July 30, 2024 a thought for today, What one knows it is sometimes useful to forget. Latin Proverb

The first upload challenge for yesterday was “photographer’s choice”.  This is one of my Christmas Cactus’. The back ground was an off-white color so I “pasted into” the background one of my pieces of digital art that was generated manually from an original photo using filters and algorithms.

The next upload was “j is for....” I used a photo of some of my jonquils that were blooming last year.   

The last photo upload for yesterday was “scented”. This was taken a while back in a flower shop cooler where the roses were waiting to be arranged. 

Life today. I kept busy yesterday. I finished the bulletin more quickly than is usual. Then I concentrated on objects that were brought into the house from the clearing of the garage and basement. There were several mementos that I want to keep. I found placed to safely store them to be brought out when the spirit touches. There are other items that I must have boxed up earlier for one reason or another such as partial bottles of rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Dawn soap, and so on that needed new places to live. Some of this required cleaning shelves. 

I had let the dishes sit in the sink and the frig got loaded with left overs. That needed tended to yesterday also. So the day was pretty well used. I did take some time for my blog and photos. 

The first upload for today is “liquid”. I thought what better place to get liquid than at the park where there are a working fountain and a pond. I took several shots of both as well as a puddle left by the earlier rain. 

We had a pretty good rain fall during the night. The skies are on the gray side today too. I don’t think there is any rain predicted for today just not much sun. 

Today and tomorrow are food pantry days. I will take care of the photo challenges on my way to and from. When I get home it’s time to make ground chicken meat balls for Sweet Peas treats for the next few weeks. 

The next challenge upload of today is another of the “photographer’s choice”. Again while I was in the park, I used one of its enticing rest spots. 

The word today is however.  If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau.  Boldness is a mask for fear, however great. John Dryden.  The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. Aesop.  However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them? Buddha. All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince. Plato. Hence no force, however great, can stretch a cord, however fine, into a horizontal line which is accurately straight: there will always be a bending downwards. William Whewell.   At rest, however, in the middle of everything is the sun. Nicolaus Copernicus.  However great may be the work for which we are responsible, we will always do well if we pause to spend time in sacred praise. Charles Spurgeon.  However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him. Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux.  However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts. John Calvin. Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. Henry David Thoreau. 

The last photo for today is “in the drawer”. This is a “hidden” drawer in the vintage gate leg table that is the center piece in my dining room. 

Article: The thing that caught my eye in this article was that “trees hold their breath”. So I decided to explore further by reading this article and share. Here is the title, Trees don’t like to breathe wildfire smoke, either – and they’ll hold their breath to avoid it”. Researchers observed how trees were reacting to a fire in Colorado. Atmospheric and chemical scientists “were able to watch in real time how the leaves of living pine trees responded”. They say the plant actually breathe. They have pores on their leaves called stomata. The article relates that the pores are “like our mouths” the leaves inhale carbon dioxide through the pores that way as we inhale oxygen through our nose and mouth. “Unlike humans, however, leaves breathe in and out at the same time, constantly taking in and releasing atmospheric gases”. In the 1900s it was observed that charted that trees that were exposed to the “pollution from coal-burning had black granules clogging the leaf pores through which plants breathe”. Here’s another plant affected by smoke that we may experience the result, when grapes are “exposed to smoke, their wine can be tainted”. As the smoke from fires spreads the “smoke cooks in sunlight and chemically changes. Mixing volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides and sunlight will make ground-level ozone, which can cause breathing problems in humans”. Wildfires are unpredictable. In one study after a major fire the scientists “were surprised to discover that the tree’s pores were completely closed and photosynthesis was nearly zero.....that the leaves weren’t “breathing”. The scientests forced photosynthesis so they could ““defibrillate” the leaf into its normal rhythm”. This practice cleared the “airways” and the tree was breathing again. As the article was ending it related that “the jury is still out on exactly how long the effects of wildfire smoke last and how repeated smoke events will affect plants” over the long term.

I don’t usually have much time to cook on food pantry days so we will have something from the freezer or soup and sandwich fo dinner.

