March 30, 2024 a thought for today, When you point your finger at someone, look where the other fingers point. Japanese Proverb

An upload for yesterday was “ascension”. I took this photo a few years ago. It is the best image I could find to match the title of this assignment

Another of the uploads for yesterday was “food”. It’s my usual, fast food”
rather than gourmet which I seldom experience first hand. So I am comforted with the fast food style and I find it tasty. 

The next and last upload for yesterday was “messy”. This will eventually be the material that will “beautify” the area but right now it is “messy”. 

Life today. It’s been a Saturday like most others. As I was starting on some of my daily computer “work”, Tami and Andy came in. I have been having trouble with my hot water heater. It has been leaking. Andy wanted to take a look to see if he could find out what the problem was. He called John, my grand son-in-law, who is a plumber to get some ideas of what to test. Whatever it was seems to have worked. 

After they left, it was time to do my grocery curbside pickup. I decided to take Sweet Pea even though I was concerned about how she would do with her knee problem. She seems to know where I am going when I brushed my teeth in prep for my trip outside the house. She gets so excited. I had to pick her up to put her in the car, not good on my back but, hey, she wanted to go and I wanted her to go. First I had to move the car a little away from the fence to have room to lift her without something in my way. She did fine and seemed to enjoy the trip. It was raining then.....now it’s sunny. 

The first photo upload for today is “favourite treat”. I get into the habit of a specific treat for a time and then move on. This one at the present is a handful of Tool House dark chocolate chips. 

I also wanted to stop by the church to get some photos of the egg coloring and Easter bag gifts that were being put together. However, since I had the visit and then the grocery pick up I didn’t make it. 

Now I am working on a small Easter basket for Sue and myself, one for her and one for me. It seems like the thing to do. 

The next photo upload for today is “map(s)”. This one is from the back of my first bibles. I don’t have any “modern” maps in the house. This one seemed to fit the need especially in the Easter season. 

The word today is caution. The scars of others should teach us caution. St. Jerome. Distrust and caution are the parents of security. Benjamin Franklin.  Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. George Washington.  If you wish to succeed in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius. Joseph Addison.  More firm and sure the hand of courage strikes, when it obeys the watchful eye of caution. James Thomson.  Every step of life shows much caution is required. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  The innocence that feels no risk and is taught no caution, is more vulnerable than guilt, and oftener assailed. Nathaniel Parker Willis.  Caution comes too late when we are in the midst of evils. Walter Scott.  Before you act consider; when you have considered, tis fully time to act. Sallust.  Caution, though very often wasted is a good risk to take. Josh Billings.  It requires a great deal of boldness and a great deal of caution to make a great fortune, and when you have it, it requires ten times as much skill to keep it. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Caution is the eldest child of wisdom. Victor Hugo.  Be slow of tongue and quick of eye. Miguel de Cervantes.  Beware the hobby that eats. Benjamin Franklin.  What thou seest, speak of with caution. Solon.  Haste makes work which caution prevents. William Penn. By playing at Chess then, we may learn... First: Foresight. Second: Circumspection. Third: Caution. Benjamin Franklin.  Circumspection and caution are part of wisdom. Edmund Burke.  He that scatters thorns, let him not go barefoot. Benjamin Franklin.

My last upload for today is “laughter”. This one of my great grand son’s on his birthday. He seems to always to be smiling and many times as with this one the smile ends in laughter.

Article. When I am putting these articles together I like to pick something about Columbus or Ohio. Other times the choice may be due to the subject of the article as with this one. Some are about drones and another modern day uses of sciences products and some of there other uses. Some are about, as in this case the ingenuity of people of any gender, age and circumstance. This article is about a young man who labored to find a way to use a drone, something he was familiar and comfortable with, and computer science degree to become useful to humanity and open a career for himself. He lives in a small farm town in Australia. His efforts ended in a “business offering bird's-eye video footage and advertising services”. Since most of his surroundings are farming activities, he had thoughts of turning his ideas in the direction of helping farmers. The drones were a hobby at first but as his study with it continued it turned to a business. The article related that “more than one quarter of people aged over 15 are employed in agriculture, forestry or fishing in his community”. One thing that sparked even further the use of drones for him was when “the local council needed surveillance of a broken sewerage system”. He offered his use and knowledge of the drone to help find the problem. That started his business.  Next he wants to be a “pioneer” in using the drones to help farmers since this is the community where he grew up. Then maybe branch out into other areas of use with his knowledge and his drone, maybe eventually into the “hospitality and tourism” fields. It should also be noted that he lives with Asperger's which he says has both helped and hindered him. He said it once made him “feel "down and anti-social". But it also heightened his spatial awareness”.

