeper. Thomas Carlyle. Fortune and humor govern the world, Francois de la Rochefoucauld. Witticisms please as long as we keep them within boundaries, but pushed to excess they cause offense, Phaedrus.  The happiness or unhappiness of men depends as much on their humors as on fortune, Francois de la Rochefoucauld.  A jest often decides matters of importance more effectively and happily than seriousness, Horace.  Many a true word is spoken in jest, English Proverbs.  No mind is thoroughly well organized that is deficient in a sense of humor, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be, William Hazlitt.  One never needs their humor as much a when they argue wit7h a fool, Chinese Proverbs. 

The third image upload for the 27th was “texture”. I found this piece of wood that needs a facelift but I need it for todays image before we consider what kind of face lift it will get. 

I remember this parade. We use to look as forward to it as the Macy’s Day parade around Thanksgiving time. We use to watch it from one of the Lazarus’ parking garages. According to the article the “history of holiday parades in Columbus falls into two distinct eras.” There was a parade to “kickoff” the Christmas shopping season at Lazarus. During the season there were activities at Lazarus where people were “dazzled by elaborate window displays.” On the sixth floor of the store was Santaland filled with a talking Christmas tree, a top workshop and Santa himself. Another happening was for decades there was a Lazarus Santa Claus Parade. In time it grew to be travel “a five-mile route from North Broadway to the store downtown.” I was reminded of the fact that the first parade was on December 1, 1922. Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts were in the early parade and then “escorted” Santa into te store. The parade grew and changed over the yeas. It moved to the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. As it moved and grew into the 50s and 60s it eventually included “as many as 10 marching bands, dozens of floats and popular Disney characters.” In 1973 the traditional parades stopped for several reasons, competition on television, bad weather, and “the desire to focus money on entertainment inside the store.” The article went on to relate that even though the parade ended “Santaland continued to be a beloved holiday event at Lazarus for another 20 years.” In 1981 “the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the first Secret Santa Parade.” In this parade there were helium balloons, floats, marching bands and “”elves”. About 200,000 people watched this parade. Later it was called The Holiday Parade until 1993. There was an attempt to restart the parade tradition in 2001 at the City Center mall but it didn’t work out. I wonder if there will ever be another attempt to bring the parade and its feelings back to Columbus.

I am having creamed chicken on biscuits and Spanish rice for dinner. 

Joy

                                         right place, right time?

November 25, 2023 a thought for today, Live for a century? learn for a century. Russian Proverb

My first upload for yesterday was “in a row.” The only thing I could think of as I was how neatly eggs are in a row in their cartons. That was the most handy thing I had on hand. 

The next thing I uploaded yesterday was “vice.” I think it’s pretty much known that I am a fast food enthusiast, so this image was an easy one to pick. 

And the third for yesterday was “yachts.” Now, that one gave me a bit of trouble. I am a city “girl” and not around the kind of water way that we normally see yachts. The closest thing I had to that was the replica that we had in down town Columbus for a while.  

Life today. I have had two very good days. Thanksgiving with Tami and all her family at my granddaughter’s house. Dinner was good and family was even better. We also got to “meet” the family menagerie. It consists of two dogs, a St. Bernard and a Great Dane mix, a pet skunk, several snakes, a lizard, some fish, a hairless cat and a few more critters. I was in my glory.

Today after some household chores and the photos, we went with Lowell, Rebecca, Josh, and Jeff to Red Brick Tavern in London Ohio. Dinner and company were awesome. 

The only missing part was Bob. He was with us in conversation and memories. This hit me a little harder than I expected. To top it off I was hoping for Ohio State to win the game today for Bob (he was an avid follower), but they didn’t. It is going to take a few days to realign myself. 

The first upload for today is “old wood.” When I came across these fallen branches, I realized that they were “old wood” before they were cut and made into something other than a tree.

Sweet Pea and I are back from our usual Saturday grocery pickup. There are still a few groceries to put up but I wanted to get a couple of other things out of the way first. 

I hope to get some more of the crochet “snow balls” starched, a couple more calendars bound, and a start on putting the Christmas tree up. The tree should be easy. I broke down and bought a tree that is pre-lit, should save a big part of the decorating. I want to take my time putting ornaments on the tree. I have a few ornaments from my mom, some from my aunt (both are in heaven), some are Sue’s and many of mine from over the years. 

The weather is bright and shiny but cold. For us here in Columbus it is the big foot ball day, the day OSU plays Michigan. 

I think I had better get on with my todo list now if I want to get done by dinner time. 