Joy

look at all the art....patterns, forms, shapes, lines, textures, colors in shades and hues

 July 28, 2024 a thought for today, It is better to be always prepared than to suffer once. Latin Proverb

One of the challenges for yesterday was “B and W evening”. This was taken some time ago. I have several this one is the one that I like for this upload.

The next upload for yesterday was “donuts”. I made these for he “crew” when they were helping me with the basement and garage. I used Pillsbury biscuit's and cooked them in the air fryer. The glaze was powdered sugar and dark chocolate Silk Almond milk. 

The last challenge for yesterday was “a bottle”. This is the only decorative bottle I have around the house. I have plenty of plastic water bottles and such. 

Life today. Sunday has rolled around again. Yesterday was a bit different. We were finishing up with the clearing in the garage. It was a bigger job than first imagined. The “crew” was back to finish up. Sue’s was back from Lancaster so was able to look through things she has stored there. Natalie stopped by after work Thursday to lend a hand. The rest of the “crew” were Tami, Andy, Lowell, Brian, and Gideon. I have been able to have food at lunch time for them. I made air fried doughnuts with Pillsbury biscuit's when I got back from curbside pick up. (Doughnuts is one of the props I needed to meet a photo challenge for yesterday.....two birds with one stone....a treat for the crew and meet my challenge.)

The weather has cooperated each day and it looks like it will be again today. The sun was bright. They finished before it got to hot. The basement and garage look good. Brian used the oversize shop vac to finish off both areas.

Sweet Pea didn’t seem to get use to all of the action around here. She is use to a quiet house with little going on especially a lot of quick movement and stacks of thing where they aren’t supposed to be when she goes outside. 

TV is full now....almost nothing but the Olympics and political right now, at least the channels that I have on. I think it is going to be that way for a few weeks. 

The first upload for today is “relaxing”. One of the places around my home I find to relax is the porch swing. We have had a porch swing at this house since we moved here about fifty plus year ago. 

Now Sunday is here and we can all, especially the ones who put in the most effort, can rest. Lots of small mementos found there way into the house. I need to find places to put them but I don’t plan on doing that today since it is Sunday. It’s time to reflect. 

Our service was outstanding. The lay reader is always good. His message touches and allows for pondering. We had a special duo. They sang The Prayer. The same song Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion sang together. Check out our duo on our web page for this date: the tears are still flowing.  

It will feel good to start the new week off tomorrow back on a more “relaxed” schedule since the busy third-week-of-the-month is in the rear view and the basement/garage projects are done. It was so nice to have so much of my family all together in one place for the past three days. For me it is like reading a good book, when I come near the last chapter I don’t want it to end. That is the feeling I have with this combined-effort-project ending. Maybe it is a “little old lady” syndrom....or just a “family-I-love” being together ending for a while.

The next challenge for today is “water vessel”. I am not around boat at the phase of my life. The other day I had another challenge for a boat. I made an origami boat. For this upload I used the bottle that I had used for one of the above entries and inserted it in an image of the bottle. I used one of the Photoshop actions to accomplish this photo. 

The word today is hour.  That though the radiance which was once so bright be now forever taken from my sight. Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, glory in the flower. We will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind. William Wordsworth.  A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life. Charles Darwin.  To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle. Walt Whitman. Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now. P. T. Barnum.  We see God face to face every hour, and know the savor of Nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson. He who postpones the hour of living is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses. Horace.  Since thou are not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Benjamin Franklin.  I have proved by actual trial that a letter, that takes an hour to write, takes only about 3 minutes to read! Lewis Carroll.  Guard your roving thoughts with a jealous care, for speech is but the dealer of thoughts, and every fool can plainly read in your words what is the hour of your thoughts. Alfred Lord Tennyson.  For I have learned to look on nature, not as in the hour of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes the still, sad music of humanity. William Wordsworth.  Expedients are for the hour, but principles are for the ages. Henry Ward Beecher. 

The last entry for today is “art”. Some may consider this a craft rather than an art, I think it is a bit of both. This is one of my paper quilling projects. 

