March 29, 2025 a thought for today, Even when we lay down, we lay down on our own path of life. Native American Pawnee Proverb

Yesterday’s first upload was “playful”. This is one of the twins at the park down the street from my house. Her sister is on the other end. 

The next entry is “pillow(s)”. These are two of my crochet projects. They get
tossed around and used on a regular basis. 

The last upload yesterday was “rain or raindrops”. This was a perfect day for that one. I stopped several places to get shots of puddles and rain drops on plants and windows. 

Life today. Saturdays like each of the rest of the week days are a personal “tradition” of sorts. Have you ever heard the nursery rhyme that went like this: Wash on Monday, iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, bake on Saturday, Rest and play on Sunday!  I guess the rhyme stuck in my head because it appears I have become a living nursery rhyme with my own task(s) each day. 

Sweet Pea and I made our way to the store for the Saturday curb side pick up. We used a little time after that in a photo search. Of course there was a stop at McDonalds. 

Back home, after I booted the computer back up I got to work putting the groceries away. I went back to the computer to get the photos started. Then back to the kitchen to start Sweet Peas special diet that will last the next ten days or so. There is a ground beef mixture with carrots, sweet potato, green beans, pumpkin (baby food style) an egg and a bit of rice added as the meat browned. Then a skillet of ground chicken with the same mixture. Those are for dinner in small portions and a “midnight snack”. For breakfast she has shredded stewed chicken. All of these are in small portions, as her appetite has diminished as she ages, that’s why it will last ten days to two weeks. Before I browned the beef and chicken I put the whole chicken in a pot of water to stew. I will shred it in about three hours.  I have learned that the cost of those groceries don’t cost more than canned dog food if as much. It just takes more work in the one hour or so cook time but no more effort at feeding time.

My first upload for today is “my choice”. Here I am using another one of my “faceless portraits” as the upload for today.  

With all of that out of the way it was back to the computer. I did the daily research for parts of this letter then worked in the computer darkroom (Photoshop) for a while. 

I bought myself a small shelf-set for my closet to get some things off the dresser and cedar chest tops. As with most of my shopping these days it was an online order. Well, it came in parts to be put together. I am fairly handy at many computer projects but not so much when it comes to putting things together. I thought I had it there, almost. The top shelf, there are three shelves, not quite done. I lifted it to put it aside for later when I had more free time. It came apart....piece by piece. Back to the drawing board. I won’t let it beat me (smile). 

The second upload for today is “nature’s beauty”. In the spring time new grow is always part of nature’s beauty. I was surprised though to see dandelions already. 

The word is warm. The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money. Thomas Jefferson.  Gratitude, warm, sincere, intense, when it takes possession of the bosom, fills the soul to overflowing and scarce leaves room for any other sentiment or thought. John Quincy Adams.  I have no hostility to nature, but a child's love to it. I expand and live in the warm day like corn and melons. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  I desire many things concerning myself; but I desire nothing so much, as to have a heart filled with love to the Lord. I long for a warm personal attachment to Him. George Muller.  A friendship that like love is warm; A love like friendship, steady. Thomas Moore.  It is because I think so much of warm and sensitive hearts, that I would spare them from being wounded. Charles Dickens.  An artist needn't be a clergyman or a churchwarden, but he certainly must have a warm heart for his fellow men. Vincent Van Gogh.  A stale article, if you dip it in a good, warm, sunny smile, will go off better than a fresh one that you've scowled upon. Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Perhaps there is no time in a summer's day more cheering, than when the warmth of the sun is just beginning to triumph over the freshness of the morning--when there is just a lingering hint of early coolness to keep off languor under the delicious influence of warmth. George Eliot.  In the beginning, compassion is like the seed without which we cannot have any fruit; in the middle, compassion is like water to nourish the see we have planted; in the end, compassion is like the warmth of the sun that brings the fruit to ripening. Gautama Buddha.  

The last upload is “food”. This image was described above in the paragraph about Sweet Peas diet meals. 

