April 29, 2024 a thought for today, One hour to-day is worth two to-morrow. Latin Proverb

One of the uploads for yesterday was “arrow”. As with most of my photographic events, I try to get more than one image to fit the “assignment”. I found several types of arrows for this title. I decided on this one once I saw them all in Photoshop for its diversity.....the shapes, the one color and that particular arrow. 

The next upload for yesterday was “handwriting”. Except for my scratches, resembling handwriting, on my sticky notes I don’t have many handwritten pieces around. I do have several handwritten recipe cards. 

My last upload for yesterday was “gold”. I have a few, very few, pieces of jewelry, that I rarely ware, in the gold color. The most “outstanding” piece of gold is my golden weight watchers for life key. I “earned” it many, many years ago. 

 Life today. I was able to completely get the bulletin done today. I got the information I need ahead of time. I like that. After that I was able to get some kitchen work done. It’s been a while since I gave the refrigerator a good cleaning so I gave that a good start this morning. When I got the dishwasher loaded I discovered I had used the last of the detergent on the last load. I’m not in the “mood” to go to the store this late in the day so I will just put it off until tomorrow morning. 

The two units in the air fryer have needed cleaned for a bit of time too so those are soaking now. 

The first photo for today is “graffiti” . I found this one two days ago when I was on the look out for another “assignment”. There seems to be a lot more of this kind of “art” around than there were in my earlier years. 

Lowell got the blind for the front door fixed so I don’t need to keep up with the search for a new blind. I do have another project that I need help with though. I have purchased a retractable       child/pet gate for the bottom of the stairway to the second story. I need to keep Sweet Pea from going up and down those stairs. I think Andy is coming by tomorrow to see about putting it up for me. 

I didn’t get out today to look for photos for my uploads today so I spent sometime going through the photos I have generated in the last few days. I found what I needed. After the Photoshop (darkroom) touches they are ready to upload. 

The next upload is “favourite time of day”. Well, because I am still alive most times of day are my favorite. All times are my favorite each for a different reason.  

The word today is dare.  Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare! Fyodor Dostoevsky.  To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself. Soren Kierkegaard.  It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. Lucius Annaeus Seneca.  One must work and dare if one really wants to live. Vincent Van Gogh.  Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write. John Adams.  Happy are those who dare courageously to defend what they love. Ovid.  Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves. Lord Byron.  Lets have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it. Abraham Lincoln.  That so few now dare to be eccentric, marks the chief danger of the time. John Stuart Mill.  Dare to err and to dream. Deep meaning often lies in childish plays. Friedrich Schiller.  Few men would dare to read their own autobiography if all their deeds were recorded in it; few can look back upon their entire career without a blush. Charles Spurgeon. You may as well say, 'That's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion. William Tecumseh Sherman.  He who would begun has half done. Dare to be wise; begin. Horace.  Let us dare to read, think, speak and write. John Adams.   If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau.  I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else. Benjamin Franklin.  Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong. Abraham Lincoln. 

The last upload for today is “silver”. I took this photo a few days ago when I needed a “spoon” for the image. I didn’t use this one at the time because of the reflections in the spoon. It was probably because I wanted the attention on the spoon itself in that image. In this one I think the qualities of the silver is set off a little by the reflection and it adds to the overall presentation of the image. 

Article: I love dandelions....for one reason, they are natural. Apparently there are other people who like dandelions also. This article may show some other reasons why. “Dandelions are among the most familiar plants in the world”. As mentioned in the article they are “possibly the most successful plants that exist, masters of survival worldwide”. They have been used as food, medicine and magic. The writer said “somewhere in the twentieth century, humans decided that the dandelion was a weed. Nowadays, they’re also the most unpopular plant in the neighborhood”. Then she went on to mention some of the benefits of the yellow flower/weed with the lion toothed leaves. China has used them for medicine for “a thousand years”. It was noted that they probably came over here on the Mayflower for the purpose to expanding their medicinal benefits. At one time they were a “beloved garden flower in Europe, and the subject of many poems”. In Japan there were horticultural societies to enjoy them and develop new varieties. They have been grown for use of the seed in first aid and tonics, for aid in liver problems and for warts. Some “herbalists hail the dandelion as the perfect plant medicine.” As for their use as a food it is claimed that they are more “nutritious than most of the vegetables in your garden.” Some folks treat baldness and toothaches, rotting gums and depression among many other ailments with dandelions. They have more vitamin A than spinach and vitamin C than tomatoes. I learned from this article that dandelions actually fertilize grasses and “loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion”. Their roots can actually go down to 15 feet. Dandelions can be sold in grocery stores, roots for no-caffeine coffee, for salad greens. There is even a dandelion ice cream and dandelion wine and tea. Herbicides used to kill dandelions also kill birds and other species of wildlife. In closing the article mentioned that it is a “flower a kid can pick without getting into trouble”, and they can blow the puffballs to make wishes and dreams.

