April 7, 2026, a thought for today, At a round table every seat is first. German Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was titled “comfort.” At the end of the day this is my “comfort” zone. It also seems to be one of Bobbi’s. 

The next upload was “landscape.” This is one of the country scenes I come across on my way to see family.

The last one for yesterday was “something growing.” These pretty little dandelions are doing a fanatic job of that. 

Life today. I am having another pleasing day. All dead line things are ready giving me time to work on some ideas using my photos in a different way than  just uploading to photo a day sites. One is getting one or two photos at a time and at intervals ready for public display. The other is a site that I have belong to for a few years. I let it go for several years. Now I am working to “revive” it. It is similar to Etsy in that it contains craft/art work in the form of photos, paintings, and sketches for purchase. The site is a company called Fine Art America that offers products like greeting cards, jigsaw puzzles, pillows, tee shirts, sweat shirts and other house hold products with that art work as the prominent design. 

It’s a bit chilly outside. I have some of the plants I ordered for the window boxes due for delivery today. I want to keep an eye out for them. If they are left outside, they might be damaged. I won’t be planting them until after May 1st.  I will be making room for arranging them among my houseplant “garden” under the grow lights. 

I have also had time to do some of the research on “light bulb” moments of subjects that pop into my mind from social media sites and TV show, news and other wise

The word today is stand.  Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln. All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. Galileo Galilei. Wit makes its own welcome, and levels all distinctions. No dignity, no learning, no force of character, can make any stand against good wit. Ralph Waldo Emerson. In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. Thomas Jefferson. There's folks 'ud stand on their heads and then say the fault was I' their boots. George Eliot. The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving. Oliver Wendell Holmes. The strongest man in the world is the man who stands alone. Thomas H. Huxley. Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. Chinese Proverb. If you would stand well with a great mind, leave him with a favorable impression of yourself; if with a little mind, leave him with a favorable impression of himself. Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn. Miguel de Cervantes. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Confucius. I stand in awe of my body. Henry David Thoreau. The bow cannot always stand bent, nor can human frailty subsist without some lawful recreation. Miguel de Cervantes. Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors. Confucius. Law stands mute in the midst of arms. Cicero. A mother understands what a child does not say. Jewish Proverb. It is a Blessed thing that in every age someone has had the individuality enough to stand by his own convictions. Robert Ingersoll. 

Article summary: I am a worry wart, some of my family think I hold the crown in that area of thought. So I thought I would take a look at this article and pass it on to those who my share that pesky emotion. The title is Why we are hard wired to worry, and what we can do to calm down. James Carmody, Professor of Medicine and Population Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School. At theconversation.com. It starts out pointing to many of the things that are common for people to be concerned or worry about. Many things like wanting things to be better, how elections will turn out or other worldly affairs. It goes on to point out that “humans are wired to worry.” As sort of definition of worry is when “vial planning gets the better of us” and takes up most of our attention. Most of that time being filled with tension, distractions and sleeplessness. The author says that there are ways of “quieting the mind.” It seems when we can focus on what we are doing rather than let our minds wander we are more relaxed and happier. There are areas of the brain that are “active” when we are not focused on a particular task. The author says these help us be aware of threats and the “downside” is anxiety. There have been “mindfulness training” studies that show “attention regulation” and working on memory and mind wandering can develop in a couple of weeks. In the “mindfulness training” having a person thinks of the “sensations of breathing.” The article says that it leads to attention “defaulting” to daydreams. It says that there is a “detachment” with the past and future.  We are “in the moment” and calmer. There are other “mind-body” programs that lead to a more calm outlook and “recover the present moment.” Two mentioned here are yoga and tai chi that in a movement type of directing ones attention. Another type of “direction ones attention” is in a cognitive form such as prayer and visualization which bring “more reassuring thoughts and images.” When I first chose this article I hadn’t considered  the breathing technique that the article mentioned but it does bring to mind the practice of ladies in labor being told to “breathe in breathe out” to relieve some of the pain and lead to “detachment.”

I made goulash last night for dinner. In my senior years I have slowed down on the cooking. I make things in batches and put them in the freezer so tonight will be something from the freezer. Something sounded good a week ago may sound good again tonight.

Photos in my life today

The first challenge upload for today was “games.” This one is packed away. My husband I played backgammon together every night that he was off duty from the fire department medic team. 

The next one is “landscape.” This is yet another of the ones I see as I am on the way to family a little way out of Columbus.

The last upload is “wildlife.” There is little wildlife in the city. This is
an image I made several years ago on one of my photo outings along the river.

Joy 

                                          all aboard

        (also found on Fine Art America/search joy rector tee shirts, pillow, puzzles, and much more)