May 29, 2024 a thought for today, Deal with the faults of others as gently as with your own. Chinese Proverb

My first upload for yesterday is “succulent”. This is one of my aloe plants along with a little gnome to welcome guests. 

The next photo a day upload for yesterday was “street corner”. This is one I pass almost every day. 

The last upload for yesterday was “look down”. I was on my way to food pantry when I made this image. 

Life today. It has been a “decent” day as far as a to-do list goes, not much too pressing. The bulletin and all accompaniments are all ready to go. So I have been spending time on my every-other-day letter. I have also been working on the photos for today.

It is down right “cold”, and rainy, today, at least it feels that way to me. I turned the furnace on for a few minutes and of course have a sweat shirt on. I think it is supposed to be “cold” again tomorrow. It’s supposed to be a beautiful and warm spring day at the end of May to my way of thinking not COLD not even chilly. 

The first upload was today is “tires”. I have my wheelbarrow and one of the recycle containers at the back of the yard underneath an evergreen tree that has dropped many of it “needles” and short branches. 

I am back from pantry. We had a very slow day. That is a bit unusual now. Things picked up to  big number of families in recent weeks. Yesterday was almost at our top number for the day. Today was about a third of that. It is hard to predict how many we will have ahead of time on any day

 

The next photo a day upload was “pink and green”. I had couple of examples ending up with choosing this one of some partial yarn skeins for the entry today. 

The word today is fill.  I've got big shoes to fill. This is my chance to do something. I have to seize the moment. Andrew Jackson.  Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. William Wordsworth.  Fill the earth with your songs of gratitude. Charles Spurgeon.  Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important in some respect whether he chooses to be so or not. Nathaniel Hawthorne.  The human bird shall take his first flight, filling the world with amazement, all writings with his fame, and bringing eternal glory to the nest whence he sprang. Leonardo da Vinci.  Thou must be emptied of that wherewith thou art full, that thou mayest be filled with that whereof thou art empty. Saint Augustine.  Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good. Gautama Buddha.  He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. Thomas Jefferson.  The stars, that nature hung in heaven, and filled their lamps with everlasting oil, give due light to the misled and lonely traveller. John Milton.  Let those who are famished come that they may lay aside perpetual hunger and be filled with heavenly food. Lactantius.  A pure heart, open to the Light, will be filled with the elixir of Truth. Rumi.  Let us continue to improve until we are filled with the knowledge of the truth. We have yet much to learn. Brigham Young. 

The last upload today is “pasta”. This is one of my favorite pasta dishes, though I like most I have had  the pleasure of tasting. Macaroni salad is delicious side dish. 

Article: The information in this article is interesting. I wonder how far we will go with technology. This one is a story about “Electric air taxis are on the way....... may be flying passengers as early as 2025.”  The points mentioned in the beginning were silent air taxis, flying above traffic jams and “navigating between skyscrapers” as well as with “minimal environmental impact”.  I’ll stop here for a minute and offer my view it was recently brought to my attention that such a mode of transportation will at some point amount to “traffic jams”. It is said here that this is not “science fiction”. United Airlines is involved in the planning and formation. To my surprise I read that the “The U.S. military is already experimenting with them”. There is even one company that wants to “defy expectations and fly participants at the 2024 Paris Olympics”. One of the points they are promoting is that it will “alleviate urban congestion......slash carbon emissions”. This is a plan for short distance air travel. I will offer another note from my own point of view, as yet I don’t see that it is much different than travel by helicopter that we can do now, but then maybe there is more for me to learn. At one point in the article it is mentioned that air taxis is compared to the Uber beginning. It also went on to say that in the early stages they may be “restricted to military or emergency use”. Another of the challenges is the battery density situation may limit long-haul flights. At this point the batteries can preform successfully from a dozen miles to over 100 miles. I was surprised to read that considering hydrogen as an alternative may work by “boasting higher energy density and emitting only water vapor”. Using this method comes with “hurdles” like safe storage and it’s required infrastructural support. Then there is the facts of rules about safety and air traffic management along with who will manage the airways for this proposal. There are technological and battery efficiency to be considered and fitted along with “societal shifts” in public perception. In the long run “the skies offer a new layer of connectivity”. 