Chicken cacciatore for dinner tonight.

Joy

                 wildflower or weed...all in the eye of the beholder

April 27, 2024 thought for today, There is measure in all things. Spanish Proverb

The first upload for yesterday was “sunset”. I was in my lounge chair at sunset yesterday as I made a trip to my photo archives for this one. 

The second upload for the 26th was “potato”. I have gotten in the habit of using frozen or canned potatoes after my cooking diminished with Bob gone. It’s mostly just me I am cooking for so this is much easier and the flavors are better than I had thought they would be.

The next upload yesterday was “vibrant”. The colors on this playground equipment seem to fit the bill for this photo assignment. 

Life today. This has turned out to be an eventful day, at least more than I anticipated. It started as always with the virtual visits and a start on my daily writings. It soon became time for Sweet Pea and me to head out to Kroger for the grocery pick up. When I got back the blind that had been on the front door (that needed repair) was on the back porch. That let me know Lowell had been here but was gone again. 

I got started first by looking for a new shade for the front door window. I searched and searched. Everything that would fit and would be suitable was not available in any stores. They had to be ordered on line. I put the search aside to get back to my writings and checking photos that I had found while I was out and about. That was what I attended to while I was taking a break on standing before I attempted to put the groceries away. 

One of today uploads is “drops”. I tried taking some shot of my iced tea glass as it was “sweating” but the drops were not as clear as I would have liked. So I used the image I had captured at the park on my way home. 

As I was attending to the above list, Lowell came back. He had purchased a blind for the door and parts to replace a pane of glass that had been out for a while. When he took the blind out of the box we found that it wouldn’t bit around the door knob when it was lowered to the last position. So it had to go back. When he left, I got back on line searching for a new blind that would fit. As determined earlier, it would have to be ordered. Lowell put the old frame up temporarily. 

I am going to take another break to make the potato soup for dinner. 

The second upload today is “kids”. When I was at the park for the photo of the fountain, I drove a little further around the park for this image. 

The word today is current.  In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. Thomas Jefferson.  Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away. Marcus Aurelius  Neither current events nor history show that the majority rule, or ever did rule. Jefferson Davis.  Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  Reaction - a boat which is going against the current but which does not prevent the river from flowing on. Victor Hugo.  We must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures. William Shakespeare.  Silver and gold are not the only coin; virtue too passes current all over the world. Euripides.  I am already sensible of decay in the power of walking, and find my memory not so faithful as it used to be. This may be partly owing to the incessant current of new matter flowing constantly through it; but I ascribe to years their share in it also. Thomas Jefferson.  Tomorrow is tomorrow. Future cares have future cures, And we must mind today. Sophocles.  In any weather, at any hour of the day or night, I have been anxious to improve the nick of time, and notch it on my stick too; to stand on the meeting of two eternities, the past and future, which is precisely the present moment; to toe that line. Henry David Thoreau. 

This third and last photo a day upload for today is “clashing”. This if two of my summer blouses each with a different design and a different color. They seemed to clash and would not be good worn together. 