I think it will be sloppy joes for dinner. 

Joy 

                                                                 repairs and rebuilding

 March 28, 2024 a thought for today, Life is a long journey with a heavy bag on its back. Japanese Proverb

My first photo yesterday upload was “street”. This is a view of my neighborhood street along with other parts of the landscape. 

The second upload for yesterday was selected color. I selected the cross, inverted the
separation area then turned the photo to black and white leaving the selected cross red.

The last of the photo uploads for yesterday was “pairs”. In this image I paired the soup with crackers. 

Life today. Yesterday we had someone interested in buying Bob’s car which we have to sell before the probate is final. So this car was in my name now so I had to go with Lowell to take the car to the possible buyer. I had to leave food pantry at church in a sort of hurry, something I don’t like to do until we are completely shut down. But it couldn’t be helped this one time. Anyway, the buyer actually was very interested in the car and bought it on the spot at asking price. It was a little hard for me since it is one more thing of Bob’s gone.

When I let Sweet Pea out for her outing I noticed that I was going to have to scrap the windows before I could go to church. So I started the engine to warm up the car as I was getting ready to leave so that it would be a little easier to clear the windows. 

I got to church before any of the groups who meet early every day, even before Patti got there. I had three separate documents to print today, the hymn lyrics sheet, the Easter lily dedication sheets and the bulletin. The first two were inserts so naturally I printed them first. I had those done before other activities were beginning in the rest of the church. 

The first upload for today is “old and weathered”. This is an old grill we have had in back that has been left in weather of all sorts. 

Once I got home and made a quick start back on the computer I got started on the laundry. 

Brian is supposed to be here today to start the seasonal lawn mowing along with a couple of other minor chores I have for him.  

Sweet Pea still isn’t eating the way she should. It is probably something I will have to talk to the vet about. Since she has always had a weak digestive problem I found that giving her pumpkin would help. So I am going to use that technique in trying to get her to eat. Since she has started the treatment for the ACL tear she has only eaten twice. It seems to be on the second day after the shot. Hopefully that will be enough of a diet to get through this treatment for the next three weeks. No wonder my hair is white (notice I didn’t say gray). I have always worried about things way beyond what their actual outcome turned out to be. I am now in that kind of worry about her health and prognosis.

The next upload for today is “pillow”. This is a decorative pillow on Sue’s highly patterned easy chair.

 

The word for today is cause. This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet. Rumi.  Nature is the source of all true knowledge. She has her own logic, her own laws, she has no effect without cause nor invention without necessity. Leonardo da Vinci.  Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip. John Locke.  The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just. Abraham Lincoln.  I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. Thomas Jefferson.  Never let a day pass that you will have cause to say, I will do better tomorrow. Brigham Young.  I do not regret the part I have taken in a cause so just and interesting to mankind. Samuel Adams.  Chance is a word void of sense; nothing can exist without a cause. Voltaire. A man has cause for regret only when he sows and no one reaps. Charles Goodyear.  Literature is at once the cause and the effect of social progress. George Henry Lewes. Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes. Voltaire.  Happy is he who can trace effects to their causes. Virgil.

The last upload for today is “adventure”. Sweet Pea seems to be interested in what my sister is doing  and if it could possibly lead to some sort of adventure. 

Article: This is about an icon in Columbus for many years, from 1955 to about 2020. When it was removed as one of the statues in the country during a country wide protest. Some have wondered what has and will become of the 7,000-pound statue. There was recently another of many meetings of a small group of people to decide what is to become of the statue that has been in storage since that time. There have been thoughts of returning it to a “less-prominent public or private space”. If or when it is returned to public view the hopes are for a space that “reflect the city’s collective history, values, and aspiration”. There are some negative feelings about this particular statue that seem to negate the fact of his historical connection to the formation of our country and the connection to our city and its name. With those thoughts added to the negative narrative, it should be decided which is most important to the facts of why and how we, the country and the city, are here. Other “facts” about Columbus’ personality as a human being shouldn’t erase our importance and where we came from as a nation. It seems to be taking a lot of separate gatherings of people talking about a new placement or not for it. In my opinion one of the points that should be taken into account is that another country on the planet gave the statue to us as a gift. I have been taught that you don’t disrespect gifts.  Also the fact that it is a monumental, if only in size, “work of art”. There is a memory among our Italian Americans of it’s cultural symbol that should be part of the discussions. There is another Columbus statue in the city that doesn’t have the “gift” part connected to it or the size and cost. That statue is still standing.

I have been invited to go to dinner with Lowell and Rebecca. 