My second photo today is “busy.” As I was watching people come in and out of the store I could see they were busy in their own space then I caught site of this person putting his strength into his job.  

The word for today is help. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson. What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. Saint Augustine. Lord, help my poor soul. Edgar Allan Poe. It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help. Epicurus.  God helps those who help themselves. Benjamin Franklin.  Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other. Euripides. 'Tis not enough to help the feeble up, but to support them after. William Shakespeare.  Man was created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord and in this way to save his soul. The other things on Earth were created for man's use, to help him reach the end for which he was created. Saint Ignatius.  He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent. Saint Augustine. 

The last photo today is “leaves.” This a perfect season for that theme. Through spring and summer the leaves are “out of the way” on the trees. But in the autumn they are all over the place and in beautiful colors.  

This is a story about a nativity scene that is well know in Columbus. I have learned a lot from this article about this scene that I have seen hundreds of time in my life. If you are in Columbus during the holiday, you should so see it. This collection was created by Gordon Keith a local artist. In the 1960s and 70s this “75-foot long Nativity display depicting Mary, Joseph, wise men, camels and a cast of other animal characters” was displayed on the westside of Columbus. Mr. Keith was born in Columbus. He served in the Army in WWII where his used his art to make “scale models used to plan military strategy.” After the war he set up a studio in Boston then moved back to Columbus. He died in 2015. During his career, he designed for department stores along with parade floats and museum exhibits. There were also other art exhibits and shows in Columbus, some for the Lazarus Department store exhibits. He was probably “best known for is the life-sized Nativity scene that debuted on the Statehouse lawn in 1961.” He and his team designed the” life-sized figures of Mary, Joseph, and a menagerie of animals for the scene that was set up on the west steps of the Statehouse.” At that time it was considered the largest display of its kind in the country. All parts of the scene were “meticulously researched to be as accurate to the historical period as possible.” It was displayed there again the following year but an underground garage caused it to be moved to City Hall in 1963 where is stayed for four years. After that it was placed in storage. In 1954 Mr. Keith was hired to design lights and decoration on the State Auto Insurance Company headquarters. In 1962 “duplicates of the fiberglass figures were incorporated into State Auto’s holiday display.” After that the original display was erected on his West Side property. Postcards with photos of the “World Famous Nativity Scene” that had been “viewed over the years by hundreds of thousands of people.” For many years parts of the Nativity figures were stored in Keith’s by State Auto. As time passed the two sets of the nativity scenes became intermingled and parts of one were used to repair parts of the other. There was a problem of who owned the major portion of the scene since State Auto “retained ownership of the Nativity.” In 2023 “State Auto donated the Nativity display to the Diocese of Columbus' Museum of Catholic Art and History.” The Diocese plans to display the scene “on the lawn of St. Joseph Cathedral on East Broad Street.”

I think I am having baked and seasoned talipes and lumpia for dinner. 

Joy

                                not in the right place?

November 23, 2023 a thought for today, A wise companion is half the journey Russian Proverb

The first upload on the 22nd was “apple(s)”. I didn’t have any available but there were some at food pantry so I took advantage of that and used one of them are the model for this upload.

The second upload was “wet”. Again at pantry there was coffee offered to
the clients as they wait to shop for their groceries. I took advantage of that possible image for today also. 

The last photo for yesterday was “food”. We offer a great selection of food to our pantry clients so once again I took advantage of that subject for my third photo. 

Life today. I got an early start on the day. I don’t know why .... it is a relaxing day, a day of thanksgiving. It is a day for our thoughts to be wrapped in the feelings of all we have and have had to be grateful for. And a day to share those feelings within or reaching out. And so it is for me today. 

I started the day, after virtual visits, with being in the church. I was there to do the printing for Sunday but there was a special feeling in the sanctuary....most likely just in my own mind, none the less a warm welcome.

My first upload today is “tattoo”. This one I really had to think about. I realized that some of the people I would see later today would have a tattoo so I was able to get this assignment that way. This tattoo is a remembrance of a puppy. The puppy was one of two who lost their mother. My granddaughter took this one and raised it at first with a bottle and woke up in the night to feed him. He lived with her for I think twelve years. 

I decided to postpone the last parts of assembling the newsletter. Dorothy and I will do that early next week. I will print on Monday and we will fold, stuff, seal, label, and stamp on Tuesday. 

I am making a chocolate pie to take to my granddaughters later today. Then I will finish my photo a day project, do laundry, and work a little on the calendars before Sue and I leave. 