This article fits the season and may offer some pause for thought in future seasons and years. It is based on the ever necessary event of warm weather and presentable lawns....mowing. Apparently there is a movement called “No Mow May”. The thought behind this idea is to allow weeds to grow and provided food for bees and other “beneficial insects at a time of the year when there are few other food sources for these insects”. Apparently this “movement” began in Great Britain a few years ago and slowly spread to some thinking in the US. To my surprise some “communities in Ohio adopted the practice for their municipal green spaces” and it has spread on to residents and landowners. However, it does lead to some “serious lawn-maintenance challenges come June”. First the lawn, including weeds witch grow up to 12 - 18 inches tall. The article mentioned that when it is mowed to approximately 3 inches in June it may ‘go into shock’ and even ‘die’. The article went on to mention some of the “down” sides of No Mow May. Some of these off shoots are mice, voles, snakes, ticks and maybe baby bunnies. The pollinators and beneficial insects that have gown in the tall grass will be killed when the grass is cut. A suggestion to those want to let the grass go un-mowed in May consider “creating a pollinator garden, which can provide a food source and habitat for pollinators throughout the entire growing season.” In these areas use plants that attract bumble bees and mourning cloak butterflies as well as blue orchard bees that appear in the early spring. Use plants that are noted for attracting pollinators all season long. Another suggestion is to over-seed with clover and let violets “creep” into the lawn to act as the pollinators. Building piles of grasses and tree limbs off to the side of the yards will “provide important nesting and overwintering habitats for bees and butterflies”. Those heavily into providing pollinator spaces can look at possible “artificial nesting sites (that) can be made or purchased to encourage cavity-nesting bees”. Water features can be added to the property for “pollinating” providers”, as small ponds, wishing wells, and bird bathes, needing those kinds of space.

I think it will be potato soup and sandwiches for dinner. 

Joy

         These guys had almost all of the parking lot to themselves.

 April 25, 2024 a thought for today, The stew that boils much loses flavour. Spanish Proverb

An upload for yesterday was “nature”. My go-to for nature always is trees and sky, with maybe some animal life here and there. This is a tree I planted over forty years ago. 

The next one for yesterday was “2 colours”. This is a scarf/hood I am working on for myself. I crochet things for my great grand children. This one is for myself. 

The third image for the 24th is “panorama”. This is my neighborhood. I am beginning to get “hooked” on this panorama way of generating an image. Nevertheless, I think it has to fit a purpose. 

Life today. It is mid afternoon now as I write.....somehow I have lost control of my to-do list. I am working on it in bits and pieces. First, after the usual virtual visits. I got things together and left for church for the printing of the bulletin and the newsletter and the insert. I multi tasked as the printing was going on by downloading the information from the memory card to the back up drive. Also, multi tasked by opening things for the morning group that arrive about 8:30. While I was almost done with the printing, the copier stopped giving me a message to replace ink dust canister. So I searched for the canister, didn’t find it. Just as I was moving on, Patti came in. Together we found the necessary canister and replace it. I finished the printing. Tomorrow Dorothy and I will finish the newsletter. On the journey through the sanctuary to place bulletins, I also inserted the memory card back in the camera. Then on with the distributing the bulletin. I placed a copy of the newsletter on the downstairs bulletin board. 

On the way home I made a stop at Kroger to mail the church things, pick up my meds and a couple of other things. Leaving there and moving on, I searched for the photos I need. I didn’t find any until I got to my own back yard. 

The first of today’s images is “pastel”. This is my snowball bush as the snowballs are “babies” before they become their full-blown white color. 

At home I got back to the computer, the letter and photos. I took a break from that to help Sue find out how to send a package back to Amazon. Then I started the laundry. 

Update on: Sweet Pea. She is holding her own with her crippled leg. We are both getting use to the changes. When I picked up a refill on her meds the vet prescribed another new supplement. It has Glucosamine in it and will help her joints and bones. I hide it in her food. 

The next up load for today is “favorite flower”. As with many favorite things, my ‘favorites’ change by time of day, mood and other variables. Most recently my favorite flower is my Lenten Rose.

