January 2, 2024 a thought for today, What is fated to be yours will always return to you. Chinese Proverbs

One of the uploads for January 1 was “me, today”. I think I have said many times that I don’t like selfies but the time for them seems to pop up every now and then. I took this one when I was waiting in line at a drive thru. I was checking traffic waiting behind me and decided that me taking a photo may be a good idea. 

My second upload was titled “resolution”. I’m not use to making resolutions, not since I was much younger. This one is an easy one for me because photography offers me many ways to grow. My observation has improved which can be useful and sometimes necessary in many phases of life. Another point is I see things around me that I would most likely not pay attention to. That has brought much to my personal growth. Creating a catalog of memories not only brightens my day and knowledge but is shareable with others. The advantage’s photography has brought all of that and more. 

The last upload for yesterday was “fireworks”. I wasn’t in any location to notice fireworks on New Years or any other time of the year. So I chose to use a photo of sparklers on a birthday cake to represent fire works. 

Life today. Here it is a new year. I spent the beginning of it asleep. Yesterday the first day of the new year, I spent with the other part of my family. Some of them stopped here so that we could visit and exchange a few gifts. Then we all left to go to Cracker Barrel. It was so good to see four of my great grand children. They live at a distance from Columbus right now and I have my doubts that I could travel very well at my age. They are so full of energy and the excitements of life. 

There were twelve of us at the restaurant so it was hard for each of us to hear all of the conversations going on. The restaurant was full of other people having the same kinds of discussions and so it was rather loud and joyful for that matter. The roaring fire in the fireplace added to the atmosphere. After dinner some of the kids wanted to go “shopping” in the front room of Cracker Barrel. They had a good time selecting interesting toys and gadgets they would like to purchase.

This whole season has been a bit bittersweet. Bob wasn’t here to share and had left many memories that seem to appear during this time at any moment. One things will bring up a memory, some bring a smile once I get past the present fact of life. He brought something back to us that has been missing for a while and that added to the wonder and the joy of this Christmas season for me. There were ten of us at the first part of the Christmas. Then topping the season with the gathering yesterday added to the happiness of these days and visits with a total of twenty-two of my favorite family (the one that had to be missing from the gatherings this year will be here for next year). 

My first upload for today is “excitement”. This show ‘active’ excitement but there was some excitement in a quieter form. William had written something on his board that pleased him and he was re-examining it after showing it to his grandmother. 

On a more serious side when I got up, late I might add, and started on the computer I found that I am having a problem with the setups and may need to call in an IT to “clean up” my hard drive. I am having a little problem with Photoshop that slows me down as well as a problem with uploading to my blog. I have a “back door” to use both right now but I want to get the problem fixed within the next couple of weeks. 

I think I had better get back to working on this weeks bulletin now and uploading to a letter to the blog a little late. 

The second upload for today is “black and white”. This one was taken in the local part. As I have mentioned before I thing black and white images can sometimes show more to a scene that color might. Lights and shadows seem much more prevalent.  

The word today is sweets.  Through Love all that is bitter will be sweet, Through Love all that is copper will be gold, Through Love all dregs will become wine, through Love all pain will turn to medicine. Rumi. That it will never come again is what makes life sweet. Emily Dickinson.  Nothing's so dainty sweet as lovely melancholy. Francis Beaumont.  How sweet is the perception of a new natural fact! Henry David Thoreau.  How sweet for those faring badly to forget their misfortunes even for a short time. Sophocles.  What sweetness is left in life, if you take away friendship? Robbing life of friendship is like robbing the world of the sun. A true friend is more to be esteemed than kinsfolk. Marcus Tullius Cicero.  Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart, Washington Irving. Sweet are the uses of adversity, William Shakespeare.  Journey from the self to the Self and find the mine of gold. Leave behind what is sour and bitter and move toward the sweet, Rumi.  There is only a finger's difference between a wise man and a fool, Diogenes. Change in all things is sweet, Aristotle.  

The last photo for today is titled “old and rusty”.  The hinges on this old wooden privacy fence have weathered many changes in temperatures and conditions as rain, snow and heat. The rust shows the age and somehow offers a bit of character and dignity of sorts.

  It seems some people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD at this time of year. So I thought this article may be informative. Besides the mittens and snow flakes of winter “research in psychology and related fields suggests that winter also brings some profound changes in how people think, feel and behave”.  They say some of the effects may come from “cultural norms” or they may “reflect our bodies’ innate biological responses to changing meteorological and ecological conditions”. They seem like “Wintertime blues and a long winter’s nap”. As winter gets colder and darker and longer a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder may begin. They experience hopelessness, a slowing down of “motivation” and lethargy. These are caused by the lower amounts of sunlight. The article pointed out that this happens more in the northern regions of the world, Scandinavia and Alaska, where the days are shortest and the winters longest. Other contributing factor are winter “reductions in exercise and increases in how much and what people eat.” An interesting note is that there seems to be more babies conceived in the winter months possibly due to less other activity. Studies also show that children seem to experience more attention to school work due to seasonal changes in levels of serotonin and dopamine driven by less exposure to daylight may help explain shifts in cognitive function during winter”. The article summarized that people are “seasonal creatures..... eat more, move less and mate more”.

Its’ going to be salmon patties and cole slaw for dinner. 

Joy

                    seen better and stronger days