My second upload was “what I am reading”. Most of my reading is on the computer or my tablet. I pretty much stick to mystery/crime/lawyers type reading but I decided I needed a break from that so switched for a while to historical fiction, another favorite. This one is The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati. I am engrossed but it is 2000 pages long (in the ebook way of counting). I don’t think I will be able to complete in the twenty-one days the library allows per download. So I will have to re-order it later. I am a slow reader. 

The word today is health.  He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything. Thomas Carlyle.  Health is not valued till sickness comes. Thomas Fuller.  The first wealth is health. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. Hippocrates.  True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. William Penn.  Water, air, and cleanness are the chief articles in my pharmacy. Napoleon Bonaparte.  'Tis healthy to be sick sometimes. Henry David Thoreau. Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease. Hippocrates. Let no one be slow to seek wisdom when he is young nor weary in the search of it when he has grown old. For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul. Epicurus. True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost. Charles Caleb Colton.  I, poor creature, worn out with scribbling for my bread and my liberty, low in spirits and weak in health, must leave others to wear the laurels which I have sown, others to eat the bread which I have earned. A common case. John Adams. 

Another of today’s uploads is “selective colour”. This is a string of bells Sue found beginning our Christmas decor on the front door. I separated it from the background to turn the background to black and white. 

A Story. I think of art as a form of a universal language. So many major cities of the world are famous for something in their nation that is art.....in architecture or other forms. Here in Columbus we have a new display for all visitors to see and remember and compare with other cities of the world.  We have a place called Orange Barrel Media (OBM) that is more than “just gray steel and reflective glass.” The article says that the structure is a “concrete canvas.....a multi-story site-specific public art installation.” There has been a “year-long project” that worked with local artists, some from the Columbus College of Art & Design to generate and create more public art for Columbus. That article reported that the project used 300 gallons of paint, 300 colors and took 1,400 hours in a four month period to complete. The art work can be seen from a distance. It is located at 250 N. Hartford Ave. There are silos in the art work. The main artists noticed that there were dumpsters covering some favorite sections of one of the walls and arranged for them to become part of the project. The lead artist says that she believes that there is great support for the arts here. According to the article the completed work on all side of the facade tell a different story.  

 It’s Thanksgiving day so dinner today is with family.....there will be a smorgasbord of food. 

Joy

                                       looking up

 

 November 21, 2023 a thought for today, Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Romanian Proverb

 

The first upload for yesterday was “sunset/sunrise”. I am not up early enough usually to get a good shot of a sunrise and in bed too early to get a good sunset. I happened to be up in time yesterday to snap this one. 

The nest upload yesterday was “a goal”. My goal is to get the other
crochet snowballs that I completed last year starched. I put them in storage until I was ready to use them. I fill them with a balloon, roll them in a starch solution, hang them to dry. Once they are dry, I burst the balloon and voila. 

The next upload for yesterday was “knife”. This one of Bob’s knives. He liked it because it was “fancy”. It was only for a collection of items that seemed a bit different from the ordinary. This was the only knife in the collection. 

I had a fourth upload for yesterday, its title is “door or door knob”. This is the only glass door knob in my house. When we moved in over sixty years ago all of the knobs were glass. 

Life today. This is not one of the beautiful sunny latter days of autumn...it is one of the rainy damp overcast days telling us the more somber days of winter are on the way. Most of the leaves are off the trees and are on the ground, in the street gutters or somewhere making compost. It feels like a season to begin snuggling and reflecting for a time of reflections until spring sneaks back in the time of renewal and rebirth.

I got the rest of the information to finish the bulletin. I got it in my email shortly before I got ready for food pantry. I did have time to finish the input. I left the formatting part for tomorrow. I hope to be able to send it out for review and then finish the newsletter. I also got the anthem lyric sheet typed and the envelopes printed before I left.  

The first upload for today is “arches”. I couldn’t think of a better place than my church where I would find many arches. And to add to it there are so many other beautiful architectural feature.   

We were buzzzy at pantry to day. We had forty-two families. Gail and I had a little bit of a bump when three different clients could speak NO English and were out of the zip codes that we service. It took longer than with the other folks to get them signed in but we made it. For me it makes life all the more interesting. 

I was able to get two of my photo a day photos at church today, the other one is of a place on my garage that needs some attention, a lot of attention. 

The second upload for today it “sugar”. Some times I am lucky and thing present themselves readily for my photo images of the day. This is one of those, our sugar and cream accessories for the coffee we share. 