Article: I don’t read this articles all the way through before I put them here to share. So I learn as I am summarizing. This title sounded interesting The article title drew my attention. Native Americans, it seems to me from my history classes and other reading, respect nature more than many others. We may learn even more from this article. The title reads: “As federal environmental priorities shift, sovereign Native American nations have their own plans”. Another point that caught my eye was “Native Americans (have) stewarded the environment”. According to history they have protected land, water and air. Some of their ideas and actions have led to “the groundwork for modern federal law and policy, including national legislation aimed at reducing pollution”. Native Americans have “stewarded and studied their environments for millennia before European colonization”. The author of the article stated that they “continue to use science, technology and Indigenous knowledge”. Laws concerning the Native American people have changed through the years. These laws have “terminated tribal nations’ legal and political status and federal obligations” that ultimately let to  relocating 200,000 from the land they and their ancestors lived on for years. Some of the efforts of the Native Americans led to their regaining “federally recognized rights and political power at the same time as the national environmental awakening”. In the 1960's “air pollution in America posed a serious health threat, with smog killing Americans”.  In 1974 “Northern Cheyenne Tribe in southeastern Montana began monitoring its own air quality. They wanted to prevent “polluting industries from moving into locations with cleaner air that could be polluted without exceeding the federal limits”. This kind of “protection was codified in the 1977 Clean Air Act amendments, which established legal protections and a process for communities to claim greater pollution protections nationwide”. The article reported that “Native nations also exercise sovereignty over waterways”. It went on to say that the people o he Pacific Northwest learned from their ancestors of 16,000 years ago to “protect themselves and their lands from the effects of massive hydropower projects”. Over the years dams built “decimated fish populations many tribes have long relied upon”. The water ways were important to their “cultural practices” and “ancient” fishing sites that were used for at least the past “10,000 years”. The native nation began to “partner” with federal agencies and used federal laws to manage their environments. Apparently there can still be problems for the Native Americans as “federal priories, shift. The article goes on to mentioned that “their legal and political status as sovereign nations – backed by the U.S. Constitution, treaties” as well as. “Supreme Court rulings and the plain text of federal laws” gives the native nations some strength to go on with their efforts of protection in nature “no matter which ways the federal winds blow.”

I’m hoping I have something in the freezer that I forgot I saved for dinner. 

Joy

                                       ready for more

 March 27, 2025 a thought for today, Even your silence holds a sort of prayer. Native American Apache Proverb

The first upload for yesterday was “from below”. This is in my back yard, one of the two evergreen trees in the yard. I was standing underneath them. 

The second upload was “inspiration”. This is inspiration for many reasons.
One and the most important the inspiration of happiness and lifes blessing in the beaming face of youth.

The last upload yesterday was “finally blue skies”. So here is an image with awesome blue and white fluffy clouds to accent.  

Life today. This is “printing” day for me at church. In the past ten years or so it has become a staple part in my weekly schedule. It was a little unexpected this morning, Patti was already there when I arrived. She has gone back to work in an office down town. She had come in to get a few things done before she left to go on. So we had some time to talk. 

I got both the bulletin and the newsletter printed. I brought the newsletter home to finish putting it together for mailing. On the way home I looked for and found two of the photos I need for today.

Once at home it was time to start the laundry. Then I switched to multi-taking, this letter, Photoshop, and some time on finishing the newsletters. I also took some time to check three memory cards to make sure they are clear and ready for further saving space for our streaming services.

The first upload for today is “street”. This is a short street at the back of a mini shopping mall. 

This is another one of those days that the early spring sun is showing off. It’s about 57 degrees. Yet there is still a bit of a nip in the air. There was even a light touch of frost on my cars windows that needed attention before I could leave.  

With the annual report, the monthly newsletter and food pantry over for this month I have a couple of weeks to spend on other catching up on things like tasks that were let go around the house.

The next upload is “umbrella”. This was Bob’s umbrella. He was comfortable with an extra large one. I took shots from several angles and chose this one. 

The word is voice.  Let there be a door to thy mouth, that it may be shut when need arises, and let it be carefully barred, that none may rouse thy voice to anger, and thou pay back abuse with abuse. Saint Ambrose.  Unite liberality with a just frugality; always reserve something for the hand of charity; and never let your door be closed to the voice of suffering humanity. Patrick Henry.  The human voice is the organ of the soul. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Reading enables us to see with the keenest eyes, to hear with the finest ears, and listen to the sweetest voices of all time. James Russell Lowell.  I speak and speak, but the listener retains only the words he is expecting. It is not the voice that commands the story: it is the ear. Marco Polo. It is impossible that the whisper of a faction should prevail against the voice of a nation. Lord John Russell.  The place is very well and quiet and the children only scream in a low voice. Lord Byron. The message behind the words is the voice of the heart. Rumi.  There is no index of character so sure as the voice. Benjamin Disraeli.  Raise your words, not your voice. Rumi.  Two voices are there; one is of the sea, One of the mountains: each a mighty Voice. William Wordsworth.  The tales of our exploits will survive as long as the human voice itself. Augustus.   The Angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he awhile Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear. John Milton.  It is the folly of too many to mistake the echo of a London coffee-house for the voice of the kingdom. Jonathan Swift.  

The last upload for today is “something” shiny”. This is an air freshener that was in my car when I bought it. As the sun fell on it I noticed the shine and decided to use it as my upload today. 