Dinner tonight was in Zanesville with Matt and his family. 

Joy

                         shadows

 May 27, 2024 a thought for today, The more you sweat in Peacetime, The less you bleed during War. Chinese Proverb

An upload for the 26th is “serenity”. This for me is a place of serenity especially when there are no lights in the Sanctuary and no one there. It is total quiet and peace.

The second upload for yesterday was “funny”. It’s not a roll on the floor funny but seeing how much Sweet Pea would like to join the geese was amusing. 

The last upload for yesterday was “‘80's vibes”. I don’t any memorabilia of that “era” and time in my life. In this image I simply tried to emulate the feel with bright color and sequins.  

Life today. So far it has been a pretty good Monday. I have the bulletin done to the point of incoming information. 

There is going to be a birthday gathering for Lowell. It has been a while since I have driven any distance from the westside but I was going to do that later today. Sue isn’t feeling well so she didn’t what to go out of the house. Plans changed a few minutes ago. I will be meeting him and Rebecca for lunch at Tommy’s. Not so far to drive and I will still get to wish him happy birthday in person.

The first photo a day for today is “astrophotography”. When I let Sweet Pea out for the night I have been taking my camera since the northern lights display. I have been playing with settings to see what I can “create”. 

This is one of those days where the sun comes out for a while and the grayish clouds chase it away. I have the flag out waving in the breeze. I don’t like for it to get wet but I can bring it in to dry. 

For some reason I was thinking today is the end of the month. We still have almost a week to go. I still have two days of food pantry as well as the printing day. And an extra day....Friday....it should be a “laid back day”. 

The second upload today is “money”. I had this assignment title for another club this month. This is the same collection of coins only in a different configuration. 

The word today is far.  For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. Martin Luther.  True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that - it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Charles Spurgeon.  Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. Thomas Jefferson. Go as far as you can see; when you get there you'll be able to see farther. Thomas Carlyle.  Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead. Louisa May Alcott.  O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? Percy Bysshe Shelley.  It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has. Hippocrates.  Suspicion is far more to be wrong than right; more often unjust than just. It is no friend to virtue, and always an enemy to happiness. Hosea Ballou.  Judging from the main portions of the history of the world, so far, justice is always in jeopardy. Walt Whitman.  Tears are often the telescope by which men see far into heaven. Henry Ward Beecher.  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.  The knowledge of God is very far from the love of Him. Blaise Pascal.

The last photo a day upload for today is “still life”. This is a tiny piece of my hydrophobic house plant garden including the gnomes that accompany it. 

Article: All of God’s creatures are amazing and why not they are God’s creatures. We learn more and more of their particular gifts that He gave them to share with us, to teach us, to heal us. This ariticle is more on the subject of pets as opposed to all “creatures” in general. It is written by an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry ( prevention, and treatment of mood, behavior, cognition, perceptions, and emotions). Owning a pets is full of highs and lows (what part of life isn’t full of highs and lows?). In living with the lives of pets there are tail wiggles or purrs when you come in the door. Then the “urgent”care visits to the vet when there is vomiting or other medical problems. The article relates that research shows that dogs and cats have “equally positive impacts on mental health”. They reduce stress, anxiety and some of the overwhelming parts of daily living. There is also the sense of purpose and responsibility the pets instill in us. They bring with them a “range of emotions”. There was an ‘uptick’ of pet adoptions during the COVID pandemic. Dogs ‘reduce’ loneliness. They can and do “assist in detecting the onset symptoms of medical episodes, including seizures”. Helping in all types of therapy improve qualities of life after trauma, anxiety disorders, autism, brain injuries and more. One down side in pet ownership is separation anxiety as well as the worry when there are the signs a pet is developing some illness. Another ‘down side’ is the knowledge that pets live shorter lives. Pet owners need to acknowledge the stresses in pet ownership as well as the other side of the coin, humans receive unconditional love and full acceptance like no other from their animal companion.