Article: Here I am with a story about how animals can help humans again. Seems to be a lot of them, stories about it I mean, so may be some truth in the pudding? When I was younger and my kids were in elementary school I wondered why some got to bring tiny pets home for the summer. They answer, of course, they couldn’t be left alone in the school all summer. We had a goose once, maybe others that I am not recalling at the moment. The title is “Animals’ presence in schools helps calm, teaches empath”.One of the authors teachers had a dog who had become a therapy dog of sorts helping her through an abusive situation. She said the dog kissed away her tears and slept beside her for the warmth of a living being. Later she decided she wanted to train the “family’s outdoor hunting dog, Millie, to be a therapy dog”. After Millie had had extensive training, in January of 2021,  the teacher took her to the school where she taught. The article went on to note that many teacher feel that animals bring a calming influence to the class room. They have brought “dogs, rabbits, frogs, hamsters and the occasional chinchilla to class in the hopes of teaching students about empathy, responsibility and how to be good wildlife stewards”. In one such incident a middle school student told the teacher that she had come to school only to see the dog and said she was so glad the dog was there. The teacher noted that the dog has “helped at least one student on one day”.The teacher mentioned that over time there have been incidents such as once “Millie”, the dog in the teachers room, had taken a students water bottle and had to be taught a lesson. As the author wrote the story she mentioned that teacher’s pets “are helping students learn, heal and laugh”. One lady said she never expected the class rooms in are schools to “become a shelter for small and exotic animals”. The first one that was noted was a hamster named Henry. His situation was that he needed to be “rehomed” so he came to them. “Henry instantly became a draw for her high school students”. From what the article said Henry would “sit in their pockets while they did art – you know, in their sweatshirt pockets – or they would take a towel and make him a little burrow and he’d sit on the table and shove his cheeks full of food”. A “decade later” that same class room “has served as a refuge for chinchillas, birds, an iguana and even fire-belly toads – all of which needed a home”. There are more stories in this article of other individual stories of various animals and the stories of how they have each helped at least one human every day. It has been found that marine life such as lobsters, octopus, cowfish, stingrays are not really suitable for school class rooms. One teacher said that “As I continued teaching and caring for the animals, (I learned) at the same time you’re kind of caring for the students”. It has been found that “there is value to having different types of animals in schools”. Animals can also help to “faciligate”discussions about humanely letting them go”. 

Chili for dinner.

Joy

                    just a peek behind some fancy grasses

 July 26, 2024 a thought for today, Listening to a liar is like drinking warm water. Native American Plains Proverbs

The first upload for yesterday was “hand painted”. My mother had a ceramic studio in her home. She how to clean and paint pieces of clay as well as porcelain. She hand painted the 3 foot tall stein. 

The next photo for yesterday was “father”. This is my dad. ‘Nuf said the photo
almost speaks for itself. He was a smart as well as wise man.  

Life today. I left early to meet Dorothy and get the newsletter done. That went quickly and I was on my way back home. I got a few of the photos I need for today. The “crew” is coming to work on cleaning out the garage. They were here yesterday and cleared the basement. 

I had time before they got here to start the letter and get a couple of other chores done. Once they started on the garage I sat in a cool place to let them know when I wanted to keep something and when to throw it out. The problem was when we got to some of the things that were stored in bins. Some of it was personal items that had been Bob’s “prized” memories. I broke down in tears. I’m afraid that I wasn’t very gracious after that. After that Tami, Lowell and I “soldiered on”. Lowell and Tami opened containers and decided what to close back before I realized that some would still be hard for me to deal with. Lowell decided to take some with him to go through later. I am afraid it will be hard for him too. I also learned that my sister had more stored in the garage than I did. Like I was envisioning earlier, when deciding to do this now, this was much like going through an forgotten attic and all of its “treasures”.

The first challenge for today was “shadows”. This are shadows on my back fence. It show the empty plant hangers that use to have an array of house plants out for the summer vacation. I can no longer care for as many plants as I use to have so the shadows are empty memories. 

It looks like I am not going to get my “Friday chores” done in the familiar way or time between working inside then going back out to see how things are progressing. 

We are fortunate that the weather is staying so nice. I was concerned that we were going to have some rain all three of these days that they had planned to be working on this process. 