Article: I was doing some research on a story to share with you when I came across a title about Columbus being mentioned in a national article. So I went a bit further and added some more information that I found on German Village, the nationally mentioned place. The title to the original article is “this Columbus neighborhood named by national travel publication as one of the country’s top destinations ‘with a foreign feel’”. “According to a survey of more than 3,000 travelers conducted by Turn the Paige Travel, German Village was ranked the nation’s 31st-best foreign-inspired destination out of 140 total named by travelers”. Some of the things mentioned in the survey is that it is a historic district with brick streets, German-style pubs, and a look of a traditional German town. German Village was developed between 1840 and 1914. Prior to the1850s German descendants came to Columbus locating throughout the city. In the1850s those coming to the South End felt at home. There were people who spoke German in schools and churches. The homes were “solid yet unpretentious”. It was a working class neighborhood “with a little bit of Germany”. In 1802 an “American Revolution veteran named John McGowan claimed 328 acres, most of what would become the German Village”. As the village grew there were many little gardens of vegetables which made it to the “city’s market”. The schools in the village were so “superior” that “English-speaking residents of Columbus chose to attend them”. At one point in the history of German Village many “a business owner set up shop on the first floor and lived above the store”. Due to zoning classifications changes began to take place “during World War I and would continue through the 1950s”. During that time there was a decline in the village. “As Germans became Americanized, they depended less on the traditional German community”. What occurred was  “World War I, which stirred strong anti-German sentiment in Columbus”. There was a decline leading to the  “teaching of German in public schools was banned and German textbooks were burned”. A closing of the local breweries also declined between 1920-1933. Another article went on to mention that “by the 1950s, the area had become a slum. The city then demolished one-third of the neighborhood .....to make way for the new interstate highway system”. In 1949 a man named “Frank Fetch defied the common wisdom and purchased a house on Wall Street in 1949, determined to rebuild the neighborhood”. He created the “German Village Society in 1960 to promote the preservation and rehabilitation of the neighborhood”. He strove to reverse the “urban blight” that had occurred “through preservation and rehabilitation”. Much has been restored to an “appreciated character today: small lots, narrow streets and the absence of new development”. The village has been revitalized. “the neighborhood’s historic architecture” was saved “from demolition by successfully lobbying”. Eventually the “Village became one of the nation’s few historic districts with an architectural review board to preserve its character”.

I still haven’t made the chili I talked about in an earlier blog. Maybe for dinner today.

Joy 

                                            ivy and evergreen

 March 25, 2025 a thought for today, Dreams are wiser than men. Native American  Omaha Proverb

The first upload for yesterday was “yellow”. These daffodils are from my granddaughter in law’s garden. They were on the table at the birthday for Lexie. 

The next upload was “button”. I would like to have had an ornamental style
button but alas I don’t have any so this is the one from my jacket. 

The last upload for yesterday was “view”. This is not a view from my window today. It is a view of the sky on my road trip on Saturday.

Life today. Spring is moving a little slower than I would like but as least it is close. Most likely I will be complaining about being to hot in a couple of months. Nonetheless it is beautiful. 

I spent some more time on the newsletter this morning. I think I have it just about done. Hopefully I will be able to finish it tomorrow morning before I go to pantry. 

Today was the next to the last day of pantry for this month. It was very slow today. We had a very interesting happening not related to the business of passing out the food. One of the computers got bumped and something occurred that in all my years with IT I have never seen. The whole screen was upside down. In trying to get to the places where there might be help the curser was moving backwards.....remember I am dyslexic. I needed to get to the settings on the computer and then to the display function. But I couldn’t get things to go in the right direction. One of the other ladies came and tried. Eventually she was able to get to the settings and was able to “reverse the landscape” feature. Problem solved. Thank goodness we were close to being done for the day. There were only maybe three more people, I was able to check them in. (Found out later ctrl-alt page up keys would have done it).

The first upload for today is “it’s melting”. The cold winter weather with ice and snow is gone now so I chose my glass of iced tea....the ice is silently melting step by step. 

I didn’t have much more planned for today but I hadn’t snapped my photo uploads yet. So I took about half hour and found the images I needed to put together. Once that was done it was back to Photoshop for the final step in cataloging and the rest. 

Then it was time to finish the letter. 

The next upload for today is “macro”. This is one of my air plants nestled in a bed of decorative stones. 

The word is very.  Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. Marcus Aurelius.  It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get. Confucius.  Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and he who is mighty came and in his compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall. Saint Patrick.  Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite. Charles Spurgeon.  It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues. Abraham Lincoln.  When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred. Thomas Jefferson.  I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it. Voltaire.  A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle. Benjamin Franklin.  This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much. William Hazlitt.  Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided. Paracelsus.  To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience. Saint Teresa of Avila.  This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. Saint Augustine. 

My last upload is “from above”. I went upstairs to get this one. I is of my neighbors yard. They always have such beautiful flower beds and well kept lawns. 

