January 15, 2026 a thought for today, What the old ones sing, the young ones whistle. Dutch Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

This first challenge was “home”. This is it, at least part of it. This is the view I have when I turn my desk chair. 

The next upload is “island”. When I think island I think an “island in the stream”. There are none of those close by. So this is an island in the city. 

The last challenge upload is “what made me smile”. All who know me at this point in my life and today is the thing that makes me smile most often is this kitten. I think most every action she takes makes me smile. 

Life today. I decided to do the bulletin printing on Wednesday instead of today since I heard the weather was going to be questionable today. Sue dropped me off then picked me up when I was finished. Since it is done for the week I have today and tomorrow with a free calendar and check list. 

We got the snow. Not bad just a slightly heavy “dusting”. It looks good, the parts that haven’t been trampled are pretty which for some reason seems to be a lot this time. I guess there hasn’t been too many people out today. I don’t blame them it is once again below freezing. 

Bobbi has begun to like to play fetch. I thought that was pretty much a dog thing, not so much a cat thing. I guess I am learning about their secrets. I have a bag of those small paper/foil balls. She loves them. Somehow they disappear after a few hours play. I’m sure they will turn up in the oddest places. Anyway, back to the fetch subject. In the last week or so when we have one out of the bag, she wants me to throw it then she brings it back to me. Then she lays down and stares at me until I throw again. I made the mistake of giving her a new one just before bed time. She wanted me to play throw for fifteen minutes or so before I gave up and hid it. I was trying to go to sleep. 

I ordered what I call a “window seat” for Bobbi. She seems to like looking the window at the front of the house more than usual now. I just received it in the mail. It isn’t quite want I think the photo showed. It looked like a solid base. What it actually is is a cloth hammock kind of thing. It is all in parts that now I have to follow the numbers and put together. 

I got kitty things done today, some interesting researches also, and frig and dish washer tasks. I have one more before ‘closing down’ for the day. I have to do some cleaning in the chest freezer. I had hoped to get some more work done on the February newsletter, guess that will have to be put on tomorrow’s list. Oh, and I had time to work briefly on “my personal dream” project

A word for today is praise. He who praises you for what you lack wishes to take from you what you have. Don Juan Manuel. Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can't buy. Izaak Walton. Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults. Socrates. Praise the bridge that carried you over. George Colman. You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand. Leonardo da Vinci. Be thou the first true merit to befriend, his praise is lost who stays till all commend. Alexander Pope. There are two modes of establishing our reputation: to be praised by honest men, and to be abused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the former, because it will invariably be accompanied by the latter. Charles Caleb Colton. Praise youth and it will prosper. Irish Proverb. I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer. G. E. Lessing. There's no praise to beat the sort you can put in your pocket. Moliere. If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it. Socrates. Praise from the common people is generally false, and rather follows the vain than the virtuous. Sir Francis Bacon. Whatever is in any way beautiful hath its source of beauty in itself, and is complete in itself; praise forms no part of it. So it is none the worse nor the better for being praised. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Admonish thy friends in secret, praise them openly. Publilius Syrus. Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to a good conscience; for health is the second blessing that money cannot buy; therefore value it, and be thankful for it. Izaak Walton. I gave my heart to the Americans and thought of nothing else but raising my banner and adding my colors to theirs. Marquis de Lafayette.  Born in poverty, he will take supreme power. He will bankrupt the country. Raising an army in the Milanese marches, he will drain Faenza and Florence of gold and people. Nostradamus. 

Article summary. It’s my premise that when it comes to exercise and health it is something we all not just teens should keep exploring when we have the chance. The title to the article is More than just being well: teens and Gen Z are redefining what it means to be healthy. Susanna Trnka, Professor of Anthropology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. At: theconversation.com. Health isn’t what it used to be – namely the absence of being sick. It opened by mentioning a talk with teenagers about health today. It mentions in that kind of conversation you may hear all kinds of answers about all types of health issues they are “working on” in their lives. The author goes on to say that health wasn’t something they worried about in the 1980s. In her words today “Health has become an investment.” In a study the author ran with teens she found that they use digital technology to find answers about health symptoms and for “self-diagnosing”. She also found that they use online resources and offline for that matter to see if the answers they are finding are trustworthy. I like that part of the story that they are using their thinking to stay “trustworthy” too. It seems they are determined to make the idea of health combine with other parts of their lives like friendships, community, dating and school time. It seems the teens also attempt to help their friends with any health questions. In the group of teens the author interviewed it was mentioned that using “holistic views of health” may help see a large part of wellbeing and the possible connection it has to how the  mind and body are “interrelated”. The author feels that being healthy may mean social activities too which may mean “caring for family” and “looking beyond” just the self health to find a balance. 

I think I will have grilled salmon and rice pilaf for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

My first challenge today is “in my hand”. This is a dozen dark chocolate chips that I allow myself for a snack after lunch. 

The next upload is “sunset”. This is one of those from my archives. As I have
mentioned before I am not out and about much at sunset and most often the sunset in housing communities is not as gorgeous as away from city distractions. 

The third upload is “landscape”. Sadly this is a city landscape that has been abandoned. Soon someone may “beatify” it in some manner. 

The last upload is called “windows”. This is another image from my
archives, many of my uploads this winter will be in the archives. This one was taken a few years ago when I worked downtown. I saw the window washer working on all those window on the side of the building. 

Joy

  I am uploading this encouraging image as a bonus