December 5, 2024 a thought for  today: One day teaches the other. Lithuanian Proverb

The first upload for yesterday was “sparkle”. This time of year there is sparkle all around. I am slow with decorating this year and mostly likely won’t do too much. But I do have our small tree up. It’s not quite as small as Charley Browns but not far from it. It’s enough to bring some holiday in the house.

The second upload for yesterday is “d is for....”. This on is for doors. I like the
patterns and textures in these doors. We didn’t paint them so that the patterns were so apparent.  

The last upload for yesterday was another “d is for...”. This one is an image of a dead bolt lock. 

Life today. It is the coldest day so far for this December. I still have the rental car. The air pressure symbol came on on the dashboard. I know the air pressure can fluctuate in the winter. I hope it isn’t a signal of something more sinister. Guess I’m a bit sensitive to transportation vehicles right now. 

I left a little earlier than usual for church for a Thursday morning. Since the computer at church is much slower in it’s declining years. It takes about half an hour to boot up. There were several others at church today for a food delivery for pantry. It was nice to visit with them.

One upload for today is “candles”. While I was as church for printing I took this picture of the Advent wreath as I passed through the Sanctuary. 

Of course I made a stop at McDonalds for a sausage on a biscuit on my way home. After I got back to this letter when I got home, I took a break to set up a couple of the photos I need for today. I took one of them while I was at church. Once with that out of the way and starting a thaw of meat for the meat balls, I started the laundry. I had to change my clothes before I did that. I had on the warmest warm-up pants that I have and wanted to get them in the laundry today. 

The second photo upload is for “lit candles”. I couldn’t figure out where the draft was coming from when I tried to get a good shot of the flames. 

I have managed to get the family calendars printed. Now I have to bind and package them. I need to get some ink that I ordered to finish the calendars I am doing for neighbors and friends.

There is a meeting at church tonight but I am choosing not to go back out in the cold today especially since the temperature, which hasn’t gone up much, will be going back down after dark. It’s my personal opinion that we could have done this one by email and or texts, but, hey, it’s just my idea. 

The new heating blanket is working exactly as described. The instructions say it will shut off in eight hours. It does. I shut off at about 5:00 this morning.

Another of the uploads for today is “greetings”. I chose one of the peppermint plants I have been  babying for Christmas gifts with a little sign of the word greeting. 

The word today is prepare.  I will prepare and some day my chance will come. Abraham Lincoln.  To secure peace is to prepare for war. Carl von Clausewitz.  Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition. Thomas Jefferson.  In fair weather prepare for foul. Thomas Fuller. Realize that illness and other temporal setbacks often come to us from the hand of God our Lord, and are sent to help us know ourselves better, to free ourselves of the love of created things, and to reflect on the brevity of this life and, thus, to prepare ourselves for the life which is without end. Saint Ignatius.  It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow. Aesop.  Do not for a moment suppose that you must make yourself better, or prepare your heart for a worthy reception of Christ, but come at once - come as you are. Archibald Alexander.  Fortune favors the prepared mind. Louis Pasteur. People only see what they are prepared to see. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory. Miguel de Cervantes.  For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned. Benjamin Franklin.  Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. Lucius Annaeus Seneca.  Bad seed is a robbery of the worst kind: for your pocket-book not only suffers by it, but your preparations are lost and a season passes away unimproved. George Washington.  For it is we who must pray for our daily bread, and if He grants it to us, it is only through our labour, our skill and preparation. Paracelsus.

The last challenge upload for today is “faceless portrait”. This is one of those days that I have a forth upload for the day. I liked this capture of someone walking out of the grocer store past the hydrant as he went along. 

Article: “Screen time” is such a big part of life now that I thought this article may be informative.  This article is about exploring a better understanding of people and how they use these modern devices that may lead to “digital well-being”. This author mentioned that she is working on a study to see “how digital technology affects human cognition and emotions.” She and a peer are testing thoughts about “duration-based or context-specific”. They are wanting to understand how the digital usage may relate to “anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, mood and sleep quality”. They are relating what different kinds of screen time may affect different results. This “screen time” study includes “smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs”. In their studies they divided screen times into four categories “educational use, work-related use, social interaction and entertainment”.  As with many of life activities there are pros and cons to most endeavors. One the educational uses is improving cognitive skills that may be distracting and possibly contribute to poor recall. On the social interaction side “writing reports or attending virtual meetings, is a central part of modern life”. But it also enables remote work. On the pro side we can add to “social connection” that allow for interaction with others in video chats and work related communications. These kinds of interactions can actually relieve depression. On the other side of the coin endless social media scrolling, can lead to negative experiences”. Like many parts of life common sense will help let one know when too much is too much. Next on the list is screen time for relaxation and stress relief. “Mindfulness apps or meditation tools, for example, can reduce anxiety and improve emotional regulation”. This should be used while still considering physical activity and social involvement in ones life. My own addition to this topic may not be called “screen time” but is a major product of the digital time of life and that is the medical use of “screen time” as in laser surgeries and medical consultants and conversations. So the ending of the article was: for the rest of us, this awareness encourages a balanced digital diet that blends enriching online and offline activities for better well-being.”

I am thinking about making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. 

Joy

                               behind a truck in traffic