Article: I think this is a lesson in biology/entomology. It is interesting to know about all the nature and “creatures” around. The title to this article is “How many types of insects are there in the world?” It starts out buy pointing out “check your backyard and you may see ants, beetles, crickets, wasps, mosquitoes and more”. Then “there are more kinds of insects than there are mammals, birds and plants combined”. Living things belong to biological classifications such as Arthropoda, “animals with hard exoskeletons and jointed feet.”  Within that class there is a further break down depending on their anatomy.  Some have many feet, some wings, some antennae, some body segments. It went on to say that all insects descended from a common ancestor that lived about 480 million years ago “about 100 million years before any of our vertebrate ancestors – animals with a backbone – ever walked on land.” A species is a basic unit that classifies living things. Then there is another classification called categories. The “categories that may contain hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of species”.  I learned that “species are a group that can interbreed with each other, but not with other groups. One obvious example: bees can’t interbreed with ants”. The article mentioned that “counting the exact number of insect species is probably impossible”. Some species go extinct in time, “while some evolve anew”. One scientist published a research paper where his “calculations showed there are approximately 5.5 million insect species, with the correct number almost certainly between 2.6 and 7.2 million”. To further touch on that there are about 1.5 million species of beetle and “an estimated 22,000 species of ants”. Further, maybe 3,500 specie of mosquitoes and the count goes on for other types of insects. It is mentioned that “over 80% of the Earth’s insect biodiversity is still unknown”. An interesting statement is that “all the ants on Earth together weigh more than 132 billion pounds (about 60 billion kilograms)”.The article mentions how insects affect us in different ways, some in “crop pollination, industrial products and medicine”. Some affect in harmful ways as ”transmitting disease or eating our crops”. Most are harmless go people and are critical to the environment. Interestingly due to the extinction of many “a significant proportion of Earth’s biodiversity – including insects – may ultimately be forever lost.” 

I didn’t make chili the other night, think I will do it tonight or then again, something from the freezer. 

Joy

                               one view of a part of a mini mall

 March 23, 2025 a thought for today, Don't judge with the eyes— use the heart instead. Native American Cheyenne Proverb

The first upload for yesterday was “stillness”. My plant offer stillness for me. That is why I have gad house plants and cared for them most of my life. This is my fig tree.  (I have used it in another upload...both taken on different days).

The next upload is “world water day”. All I could think of for this image upload was an image of a large body of water like this one. 

The last upload is “my choice”. This one is another of my “faceless portrait” series. 

Life today. We had a birthday party yesterday. It was an hours drive where I enjoyed the countryside and the cloud laden sky even though they were mostly gray clouds but also gorgeous giant formations. The Makers art work. The yard was full of adventures for the younger visitors. My grandson had made a zip line for them to enjoy, with a ramp-like form for mounting the zip line, objects on the trees to make climbing more enticing and adventurous, a backyard climbing dome, and a swing. Probably more that didn’t see. All of the youngsters seemed to be in a dream land. Food was excellent, company was excellent. 

Thank goodness it’s Sunday again. A day of rest and restoration. A day to remember our blessings of family, church family and life in general. 

The first upload for today is “a moment of rest”. This is taking a few minutes from the computer and its many tasks. It is resting with my happy feet slippers in my lounge chair.  

The part of this Sunday service that stood out for me in the message today was in the Prayer of Confession.  In part “help us to discover the gifts of power, talent, and energy which You give us so that we might (help) bring healing into a broken world”.  I also liked the congregational responses, Lord have mercy, to strategic parts of her Prayers of the People. The lady minister who gave this message is very precise and knowledgeable in her subjects and the presentations are not ones where there might be nodding heads here and there in the congregation. 

After the service we had our annual report where we as a congregation may observe the happenings of the church for the past year. Each of the church committees and offices give a summary of their responsible activities so that everyone has a chance to know what we as a church are accomplishing other than the Word that we are there for each Sunday. It is an addition and part of what is submitted annually to our governing office by our session secretary. This is the hard copy of the report that I have been working on for the past couple of weeks. 

Now I am going to relax and regenerate and renew now.

The nest upload for today is another of “my choice” and another of my series “faceless portraits”. 

The word today is true.  The true art of memory is the art of attention. Samuel Johnson.  There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. Thomas Aquinas.  One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood. Lucius Annaeus Seneca.  The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life. William Morris.  True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost. Charles Caleb Colton.  To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. William Shakespeare.  This is the spirit of the Order, indeed the true spirit of Mercy flowing on us. Catherine McAuley.  Knowledge is true opinion. Plato.  Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  True humility is contentment. Henri Frederic Amiel.  The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self-trust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciples. Amos Bronson Alcott.  Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease. Hippocrates.  Silence is true wisdom's best reply. Euripides.  Every addition to true knowledge is an addition to human power. Horace Mann..  Dare to be true. Nothing can need a lie: a fault which needs it most, grows two thereby. George Herbert.  The same thing which is now called Christian religion existed among the ancients. They have begun to call 'Christian' the true religion which existed before. Saint Augustine.  True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one's self, and in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions. Joseph Addison.  True scholarship consists in knowing not what things exist, but what they mean; it is not memory but judgment. James Russell Lowell.  A man may imagine things that are false, but he can only understand things that are true, for if the things be false, the apprehension of them is not understanding. Isaac Newton.  