The next photo is “photographers choice”. This one is not from the near by city park it is from one of the planters at a near by McDonalds. 

The word today is how.  It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. Epictetus.  No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop. It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. Charles Spurgeon.  The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. Samuel Johnson.  True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. Socrates.  The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much. William Hazlitt.  I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott.  If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  How strange that nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude! Emily Dickinson.  When from our better selves we have too long been parted by the hurrying world, and droop. Sick of its business, of its pleasures tired, how gracious, how benign is solitude. William Wordsworth.  How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it. Marcus Aurelius.  How much pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened. Thomas Jefferson.  As long as you live, keep learning how to live. Lucius Annaeus Seneca.  As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. Sun Tzu.  It never troubles the wolf how many the sheep may be. Virgil.  Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. John Milton.  Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others. Saint Augustine.  Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. Plutarch.  

The last challenge for today is “tasty”. When I stopped to get the above photo I also picked up a sausage on biscuit sandwich and I found it to be tasty.

Article: As those of you who have read me know I love animals. I like to read how they help us. We pardner, God made us both. The title is “Tagging seals with sensors helps scientists track ocean currents and a changing climate..... seals are experts at swimming through the vigorous ocean currents that make up the Southern Ocean”. They make the perfect research assistants in research projects. "During  mating season, when the marine mammal comes to shore to rest, and the tag remains attached to the seal for a year".  The tags do not affect any of the seals behaviors. The tags are removed “after the seal molts and sheds its fur for a new coat each year”. All kinds of data can be collected as the seals dive information is transmitted about locations and other valuable information for study by the scientists. “Tagging has grown into an international collaboration”. The tags “carry pressure, temperature and salinity sensors, all properties used to assess the ocean’s rising temperatures and changing currents....they also measure phytoplankton concentrations”.  The phytoplankton can signify when fish and seals are around. They can also measure the effects of melting ice. With this information the “physical pathways this warm water travels to reach ice shelves and how currents transport the resulting melted ice away from glaciers”. I learned that these tests show more information on how the oceans stored heat energy from human activity moves into the atmosphere. Of course, these sensors also “determine where seals look for food”. The tags are also used for “scientists to use the tag data to see how seals are adapting to a changing climate and warming ocean”. 

Pizza night

Joy 

these are two of my once upon a time fur babies ..... they crossed the rainbow a long time ago but are still a memory

 July 24, 2024 a thought for today, Misfortunes will happen to the wisest and best of men. Native American Pawnee Proverb

My first upload for yesterday was “photographers choice”. Once again I am using some of the flowers from the city park near my house.  There are a lot to chose from this year. 

The next photo upload was “flip flops”. I don’t wear flip flops, too old for one thing and for another I don’t like that little thingy between my toes.  So I am using the closest things I have to flip flops.....sandals.  

The last challenges for yesterday was “machinery”. There is all kinds of construction going on in my neighborhood lately so it was easy to find some machinery for this shot. 

Life today. This week isn’t surprising, it is as busy as all third-week-of-the-month has been for a long time. Four more days to go. Yesterday was busy up to time to leave for food pantry. Then pantry was overflowing with clients. That kept Gail and I constantly busy for the full hour and a half. Her computer wouldn’t boot up so I set up one of the tablets for her. She did better on the tablet than I think I would have even though I use it a lot. When we were closing up, I asked her to try to start the lap top that she usually uses. We found that her quick start logo for the software was no longer working. Once I told her to start up the soft ware through Google it worked. 

Before pantry I also put about an hour in on the photo page of the newsletter. That was the finishing touch.  

The first upload for today is another of the “photographers choice”. This is a resurrection lily that our grandmother gave to me many years ago. 

This morning I finished the shut in envelopes, the birthday card, and the newsletter labels. Then it was time to leave for pantry again. This was another day like yesterday. Today it was my computer that wouldn’t boot up properly. It finally came up as I was getting the tablet ready again. 

On top of the busy week happenings my key fob for the car is acting up. I think the problem is a dying battery. I did some Google search and found out how to change it. I’ll give that a try today or tomorrow. I picked up the batteries when I stopped after pantry to pick up my meds. 

Now it’s time to pay some bills. 