The word today is gratitude. Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. Aesop.  The one being carried does not realize how far away the town is, Nigerian. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts, Henri Frederic Amiel. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others, Cicero.  To the generous mind the heaviest debt is that of gratitude, when it is not in our power to repay it, Benjamin Franklin.  If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough, Meister Eckhart.  It is a pity that doing one's best does not always answer, Charlotte Brontë.  For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends, Ralph Emerson. Gratitude bestows reverence .....changing forever how we experience life and the world, John Milton.  Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart, Henry Clay. No longer forward nor behind I look in hope or fear; But, grateful, take the good I find, The best of now and here, John Greenleaf Whittier. The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart, Plutarch. 

The third photo assignment for upload today is titled “ugly”. This is a place under the garage door that needs some repair.  

Here’s a story about a mystery building in Columbus. This was mentioned on the Columbus Neighborhood PBS show on Thursday evenings. The article opens with mentioning a street near downtown that is a “bit desolate”. It goes to explain that there are several blocks with warehouse buildings and half-empty parking lots. But there is one building that looks sort of like an apartment or office building .... maybe just a little odd. It has a “communication tower with all the satellite dishes on it and all the windows on the building are all blacked out.” There are security cameras and it seems no people. The author wanted to learn more about it. A search of state and county records showed one of the “largest wireless carriers in the country, Verizon.” This fact couldn’t be verified any further at that point. The building is part of a wireless network.  A professor at The Ohio State University Professor said “the building is a mobile technology switching office, which houses the technology that routes our calls.” It is noted that Columbus has many of these “switching offices” for to cover the whole city. Where our cell phones are in use, an electrical signal is sent from the phone antenna to a cell tower antenna. Then to a “switching office” where it is routed to the destination or another switching center across the country then to another phone. The technology at the “mystery building” is part of this connection service. The article further notes that the looks of the building is “likely a security issue....building designers wanted it to blend in and not draw attention to itself.” 

I think we will have hamburgers and shoestring potato for dinner. 

Joy

                             inexpensive transportation

 November 19, 2023a thought for today, Throw good to your left and right, and you'll find it when you'll need it. Romanian Proverb

The first upload for the November 18 was titled “calm.” I felt that the near by park is peaceful at this time of day. It is relaxing to be with nature, including the squirrel hunting for food. 

The second upload for yesterday was “noodles”. I have some
homemade egg noodles in the freezer for beef and noodles or tuna casserole in a later meal. I didn’t think they were “exciting”. So I chose to use the Chinese noodles I have along with some of the ingredients for my next stir fry meal. 

The third upload for yesterday was “orange.” I don’t have oranges in the house and didn’t have time to go to the store to photography some of theirs. I used the liquid variety that I have in the frig. 

Life today. Our Christmas trees are up in the sanctuary. It really brought the Christmas season into our thoughts. It is quite a job putting the trees and decorations up for the season and as far as I know only two or three people accomplished it for this year.

Service today was uplifting and the few who were in attendance were cheerful and welcoming. Our one Sunday school girl along with her teacher did Thanksgiving posters, skit and song. They got the congregation to be part of contributing to the poster by filling out small piece of paper where we what we were thankful for. Those notes were added to the poster and shared at the end of the service. It brought smiles to all of us. The same student and teacher made “cards” for the veterans in our congregation at the Veterans’ day weekend. 

My first photo upload for today is “puppy/dogs.” My new “grand puppy” wasn’t near by so I used the hesitant Sweet Pea for my model. I have to be ready and snap fast to get anything up loadable of her.  She does not like the camera. 

One of my photos a day today is a challenge. The theme title is “balloons.” I have a crochet project that I completed last year. That is, the crochet portion was completed last year. The finishing touch is to use balloons to hold the shape of the work so that it could be starched. The project is for several snowballs shaped pieces at about six inches plus in diameter. I have had them in storage waiting for the right time to do the starching process. Today I took two of the ten pieces, put a balloon inside the circular crochet piece, blew up the balloon and dipped and rolled it in starch then hung it to dry. Now for the other eight pieces, for a later day. At least I was able to capture the balloon theme photo. 

The rest of the day is put aside to rest, renew and refresh. Next week is a busy one as well as a Thanksgiving one. I am eager to be with family for festivity two days this week. One will be on Thanksgiving day, the other on the day after. 

