December 7, 2024 a thought for today, Fear and love do not walk together. Lithuanian Proverb

The first challenge upload for yesterday was “wreath”. I don’t have a fully put together wreath right now...my sister is working on one. I made this one with some of my peppermint plants. They are waiting for their destination as gifts. 

The next upload for yesterday is another “wreath”. I think this one could be considered a wreath though tiny and not greenery. It is holiday in nature.

The next upload yesterday was “lights”. This is part of my miniature winter village.  It is a pub decorated for the holiday and lights up in the eatery area.

Life today. I think I have said I like Saturdays. It has come around again. My mood yesterday wasn’t so calm and relaxed. I found out that they are calling my car “totaled”. So I have no car. The insurance adjuster told me that electrical system is damaged. He said he didn’t feel sure that it would be safe to drive it they fixed it. They will be giving me the blue book cost of the car, which is a little less than what I paid a few years ago. It will allow me to look for something I can afford to replace this one. That is the up side. I was comfortable with all the functions of that car. But such is life. Onward and upward. I will need some help getting to what I consider my obligations at church until I am able to find a replacement. I’m uncomfortable counting on other means of transportation that interrupt other people’s life activities. Hopefully it won’t be for too long. All of this is one of those life’s lessons eventually called “experience”. One good thing out of it is that I get to keep the rental car until the insurance and transfer of the car gets completed. 

Today the mood is better. I have had time to form a plan for where to look and what to look for in replacing the car. 

The first upload for today is “my choice” one of a series of “winter trees”.  The day was a little overcastand very cold. 

Sweet Pea and I made our trip to the grocery story for pick up. The trip outside was cold but not as bad as yesterday would have been. 

I have been on the lazy side getting my homemade Christmas remembrances finished. Now I am going to have to push to get them done in time. With the car business and my temporary change in home computers things are more a little more difficult and time consuming than they would otherwise be. I am too old for this, on the other hand maybe it is a lesson on the memorable side.

The next upload for today is “silver bells”. I had these left in my put-away ornaments from last year. I found them as I was decorating this year’s tree.

The word today is presence. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. Epictetus.  Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it. Thomas Fuller.  We convince by our presence. Walt Whitman.  Where there is devotional music, God is always at hand with His gracious presence. Johann Sebastian Bach.  The presence of the Holy Spirit is the keystone of all our hopes. John Nelson Darby. I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvellous Presence. Christopher Columbus.  Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival. Thomas Jefferson.  Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival. Thomas Jefferson. The best effort of a fine person is felt after we have left their presence. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The finite is annihilated in the presence of the infinite, and becomes a pure nothing. So our spirit before God, so our justice before divine justice. Blaise Pascal.  He that offereth sacrifice of the goods of the poor is as one that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father. Saint Patrick.  We must never undervalue any person. The workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence. Now God is present everywhere, and every person is His work. Saint Francis de Sales.  As for our great King, when we venture into His presence, let us have a purpose there. Let us beware of playing at praying; it is insolence toward God. Charles Spurgeon. It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of man is tested. James Russell Lowell.  Presence of mind and courage in distress, Are more than arrives to procure success? John Dryden.  

The last upload for today is “Christmas tree”. As I was coming home, I looked for a tree someone may have decorated on the outside of their house. I found this one.

Article: I have always had an interest in what happens to buildings that are no longer needed for their original use. (Come to think about it may be true of living things to including humans? Smile). This auricle talks about some large structures in Columbus that serve as office space that are being revisited for their use. The article starts out by saying that since the pandemic “the number of remote office workers in the United States four and a half years ago, there’s been a movement to convert underutilized office buildings for other purposes......driven by historically high office vacancy rates and falling asset values”.  These types of conversions are not happening in just Columbus. It is happening and is ranked in scale “in Cleveland ranked #1 and Cincinnati ranked #2, while Columbus ranked #11". Three buildings in Columbus that are being considered could re-house of 1,000 residents. The spaces in consideration are the 27-story Preston Centre (formerly known as the PNC Bank Building), this will be residential in conversion. Next the 26-story Continental Centre with more regimental conversion. Third on the list is the 25-story Chase Tower also residential. Population in downtown Columbus is thought to  grow by 40,000 by the year 2040.  The article went on to say that “suburban office markets have been hit just as hard by the shift to remote work”. As office space becomes of less use for that purpose the progenies have “extra advantage — especially those that are walkable; accessible by transit; close to housing, restaurants and retail”.

For some reason potato soup sounds good for dinner along with a coney. 

Joy

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