The next upload for today is “watermelon”. I had to stop at the store on my way home from church today so I walked by the fruits and snapped this shot.

The word today is hold. Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Henry Ward Beecher.  It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. William Shakespeare.  Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. Publilius Syrus.  If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. Benjamin Franklin.  When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it - this is knowledge. Confucius.  Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future. Ulysses S. Grant.  Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind. Plato.  The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher. Thomas Huxley.  Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of a truth. Ludwig Borne.  Let us hold our discussion together in our own persons, making trial of the truth and of ourselves. Protagoras.  I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men. Laozi.  Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius. Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon.  Hold fast to your most indefinite, waking dream. Henry David Thoreau.  Try all things, hold fast that which is good. John Locke.  Your soul must hold fast to Him, you must follow after Him in your thoughts, you must tread His ways by faith, not in outward show. Ambrose. There is a material advancement; we desire it. There is, also, a moral grandeur; we hold fast to it. Victor Hugo.  Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men. Laozi.  If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined...Henry David Thoreau. 

The last upload for today is “sunset”. There wasn’t much of the sun showing through but it was there behind the clouds as it was closing out the day.  

Article: It seems to be the perfect time for this artifice with the Ohio State Fair and the Olympics beginning. This article is about the now famous butter sculptures at the Ohio State Fair. The first butter cow was created in the early 1900s. This year along with the beloved bovine and her baby they will be including sculptures of various Olympic athletes in their chosen sport. There are four life size sculptures of track and field, a gymnast, a cyclist, and a jumper. The butter scluptures are done every year to “celebrate Ohio’s dairy-processing community”. This year they used over 2,000 pounds of butter and it took a team 450 hours to complete. Some of the sculpting was done in a 375 hour time spent in 46 degrees. The artists and worker wear winter gloves, hats and scarves.  The ideas for the sculptures begins around May. They use 3D models to help with the designing. The models can be moved in and out of the refrigerator as work progresses. The work can get messy, the workers clothes have to be changed often. There is a learning curve when using heat where and when it is needed in the creative process. Each of the artists “excel” in certain parts of the full creation. The artists come from different area of Ohio or from where ever their particular talents are and found and recognized. One of them this year was an art student at OSU in 2010.  As the sculptures were completed the artists said “it’s a little sad because each year, there’s this anticipation.......working together with the students in the cooler and ....you feel a little bit of pride to be a part of this big deal at the fair.”

Maybe left over meat loaf for dinner.

Joy

                             shade in the parking lot

 July 22, 2024 a thought for today, Only two relationships are possible - to be a friend or to be an enemy. Native American  Cree Proverb

The first challenge for yesterday was “numbers”. I thought of all kinds of things with number, a keyboard, phone numbers, store receipts. I was in my car when bewitching hours was near (time for the photo to be due) so I used the numbers in my car for this image. 

The next upload for July 21, 2024 was “letters”. Again, there are all kinds of places to find letters or use even the mailing kind of letters. My choice was to drive past the park and get a current shot of the concrete alphabet letters. 

The last shot for yesterday was “juxtapose”. I chose the difference in the pointed foliage of the trees to the leaves of the snowball flower as well as the contrast in the two colors. 

Life today. This is the first day of the busiest week in the month. The bulletin is done except one tiny spot. The rest of the information will mostly likely come later today. 

Three or four nights ago I must have slept with my neck in a “hazardous” position. So there has been a neck pain every day since. It may be letting up. Getting up each of the last three mornings has been an adventure in pain. Two Tylenols every four hours have helped. Time spent at the computer every day doesn’t help. It’s like being in one position for hours and ends similar to positions the end in developing carpal tunnel happens in the wrists. 

I sent a message to the congregation that I was working on the newsletter and needed any information they would like to enter. Three responses came back now at least one more is needed. 

My first challenge for today is “hands in action”. I decided to use my own hands as I was fixing part of my lunch. 

I took a break to work with some of the peppermint cutting that were started a little over a week ago. While on the “break” a trip outside on the look out for a couple of the photos needed took sometime. As I was fixing my sandwich for lunch I took the third photo that I need for today. 