Dinner will be something from the freezer or something in a can.  

Joy

                              into the night

 May 25, 2024, a thought for today, It takes a year to make a friend, but you can lose one in an hour. Chinese Proverb

One of the uploads for yesterday was “graffiti”. There is a business near my home that paints graffiti/wall art on businesses that request it. They have “samples” on walls, trucks and dumpsters on their property. I made a trip behind the building and found this beauty. 

The 2nd upload on the 24th was “music”. I often ask myself how to make a hard copy image of an idea or a sound as music. I decided to use a section of a page of sheet music for this assignment. 

The last image upload for yesterday is “furry friend”. Here’s my best. See the boredom in the half closed eye?

Life today. When we met with Lowell and Rebecca at York for dinner we had a surprise other person join us...my brother in law, Steve. It was so nice to see and chat with him catching up on how life was going for him.

Today is the day of grocery pick up. I just feel that Sweet Pea knows when it is Saturday. When I brush my teeth and comb my hair on Saturdays she gets excited and looks for her angry bird toy to carry softly in her mouth.  She doesn’t respond that way any other time when I am getting ready to go to church. As matter of fact on those occasions she goes in to my bed and lays there watching me. 

One of the uploads for today is “geometric shapes”. If one is observant there are all kinds of shapes when we are out and about. I chose this one for today. The shapes and lines in this track cap show a variety of those shapes.

After groceries are put up, I was having some problems with my Photoshop processes and had to spend more time than I planned. All the time I thought I would have spent on other things on my to do list are going to have to be “reassigned”. 

 was trying to do without the AC for a while today but the temperature outside changed my plans. The AC is back on at least until the sun goes down and takes the temperature with it. 

The next image today is an everyday pick.... “peas”. I didn’t have any cooked and “plated” artistically so I just used some before they reached that stage. 

The word today is fair.  Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of one who sees. Rumi.  In fair weather prepare for foul. Thomas Fuller.  In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. Lao Tzu.  Remorse is virtue's root; its fair increase are fruits of innocence and blessedness. William Cullen Bryant.  Follow thy fair sun, unhappy shadow. Thomas Campion.  Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens, you have made them bright, precious and fair. Francis of Assisi.  Fair peace becomes men; ferocious anger belongs to beasts. Ovid.  According to the law of nature it is only fair that no one should become richer through damages and injuries suffered by another. Marcus Tullius Cicero.  The lily and the rose in her fair face striving for precedence. Nathaniel Parker Willis.  Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital, and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only capital. Thomas Jefferson.  A fair-minded person tries to see both sides of an argument. Aesop.  Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just. Victor Hugo.  Fair and softly goes far. Miguel de Cervantes.

The last one for today is “bridge”. I tried using this one from the upper view. I couldn’t be quiet close enough to get the traffic underneath. However, I like this view with just a suggestion of something going on under the ledge. 

Article: I saw the title and wondered where it was going....did animals “cure” themselves? Here’s the title, Animals self-medicate with plants”, written by a reseach scholar in history and philosophy.  The article opened with an explanation of something observed recently of a wild orangutan that has “suffered a facial wound” and then was seen chewing leaves on a liana vine, later applied the juice to the wound. The wound healed. The liana vine have “antibacterial and antioxidant properties and is known to alleviate pain, fever, bleeding and inflammation”. As the article goes on it states that the ‘self medication by animals’ was reported as “Greeks and Romans knew about plants and animals.....reported by Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, Aelian and other naturalists”. from antiquity”.  In 1987 a term was used, ‘zoopharmacognosy’,, with was used to describe animal medicine knowledge. A note from history that about 2,000 years ago a Roman ‘natural historian’ named Pliny noted that “animals have made medical discoveries useful for humans”. Plants were discovered by “Indigenous peoples......who observed animals employing plants and emulated them”. Aristotle also mentioned such in the “History of Animals” in the fourth century. He noted that dogs eat grass when “ill”. After hibernation bears look for and eat garlic, rich in vitamin C, iron and magnesium. It has been observed that weasels roll in evergreen plant leavings to relieve wounds and snake bites. Snakes are attracted to fennel to run in their eyes. The article mentioned that Egyptians found knowledge by observing the “wisdom of animals”.  One of which was elephants “treating spear wounds with olive flowers and oil”. Some birds used oregano leaves as paste on wounds. The article went on with several notations of ways of diverse animals using plants as self-doctoring much of which led to lifesaving drugs today. I learned that finches and sparrows collect cigarette butts (for the nicotine) to kill mites in the birds nests. The article ended with stating that some veterinarians allow dogs, horses and some others to “choose their own prescriptions by sniffing various botanical compounds”. 

