April 1, 2024 a thought for today, A fire is nourished by its own ashes. Latin Proverb

This is the first photo a day upload for yesterday, “love”. This is my sister and one of beloved furry family members. We have had many in our time on this earth, all loved beyond words. This is Duke.

The second upload for yesterday was “family”. In recent years I haven’t had to many photo possibilities with family. There are more chances for the photos now, for the upcoming “family” photos. This one was taken a while back and resides in my archives. 

The third photo upload yesterday was “hat-any kind”. Some of these photo assignments bring to the forefront that I need to hang on to or generate more of a venue in my photo collection. With this one I realized I don’t have hats in the house. I rummaged through some old saved memorabilia and found two. Both were saved from my father. I have his fire department uniform hat and I have this, his Shriners fez. 

Life Today. We had a quiet Easter. After church I picked up some brunch then headed for home. I spent the rest of the day working on the blog and photos. That was the day, a real day of rest. It is really one of the major days in the year that are “family days”. But as families get bigger and go separate distances as holidays and birthdays seem to be “catch as catch can”.  

The first photo a day upload for today is “anything coffee”. I don’t drink coffee anymore so I have very little here for that purpose. I have instant packets for visitors and I have a small collection of “mugs”. One is my husbands from his Navy days. It has his dog tag number on it. Then one from my son in his military days as well as a couple that have just appeared over time. 

I got the bulletin up to information that will be coming in later. I also got my photo a day calendar started....may finish it today or in the morning.

Sweet Pea seemed restless about 4:00 this morning so I was up and outside with her. Usually she sleeps through the night so I am not up that early in the morning. Now my eyes are wanting to close for a rest.

The second upload for today is “pink”. This is a pillow I crocheted for one of Sue’s twins several years ago. They had asked me to make them something that I would crochet, this is it.

The word today, charm. There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart. Jane Austen. Charm strikes the sight, but merit wins the soul. Alexander Pope.  The human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed. Charlotte Bronte.  God gave us faculties for our use; each of them will receive its proper reward. Then do not let us try to charm them to sleep, but permit them to do their work until divinely called to something higher. Teresa of Avila.  Brevity is a great charm of eloquence. Marcus Tullius Cicero.  Things forbidden have a secret charm. Tacitus.  An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit. Pliny the Elder.  What beauty there is in words; what a lurking curious charm in the sound some words. Walt Whitman.  To charm, to strengthen, and to teach: these are the three great chords of might. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Eloquence the soul, song charms the senses. John Milton.  Illusion and wisdom combined are the charm of life and art. Joseph Joubert.  Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand. William Makepeace Thackeray. With thee all tales are sweet; each clime has charms; earth - sea alike - our world within our arms. Lord Byron. 

This photo upload is titled “bokeh” (the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in out-of-focus parts of an image, caused by circles of confusion (not coming to a perfect focus )). I haven’t been able to master this technique yet. I have come close but can use some practice. 

Article: Here’s another of the articles about technology behind the scenes. The title says it best “Undersea cables are the unseen backbone of the global internet”. It starts by mentioning that an email from New York arrives in Sydney in seconds, and video chat with someone on the other side of the world. The secret is the undersea cables “submarine communications cables, are fiber-optic cables laid on the ocean floor and used to transmit data between continents”, global connectivity. Over 95% of the daily data going around the world passes through these cable. There are 485 of these cables over 900,000 miles “on the ocean floor”. These cables are made up of optical fibers of thin strands of glass or plastic encased in layers able to withstand the undersea environment. They are about the as wide as a garden hose.  To begin laying the cables there have to be surveys and charts to avoid hazards and “minimize environmental impact”. The spools are carried on “cable-laying ships”. The cables are sometimes buried in shallow waters to be protected from anchors and natural events as well as fishing equipment. Where the water is deeper they are placed direction on the ocean floor. According to the article this process can take months. Each year a hundred plus cables are damaged mostly by fishing equipment or anchors. There is a “growing concern” on the subject of “potential sabotage”. There was one “disruption” this year that “led to significant internet disruptions affecting at least 10 nations”. The article mentioned that there are several ways of protecting the cables. One of those ways int the “strategic route planning to avoid known hazards and areas of geopolitical tension”.  The cables are made of “steel armor” with their strength and “protection” in mind. The zones where they exist are chosen with protection in mind. Though the undersea cable system will be in use for a long time a “blended approach” is also in play with the undersea cables and satellites as a backup.

We are having Easter dinner with Lowell, Rebecca and Luanna.    

Joy