The last upload for today is “healthy”. It was hard for me to generate an image of he feeling and word

“healthy”. I chose to use my container of jello as something healthy. By the way the jello is sugar free and the cool whip is low in sugar. 

Article: I like history about Ohio so here is a story about an Ohio legend. This article title is “Apples, History, And A Whole Lot of Folklore: Inside the Johnny Appleseed Museum”. These is a museum in Urbana, Ohio that has memerobilia of Johnny Appleseed. His given name is John Chapman and his life became a legend. At the museum there are trees still gowning that he “planted”. It is said that when they bloom in the spring it is a sight to behold. There is a children’s garden for picnicking and playing. At the museum there is a place the honor the American publisher, Fancis Bailey, who writing influenced Johnny Appleseed. Mr. Bailey has also “printed materials for the Continental Congress”. While Johnny was famous for the appleseeds he was also a “skilled nurseryman, businessman, and conservationist”.  One of his characteristics was to give away seedlings to settlers to start their orchards. They say he was spiritual and lived that kind of life. The article said that he “lived simply, often walking barefoot, and was beloved for his kindness and humility”. The end of the article mentions that a visit to the museum would be worthwhile and an adventure. It is can be a “fun, educational, and totally unique way to experience a slice of Ohio’s history”.

Chili sounds good for dinner. 

Joy

                                                                  still visible (almost)

 March 21, 2025 a thought for today, Man's law changes with new understanding. The laws of the spirit never needs to change.  Native American Crow Proverb

The first upload for yesterday was “everyday object”. Most of what we see every day is an every day object. Since this wasn’t a holiday or other special day most things around me were “everyday”. This is my front door and its view. 

The next upload was “laugh”. I don’t have many photos of someone laughing
out loud. This one is in my archives. It is my granddaughter a few years ago enjoying one of our many family gatherings. 

Next is “springtime”. There are bundles of new leaves here and there in this time of rebirth. This is only one I have found in my yard. 

This is another of the days of a fourth photo challenge upload. This one is “beauty in the ordinary”. 

Life today. It has been a nice and easy going Friday, just the kind that I like. I got a tiny start on the newsletter calendar. Then I got a leisurely start on the research for the parts of this letter that I make. After that it was time for Sweet Pea and me to get ready for our trip to Kroger for grocery pick up. I chanced the schedule from Saturday this week to today. 

While we were out and about I was able to capture all three of my photos a day for today. I think maybe Sweet Pea gets a little tired of that, meaning the starts and stops as I am looking for the things that fit my expectations. Now that the weather is getting better I am hoping to be able to find my challenges each day rather than using archived images for the uploads. Though many of the photos I shoot along with specific challenges are used later for future challenges. 

Once the groceries were put up I put some time in the “darkroom” cataloging today captures to the archive files and preparing the chosen ones for upload.  

This first upload today is “panorama”. I set the panoramic setting on my Samsung S24+. This is of the
shopping center as we were leaving after grocery pickup

I have a small bedroom and have found and decided that I need to make some adjustments figuring a way to neaten things up. It is a task to do due to the usable space. I have purchased and hung an over the door hanger. As often happens I find that my “petite” size in height is once again, as is many times, compromised since the hooks are not as long as I had imagined. In that light I had to make an addition to the hooks so that I can hang items comfortably. I made those adjustments using the time between my letter and photo exercises (it’s called “multitasking” a daily habit for me). 

My nightly bible readings, particularly the chapter I am currently reading, have been giving me some real reason for deeper thought with some adjustment to my own spiritual growth and personal expressions. I will be working on them with hopes they will stick. Isn’t it amazing that old dogs can and do keep learning. God is willing that for me and nudging me. I need for Him to give me the strength and guidance to stick to it. 

The sun is bright and encouraging though the temps are slightly lower than my favorites. This is Ohio ..... my home and my life long choice for many reasons. 

The next upload for today is “green”. As I was coming through the parking lot at Kroger I passed through a short alley and found this utility truck. Perfect for the “green” shot. 

The word today is treat.  Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained. Lao Tzu.  The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always. Hippocrates.  Treat a work of art like a prince. Let it speak to you first. Arthur Schopenhauer.  Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance. Thomas Paine.  Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment. Laozi.  A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men. Thomas Carlyle.  Nothing graces the Christian soul so much as mercy; mercy as shown chiefly towards the poor, that thou mayest treat them as sharers in common with thee in the produce of nature, which brings forth the fruits of the earth for use to all. Saint Ambrose.  We are not what we are, nor do we treat or esteem each other for such, but for what we are capable of being. Henry David Thoreau.  We ought not to treat living creatures like shoes or household belongings, which when worn with use we throw away. Plutarch. Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment. Lao Tzu.  The love of independence and dislike of unjust treatment is the source of a thousand virtues. William Godwin.  