I think it will be taco salad for dinner tonight. 

Joy

                   wrong dump spot

 May 23, 2024, a thought for today. Those who train themselves in wisdom cultivate true courage. Hebrew Proverb

One of the photo a day uploads for yesterday was “opposites”. It is one of my fading poinsettia cuttings along with some geranium leaves beginning to root. The opposites are new and old, colors, and shapes. 

The next upload for the 22nd was “money”. This is one of my collections of changes that I need to get to the bank.

The third and last upload for yesterday was “lines”. I see lines in trees and in the length and shape of the street in the back ground. There are also lines in the shapes on the house in a portion of the image.

Life today. This is another one of those days where the to-do list was thrown out the window. However, I did get the “top of the Thursday list done”, the bulletin and newsletter printed. 

5:00am May 23.....the refrigerator growled. I got up three times to try to adjust the ice maker....that didn’t do it. While I was at church I called to see if Andy and Tami could come over to help me figure out what it could be. I needed a ‘second opinion(s)’

When I got home from church, they came over. Wouldn’t you know, the frig didn’t make a sound. They did help me find the refrigerator filter so I could get the name so that I could replace it.....I remember in the “olden days” me, and my mom all my growing life, got by with a frig that didn’t need a filter. Tami also helped me find where I could return the gate I bought and didn’t use. 

My first upload for today is “nostalgia” . This is my mom and dad from about sixty years ago. My two boys both have many of his features. He had two daughters, myself and my sister. He was able to “meet” and hold Bob, his first grandson, a few months before he died. 

Sue took her car for some repairs and needed a pick up so I put the computer chores on the back burner go pick her up.....we will have a return trip later. 

In trying to think of a birthday present for Lowell I found a photo I will print and frame for him. I can’t think of something he would need. I usually give my family gift certificates. It didn’t seem like the thing to do in this case all things considered. 

I was trying to get by without the AC until I went to out to get Sue. As soon as we got home I turned it back on.

I received one of the four plants that I want to add to my hydroponic house plant garden in the mail today. I hope to get it prepared for its new home in a mason jar this afternoon. 

My second upload for today is “glass”. This is a “wall of glass” . It is one of the buildings in downtown Columbus reflecting some more “downtown/uptown” including a US flag in the reflected background. 

The word today is fail.  Where words fail, music speaks. Hans Christian Andersen.  I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating. Sophocles. Finite to fail, but infinite to venture. Emily Dickinson.  Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits. Robert Louis Stevenson.  When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger. Epictetus.  A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing to hear and see it. Michelangelo.  Two persons cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings. Jean de la Bruyere.  People must have righteous principals in the first, and then they will not fail to perform virtuous actions. Martin Luther.  Try and fail, but don't fail to try. John Quincy Adams.  Outward judgment often fails, inward judgment never. Theodore Parker.  It is possible to fail in many ways . . . while to succeed is possible only in one way (for which reason also one is easy and the other difficult - to miss the mark easy, to hit it difficult). Aristotle.  God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand that never fails. Charles Spurgeon.  Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. Gautama Buddha. If temperance prevails, then education can prevail; if temperance fails, then education must fail. Horace Mann.