Joy 

                                                                    shopping mall

 March 26, 2024 a thought for today, Plan your life at New Year's eve, your day at dawn. Japanese Proverb

One of the uploads for the 25th was “macro”. One morning just after I had gotten up as I was going through the dining room I notice the lighting on this daffodil that I had in a vase on the table. I took my cell phone and snapped this photo. 

The next image upload for yesterday was “abandoned”. This photo is in my archives. As I was on my way to Mt. Sterling and along the country side I spotted this barn that had seen its best days. 

The third photo a day upload was “comfy and cozy”. So here is an image of my Sweet Pea when she was waking from a nap in my unmade bed. 

Life today. The day started, after the usual virtual visits of news headings, emails, facebook and instagram, it was time of Sweet Pea to got get her second shot. This the one medication that I am counting on to help her. She has to go twice a week for four weeks, then once monthly. My worry has been getting her in and out of the car without hurting her further. It was awkward but we made. I had consulted with Natalie and the doctor’s office about getting her off of the meds that were making her disoriented. Both agreed taking her off of the same one. She seems better. Another thing that worried me is her appetite. She hasn’t eaten a “regular” meal since Friday. Last night I gave her some canned chicken. It did my heart good to see her eat it. We are both learning how to accommodate some small changes in our habits. I don’t like chance but she needs it right now. 

The first upload for today is “inspiration”. One of my favorite books of the bible is Psalms. In The Message bible there is an introduction page for each bible story. This photo is of that introduction for Psalms. 

We had food pantry again today. We had a pretty good crowd. Both we at the intake desk and the folks in the back were working well together today. 

We had a rainy night and the wind is about as strong as I have seen it in a long time. It is causing the porch swing to hit the house. The wind chimes are sounding fierce. It has been going on all day with very little let up. Some of the weather this season has had some slightly different aspects than in all the years I can remember. 

The next upload today is “O is for....”. I chose oranges. This is one of the shipments for our food pantry. I was there today so it was a perfect time and subjects for the shot. 

The word today is catch. Catch, then, O catch the transient hour; Improve each moment as it flies! St. Jerome.  Ability will never catch up with the demand for it. Confucius.  The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. Benjamin Franklin.  Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through. Jonathan Swift.  A horse never runs so fast as when he has other horses to catch up and outpace. Ovid.  To improve the golden moment of opportunity, and catch the good that is within our reach, is the great art of life. William Samuel Johnson.  If the skies fall, one may hope to catch larks. Francois Rabelais.  Let the devil catch you but by a single hair, and you are his forever. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.  Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they are going to catch you in next. Henry Ward Beecher. No company is preferable to bad. We are more apt to catch the vices of others than virtues, as disease is far more contagious than health. Charles Caleb Colton.  

The third upload today is “cloud formations”. I think they are like snowflakes....no two ever alike, like natures daily journal.

This article is from the site that I like for information about things in life. This one is about ground, dirt or earth. It was written by a professor of biology. A child once asked him “What is dirt?” so he wrote this article.  I had biology class in high school, oh so many years ago. So this subject for me is a refresher as well as informative as to the presentation of new and old facts. I hope it is useful to others as well. The professor says that when he first started studying soil he was amazed with how much of it is alive and not just with earthworms. As he began the article he said a hand full of soil is actually weathered rock, rock that has weathered for millions of years. Sandy soil is larger rock grains. It is “loose and can easily wash away”. Soil that is mostly clay is “finer and more compact”.  In between the two is silt which is “a mix of rock dust and minerals often found in fertile flood plains”. So the best soil is a “good balance of sand, clay and silt”. Also in the composition of soil there are the “remnants of plants and animals that have died”.  As the article when on it mentioned that rock is a world of living things. In a comparison he mentioned that is a zoo in Nebraska there a 1,000 animal species. To compare that in a scoop of soil there may be “10,000 species and around a billion living microscopic cells. Most of those species are still largely a mystery”. All of the types of soil on the earth are a “role’ in the soil ecosystem. When a leaf falls it leaves nutrients and the energy produced by carbon. As the leaf dissolves, also called decomposition, insects, mites and “collembolans” go to work causing smaller “chunks” which then decay into even smaller particles. These particles can be taken in through water for plants to grow. The action of nematodes and amoebae combined with bacteria and fungi in the decompositions. Mixing into this “compost” are “predatory nematodes that feed on other nematodes”. In this action there is a balance so one doesn’t overpower the other. According to scientists there are 20,000 different types of “unique soils”.

I think we may have salmon patties for dinner. 