The next six days are filled in on the calendar. Lots of activities to keep life interesting and open for investigations and memories.

The next upload for today is “macro”. I used a hibiscus flower in an earlier entry this month but that one was from a McDonalds “garden” by the drive through window. This one is of my own hibiscus plant. 

The word today is high. No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. William Blake.  The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. Michelangelo.  No man ever got very high by pulling other people down. The intelligent merchant does not knock his competitors. The sensible worker does not knock those who work with him. Don't knock your friends. Don't knock your enemies. Don't knock yourself. Alfred Lord Tennyson.  You shall, I question not, find a way to the top if you diligently seek for it; for nature hath placed nothing so high that it is out of the reach of industry and valor. Alexander the Great.  Experience is a good school. But the fees are high. Heinrich Heine. None are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves. Charles Spurgeon.  Even peace may be purchased at too high a price. Benjamin Franklin.  Pray thee, spare, thyself at times: for it becomes a wise man sometimes to relax the high pressure of his attention to work. Thomas Aquinas.  Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour; of You, Most High, he bears the likeness. Francis of Assisi.  But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast, for gentle ways are best, and keep aloof from sharp contentions. Homer. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts. Henry David Thoreau.  If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever. Thomas Aquinas. 

My last entry for today is “capturing lots of mixed colors”. I haven’t noticed a better place for finding a mixture of colors than in stained glass windows. I have seen some in a few graffiti street art but not as vivid. 

Article: I have a very dry sense of humor so Bob Newhart wasn’t one of my most favorite comedians. However, he offered many skits that held an interesting and educational message. Those I appreciated and learned from.  The article is titled “Bob Newhart was more than an actor or comedian – he was a literary master”.  According to the article, in his early acting life he “demonstrated a mastery of diction, dialect, character and dialogue worthy of the title “literary master.” In 2002 he received the Mark Twain Prize. The author related to the award that “the mastery of language and character is not the sole possession of poets and novelists”. The article mentioned that Newhart had an ear for dialect and “seasoned his monologue with little bits of slang and jargon to capture the breezy speech of a stereotypical press agent” in a skid he did portraying a conversation of Abraham Lincoln. The article mentions that “character is the key”for both humor and drama. It goes on to say that Newhart “paints a hilarious picture of the naive bumbler”. He often used a talk on a phone as part of his dialog. One of his uses in his act was “putting us in the position of filling in the blanks in the conversation” allowing us to have a sense of being on the other side of the conversation allowing us to be part of the show. 

I am making meat loaf for dinner. 

Joy

                            resting

 July 20, 2024 a thought for today, Pay attention to the whispers, so we won't have to listen to the screams. Cherokee Proverb

One of the uploads for yesterday was “sunset”. I took this shot on our way home from the swim meet last week. 

The next challenge and upload for yesterday was “photographer’s choice”. This is yet another flower in one of the several gardens at the park. 

The last upload for yesterday was “window view”. It is the window in the storm door. Sweet Pea likes to check out what’s going on in the neighborhood. 

Life today. Not much on this Saturdays agenda just the “regular” curb side pick up that is for sure. The rest of the day will be whatever “floats my boat”. 

I worked a good bit on the newsletter yesterday and the day before so most of the “heavy” stuff is already done. The information that is needed to finish it isn’t actually due until this Sunday. I should have most of the day Monday to work on the photo page. The rest will have to come from congregants who would like to share information, if any, and will send it to me Monday or I will have to come up with a few small amount of filler information.

The first challenge upload for today was “boats”. When I was a teen I was around boats of all kinds every weekend. Not so much now days. So I stumbled through making two boat in the origami style. I placed them on a background that I generated from an original photo image. 

The coming week is the third full week of the month which is always busy. Tuesday and Wednesday are food pantry days. Thursday is printing day with the Thursday of this week also the day for printing the newsletter. Friday will be newsletter finishing day. 

The second upload to day is “door”. There was a fire truck in the parking lot when I picked up groceries. I made a couple of photo shots them. Then I found this truck in the parking lot. I took shots of several shops but ended up with this on as an upload. 