The second photo today is “balloons.” Again, I was going to go on the look out for some balloons. I was going to a nearby Dollar Store who always has balloons or the local Kroger who sometimes has them in the floral area. But after some thought, I remembered I had some at home waiting for me to complete a crochet project I had finished a year ago and stored for later use. I have ten crochet snow balls about two to 3 inches in diameter. They need a balloon inside the design, filled with air, and the dipped and rolled in starch. There was my choice for this photo-a-day  “assignment.” 

The word today is forgiveness.  It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. William Blake.  Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure. Jane Austen.  Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again. Saint Augustine.  It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. Francis of Assisi. Only the brave know how to forgive... a coward never forgave; it is not in his nature. Laurence Sterne.  Forgiveness is God's command. Martin Luther. We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness. Frederick William Robertson.  Anger ventilated often hurries towards forgiveness; anger concealed often hardens into revenge. Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton.  The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. Honore de Balzac.  The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness. William Blake.  God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness. Henry Ward Beecher.  There is no sense in crying over spilt milk. Why bewail what is done and cannot be recalled? Sophocles.

The third and last photo-a-day upload for today is “sharp”. My best choice for that was a meat cleaver that I barely use and has been stored away for some time. The problem is I did not like the background as it turned out so I separated the cleaver from the background and used some Photoshop filters to add a bit of interest. 

The article summary. This article may give some insight to a learning experience for all ages. I think discussion about education, knowledge and wisdom eventually relate to or touches all ages.  There is a professor of English specializing in environmental literature who wrote this article about how board games can show the “perils that global warming poses to the planet.” This idea goes along with the thought that there are games of all types that can add to the learning journey in life. With the idea of the story in mind the professor asked several “activists and educators to try the games out to answer these questions and more.” Part of his thinking was that people learn while they are active and having fun. In many board games there is a “winner.” His thinking, however, is that climate change affects the whole world so games for this test and purpose should be games where all win or no one “survives.” The games he had in mind “spark discussion about values, perspective, conflict, emotions and decision-making.” The professor and his friends “evaluated” several games to see if and how they would work for this purpose and were appropriate for the students. For this “test” there were five games chosen. One called Solutions used scientific research to begin to create a game. Two cards are drawn that describe a way to reduce global emissions. The two ways were discussed and ranked one better than the other for climate. A second game was called Kyoto. The cards in this game represent a country. There is a period in the game of where they “pay fees, bribe and try to persuade each other to reach climate goals.” This one could result in discussion about barriers and goals and economic interests. Another of the games was called Carbon City Zero. They found this one to be to time consuming. Next was Somewhere Everywhere Water Rising Family Pastimes. The players were “consultants” who together make a decision about developing land while considering a sea-level rise. They found this one to be to concerned with one form of possible climate disturbances. Their conclusion was that though it was easy to play it has a “lower educational value.” The last game mentioned in this testing session was Nunami. This one aims to “teach players about balancing life in fragile terrain.” They felt this one “does not teach about the drivers of climate change.” After several hours of ‘play/test’ with this collection of games the group decided the “winner” was Solutions. It urges how to make “decisions with fact-based science.......and allows for interesting team-building conversations.” The professor incorporated this game in his lesson plan then students did a writing assignment on their “their various decisions during the game.”

I am leaning toward a stir fry for my dinner tonight. 

Joy

                                    safety in the sky

 November 17, 2023 a thought for today, The middle way of measure is ever golden. Romanian Proverb

One of the uploads for yesterday was “in the middle”. My sister has a wreath that she is getting ready for a Christmas decoration along with some ornamentation for it. I put some of it together for this image. 

The second upload for yesterday was “bird(s)”. I am not a “bird watcher” per se I find it difficult to capture the quick life of these tiny bit of wild life. There is a bush near my house were the birds seem to flock in sync to this bush. I have often tried to capture the flight so we could see the numbers of them all together and all at once. But, alas, no success. I went out yesterday to once again try to capture it. As I went out the door I heard a bird song and wondered where it was coming from. I glanced around and found this tiny creature watching and singing to me. 

My third upload for today is “mushroom”. I don’t have any idea where I would find near my home a mushroom in its growing life cycle. So my only opportunity would be to maybe find one in the produce section of the grocery store. I stopped at Kroger while I was out and about. Alas, only packaged ones with labels nearly hiding them in the package but for today that would have todo. 