Joy

                                            a convenient place for storage

 March 24, 2024 a thought for today, Do not make yourself so big, you are not so small. Jewish Proverb

On of the uploads for yesterday is “street art”. This is on the outside of a local business. 

The next photo upload for yesterday was “bird convocation”. I took this one a while back when I was on a leisure drive along one of the rivers near and through our city. 

The third upload for the 23rd was “healthy”. I think most fruits are on the healthy side of our diets. These are to of the most frequent fruits I have on hand. 

Life today. It’s one of the times in life that throws a bit of a curve. Late Friday night, around bed time, Sweet Pea came in from her last visit to the outdoors before bed time with one of her legs hanging uselessly. I checked it out as best I could, no blood, no visible injuries. I was truly awake all night long worrying about what could be wrong, about what the diagnosis would be, what would happen to that leg, if it would lead to something terminal or otherwise. It was typical worrier thoughts. So the first thing Saturday morning I was making arrangements to get her to a doctor. It all came about at ten o’clock. With an exam, blood work, xrays and full exams it was determined that she has a torn ACL. I am learning about the trials of such an injury. I have learned that it is a long process with restrictions. The doctor would rather not approach the upper most treatment which be surgery. She is thirteen and a half years old, not in the top shape for the surgery outcome. So we are trying medication and rest for fourteen days to see where that takes us. It is hard for me to watch her limp around. The pain and anti-inflamation medications make her “loopy”, and disoriented. I am afraid she will hurt herself worse under those conditions, she almost walked off both porches without even stopping. It’s almost like she is “high” like a human having had a major dose of drugs. 

The first photo a day image for today is “ugly food”. I try not to have “ugly food” around the house and at present I don’t have any in house. However, this is a bowl of Sweet Peas food which to me to fit the description.

Today at church was a good start on Holy Week. The hymns and message lead us into the week, reminding us of the meaning of the days to come.....and the days that were. 

The rest of the day, for me, will be the usual rest and refresh on a Sunday. 

The second upload for today is “button”. My sister has a “fur” coat. It is, and has been for a while, her favorite winter outer ware. It had the best button I could find in the house right now.  

The word for today is cast.  Chance is always powerful. Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish. Ovid.  Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live. Marcus Aurelius.  Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct. Thomas Jefferson.  I cannot write poetically, for I am no poet. I cannot make fine artistic phrases that cast light and shadow, for I am no painter. I can neither by signs nor by pantomime express my thoughts and feelings, for I am no dancer; but I can by tones, for I am a musician. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  The higher the sun ariseth, the less shadow doth he cast; even so the greater is the goodness, the less doth it covet praise; yet cannot avoid its rewards in honours. Lao Tzu.  In this world, full often, our joys are only the tender shadows which our sorrows cast. Henry Ward Beecher.  Our soul is cast into a body, where it finds number, time, dimension. Thereupon it reasons, and calls this nature necessity, and can believe nothing else. Blaise Pascal. In the lack of judgment great harm arises, but one vote cast can set right a house. Aeschylus.  Let who will boast their courage in the field, I find but little safety from my shield, Nature's, not honour's law we must obey: This made me cast my useless shield away. Archilochus.  If you are cast in a different mould to the majority, it is no merit of yours: Nature did it. Charlotte Bronte.  The ultimate triumph of philosophy would be to cast light upon the mysterious ways in which Providence moves to achieve the designs it has for man. Marquis de Sade.  

The last upload for today is “anything outdoors”. This view is a favorite of mine. It is part of the many trees we have in the park near my home. 

This article may offer a hint in how to ‘manage anger’. It’s always nice to learn how to de-escalate even if it is on oneself, maybe particularly when I it oneself. The title is “Chilling out rather than blowing off steam is a better way to manage anger”. The article starts out explaining how “hitting a punching bag, jogging and other types of “exercise” are not effective ways for people to “cool off”. This information was gathered from a “review of 154 studies” that  showed there was an increase rather than decrease in “physiological” response to anger. These responses cause increases in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. As the physical effects increase anger and aggressions become more pronounced. There are some things a person can do when experiencing these affects, deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, meditations may help to control the angry feelings. They found in these studies that the activity of jogging that many felt help reduce anger actually increased it. A reason for that in the jogging case is monotony and frustration are increased. According to the article “engaging in ball sports and physical education classes decreased anger”. This could be because it is a group activity with positive emotions attached. 

I am going to make my mother’s recipe of tuna balls for dinner.

Joy

                              more street art

 March 22, 2024 a thought for today, Don't look for more honor than your learning merits. Jewish Proverb

One of the uploads for yesterday was “green”. There are three letters of the alphabet statues in the park near my home. They are each painted a different color. This on was my pick for yesterday. 