The last upload for photo a day today is “flower”. This is one of my Hollyhocks when I still had a chain  link fence instead of the “privacy” fence in the backyard. 

Article: I thought this sounded interesting especially since it involves photography, like most of us with cell phones in this time in history. The title is “Phone cameras can take in more light than the human eye”. The first paragraph stated something like photography using computer related processes as Smartphones do along with AI “allow these devices to capture stunning images that can surpass what we see with the naked eye”. The professor who wrote the article stated that smartphone features “overcome the limitations of human vision”. Human eyes see with clearness of “footprints in a sun-soaked desert and pilot vehicles at high speeds” but are less impressive in low light conditions. Due to the make up of the eyes meaning the “rods and  cones”, night vision is not reliable in humans and may miss much of the color.  In low light humans the eye tends to focus more on motion and shape. The author says that “these compact devices (smartphones) use multiple cameras and advanced sensors to gather more light than the human eye can, even in low-light conditions”. Along with other ways the smartphones develop photography in the use of digital techniques and algorithms they use stabilization and exposure settings to “optimize the amount of light the camera captures”. There is a setting on the smartphone called night mode that can balance colors in low light. Then AI comes into the picture, this allows the cameras to “optimizing the settings, applying bursts of light........to get really fine detail”.  Though smartphones have come a long way in advancing photography, standard cameras “have larger sensors and superior optics, providing more control over the images you take”. The major photo manufacturers “avoid tampering with the image, instead letting the photographer take creative control”. You can shoot in “raw format” and then use creative editing to produce higher quality images. There are “AI” features within the standard camera also such as night mode, and portrait mode. Photoshop also allows for the use of AI features. Editors comment: a photograph no matter how generated captures moments in time. They are also products of a creative spirit not to mention their historic presence and message.

I still haven’t had the potato soup so maybe that will be on the menu for tonight. 

Joy

                                   no fuel necessary

 May 21, 2024 a thought for today, When you open a door, don't forget to close it. Treat your mouth accordingly. Japanese Proverb

The first upload for yesterday was “in my backyard”. This is one corner of the backyard. Sue’s blackberry bush is in the far corner. An evergreen tree I planted about forty-seven years ago is in the foreground. 

The next upload for yesterday is “a single flower”. I don’t have any blooming at the moment so I used one of my neighbors iris’. I decided that though the assignment was for a single flower I left the bud in the picture....it’s not really a “full” flower yet. (smile)

The third upload for the 20th was “Ascension Day”. My best thinking for this image was something rising in the air. In searching through my archives I came across the hot air balloons that I took photos of a few years ago when there was an event in Grove City. 

Here is another of those days I have a fourth photo a day upload. This one is “architecture”. I was on my way in the building for my semi annual doctor’s appointment. I noticed the parts and details of this “architecture” and felt, in my opinion, it was perfect for this shot. 

Life today. I got the bulletin done yesterday with bit of a discussion where a “special” addition needed to be added. There was some decision to be made on where to put the information so the people in the congregation would know what was happening....what the bulletin is for. I could not reach the person responsible for a part of the addition. I sent an email in ample time but received no response in more than twenty-four hours. So I contacted other resources.

I went on to finish the newsletter, up to the point of another persons entry. I may have to find a “filler” if I don’t get that information by late Wednesday. I got the newsletter labels printed, the shut-in envelopes, a birthday card. Finishing the newsletter took some time since I had to go through photos and resize them. While I was dealing with the photos I put together the Instagram upload from the Sunday School class and uploaded that. 

It was a busy morning. Then I got ready to go to church for food pantry. 

I broke down and turned the air conditioner on last night. I decided to shut it off when Sweet Pea and I went to bed. I opened windows and turned on the overhead fan. I was hoping to wait until June before I turned it on but it’s close enough. 

The first upload for today is “dept of field”. This is one of my hydroponic peppermint plants standing in my dining room window. The neighbor’s yard and partial garden are the out of focus background.  

Food pantry was at the top number for each time we are open. Actually we were one under the top. Gail and I were busy the whole time our doors were open. 