The word today is credit.  Credit is like a looking-glass, which when once sullied by a breath, may be wiped clear again; but if once cracked can never be repaired. Sir Walter Scott.  He only seems to me to live, and to make proper use of life, who sets himself some serious work to do, and seeks the credit of a task well and skillfully performed. Sallust.  Men are sent into the world with bills of credit, and seldom draw to their full extent. Horace Walpole.  Remember that credit is money. Benjamin Franklin. Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he's well dressed. There ain't much credit in that. Charles Dickens. Credit is a system whereby a person who can't pay, gets another person who can't pay, to guarantee that he can pay. Charles Dickens.  The credit of advancing science has always been due to individuals and never to the age. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant. P.T. Barnum. Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship. Benjamin Franklin.  It is often laziness and timidity that keep us within our duty while virtue gets all the credit. Francois de La Rochefoucauld. 

This last upload for today is “nighttime”. This image was taken a few years ago when I worked  downtown and got to work before the sun was up. This is one of Columbus Ohio’s first “skyscrapers” just as “night” was ending and day was beginning. 

Article: This is a fairly new subject of conversation. Maybe it would be good to study several sides to the subject. The subject is AI generated images. It was written by three professors of Research and Emerging technology. It started mentioning that in the past six months on Facebook there have been “photorealistic images that are too good to be true: children holding paintings that look like the work of professional artists, or majestic log cabin interiors that are the stuff of Airbnb dreams.” It farther mentioned images that are “just bizarre”. One such “bizarre” incident that was mentioned was of the pope in a puffer jacket shown in May of 2023. They are becoming a “bait”. The professors writing this story put together a plan to “explore” this new technology. They found pictures of images generating babies, kitchens and cakes for “a range of reasons”. It seems they were created by people “looking to grow their followings with synthetic content”. This study also found scammers using stolen materials, and spammers that “led” people to “websites filled with advertisements, which allow the owners to collect ad revenue.” Scammers and spammers are not new to the internet targeting senior citizens and others posing as Medicare representatives and so on. Also, scammers/spammers targeted people wanting to lose “belly fat” and some to places to learn new languages. The scammers/spammers seem to gain more traction in their creativeness when people respond to the images they have uploaded. Apparently AI generated images are not “flagged” as such but there are occasions when some alert observers warn others about scams or spams. There are companies attempting to find ways to deal with AI-generated content. The article mentioned that “In May 2024, Facebook will begin applying a “Made with AI” label to content it can reliably detect as synthetic”. In closing it was mentioned that “the devil is in the details”. How accurate can the detection be, what will “slip through”. In closing, it was stated that Facebook was the focus in this article however, there are “broader implications” such as videos “targeting kids”on YouTube, TikTok and other social media. “But the challenge of assessing what’s real is only heating up.” 

I am making something I saw on facebook....Chicken Stuffed Crescent Rolls. 

Joy

                                 peekaboo

 April 23, 2024 a thought for today, It is the bait that lures, not the fisherman or the rod. Spanish Proverb

An upload for April 22nd  was “dark”. Since I am not normally up when it is “dark” I cruised my archives to find an image of darkness. 

The second upload for yesterday was “Earth Day”. At first I had no idea what I would use for this image. I was sitting here at my computer when I heard the sound of the recycle pickup truck. I grabbed my camera and opened the door just in time to capture this one. 

The next upload for yesterday was “railroad”. This is another from the archives since I wasn’t out and about in the vicinity of railways today. 

Life today. Yesterday was full of activity in this homestead. My daughter and son-in-law came to see if they could get my sink unclogged or find what the problem is/was. It worked!! I now have an unclogged sink....feels like a luxury. The man who takes care of my lawn was also here yesterday. I have a huge area in the back where a tree was cut down that is barren of grass. He put down seed and fertilizer, that a neighbor gave him to give to me, for that too. Then there was the bulletin to be considered and the newsletter. 

My first entry for an upload today was “colourful”. Since I was in the church today I stopped by the sanctuary to make a few images to choose form when I would get them to Photoshop. 

I have a blind on the door that is in a full size door window frame making it a Venetian blind between two pieces of glass. Well....it has some off its track. The frame is attached to the door making it difficult for an 80+ year-old woman to get it down. I have put in a call for help in getting it down. And made arrangements to get a “plain ol’” blind or Roman shade. Now I wait to see if the two requests get here today and correlate. 

