July 27, 2025 a thought for today, What a man says in private, Heaven hears as the voice of thunder. Chinese Proverb

One of the uploads for yesterday was “made me laugh”. This is one of my great grandchildren when he was playing hid and seek and decided to come out to rescue a “lost” object.

The next upload is “shadows”. This one was taken a couple of years ago. I didn’t
replant the basket this years. 

The last upload for yesterday was “seabirds or gulls”. Some of our “challenges” are offered when we may not live close to the areas where they would be common to locate. This is one of those for me. Though I have visited areas where the sea was a factor that hasn’t been too often or too recent.  There are gull like birds that appear in our area from time to time but I haven’t seen any recently. So I have chosen an image that comes as close to that as I can get. 

Life today. Yesterday was one of my “easy” days that I look forward to. I guess I am stubborn, I “assign” myself rather lengthy “do to” lists and force myself to check off as much as I can in a day. Some days, like yesterday, are clear of my lists. I just do what ever comes to mind or presents itself.

The storm last night was stronger than most so far this year. This morning I got up and “mopped” up the water on the steps on the new deck so that Sweet Pea wouldn’t slip and fall. This deck is made of the composite material made of recycled plastic. I wasn’t sure how slippery it would be. Anyway, we are suppose to have more rain everyday for the next several days. 

There were not many folks at church this morning but one of our “old time” members was back. It felt, for a moment, like maybe our “old gang” was there, at least they were in my dreams. Just her in the pews relit memories for me, it felt good. There are only a hand full of us from the past still in the congregation

Our services are streamed with a backup tape being made at the same time. The streaming wasn’t set up today so I turned the camera on to tape. I brought the memory card home to download to our account on Facebook. When I pulled it up on my computer to start the download I discovered that the memory card displayed a message something like, there is a problem on the memory card. 

One of my photo challenge uploads for today is “donut”. I don’t have any in the house so when I got home from church I made donuts with Pillsbury biscuits in the air fryer. While they were “frying” I made some powdered sugar glaze. All of it done in twenty minutes. Yumm and photo upload created.  

The next upload is “hidden gem”. This moss rose just popped into bloom over night. It is in one of my window gardens. I had moss roses in my yard many years ago when my husband and I were taking care of his father as he was in the last journey of his life. A journey with cancer. He would sit on the porch and look at those “roses” for hours. He told me almost in a whisper that they were his favorite. It is a memory of my past. Memories especially ones like this one are precious parts of our lives. Maybe messages to us from God. After all the moss rose is His creation with a purpose too.

The word today is excel. Humility and knowledge in poor clothes excel pride and ignorance in costly attire. William Penn.  For my own part, I would rather excel in knowledge of the highest secrets of philosophy than in arms. Alexander the Great.  I would rather excel in the knowledge of what is excellent, than in the extent of my power and possessions. Plutarch.  One that desires to excel should endeavor in those things that are in themselves most excellent.  Epictetus.  The spirit is the true self. The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. Marcus Tullius Cicero. Those who excel in virtue have the best right of all to rebel, but then they are of all men the least inclined to do so. Aristotle. People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they excel. William Hazlitt. Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. Voltaire.  We gain nothing by being with such as ourselves. We encourage one another in mediocrity. I am always longing to be with men more excellent than myself. Charles Lamb.  Conviction never so excellent, is worthless until it coverts itself into conduct. Thomas Carlyle.  Children are excellent observers, and will often perceive your slightest defects. In general, those who govern children, forgive nothing in them, but everything in themselves. Francois Fenelon.   Froth at the top, dregs at bottom, but the middle excellent. Voltaire.  What is easy is seldom excellent. Samuel Johnson.  None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone. Thomas Carlyle.  An excellent man, like precious metal, is in every way invariable; A villain, like the beams of a balance, is always varying, upwards and downwards. John Locke.

The last upload for today was “on or near water”. The closest body of water to my house is at the park near my home so it happens to be where I find a lot of the image challenges. 

Article: Here is a bit of information about a nearby park not far from Zanesville Ohio. The article title is “This Underrated State Park Is Home To A 100-Foot Fire Tower With Epic Views”.  The article opens by calling this park an “amazing hidden gems”. It went on to mention that it “flies under the radar” when it comes to people being aware of it. It is a 300 plus acre state park. There is a campground with non-electric sites. There is a 15 acre lake. To add to all of this there is a Camp Store. Canoes, kayaks, rowboats and paddle boards available with plenty of room on a beach that “allows swimming”. The area became a park in 1949 where before, until 1940, it was a “densely forested region”. After the Great Depression farmers in the area gave up their land “which “allowed the forest to regain a foothold”. There is a 4,573 acre Blue Rock State Forest around the park where hickory trees “dominate the forest” along with many kinds of wallflowers. Another attraction is the Blue Rock Fire Tower that was constructed in 1937. It is 100 foot fire tower and is the last of its kind in Ohio. 

Maybe tuna casserole from the freezer for dinner. 

Joy 

              fallen leaves and debris and worn steps have stories to tell too