My last challenge upload for today is “sign”. This is another subject that is almost endless in the list of things to find. So it is an easy one to shoot. It just takes a little something to make it “special”.

Article: I never thought about or imagined that the Broad Street bridge was once not only made of wood (naturally it would have been when it was first built) but was at one point a covered bridge. The beginning of the article relates that the Scioto River and the Olentangy River come together near downtown Columbus. Native Americans have lived where the rivers fork for hundreds of years. Prehistoric mound builders built large ceremonial mounds that were also used as a form of defense. The mounds were built but no bridges. In 1797 Lucas Sullivant came here and liked the area. He laid out town plans on land near what is now Plain City and Bellpoint Ohio hoping settlers would come. The place he liked best though was at the fork of the Scioto and Olentangy. This is were he build another town, on the west bank of the rivers at the fork. That town got it name from someone Sullivant admired, Ben Franklin, hence, Franklinton. In 1798 Sullivant took a trip back to his home in Kentucky leaving 15 settlers in Franklinton. When he got back the settlers were gone. The town had been wiped away in a flood. He moved to a part of the land that was on higher ground. Here he offered free lots on what is now Gift Street. In 1801 there were no bridges on the river. Across the river was an area called the Refugee Tract, an area from Fifth Avenue north on Refugee Road. There was an area called High Banks that was opposite Franklinton. It was “heavily forested and punctuated by a 40-foot-high Native American mound”  ‘devoid’ of people. In offering an image of this landscape the description included a grove of plum trees and a pawpaw patch. In those days getting from the town on one side of the river to the other side people had to cross by “fords” and ferries. There was a spot called the “Old Ford....a point where the Hocking Valley Railroad now crosses the river near the foot of Main Street”. A canoe ferry was kept there. This is a bit of history of how a bridge was finally erected. “From 1816 to 1834 a series of wooden toll bridges were built to span the river”. Then in 1834 a new bridge went up and was called the National Road Bridge. I was a covered bridge “free of tolls”. It was replaced in 1883 by an “iron truss bridge”. In 1913 it was “heavily damaged” in a flood. It so happened that in 1908 a “master plan” had been made for a new bridge that could “withstand future floods”. This bridge was started during World War I. The Federal government “promoted” the use of concrete for the construction mostly due to the fact that steel was needed in the “war effort”. It was built in the “Renaissance Revival style with seven arch spans, the bridge could carry four lanes of automobile traffic and two trolley lines”. There were three flood during it’s construction. It was completed in 1921 and was named in honor of veterans. In 1927 a plaque was placed on the bridge  “commemorating the National Road”. In 1990 another new bridge took its place with the present five span plate-arch structure. 

This is DoorDash or GrubHub night for dinner.

Joy

                            for work in the air

 

 March 19, 2025 a thought for today, There is a need for obedience all around us. Native American Sauk proverb

The first upload for yesterday was reflection. This was taken at the pond in the park down the block from my house. 

The next upload was “fuzzy”. The fur on top of Sweet Peas head looked particularly “fuzzy” so decided to use it for my image upload yesterday for this challenge. 

The last upload for yesterday was “full moon”. I have several “moon” shots but only a couple are “full moon”, this is one of them. 

Another of those days swamped with this and that. I got the rest of the information I needed for the bulletin and realized I had to start it all over. I had some of it done yesterday but that had some areas to be corrected. I sent the draft to all the ones who need to see it. 

I got a birthday card and a get well card from church done and all the “shut in” envelopes done along with extra pages I wanted to mail. I also got this letter started. That all took about three or four hours. 

The first upload for today is “personal space”. I have a “personal space” here and there. I was in my car as I was thinking of the image uploads for today and thought what better choice than this. I am usually alone in the car except when Sweet Pea is my co-pilot so I am using this one, she wasn’t with me at th time. 

This was another food pantry day so I shut down the computer and left for church. Yesterday we were busy the whole time we were open. Today was about the opposite. It was slow today. 

Once I got home I got back to this letter.  I managed to get two of the three photos I needed along the way. I am using the third photo from a series I shot on the 14th. Along with working on this letter I multi-tasked with the darkroom (Photoshop) on the photos to upload. 

The next upload was “sweet”. This is one of the cookies we offered the visitors to our food pantry today. I took one for myself. This is what was left of it when I took the shot. 