This was a busy day at food pantry. We had clients right up to closing time. I had a couple of clients that gave me pause for thought. One was a language barrier for the client and myself, along with unavailable and required paperwork. The other was a question about type of service. I helped close up equipment but closing was a little different today. I waited briefly as there was other activity going on. So not knowing whether to wait longer with noting to do there, but some church work at home, I chose to leave for the day.

The next upload assignment for today is “A is for....”. I didn’t have anything specific in mind. As I was getting my computer ready to log in clients for food pantry I caught sight of Gail’s apple.....there was my photo for this shot. 

The word today is cover.  A pure hand needs no glove to cover it. Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Time will bring to light whatever is hidden; it will cover up and conceal what is now shining in splendor. Horace.  Wherever there is a settled society, religion is necessary; the laws cover manifest crimes, and religion covers secret crimes. Voltaire.  It is better that the truth be known than that scandal be covered up. Saint Augustine.  That one man scorned and covered with scars Still strove with his last ounce of courage To reach the unreachable star. Miguel de Cervantes.  The grave itself is but a covered bridge, Leading from light to light, through a brief darkness! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Humility is the sure evidence of Christian virtues. Without it, we retain all our faults still, and they are only covered over with pride, which hides them from other men's observation, and sometimes from our own too. Francois de La Rochefoucauld.  The wolf dreads the pitfall, the hawk suspects the snare, and the kite the covered hook. Horace.  The devil is not afraid of a dust-covered Bible. Charles Spurgeon.  While the path to wealth is clearly marked, few are willing to adapt themselves to the modest discipline that the journey requires. Instead, most choose the shinier track of debt-driven consumption, which they find further along is covered in vines and thorns. Benjamin Franklin. Smoothly and lightly the golden seed by the furrow is covered. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 

The last photo for today is “cool” it was one with a double word, the other was, light. This one was taken at church also. It seems to be a child-size bicycle. Someone has left it leaning against the church building waiting for action. 

This article is on the light side, with a purpose, and on the artful side of goings on in our community. There has been some new “statues” installed in Dublin, Ohio at the Dublin Arts Council building on Riverside Drive. They are bound to attract some attention due to their size and color. They have traveled from Milan, Italy. The exhibit is called “Dwelling: a Snail’s Journey.” They move slowly, “gradually and safely” toward a target. The article goes on to explain that the “‘home,’ or shell, is not only associated with domesticity but also with mass communication in Italy.” The ‘helix’ on the snail allows it to “both hear and move, emphasizes the importance of the ability to listen and the utility of the upward movement...” Orange is the color representing “creativity, health, vitality, change, and movement”. In time the exhibit will be moved to “additional sites throughout the Dublin community.”

Dinner will be something from the freezer.

Joy

                         on the road again

 April 21, 2024 a thought for today, Seek not the luxuries of life lest you reap sorrow. Latin Proverb

The first photo a day upload for yesterday was “sidewalk”. As I was on todays search for photos I passed this house a few blocks from where I live, I liked the added shadow and the flowers at the bottom of the steps. 

My next upload for yesterday is “diagonal”. This just looks a bit strange to me, a telephone pole on the diagonal. I’m sure there is a purpose for the arrangement. I just don’t know what the answer is.  

The third upload yesterday was “pattern”. There are so many “patterns” almost everywhere. I like the circles and space in this facade. 

This is the last day for a fourth upload of the day this month at one of my
groups. This one was for “rainy, mist, fog”. Like I have mentioned before, the “assignment” of the day for the photo of the day doesn’t always correlate with that days weather condition. Then I have to delve into my archive collection to find one that matches the required condition. 

Life today. We had a couple of visitors at church this morning. One of the couples is planning on having their wedding here at our church soon. Diana wasn’t there to do the streaming so I took care of setting up the camera to copy to the memory card, which I am uploading now. There was a bit of a problem to start with though, with the camera set up. The camera was not where it is usually located so I had to find it. Then discovered that the electric wasn’t hooked up to it and the battery was dead. Phil helped me locate the electric cable and attach it. After that I was able to begin the recording. It worked fine as I am now uploading. I am finding that this memory card is recording in more sections than the others have done. I think the setting on the camera is a higher count of  megapixels than we had on the other camera. We may want to reduce that size.  So now there will be more “sections” to view to get the full service uploaded. I’m sure there is a way to splice all the sections together but I do not have experience in that area.

