January 29, 2026 a thought for today, Where the minute hand suffices, the hour hand is not needed. Dutch Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

This first upload challenge was “the sky today”. Though we are having a “trying” period of extra heavy snow drifts and their accompanying problems, we are also have gorgeous blue skies. 

This second upload was “lunch”. This has become a pretty common lunch since
I am not getting out to fast food places as often as I was doing.

The last one for yesterday was “evergreen”. I have several images of this tree. This one is different from most of them with the snow decorating the branches. 

Life today. I got to my doctor yesterday for my “infected” tooth. As we suspected I did/do need antibiotics. My doctor called the prescription over to the pharmacy for me, it was ready when I got there. She also said I must see a dentist within a week. I have that appointment for Monday. 

I didn’t get to the church to print the bulletin this morning. There was still twelve inches of snow on the top of my car. Around noon when the temperature was about 16 instead of 3, I ventured out to see what I could do to push if off. I was able to do that. I also moved the car more to the center of the driveway hopefully more away from the snow drifts along the sides. I plan to try to make it to the church tomorrow after sunrise. 

Sue was parked at the curb during this snow storm so her car is blocked in quite securely. We are trying to find someone to come and dig her out and get the snow around the car out of the street. So far we haven’t been able to get someone. We have a list of three people to call, none are answering their phone. 

When I came back in the house I got things together to start the laundry. I have to take care of kitty chores now. Then I think that is it for today except for making dinner.

The word today is rational. Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago. Horace Mann. Good and evil, reward and punishment, are the only motives to a rational creature: these are the spur and reins whereby all mankind are set on work, and guided. John Locke. To wisdom belongs the intellectual apprehension of things eternal; to knowledge, the rational apprehension of things temporal. Saint Augustine. I am an Epicurean. I consider the genuine (not the imputed) doctrines of Epicurus as containing everything rational in moral philosophy which Greek and Roman leave to us. Thomas Jefferson. A man has free choice to the extent that he is rational. Thomas Aquinas. I add this, that rational ability without education has oftener raised man to glory and virtue, than education without natural ability. Marcus Tullius Cicero. The happy medium - truth in all things - is no longer either known or valued; to gain applause, one must write things so inane that they might be played on barrel-organs, or so unintelligible that no rational being can comprehend them, though on that very account, they are likely to please. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Original sin is the only rational solution of the undeniable fact of the deep, universal and early manifested sinfulness of men in all ages, of every class, and in every part of the world. Charles Hodge. It is not to be forgotten that what we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts. Thomas Huxley.  The being cannot be termed rational or virtuous, who obeys any authority, but that of reason. Mary Wollstonecraft. If we did not have rational souls, we would not be able to believe. Saint Augustine. In everything one thing is impossible: rationality. Friedrich Nietzsche. We owe to memory not only the increase of our knowledge, and our progress in rational inquiries, but many other intellectual pleasures. Samuel Johnson. The rational and peaceable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people. Thomas Jefferson. A person is an individual substance of a rational nature. Boethius. 

Article summary. In my adventures with photography I have found that abandoned buildings can be a place for excellent and interesting images. I have been on the outside of many forgotten properties. I have been inside only one many years ago. It was an abandoned elementary school. I only wish I had had the kind of observation then that I have developed at this point. I can see in my memory many of the things I missed taking photos of, left over pieces of paper, overturned chairs, and so much more. It looked like other people had been in there after it was abandoned. There were broken windows along with other evidence of destruction. There was a feel of history and past life in all those left behind things. All of this is why this article drew my attention. My memories were of thoughts of what I could have gained from what was left, the ideas in the story are what could have been made of them today. The title to the article is Artists’ installations raise questions about abandoned buildings. Aimee VonBokel, Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow of Museum Studies, New York University. At theconversation.com. I was drawn to the opening sentence that told about a street artist and a cinematographer who separately “ installed a series of portraits in crumbling New York buildings”. That sounded exciting to me, beautiful art work in a “dilapidated” space. One of projects was “large scale” photos of immigrants pasted “here and there” on the walls of Ellis Island’s abandoned hospital. The images are fading as did the buildings through the years. At another place in Brooklyn the cinematographer set up a giant video featuring “elders from the Bethel Tabernacle AME Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant”. The video set up was in a boarded up and dark building that was once a public school. There is “white glow” presumably from a proctor that shows “silhouetted visitors float into the space” across pews and then to a “dusty altar”. Along with the video is a emotional “soundscape”. I like the way the author described the art work as a combination with the decay of the ageing buildings of over a hundred years ago described as “reclaimed wood dining tables and industrial-era typography”. The author describes a visit to these buildings as a time to “embark on tours of the past”. As this story goes it is an experience in “intellect and taste” tied to a bit of history. As it happens these two buildings and places like them are bought by “private developers” who ultimately “repurpose” the structures.  The article ended by saying “these artists bring the melancholy of abandonment to the surface.” I would like to see more of this kind of attention instead of tearing down old, rejected, past and once repeated structures to turn them into parking lots.

I thought I had chili in the freezer for dinner last night but it was gone. So I think I will make it for dinner tonight. 

Photos in my life today

The first challenge today is “frozen pond or lake”. This is the pond in the park a few blocks from my house. 

The next upload is “a moment of joy”.  I should have used one of my kitten or one of my great grand children. This one was more readily handy today. 

The last upload for today is “pickle”. I don’t always have pickles on
hand. Usually is more like pickle relish. This one just happens to be in the frig. 

Joy

          As a bonus a weed like one that will follow the snow