The word today is theory. All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory. Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The whole theory of the universe is directed unerringly to one single individual. Walt Whitman. Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory. Benjamin Disraeli.  Science is organized common sense where many a beautiful theory was killed by an ugly fact. Thomas Huxley.  In order to govern, the question is not to follow out a more or less valid theory but to build with whatever materials are at hand. The inevitable must be accepted and turned to advantage. Napoleon Bonaparte.  Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a life and a living process. Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  All theory is against freedom of the will; all experience for it. Samuel Johnson.  Each pursues his own theory, little solicitous to correct or improve it by an attention to what is advanced by his opponents. Thomas Malthus.  Democracy, pure democracy, has at least its foundation in a generous theory of human rights. It is founded on the natural equality of mankind. It is the cornerstone of the Christian religion. It is the first element of all lawful government upon earth. John Quincy Adams.  The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory. Thomas Jefferson.  Religion is essentially the art and the theory of the remaking of man. Man is not a finished creation. Edmund Burke.  When a torrent sweeps a man against a boulder, you must expect him to scream, and you need not be surprised if the scream is sometimes a theory. Robert Louis Stevenson.  Theories are like scaffolding: they are not the house, but you cannot build the house without them. Constance Fenimore Woolson.  He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast. Leonardo da Vinci.  Our theories of the eternal are as valuable as are those which a chick which has not broken its way through its shell might form of the outside world. Gautama Buddha.  It is an acknowledged truth in philosophy that a just theory will always be confirmed by experiment. Thomas Malthus.  

My last shot for the day is “I am proud of this one”. As you have probably noticed this is similar to the one of Sweet Pea above. They were taken on two different days. I have finally found a perfect light, one I have wanted for a long time now in my photography, this kind of natural light. The problem is it not a lasting situation. It is a certain light, coming from a certain direction, at a certain time of day and in a certain season. The right place, the right time. It can be reproduced with other light sources I just haven’t had the time to set it up. 

Article: On line/wifi/world wide web is a huge area to think about so any and all information we can find, read and absorb should be essential if we are going to use it responsibly. I believe it is necessary, educational, and healing in many areas of our live. There is a bad side and a good side, just like the use of fire.  This article takes a turn on examining the subject that I hadn’t thought of. Here is the title: “Why history instruction is critical for combating online misinformation” by a professor of “Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership”. It opens by saying that there has been a “push for schools to do a better job preparing young people to differentiate between low- and high-quality information” they feel that is often focuses on social studies classes. Some research shows that is an involved practice and can be developed.  It “involves problem-solving and making sound judgments”. On the way to becoming proficient in critical thinking “content knowledge”.  Some of the research touched on studies of chess players, in the 1970s and ‘80s. Those studies showed how “the kind of flexible and reflective cognition often called critical thinking is really a product of expertise”.  This expertise is gained “by hours of thoughtfully playing the game”.  This leads to patterns and thinking in “novel” ways and is a “product of learning not a precursor”.  This article shares that this kind of learning does not always or necessarily “transfer to other types of problem-solving”. It is necessary to learn how to “analyze information about current events likely requires knowledge about politics and history” like in social studies as well. It offers a way to “evaluate”past histories to add to critical thinking. People who do not have “historical knowledge may miss clues that something isn’t right”. So as the article was coming to a conclusion it shared that “the best approach to media literacy will come through teaching that fosters concrete skills alongside historical knowledge”. So it looks like to me that the creative knowledge gained from both chess and a study of history helps to make decisions and smart thinking in the area of the world wide web a little safer. 

Something from the freezer for dinner. 

Joy

                    reminiscent of a block wall in my mind of an English garden

 March 17, 2025 a thought for today, Creation is ongoing. Native American Lakota proverb

The first upload yesterday was “local”. This is a “local” street near my home. The water tower at the nearby park is visible along with the quiet neighborhood street. 

The next upload is “favorite pie”. There was a different plan for this one. I saw an interesting recipe on Facebook and thought I would try it. When the challenge showed up I thought this would be my change to make it. So I planned on doing that when I got home from pantry. The pie is called an Easter pie and is made of 3 flavors and layers of jello. Each mixed with cream cheese and cool whip. It took me longer to make than I really had time for. I also used a normal size pie plate instead of a deep dish. So I had to change plans. We had the pie (delicious) but the last “layer” is in a separate dish and will be added per slice. This image is from my archives and not the Easter pie.

The last upload for yesterday is “my choice” which is one of a series in my faceless portrait group. 

Life today. Yesterday I had a bit of a problem with my “health” that I haven’t normally experienced. It is one of the many things that increase happening as the body ages. I was dizzy for most of the day. So I checked my blood pressure and sugar numbers. The sugar was up some, not to the point of worry but good to be aware of. The blood pressure was lower than it has ever been. So I proceeded to scare myself by taking my BP more than necessary (it’s true what they say that people like nurses sometimes know to much about negative possibilities). 

-, I finally relaxed and felt better. I had decided to sleep on it, retake the BP in the morning. If it was still low, call the doctor. Everything is pretty much back to normal. 