My first upload for today is “car(s)”. I made several snaps of all kinds of cars in my outing today. I chose this one after uploading the days shots to Photoshop. I like the position between the two walls. 

On the way home I was on the look-out for my photos of the day. With some concentration and observation I was able to find two of the three photos that I need for today. 

The sink seemed loaded to overflowing, so once I got the church service started in the download I cleared the sink. It wasn’t as “full” as it appeared. Most of what was there were large items. Now it is nice and clear. 

As I was starting on the sink task, I had call for a cousin that I only speak to on the phone once a year. It was nice chatting with him. 

Now, this being Sunday, I plan to take the rest of the day more slowly with reflection and renewal. I will be more refreshed for a busy week ahead. 

The weather is a little more on the cool side again. As a matter of fact it is supposed to be near freezing tomorrow around sunrise. 

The second upload today is “Easter Eggs”. These aren’t the tradition Easter eggs or the Easter egg that is a hidden message in a document. It is some of the eggs I crafted in the Ukrainian method of dying.

The word today is count. When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred. Thomas Jefferson.  I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. Aristotle.  Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years. Ausonius.  To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance. Buddha.  Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life. Seneca. Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth, O Lord. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart. Saint Augustine.  Teach us to give and not to count the cost. Saint Ignatius. Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and won with thanks. Thomas Goodwin.  Never seem more learned than the people you are with. Wear your learning like a pocket watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it out to count the hours, but give the time when you are asked. Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield.  I count life just a stuff to try the soul's strength on. Robert Browning.  Refrain from asking what going to happen tomorrow, and everyday that fortune grants you, count as gain. Horace.  Count not him among your friends who will retail your privacies to the world. Publilius Syrus.  

The last upload for today is “matching”. These are a pair of tulips in one of our church’s small gardens. In Photoshop I noticed that there were two yellow flowers and a pair of tiny matching pink posies in the picture too. 

Article: Here’s a story on the side of nature and how all things have a common connection. The title to the article is “Tiny, big-headed ants cause headache for ecosyste”. This article started with a researcher studying wildlife in Kenya. He noticed that there is an “environmental imbalance caused by a tiny ant”. We are looking at the “bigger picture” of  how this is affecting to the landscape and other creatures, who live there. These ants are smaller than a grain of rice but their natural habits are involving other animals and causing an “ecological chain reaction” because they kill native ant species (which protect trees by irritating any animal munching on the tree).... in unpredictable ways – ways that are hidden, but very serious.” It is promising to “listen to the best and worst in the natural world, the mutual relationships and the disruptions in the natural balance of things”. Because of the damage these ants are doing here is a little more information: (from Google: This landscape transformation has made it harder for the lions in the park to catch zebras, their most common prey. Typically, the lion's hunting strategy relies on the element of surprise. They hide behind trees, stalk their prey and pounce. In more open landscapes, the zebras can see the lions coming and have time to escape......The ants' impact extends beyond lions, for instance, to endangered black rhinos, which have relied on the now-dwindling acacia trees for food.” Without control, in time these ecological changes can eventually reach all areas of life to some degree.

I think I am having Welsh rarebit for dinner.

Joy

                        an added touch to the total eclipse of 2024

 April 19, 2024 a thought for today, The foolish fear Fortune, the wise endure her. Latin Proverb

One of the image uploads for yesterday was “lines”. I made several images of “lines” of all sorts, mostly those in the streets for directions. I chose this one for the two sets of arrow line and the hint of a line of the street. 

The next upload for yesterday was “stone and pebbles”. There is a major upgrade and “beautification” to our neighborhood. So right now there a re piles of dirt, rocks, pebbles and pieces of broken concrete all over the place. 

The last upload for yesterday was “one color”. Actually I goofed today was suppose to “pop of color” and tomorrow will be “one color”. This patch of my lawn was my choice for the one color....green. 