There is an extra household plan for this week. The plan is for Tami and Lowell and Brian to be here on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to start cleaning out the garage. It’s going to be a huge amount of work. Things have been stored in there since, actually before, work was done in refurbishing the house over five years ago. Much of it is Bob’s things which will be a bit of a tug on the heart strings. In my mind it will be like cleaning an old attic that has been abandoned. There will be surprises, maybe even critters, most likely forgotten things that may still hold some value today if it hasn’t been ruined in one way or another. My letters/blogs and photos may be a bit late since I will be “helping” with that chore most of those days. Things may be delayed though because I have been listening to the weather reports, it is suppose to rain off and on on those days. 

The next upload today is “juxtapose”. I think the pointed leaves of the evergreen and the petal of the flowers were a good example of juxtapose. 

The word today is hide. Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade? Benjamin Franklin.  Hide nothing, for time, which sees all and hears all, exposes all. Sophocles.  Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me. Alexander Pope.  There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not. Francois de La Rochefoucauld.  Honest people don't hide their deeds. Emily Bronte.  He that has light within his own clear breast May sit in the centre, and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts Benighted walks under the mid-day sun; Himself his own dungeon. John Milton.  Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another. Homer.  Easy mind, light heart. A mind that is too easy hides a heart that is too heavy. Franz Schubert.  Whoever wishes to keep a secret must hide the fact that he possesses one. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. Confucius.  The most common form of despair is not being who you are. Soren Kierkegaard.  Your worst enemy is hiding within yourself, and that enemy is your nafs or false ego. Rumi.  

I had a fourth upload this week. This one is “a construction site”. There is a new auto repair building going up a few blocks from my house. 

Article: This is one of the summer events that took place here in Columbus. It’s interesting to see what took place on the river that runs through the city and may become an annual event. In 1986 there was a Scioto Superfest. It was meant to raise money supporting maintenance on Bicentennial Park. There was a hot air balloon, rowing competitions, parasailing and a jet ski show. Along with that there were food stalls and carnival rides. There were homemade rafts on the Scioto. The rafts were “crafted from the most unconventional materials”.   Some of the rafts were even held together with duct tape. Along with the rafts were ski shows and steamboat rides. At night there was a concert. There were more festivals like this that grew in what was presented along the river. High speed powerboat races and water ski shows along with kayak races. At one point there they “attracted national attention and transformed the festival into a significant sporting event”. By the end of the ‘90s “securing enough sponsorship and support became increasingly difficult”. In 1994 the city could not continue to sponsor the festival. The closest we have come to having a “come back”is kayakers and canoeing from the Scioto Audubon Metro Park. 

I didn’t have hamburgers the other day so I think we will have them for dinner. 

Joy

                    cigarettes out 

 July 18, 2024 a thought for today,  It's better to see once than hear a hundred times. Russian Proverb

One of the challenge uploads for yesterday was “my country”. I seem to be using the flag a lot in the last few days. Probably because I felt that image fit the challenges one way or another. 

The second upload for yesterday was “photographers choice”. I like the lines of this chair and the textures. I was “playing” with settings on my new phone. This is one of the photo I shot. I added a painterly filter to make it look a little more “vintage”. 

My last photo upload for yesterday was “blue and white”. I was going to use the blue and star field of the flag but I thought it would be a little too much for now. So I looked around for something else that fit the challenge requirements. Then spotted my recycle container. 

I have learned over time and with this “hobby” that I have enjoyed off and on since I was 13 years old (71 years ago) that photos serve many purposes. They are memories captured as a once in a life time moment, a memento of history, as art, as education in observation for one and life of others around me and the art of nature beyond human capabilities, as a stress reliever, a visual diary and so much more. These are the reasons for this, my personal, gallery. Join me in my adventure with your own collection. The don’t have to be perfect to tell a story.

Life today. Yesterday the bulletin was done so there was some time to start on things in the newsletter. I stayed around the house for the photos that were needed for today. Most of the challenges were right here instead of going out on excursions as is sometimes the necessity. 

Tami may be stopping by today. Gideon is looking to “work” for some bits of cash for something he wants to purchase. We have put on the thinking cap to come up with things we need done so we can add to his earnings. Anyway, I wanted to get home about the time I usually do from printing so they could come any time. They are so much easier to capture now days with cell phone cameras. 