The next image upload for yesterday was “zig zag”. I was shooting images of a zig zag shapes in shadow. I glanced around the area a little longer and spotted this pattern in the cement wall below the shadows. 

The third and last photo for yesterday was “order”. Many of my peers  uploaded image of items arranged in an orderly fashion. Some of us used items we ordered. 

Life today. Another newsletter Friday in the books. I met Dorothy at church about 8:30. We got the newsletter, re-folded with a donation envelop in the center, sealed, address labeled, and stamps applied. I had a chance to talk briefly with Patti and then with Dorothy as we worked together. 

After that I made my usual rounds ... brunch and photos. Today it was pancakes and sausage. Then on the lookout for the needed images for today. Two of them would be from the archives, which meant a search through thousands of photos. One on the search list was for stormy clouds, the sky today is relatively clear so that wouldn’t work. Another was for World Water Day. The only water to fit that word would be the park with the pond down the street. I wanted something more “spectacular”, so .... archives. I did come up with a fresh ‘old and new’ image. 

The first image upload for today is “old and new”. I think this one needs little explanation. A newly opened flower bloom against old brick and last years mulch. 

I am really tired of the “cold” weather. I am more ready for spring and its warmth and sunshine than I think I have ever been. I think I would actually miss the changes in seasons that Ohio offers but as the years take their toll the “need” for warmth in the air is stronger. The flowers are coming up and add a touch of the renewal that spring brings. 

I really need to get some “spring cleaning” done. I think that term, spring cleaning, has migrated in terms over time. In my mother’s time it use to mean hanging rugs over a line in the yard and beating them with a bat of some kind. It meant “deep” cleaning of all parts of the house. Now I think it is more like “decluttering and organizing”. My “decluttering and organizing” is going to take much longer than just a week or month....more like a year. In the fifty plus years that I have lived in this house there are “savings” from every year here. Tami has recently given a hint of encouragement in that direction of helping me. Maybe that is what I need, a non-stop encouragement until it’s done. 

The next upload for today “World Water Day”. The pond at the park is the closest body of water so, as I  mentioned earlier, I chose this one from my archives.

The word today is calm.  He who is of a calm and happy nature, will hardly feel the pressure of age, Plato. Nothing is so bitter that a calm mind cannot find comfort in it. Seneca the Younger.  Temperance is a tree which as for its root very little contentment, and for its fruit calm and peace. Gautama Buddha.  Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us. Martin Luther.  Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. Saint Francis de Sales.  Calmness is the cradle of power. Josiah Gilbert Holland.  Power is so characteristically calm, that calmness in itself has the aspect of strength. Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton. Nobody can bring you peace but yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson. The superior person is calm and composed; the lesser person is continuously worried and distressed. Confucius.  When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere. Francois de La Rochefoucauld.  Remember to preserve a calm soul amid difficulties. Horace.  The hurrier I go, the behinder I get. Lewis Carroll. A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. Aesop. Power is so characteristically calm, that calmness in itself has the aspect of strength.  Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton.  The pursuit, even of the best things, ought to be calm and tranquil. Marcus Tullius Cicero. 

The last photo a day upload was “stormy clouds”. This is another from the archives. This was a particularly angry cloud day. 

The article is about a “sensory garden”. I think the first I had any inkling of a “sensory garden” was on a vacation about sixty years ago when we stopped at a garden near Niagra Falls. There was a portion of the garden dedicated for blind folks.  They were able to pinch the leaves of some plants to experience the aroma of the plant. They could also determine the texture, shape and feel of the leaf. The article starts with the statement that these gardens offer the chance “to see. And smell. And touch. And even hear and taste”. It went on to share that one of the nation’s largest such space opened in 2010 in Wickham Park near Hartford, Connecticut. It is divided into “rooms” each with it own sense to offer.  In these gardens they offer plants that have an odor. They offer ones with taste such as fruits and berries. Then there is the one for touch which are plants that are soft and some that are pointed. There are water features and wind chimes in the gardens to approacfh the sense of sound. For the sight portion of the sensory garden colors, textures, shapes are used. All the plants in the garden are tapered heights to add interest. Some of the plants for the sense of smell would be “viburnum, lilac, hyacinth, jasmine, gardenia and garden phlox”. For the sense of touch rough bark to smooth succulents as well as “feathery” ferns and “soft” lambs ear. Sensory gardens are therapeutic to special needs children as well as improving overall mood and keeping folks physically and mentally active. It is also use in cases of dementia. Designed for people with dementia, as color, touch and scent can calm and ground, and inspire the recollection of distant memories and sensations.