Life today. In printing the bulletin yesterday Patti found a very noticeable “typo” actually, not a typo more like an oversight.  It was the omission of the first letter of the name of the church on the front cover. Oooops. I was using a template so the letter must have dropped off during the movements required in formatting. The bulletins were all printed so instead of using more paper and ink I made the missing letter with black marker. 

This has been a Friday on the easy side. I had time to work on the newsletter. As a matter of fact I think I have it done except for gathering the photos I want to include and for the financial page. This will make next week much easier. 

My first upload for today is “traditional”. To my way of thinking an organ in a church is one of the most traditional thing I could imagine.

Sweet Pea doesn’t seem to be getting any better as I had hoped. She still has the weakness in her legs it seems even more pronounced. She is still mobile. I am trying to prepare myself for the “worst” and hope for the best. She alone devotes her whole life to me.

The weather was near perfect the past two days. Today has taken another one of the downward directions in temperature. It’s not bad but not as “happy” as the sunnier days. 

The next upload for today is, as mentioned above, “pop of color”. The pop of color is bright red against the dark grey of my trusty Toyota Camry. 

The word today is cost/ly.  Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much. Blaise Pascal.  How much pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened. Thomas Jefferson.  The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run. Henry David Thoreau.  Nothing costs less nor is cheaper than compliments of civility. Miguel de Cervantes.  It is hard to contend against one's heart's desire; for whatever it wishes to have it buys at the cost of soul. Heraclitus.  Everybody loves a thing more if it has cost him trouble: for instance those who have made money love money more than those who have inherited it. Aristotle.  The cost of obedience is small compared with the cost of disobedience. Saint Augustine.  For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it. Patrick Henry.  Money often costs too much. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold. Thomas Jefferson.  That which costs little is less valued. MIguel de Cervantes.  Experience teaches slowly, and at the cost of mistakes. James Anthony Froude.  It is boorish to live ungraciously: the giving is the hardest part; what does it cost to add a smile? Jean de la Bruyere. Humility and knowledge in poor clothes excel pride and ignorance in costly attire. William Penn. 

The last upload for the day is “food”. This is my lunch for the day. Eggs sunny side up, toast, turkey meat, a cookie, and my iced tea. 

Article: This is an interesting subject that sparked some deeper diving into the theories. The article is about “3 things to learn about patience − and impatience”. It is written by a Professor of Philosophy and Religion. It begins by bringing up the point that when we are children we are told  “patience is a virtue and that good things will come to those who wait”. First we may learn by waiting for a much wanted toy. Adults wait patiently in long lines, political change and kids antics. It can all be connected to productivity and ultimately our income. This author relates this human action with being a good person and in the case of this article to religious traditions. She suggests that patience is “more than waiting, or even more than enduring a hardship”. She uses writings and teachings of “a medieval Islamic thinker Abu Hamid al-Ghazali” for insight into the subject. This “thinker” was born in 1058. He was a jurist and theologian who traveled to placed like Baghdad and Jerusalem to speak of no contradiction between reason and revelation. He claimed that patience is a “fundamental human characteristic” and is necessary to reach “value-driven goals”. He also relates how and when impatience may be called for. Most of his teachings are of a religious nature but pertain to a good, and ethical, life in general. Patience starts with a commitment to core values which include justice and mercy, and could include something as simple as being a good friend or even not lying. Put into action it may require enduring pain of various sorts with a goal in mind. The article goes on to speak of impatience and when it may be needed. This time could be when we are experiencing injustice and suffering in the world. Also when there is an extreme cause for alarm to our own safety. In ending the article it used the idea that the good of it is a “patience that is in service of righteous goals is key to the ethical life”.

Don’t have to think to far for dinner tonight.....it’s PIZZA!

Joy

                             needs attention

 April 17, 2024 a thought for today, The habits of our youth accompany us in our old age. Latin Proverb

The first photo a day upload for yesterday was “landscape”. The park near my home makes a perfect landscape photo. I use it many time for various photo opportunities. 

The second upload for yesterday was also taken at the park.  It is titled “relaxing”. This gentleman was enjoying some time relaxing at the pond that is stocked with fish on a regular basis. 