Now it’s time to put the finishing touches on the personal side of the day, my letter and my photos before dinner time which is fast approaching. 

The next upload today is “flower petals”. My Christmas poinsettia has had a second bloom. I have a piece of it in a small tube on the table. It is about to lose its leaves so I pulled them off for this photo image. 

The word today is exact. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. Francis Bacon.  The eyes are more exact witnesses than the ears. Heraclitus.  The depth of darkness to which you can descend and still live is an exact measure of the height to which you can aspire to reach. Pliny the Elder.  It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact. Edmund Burke.  Exactness and neatness in moderation is a virtue, but carried to extremes narrows the mind. Francois Fenelon.  Ease and speed in doing a thing do not give the work lasting solidity or exactness of beauty. Plutarch.  Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Exactness in little things is a wonderful source of cheerfulness. Frederick William Faber.  In the long-run every Government is the exact symbol of its People, with their wisdom and unwisdom; we have to say, Like People like Government. Thomas Carlyle.  The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists. Charles Dickens.  This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well. Francis Bacon.  In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior. Francis Bacon.  

My last photo for the day is titled “kites”. Welllll, I don’t have any kites. I don’t have youngsters around who want to fly kits. I’m not so sure kites are flown as much as they once were. Anyway, I chose an image from the hot air balloons I shot a while back as a substitute for kits. 

This article is a bit about the postal service. Not as far back as the Pony Express but still maybe of some interest. We all depend on it, mail service. The title was an eye catcher.... The Highway Post Office’s Final Run: How Columbus Made Postal History”. I didn’t realize until I read this article that there had been such a thing called a “highway post office”. So I Googled it: The term highway post office refers to brightly colored red, white and blue buses used to carry mail to multiple areas over wide distances. The first Highway Post Office bus was inaugurated on February 10, 1941. The article began with explaining that fifty years ago the last two such buses were retired “forced into obsolescence by automated mail sorting”. “In the 1860s, the U.S. Post Service developed the Railway Post Office, a train car devoted to both carrying and processing mail”. Mail bags were emptied and sorted into “hundreds of wall-mounted pigeonholes”. Then they were re-bagged for delivery. Mail was picked up and dropped off at towns where the train didn’t stop. At these stops a long metal “catcher arm” caught the mailbag and a “special rack” sent out a delivery bag. When this mail delivery service was strongest there were more than 3,000 cars in service. The depression and highways gradually took over methods of transportation. That was when the Highway Post Office began. It was “fitted” much like the train type service. One difference was that it could stop at more points than the train did. There were 108 routes one of which was between Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus. This method of transporting mail became “obsolete by automated mail sorting”.  So as the story was ending, I learned that the last Highway Post Office came to the main post office on Twin Rivers Drive in 1974. The Railway Post Office made a final run in 1977. That route was between New York City and Washington DC. 

Chili Mac for dinner. 

Joy

                              just a peek in the window

May 19, 2024 a thought for today, The strong will protect the weak and, in return, the weak will serve the strong. Japanese Proverb

My first upload for yesterday was “still life”. This is my peppermint plant growing in the hydroponic solution taking off in its wild nature.

The second upload for yesterday is “grass”. I put the camera on the ground to get a close up look at the blades of grass. 

The last upload for yesterday was “shop front”. This is one of the shop fronts in a small mall near home. 

Life today. Attendance at church was pretty low again today but some of my personal interests were there. That was nice. This was a day that we recognized and honored our Sunday School teacher and the choir members and director. We rearranged our fellowship date in order to celebrate that event with cake and ice cream as opposed to just doughnuts. That was also pleasant and meaningful. 

One of Sue’s twin great grand daughters came to visit for a while too today. Another pleasant time in the day. 

The first photo a day upload for today is “texture”. A collection of grass, weed, and crumbling paver bricks. 

My peppermint plants that I have started in the hyperbolic process is going wild and has encouraged me to add a couple of plants to my collection. One I am looking for is a geranium plant. My neighbor is going to give me a cutting from one of his plants. My grand daughter in law is going to give me a cutting from her Monatera plant. I have two others in mind so I will order those two. 