Pizza night has rolled around again.  I haven’t made up my mind if it will be frozen pizza or homemade sauce on pre-made pizza crust.

Joy

                              camping days

 March 20, 2024 a thought for today,  Lose an hour in the morning, chase it all day. Jewish Proverb

My first photo upload for yesterday was “motion”. I was stopped at a traffic light and had my camera ready as the cars were making a turn. I like the “design” of this action as the cars were in motion. 

The second upload was “sweet”. We have a refreshment corner for our
visitors to the food pantry and this was one of the offerings for today. It was a delicious cake with small pieces of fruit and covered in a vanilla frosting. 

The third upload for yesterday was “stone building”. Our church is built of stone so was a perfect subject for this image. It was also right at hand since I was volunteering there at the time this assignment came up. 

Life today. It has been on the better days side of the calendar. It’s been easy going and productive at the same time. The bulletin and the newsletter are both ready to print. 

This is the second day for food pantry this week. So I had most of the agenda done before I left. I have the photos to finish as well as this letter. 

The first upload for today is “laugh”. These are my sister’s twin great grand daughters. We were at a fast food stop. They decided to go nose to nose for a giggling session. 

We had much fewer families today than we had yesterday. We had thirty-five families yesterday and fifteen today. We had one little slow point. (Mini prologue)-I took Latin in high school. Today both Gail and I had Mexican speaking clients who needed to be entered into the system. Gail knows a little Spanish from high school....I know none, nada. So it took about fifteen minutes for my client and me to get the needed questions answered. He was patient and I managed, with help from Gail now and then, to get the necessary form filled and entered. I have the Google translation apt but did think to use it, it takes sometime but maybe less than not using it.

The second upload was “inspirational”. I was at food pantry again today. The building was my perfect image for this assignment as was the one yesterday.

Today is the first full day of spring but the air doesn’t seem to be ready to cooperate. It seems to be staying in the low forties. There is also a fairly high wind hanging around. Maybe tomorrow will perk up. 

The word today is bound. Our country is that spot to which our heart is bound. Voltaire.  I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong. Abraham Lincoln.  There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures. William Shakespeare/ Julius Caesar.  Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. Chief Seattle. Everyone is bound to bear patiently the results of his own example. Phaedrus.  I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men. Martin Luther.  I am not bound to please thee with my answer. William Shakespeare.  The goal of prayer is the ear of God. Charles Spurgeon.  

My next image upload today is “whazzit?” This is a perfect description for this capture. I don’t what the object is or what it is used for. However, there are some interesting shape, lines, textures and patterns here, all worth a photo to share.

 The article. It seems always good to know what is going on with the clean air situation....how things have progressed or not. This is one of those articles. This article says that on of the largest solar farms in the US is planned for Madison County. The plan is to use 4,400 acres of a 6,050 acre project area which is now farmland, part of the land would still be used for farming. “The company behind the project, Savion, has committed to farm at least 2,000 acres of the project area, using a variety of techniques”. One of these techniques would be planting between rows of solar panels. One project close to the same area is up and running. This project is suppling 180 megawatts of power on about 1,200 acres”. OSU is working with the people running this project to grow crops on that land, wheat and soybean crops have been harvested there in 2023. There are “agrivoltaics”, a word for the production in agriculture of crops, livestock, or pollinator habitats produced underneath or next to solar panels, who are excited watching to see it the planned project will “provide a large-scale demonstration of the practice”. Some of the land considered for this solar farm is owned by Bill Gates. He has not commented on the proposal. One stumbling block for the process to proceed is that there are “significant opposition from neighbors and local elected officials”. On the plus side that is being stressed by the planners is the economic benefits. There would be a generating of and estimated $250 million in taxes as well as creating hundreds of jobs in the construction and operation phases. It’s possible that the project would generate “enough electricity to power about 170,000 homes”. It would also produce a “300-megawatt battery energy storage system”.

This is another of the days in the month that I have a forth photo a day to upload. This one is “reflection in water”. This one was taken earlier this year a the park a couple of blocks from my home. 

I think I am having creamed chicken on biscuits and fruit for dinner. 

Joy

                            I seem to get stuck in traffic behind vehicles I can’t see around

 March 18, 2024 a thought for today, Never burn your fingers to snuff another man's candle. Irish Proverb

An upload for the 17th was "anything green”. This is one of my hypophonic grown house plants. It is a Peace Lily. I glanced at this morning as the sun was coming through the dining room window. I liked the affect to I shot the photo. 

A second upload for yesterday was “vintage”. This is an aged set of file drawer in
our office and seemed to fit the title very well. 