The last photo upload for yesterday was “stripes”. I happened upon this truck while I was out and about. Several other kinds of equipment with stripes passed by but I wasn’t quick enough to get a shot. 

Life today. I had one of those waking moments where all the problems of the day present themselves for some kind of solutions. They seem to hang on. I made a one word list of each thought as soon as I woke up for attention at some time during the day. One of the “worries” real or imagined was that Sweet Pea seems to have developed problems with the “good” leg since she had her treatment yesterday. I don’t know that it is serious enough to call the vet. It may be a temporary muscular soreness that will pass in a day or two. I am keeping a regular and worrisome look on her any time she moves. 

The first upload for today is “floral”. This is my neighbor’s early tulips. I couldn’t pass them by without taking photos of them. 

Food Pantry yesterday was not as busy as the first Tuesdays have been recently. I doubt that today will be much busier due to the rain we are having. I find myself having difficulty placing some of our clients with their names. They are new comers to our area. Their names are different in nature than the ones I am use to. For instance full names may be four or more separate names written in different “language”, again than what I am use to. It took me about fifteen minutes to help one person yesterday that shouldn’t have taken more than five minutes or less. We had a language difference. He couldn’t help me with answers that I understood. We some how made it through the process. He got his groceries and was on his way. 

This morning I finished the things that I needed to get ready for printing tomorrow. The birthday cards for this week and the shut in envelopes as well as the lyric’s insert for the bulletin. 

The next upload for today is “rope”. I found a rope still in the package that I was going to use as a prop. Then I remembered the clothes line we have still partially attached. It is tangled and weather aged but still a rope. 

The word today is content.  Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything. Aesop.  A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content. Proverbs.  Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor. Benjamin Franklin.  Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty. Socrates.  True humility is contentment. Henri Frederic Amiel.  When we cannot find contentment in ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere. François de La Rochefoucauld.  Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. Lao Tzu.  Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He who is content. Who is that? Nobody. Benjamin Franklin.  If you are content, you have enough to live comfortably. Plautus.  My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. Abraham Lincoln. Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen. Horace Mann.  He will easily be content and at peace, whose conscience is pure. Thomas a Kempis.  Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. Laozi.  Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough. Emily Dickinson.  Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. Gautama Buddha.  The rarest feeling that ever lights a human face is the contentment of a loving soul. Henry Ward Beecher.  Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Benjamin Franklin. 

The last photo a day upload for today is “spoon”. I have a huge metal spoon that I use when I am making stew or soups but when I tried to shoot it I got lots of reflections. I don’t have a box set up for taking small items with light interference. Instead of setting on up for this one shot I decided to us one of my wooden spoons.

Article: The only thing I know about Plain City is that restaurant with such delicious “home cooked” meals, Der Dutchman. It looks like the city is adding some interesting sights to Plain City. In the 1880's there was a map that the village of Plain City had. It was a map that showed the lot for a “public square”. The people realized that that is what the people of the 1800s also wanted for the area, a central gathering space. It seems a  future generation would have the same idea. “Fast-forward to 2024: Leaders in Plain City plan to revitalize several parcels in the Uptown district by combining them into one space, which is known as the Public Square Project”. People of the village were asked what they would like. “People want more walkability. They want more public spaces that are free to access for everybody and more central locations.......in line with their 19th-century counterparts.” The village also bought a 1,473-square foot, historical 1880s train depot and had it restored. It will become a museum and event space with three historic train cars”. In 2021 the village purchased a building with a gravel lot and open space that will become part of this ‘Public Square’. The train idea is important to the village due to the story that in 1853 the “Columbus & Indiana Central Railway, which would later be part of the route for the funeral train for Abraham Lincoln in 1865". This station became a major stop for transporting livestock and goods from the East Coast. The depot will be a major part of the project. After the beginning start to building the village there will, in time, be an added park and a market place. The park will include a splash pad, a play area and an outdoor event space. In the marketplace area there will be space for parking bicycles and an area of seating. In the marketplace there will be space for small businesses, community events and “seasonal vendors”. 

It will be Tuna casserole from the freezer for dinner. 

Joy

                     improvements