Printing and distributing was done around 9:00. I was there when some of the group who meets at the church every morning came so I was able to let them in. The delivery truck from Mid Ohio had arrived by then. We were getting a load to stock the food pantry shelves. Some of the others would be coming to help unload were there. 

This first photo challenge upload for today is “photographers choice”. This is a group of cone flowers in another of the several small gardens at the park. 

I made a stop at the bank for some money needed for Brian. He will be here in a day or two to cut the grass. Then on to drop the mail off and stop by the park for more photos. 

Once home it was back to the computer for the letter and Photoshop. Also a start on the laundry.  

We are getting a bit of a break in the high temperatures for the next couple of days. We may be about to shut off the AC and open the doors.

The next photo for today is “stack of books”. I went into the church library when I finished the printing and was on my way back to the office. I wanted to use some of the books as my props for this challenge. I didn’t want to remove all those books to make a stack on the table so I shot the image in landscape format to get all the books in the frame. Then in the darkroom (Photoshop) I rotated the image to portrait format to meet the “stack” part of the challenge. I don’t know if that was “cheating” but it filled the bill. 

The word today is here.   I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen. Martin Luther.  Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal. Thomas Moore.  Here is the rule to remember in the future, When anything tempts you to be bitter: not, 'This is a misfortune' but 'To bear this worthily is good fortune.' Marcus Aurelius.  Without knowing what I am and why I am here, life is impossible. Leo Tolstoy.  No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience. John Locke.  The words printed here are concepts. You must go through the experiences. Saint Augustine.  But what if I fail of my purpose here? It is but to keep the nerves at strain, to dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall, and baffled, get up and begin again. Robert Browning.  There is no such thing as perpetual tranquillity of mind while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, nor without fear, no more than without sense. Thomas Hobbes.  To know of someone here and there whom we accord with, who is living on with us, even in silence - - this makes our earthly ball a peopled garden. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  Stop searching here and there, the jewels are inside you. Rumi.  While a man is stringing a harp, he tries the strings, not for music, but for construction. When it is finished it shall be played for melodies. God is fashioning the human heart for future joy. He only sounds a string here and there to see how far His work has progressed. Henry Ward Beecher. 

The last photo a day upload for today is “yellow”. This one was taken at church as the one above was. I was watching for something yellow as I was on my bulletin placement trip through the church.

Article: When I am looking for some “news” article to summarize here sometimes it is a word in the headline that catches my attention. In this one the word was audiobooks. When I was employed and had to drive between three cities in Ohio I listened to a lot of autiobooks while I was on the road. When my son was active military he said he read a lot of autiobooks when in route from one place to another. I was glad to find in this article that another use has some value to children as they grow intellectually. The title is telling about some research in teaching methods. Maybe findings in the study can help older “children” too.  If stated out talking about how kids in this time in history are watching YouTube much of the time they are home and in the house. They relay that “staring at a screen for too long can negatively impact children’s well-being – even creating dependency”. This kind of activity has shown that it can cause less curiosity and self control as well as less emotional stability. This activity can actually cause anxiety and depression. The author is exploring “technology in a way that can positively impact children’s ability to think and communicate”. This is where audiobooks come in she says it “present(s) a compelling case” in looking at this idea. She made a point that around three and a half years of age children “comprehend simple stories”.  The article goes on to mention how this practice is very handy in car rides as well as at bedtime or quiet play times. When it comes to school aged children this is a way to encourage them to “experience books”, since autiobooks “rely solely on listening” which causes imagination. This further helps lead them to “problem solving” that leads to intellectual development. The introduction to audiobooks may lead to better attention span and ability to concentrate and better “retention”.  Unlike watching YouTube stories the audiobook allows for creating a “vision of the scenes and events described in a book”.  One other thing the article mentioned was how audiobooks may help to “preserves eyesight”. Not only are audiobooks  “powerful tool for enhancing a child’s cognitive and linguistic development”, audiobooks may be available free for use from the library.

Maybe hamburgers for dinner. 

Joy

        Someone must have out grown the chair....there’s a memory