Today’s life. Aaaa, Friday. Uncomplicated Friday. The first thing on the agenda was a six month doctor’s appointment. Just one of those regular check ups that becomes more closely spaced as one grows older. Everything looked good. I did discover that I have carpal tunnel syndrome. Otherwise just a next appointment for six month. In the normal conversation the doctor and I discovered we have several hobby interests in common. It all began with the diagnosis of carpal tunnel. I noted that I was crocheting a lot and on the computer a good part of the day. She is knitting and learning to crochet. I gave her the calendar I had made for her as she looked through it she was telling me about how she partakes in the hobby of photography too. She and her father built and shared a darkroom in their basement as my father and I did. When she noticed the photo of Sweet Pea in the calendar she showed her love for dogs. I have found a kindred spirit. I also learned from her that back in history men did the knitting and women weren’t allowed in the knitting organizations.

My first upload today “church”. There are several churches near my home. Each has its own distinctive look. I have not used this one in some time and decided it was the one that met my taste in its beauty and surroundings for today. 

When I left the doctors office it was raining and has been since then off and on in short waves, light in substance but damp. I took the time to look around for my three photos of the day while I was out. The weather isn’t helping much. I have very little sufficient light but some say that subdued lighting is good photo weather. I don’t think they mean quite this subdued. 

Oh, and we found out yesterday that from the CT scan Sue had a week ago that she will not be needing surgery. The problem seemed to have adjusted to allow blood flow to almost normal again. 

The next upload for today is “lines”. As was leaving my doctor’s office I notices these lines and their particular curvature and textures so I chose them for this image and title today. I like the touch of color in the upper portion also.

I have deliberately kept the agenda for today on the light side. I am glad I did because my arm with the shot is bothering me and I am sleepy from getting up early for the appointment. 

The word today is famous.  Fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate. Emily Dickinson.  Fame is the thirst of youth. Lord Byron. For famous men have the whole earth as their memorial. Pericles.  Wood burns because it has the proper stuff in it; and a man becomes famous because he has the proper stuff in him. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  I do not like the man who squanders life for fame; give me the man who living makes a name. Emily Dickinson.  Fame is the perfume of heroic deeds, Socrates.  Spring is a natural resurrection, an experience in immortality, Henry David Thoreau.  Glory follows virtue as if it were its shadow, Marcus Tullius Cicero.  Fame is like a river that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid, Francis Bacon.  Each man has his appointed day: short and irreparable in the brief life of all, but to extend our fame by our deeds, this is the work of mankind, Virgil.  Worldly fame is but a breath of wind that blows now this way, and now that, and changes name as it changes in direction, Dante.  The fame of great men ought to be judged always by the means they used to acquire it, Francois de la Rochefoucauld,  Riches: A dream in the night. Fame: A gull floating on water, Chinese Proverbs. There have been as great souls unknown to fame as any of the most famous, Benjamin Franklin.  True glory consists in doing what deserves to be written; in writing what deserves to be read; and in so living as to make the world happier and better for our living in it, Pliny The Elder.  I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known, Confucius.  The life given us by nature is short but the memory of a wellspent life is eternal, Marcus Tullius Cicero.  

The last photo a day assignment for today is “railroad track”. Some of my photo friends in this group are uploading awesome views of railroad tracks and their countryside in all part of the US as well as other countries in the world. 

Story. It seems Columbus is in the news for a helpful facility being one of the largest in the world for helping and giving comfort to people in pain and despair. According to the article the Ronald Mc Donald House here in Columbus, due to a $42M expansion has become the world’s largest such facility. The facility grew to be able to accommodate 4,000 to 6,500 families annually. They have added rooms upgraded the kitchen and dining area, community rooms, green space and “a zoo themed play space”. They added a game room that has computers for family use. There is a “healing garden,” where guests can get sunlight and meditate.” Food grown in the facility garden are used by the chefs on site. As the article mentioned the growth of the hospitals and the communities make it necessary to keep up with these growths and any dilemmas that come with growth. There has been grow and improvements of the facility in Columbus since its inception in 1982. One of the interviewed people stated that “Although the upgrades mirror a hotel, he said what the RMCH offers for guests and families far excels what hotels offer.” At Ronald McDonald House you are family not strangers as in a hotel. Here families with children in any of the area hospitals are served. Guests stay free of charge and amenities are free also including “complimentary meals, playrooms, laundry facilities, meditation and exercise rooms, and informal gathering areas.” There are testimonies from many people who have had to use the services and the comments are glowing with the kinds of treatments the families receive in the awful time of fear, need of comfort and undivided attention to their patient. When patients have to return to the hospital occasionally the family can call ahead to have a room ready. People have come from fourteen different counties. The average stay is around seven nights, the longest stay was 556 nights. 

Xtra, xtra.....pizza night.

Joy

    I don’t know what kind of machinery these are or what they are doing but it looks fascinating