The third upload for the 17th was “heart”. My young friend in the Sunday School glass drew and cut these hearts for me. I put them together for this image. 

Life today. This was one of those mornings that didn’t start off on the best foot. The electric spiked and shut down the TV, some lights and my wifi. All of these as I was just beginning my Monday morning chores. It took some time for me to figure that I needed to reenter my wifi password to both my computer and my tablet. Everything else came back on within seconds. All’s well now but I lost some time. I didn’t get a start on the bulletin as I usually do. Tomorrow morning will have to do for that project.

After I got a few messages sent out and an upload to Instagram, I left to go to Kroger to pick up some of my medicines and a couple of other things. 

My first image for today is “simplicity”. I chose this tree sitting all alone in the parking area of a local mini mall. 

As I was putting things away in the refrigerator there was a reminder that I need to make Sweet Peas “special” meat ball treats this afternoon. It seems one delay after another today. I am going to get a couple of projects to a stopping point before I get to the meat balls. Then come back to get back to the “stopping point” and get things tidied up. By then it should be time to get started on dinner.  

The weather is back to one of the colder days with spring beginning tomorrow. I even saw a couple of snow flakes. 

The next upload is “a beautiful sky”. It was also taken in the mini mall area. This one taken where there were more trees but the sky is what attracted me.

The word for today is born.  A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men. Plato.  All who joy would win must share it. Happiness was born a Twin. Lord Byron.  It is more honorable to be raised to a throne than to be born to one. Fortune bestows the one, merit obtains the other. Petrarch.  We must cultivate our own garden. When man was put in the garden of Eden he was put there so that he should work, which proves that man was not born to rest. Voltaire.  To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. Marcus Tullius Cicero.  Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan's egg. Hans Christian Andersen.  I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born. Henry David Thoreau.  Who is the wise man? He who sees what's going to be born. King Solomon.  I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there. Confucius.  We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end. Benjamin Disraeli.  We are born weak, we need strength; helpless, we need aid; foolish, we need reason. All that we lack at birth, all that we need when we come to man's estate, is the gift of education. Jean-Jacques Rousseau.  Men are born for each other's sake, so either teach people or endure them. Marcus Aurelius. I was not born to share the hate, but love. Sophocles.  

The last upload for today is “fuzzy”. I not sure this angry bird is considered fuzzy or plush, nevertheless he was handy and decided to use him (and his partner or twin).

Article. Some important and happy times have happened at the Columbus Zoo so I thought I would share something new that will be happening there. “ 'Unextinct' immersive experience comes to life at Columbus Zoo”. It is going to be a new adventure there “discovering a portal to an alternate universe where the spirits of extinct animals still roam”. It is going to be a new “immersive” experience”. There will he illusions and and dramatic effects along with narrative to offer the experience of learning about extinct and those endangered species.  These “excursions” will run from 7:30 to 10:30pm on Thursdays through Saturdays through April 6 then change to Fridays and Saturdays through the 27th. There is also going to be an adults only event on April 12 at the Lakeside Lounge. Art, education, entertainment and “environmental awareness” about wildlife conservation will be part of the event. In the “unextinct” event there will be fifteen areas with 70 extinct and endangered species exhibits to experience. The article says there will be entertainment at the “entry plaza”. There will s’mores and shopping. Zoo animals will not be part of this program however, Adventure Cove, Asia Quest and Discovery Reef Aquarium will be accessible throughout the event, but animal viewing in any area is not guaranteed”. For this special event, Unextinct”, tickets must be purchased separate of regular zoo admission.  The "Unextinct" is intended to be followed in a specific order; volunteers will on hand to guide guests in the right direction”. A preview and more information of what to expect can be seen from an Apple or Google Play store download.

I think it will be either creamed chicken on biscuits or Welsh Rarebit for dinner.

Joy 

                    I caught this shot in a reflection of Sweet Pea observing activity in the mall

 March 16, 2024 a thought for today, You must cut your coat according to your cloth. Irish Proverb

One of the photo a day uploads for the 15th was “favourite beverage”. My favorite now is far and away iced tea. Once upon a time it was hot chocolate. And for a short time it was decafe coffee. Time goes by, tastes, like all else, change.  

The second upload for the 15th was “text”. Instead of photographing something from a text book, magazine or newspaper I chose a group of street signs of several sorts. 

A third image for today is “broken”. I passed a car coming down the street that had some dings and a crashed in fender but I didn’t have time to shoot it as I was steering the car. So I decided to capture an image of something a car similar to the one I saw may have encountered. 