Late last night Patti called to let me know she had previewed the draft of the annual report and wanted to drop off a copy with the necessary parts to be corrected marked. I mentioned that it hadn’t been the best day for me but I would stay up to get the copy. (I was going to bed early).   

The first upload for today is “heart”. I couldn’t find a heart laying around to use as a prop. I remembered that Sunday School kids had made cards honoring veterans and had hearts on them. I had taken pictures of them so I went looking in my saved photos. I hope the child doesn’t mind that I used it to share with you. 

As far as chores go this is a typical Monday. The bulletin is done up to the ministers information. I was also able to put the last finishing touches on the annual report. It was a big help that Patti dropped it off last night.  Then one other necessary household chore, I got an early bill paid. 

There was a man here  to “inspect” the work the AC technicians had done. He was only here for about twenty minutes. He said everything looked up to par and was in good shape. Speaking of work people coming to the house, a very familiar activity in the last few weeks, the siding people were here Saturday. Hopefully, this is an end to the string of things happening in my life for the last several months, cars, AC, siding, with several “repeats” or “steps” to each one. I wonder if maybe that had something to do with my BP problem (stress and worry). All on top of and along with taking special care of Sweet Pea in her senior year experiences. 

The weather today is gorgeous to see but the feel is a bit on the chilly side.  Early spring is here and inviting further dreams of what is coming as it “blossoms”. 

The next photo is “movement”. This one is also from the archives. Some of you who may have visited the Ohio State Fair may recognize this as one of the movements of the fair as you look into the sky while walking along the fair grounds. 

The word today is test.  The perception of beauty is a moral test. Henry David Thoreau.  No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history. William Hazlitt.  Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every other man has a right to knock him down for it. Martyrdom is the test. Samuel Johnson. The test of good manners is to be patient with the bad ones. Solomon Ibn Gabirol.  Reason is the test of ridicule, not ridicule the test of truth. William Warburton.  Calamity is the test of integrity. Samuel Richardson.  The test of any man lies in action. Pindar.  The test of every religious, political, or educational system is the man that it forms. Henri Frederic Amiel.  Do not tell secrets to those whose faith and silence you have not already tested. Elizabeth I.  It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of man is tested. James Russell Lowell.  Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln.  What is the true test of character unless it be its progressive development in the bustle and turmoil, in the action and reaction of daily life. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  Our Faith must be tested. God builds no ships but what He sends to sea. Dwight L. Moody.  Wisdom is not finally tested by the schools, Wisdom cannot be pass'd from one having it to another not having it, Wisdom is of the soul, is not susceptible of proof, is its own proof. Walt Whitman.  It is not easy to distinguish between true and false affection, unless there occur one of those crises in which, as gold is tried by fire, so a faithful friendship may be tested by danger. Marcus Tullius. Cicero.

The last upload for today is “green, green, and green”. Perfect for today, St. Patrick’s Day. This is greenery on a trellis I saw as I was going down a neighborhood alley. 

Article: Yet one more story about animals helping people. One of my dogs was trained for a part familiar with this one. I think at least one of my grand dogs was also trained in this area. The article title is “Nationwide Children's celebrates first anniversary of Butterfly Paws expansion”. It is a story about some diverse sides of service dogs, this story is associated with our Children’s hospital. The first part of the story is about Gibbs. He is a part of the program at Children’s called Butterfly Paws. These dogs are trained to cause “extra smiles”. This amazing animal is a 2 year old Labrador and golden retriever mix. His handler is “a recreational and animal system therapist at the hospital”. She explained that “recreational therapy is providing treatment through fun activities intended to work on skills like self-esteem, communication or mood improvement”. She explains, as we can all imagine, that being in a hospital is not fun and Gibbs has already helped try to relieve this  “tremendously”. When a kid is “having a hard of time, Gibbs pops in, and they always brighten immediately because they're with the facility dog."  He knows 45 commands which are “including holding a paint brush and picking up playing cards.” He has also been trained in both volleyball and soccer. These mentioned trainings, picking up cards and volleyball and soccer, help with the program in giving kids “something to keep and hold”. The dogs in the program “have also had trading cards made about them for kids to collect”. The director of Butterfly Paws, “explained that the difference between facility dogs and therapy dogs. "Facility dogs are service animals that are trained and placed to work in a building”. Most of us know that therapy dogs are especially trained dogs that provide emotional support and comfort to individuals in various settings other than and including hospitals. The dogs called “facility dogs” are used “when our traditional treatment modalities don't really work with the patients". The director went on to say “now that the program has a foundation for providing care with the facility and therapy dogs, her team is looking to expand its services”. They can be sent with handlers to “offsites or ambulatory sites”. The article ended with mentioning that this program is almost a year old and it is good see how well received it is. 

We are having fried bologna and baked potatoes for dinner. 

Joy

                                  an Ohio farm field and granary