This will be one of the relax and renew days for me since it is Sunday. I have only two things I have to accomplish today.....making chicken “meat” balls for Sweet Pea and uploading today church service to Facebook from a memory card, that is in process right now and will take the rest of the afternoon.

Next is an upload called “feather”. I have a bird making her nest in the roof gutter outside my back door but she has not left me a keep sake feather. This one is from my archives.

The word today is example. Society is always taken by surprise at any new example of common sense. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other. Edmund Burke. Imagine for yourself a character, a model personality, whose example you determine to follow, in private as well as in public. Epictetus.  He that gives good advice, builds with one hand; he that gives good counsel and example, builds with both; but he that gives good admonition and bad example, builds with one hand and pulls down with the other. Francis Bacon.  History is Philosophy teaching by example. Thucydides.  Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs. Confucius.  Example is the best precept. Aesop.  The best way to understanding is a few good examples. Isaac Newton.  Preach by example of your lives rather than by words. Example is the very best sermon. Rose Philippine Duchesne.  Education commences at the mother's knee, and every word spoken within hearsay of little children tends toward the formation of character. Hosea Ballou.  No man is so insignificant as to be sure his example can do no hurt. Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon  We are in truth, more than half what we are by imitation. The great point is to choose good models and to study them with care. Lord Chesterfield.  Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast. Jean de La Fontaine.  No reproof or denunciation is so potent as the silent influence of a good example. Hosea Ballou.  The blossom cannot tell what becomes of its odor, and no person can tell what becomes of his or her influence and example. Henry Ward Beecher.  Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence. George Washington.  Nothing is so contagious as example; and we never do any great good or evil which does not produce its like. Francois de La Rochefoucauld.  

My last photo a day image today is “everyday object”. Of all the everyday objects in the house for this one I chose the corner of my stove. 

Article: Seems like AI is beginning to affect all parts of our lives at this time in history. This article will shed yet another view of its action. The title is “Newsrooms are experimenting with generative AI, warts and all”. A profession of Philosophy of Applied Ethics wrote it . The article begins with the statement that journalists have recently been experimenting with the “generative AI to boost their productivity”. Recently a survey was conducted in which 70% of the journalists said they had used the tools to generate text. They have used it in drafts, headlines and social media posts. It goes on to explore whether it poses any “moral questions” especially since in “this business” professional ethics and public trust are important. The author of the story mentioned that they, journalists, must be careful to care for the integrity of their work. He also mentions that AI is still unreliable and can, at this point, produce unreliable information. Some of the process could turn reports from writers to editors which may lead to altering “the nature” of what they want to accomplish. There is the fact that writing the draft leads to new ideas to add or edit. Human ideas “change and take shape” as they are jotted down.  AI is improving with time but we have to consider the well established and honored “relationship between writers and their readers.”

Maybe potato soup and a piece of fish for dinner. 

Joy                             canopy of leaves 

 May 17, 2024 a thought for today, To whiten ivory with dye is to spoil nature by art. Latin Proverb

 One of my entries for yesterday was “group of ....” This group of trees has interested me every time a pass which is at least once a week. So I thought I would take today’s assignment to show them off.

My next choice of upload for yesterday was this image of “street signs”.
This one is an easy one because there are street signs all over the place. You can’t go outside in the city without seeing a plethora of street signs. 

My last upload for yesterday was “silly”. Here is my favorite model as she is truly at the top sensation of comfort laying on her back with all four legs askew and so relaxed to fall in any way that gravity took charge. 

Life today. This has been “one of those days”. My trash wasn’t put out by the curb last night as is the “rule” here. It is a large receptacle. I have difficulty in getting down the driveway and over the hump. So usually one of my neighbors is so kind to do it for me. I have no problem brining it back up once it’s empty. So I called Lowell to see if he was leaving for work early this morning and could stop by to do it for me. In the meantime my neighbor did come over to get it around 5:30 this morning. I had been awake since 4:00 thinking about it.....the story of a “worrywart”.