Yesterday was one of the four days of each month that I had a fourth image to upload. This assignment was entitled “books”. I’m not among the fortunate who have an in-home “library”. I have a book case with three shelves that serves as a catch-all of nicknacks and such as well as a dozen or so books that live on on those shelves day by day. Instead of “hard copy” books I use ebooks and Google, as a modern encyclopedia. So you may have seen some of these books in past photo uploads. 

Life today. I don’t have too much on the agenda again today. I got an early start, early for Saturday. I wanted to make a couple of extra stops before we went to Kroger for the grocery pick up. I stopped at the post office. Then went to take a look at the short back road behind the West High School Stadium to see if it would fit one of the uploads I want for today. There is another spot on the way to the store that may work for that photo image. After that stop we made it to Kroger for the pickup. I decided to stop at the bank then swing by the park for another photo. 

When Sweet Pea and I got home Tami, Andy and Gideon were here. So I got to spend sometime with them. They helped me get some things to storage in the basement and helped Sue with some decorations she had on the front door. 

Tami had put a few of the groceries up which left just a few for me to put away. 

My first photo upload for today is “looking up”. I caused Sweet Pea to be bored as I busied myself by placing the car under a tree here and there whose branches over shadowed the street and began shooting upward several times on our way home from an errand. 

As I was looking in the yard for springs signs I saw that our hyacinth is in full bloom today. I also noticed that my lenten rose is in full bloom but there is something attacking it. I think I will go out and try some of my homemade “insecticide" on it to see if that helps. The solution is water with hot pepper, garlic, onion, mint and soap. It’s worked several times before for me on other plants.  The sun is out bright and warm. The air is still on the cool side but things are looking up for the coming spring season.

The next image I uploaded for today’s suggested assignment was “favourite pie”. I don’t buy or make pies often, actually very seldom. So I tried to think how I could accomplish this image. White Castle offers pies and cakes on a stick. So we, Sweep Pea and I, stopped at While Castle on the way home from the store so I could get one of those tasty morsels. However I forgot how small in size they are, but alas, it had to suffice. This one was “Gooey Buttercake on a stick”. It is cut in the shape of a pie so that helped too. 

The word today is blind. Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play. Immanuel Kant.  In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't. Blaise Pascal. As a blind man has no idea of colors, so have we no idea of the manner by which the all-wise God perceives and understands all things. Isaac Newton.  Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. The Holy Bible (John 9:25).  The question is not what you look at—but how you look and whether you see. Henry David Thoreau.  They who have put out the people's eyes, reproach them of their blindness. John Milton.  It is a blind goose that cometh to the fox's sermon. John Lyly.  The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing. Publilius Syrus.  As a rule, what is out of sight disturbs men’s minds more seriously than what they see. Julius Caesar.  What you don't see with your eyes, don't invent with your tongue. Jewish Proverb.  It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love. Voltaire.  If thou art a master, be sometimes blind; if a servant, sometimes deaf. Thomas Fuller.  Therefore if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall see Fortune; for though she be blind, yet she is not invisible. Francis Bacon.  Every man can see things far off but is blind to what is near. Sophocles. 

The last upload for todays photos is “a back road”. The closest I could find in my neighborhood that would fit that description was a short “road” behind the high school football stadium. There is one other in active thinking process today. This one is another short street at the edge of a nearby failing shopping mall.   

Article: Here is another bit of history and a once upon time icon in Columbus. The Kahiki was a place to visit at least once here in our city. It was a Polynesian-themed eatery that was quite popular in the 50s and 60s. It was a structure of many exotic designs. In visiting there there was a feeling of being somewhere in the islands. One of the major “ornaments” was a pair of 16-foot tall “moai” heads that “guarded” the entrance doors. The Kahiki Supper Club adorned a part of our city from 1961 until 2000. One of the moai heads was rescued and is located on a patio in Powell Ohio. After these many years it is only a “skeleton of rebar”.  The manager of another Tiki Lounge in Powell owns the statue. He plans to host a fund-raiser on April 27 to restore the sculpture. It is estimated that is will cost around $15,000 to $20,000.  At the event there will be tropical food and drinks “(some revived from the Kahiki's own menu)”.There will be performances of Polynesian dancers and “tiki memorabilia” available. To repair the statue welders, masons and sculptures and painters will be employed. It is hoped that there will be enough money raised to restore other items from the old restaurant. The original Maui Heads at the Kahiki were created by Columbus artist Philip E. Kientz, who also created Mr. Tree at Lazarus. These sculptures were  made with a shell of rebar and iron mesh, a body of concrete and surface of textured stucco.

I am having left over chili for dinner tonight. 

Joy

                                    work in progress