The cleaning lady changed dates from next week to today. Sweet Pea was scheduled to get one of her treatments/shots today. I asked Sue if she would be here for about 20 minutes while to the housekeepers were here so I could take Sweet Pea for her appointment. While the housekeepers were getting started Sue left saying that she had a phone call and had to run an errand. So I didn’t know if I should leave the house and leave the cleaning people. I didn’t have much of a choice so I went to the vets office. We were back in about 30 minutes. All went well. 

My first upload for today is “midday”. Actually this would fit a description of more than midday in the spring, summer and fall when the green leaves frame most views in my neighborhood. 

Next, I received the information for next weeks bulletin. I was excited that it was early so it would be a breeze to get completed on or before Monday. When I tried to open the file, I found that it was in a format I could not open without downloading new software, which I don’t particularly like to do. So I sent a text to see if the information can be resent as a  pdf or Microsoft Word file. I am waiting to see if that happens. 

Since I put off doing the laundry yesterday I got that started after the cleaning ladies left. Maybe the rest of the day will be smooth. Maybe I will even have sometime to work on the newsletter.

The second photo-a-day upload for today is “crayons”. I had a bag of crayons in the trunk of my car for sometime now. I think I used them at Christmas time as part of my gifts to the kids in my family. It’s a wonder then weren’t all melted but they were in good shape. 

The word today is everywhere. Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth. Chanakya. The nature of God is a circle of which the center is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere. Empedocles.  Beauty is everywhere a welcome guest. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as a heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors. Abraham Lincoln.  If you look deep enough you will see music; the heart of nature being everywhere music. Thomas Carlyle.  May we do good everywhere as we have opportunity, and results will not be wanting! Charles Spurgeon.  They wonder much to hear that gold, which in itself is so useless a thing, should be everywhere so much esteemed, that even men for whom it was made, and by whom it has its value, should yet be thought of less value than it is. Thomas More.  A man who lives everywhere lives nowhere. Marcus Valerius Martial.  Wise thinkers prevail everywhere. Sophocles.  Sacrifice still exists everywhere, and everywhere the elect of each generation suffers for the salvation of the rest. Henri Frederic Amiel.  

My last upload for today is “city skyline”. Say hello to Columbus Ohio. This was taken as the sun was going down so there is a bit of a glow in some of the windows. In the foreground there are a few residences in the part of Columbus called Franklinton.  

Article: This article is about a beautiful park near by. We had one family wedding in this park. There is an oriental garden there that was closed for maintenance when we were there for the wedding. I have not had the chance to visit yet. Apparently they are adding something new, as most places of interest do from time to time. This is something on the unusual side....a Giant World of ‘Big Bug’ at Dawes Arboretum. These ‘bugs’ are larger than life. In a walk through the park you many encounter a 25-foot-long praying mantis or a dragon fly with a “wingspan wider than your car!” The article also offered a bit of history about the park. In 1929 the Arboretum was ‘born’. Benman and Bertie Dawes had a “passion for nature and a vision for environmental education”. The park is 2,000 acres of “a rich tapestry of forests, prairies, and wetlands, not to mention a living library of over 5,000 types of trees and plants.”  This newest exhibit is a creation of sculptures make of cedar, locust and willow. These ‘insects’ for been seen in the New York Botanical Gardens and at the Disney’s EPCOT  International Flower & Garden Festival. The article mentioned that this is the biggest ‘installation’ to visit the park so far. The ‘insects’ have been placed and spaced to fit into the landscape. There are ten different sculptures. As mentioned there is a praying mantis and a dragon fly. To accompany them there is a spider, dangling from a web, a lady bug and a grasshopper. The article promotes that “it’s a chance to engage with nature and art in a whole new way”. This exhibit will begin at Dawes Arboretum on Memorial Day. For more information check out the  website at dawesarb.org.

Pizza night here at my house tonight.....! 

Joy

                                spring time