May 27, 2026, a thought for today, The word that has departed grows on the way. Norwegian Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday 

The first photo in my life yesterday was “I can.” I have gotten very good at using a computer mouse and keyboard. 

The next challenge was “my choice,” one of my series of “minimalists.” This is one of the many little bunches of weeds popping up in the black top drive way. 

The last upload for yesterday was “funny.” As has become my habit in the past eight months since Bobbi took up residence with us I have used her as my model many times. Here she is again in one of her “funny” poses. She is full of antics and spending energy bringing smiles and giggles. 

Life today. Yesterday’s pantry started out on a bad foot. The wifi was out. It didn’t get “fixed” until about twenty minutes before we closed. We did it all the “old fashioned way”....paper work. 

Last night we had rolling thunder and lightening and down pours. I can only hope my newly planted window gardens make it through. Bobbi, my cat is hiding and has been all night, she hasn’t eaten as is her normal morning start either. 

The bulletin was done yesterday after three times of being redone. After I had it done perfectly the first time, there was a graphic requested to be added. Each time I tried to put it in the computer froze and it took a reboot with loss of the entire document. I finally had a “back door” trick I had learned from experience in adding a stubborn art piece. It worked on the third try. 

Today was better at food pantry we ended with a good number of families and the computers were working.

The word for today is your. Ask yourself whether you are happy and you cease to be so. John Stuart Mill. Promises that you make to yourself are often like the Japanese plum tree - they bear no fruit. Francis Marion. Consult your friend on all things, especially on those which respect yourself. His counsel may then be useful where your own self-love might impair your judgment. Seneca. Never think that you're not good enough yourself. A man should never think that. People will take you very much at your own reckoning. Anthony Trollope. Never trouble another for what you can do for yourself. Thomas Jefferson. If you would cure anger, do not feed it. Say to yourself: 'I used to be angry every day; then every other day; now only every third or fourth day.' When you reach thirty days offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the gods. Epictetus. Your first appearance, he said to me, is the gauge by which you will be measured; try to manage that you may go beyond yourself in after times, but beware of ever doing less. Jean Jacques Rousseau. You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one. James A. Froude. Make yourself necessary to somebody. Do not make life hard to any. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Forgive many things in others; nothing in yourself. Ausonius. Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends. Czech Proverb. Be honorable yourself if you wish to associate with honorable people. Welsh Proverb. Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.  Henry David Thoreau. Do not speak of your happiness to one less fortunate than yourself. Plutarch. Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself. Robert Ingersoll. Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. Marcus Aurelius. 

Article summary. I have learned and experienced that art involves lines, patterns, shapes, arch, color, and can include fractals. This article caught my attention with those things in mind. Art is a comfort to most and is relaxing. I, of course, feel that photography is one ideal way of showing one and more of these elements. The article title is  Fractal patterns in nature and art are aesthetically pleasing and stress reducing. Richard Taylor, Director of the Materials Science Institute and Professor of Physics, University of Oregon. At theconversation.com. The opening paragraph is interesting and informative. It shares some well studied research on how art from its earliest findings in “rock and cave arts” to todays studies on the subject of art now use “sophisticated techniques to quantify it – and its impact on the observer”. I was mostly interested in an early sentence and the way it was stated “we’re finding that aesthetic images can induce staggering changes to the body, including radical reductions in the observer’s stress levels” As the article moved along the author mentioned the cost factor in the work place and how aesthetics can benefit that part of society. They have studied how art and “natural scenes” can relive stress. Repetitive patterns some of which are called “fractals”are a big part of this theory. Many of “nature’s objects are fractal, featuring patterns that repeat.” An example of those in nature is a tree whose branches get smaller at the branch out, others are clouds, rivers, coastlines and more. There was an artist named Pollock whose paintings are fractal oriented  many of which “express nature.” Some of types of patterns can be generated on a computer. Hospital patients were given pictures of this kind of art. EEG’s were used to record the brain’s activity which showed a 60 percent reduction in stress. This procedure also showed that this “physiological change even accelerates post-surgical recovery rates”. Artists can and many do at times and individual pieces embed fractal patterns in their work. On a practical note, maybe the incidences of a fractal pattern can be an “Easter egg” in a completed piece. Some famous examples of art with fractals are found in Roman, Egyptian, Aztec and more. According to the article one of the major art pieces is “da Vinci’s Turbulence (1500).” The author of this article mentions at the end that he has found these studies also have led to information in artificial eye design. He says how “thinking “out of the box” leads to unexpected but potentially revolutionary ideas.”

I think I will have salmon patties for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

The first challenge for today is again “my choice” and is one of my “minimalists” images. It is a fallen posy from my most current bouquet. That was a contest entry to my Fine Art America group. 

The next image upload is “I can’t.” I am using this one to show I can’t get past McDonald without stopping for a fish sandwich. 

The last upload for today was “money.” I just opened my wallet to show what little is there. It turned out to be a pretty good shot. 

Joy 

the bonus image for today is a carnation from my most recent bouquet. I uploaded it to my Fine Art America page for addition to pillows, coffee mugs, tee shirts, jigsaw puzzles and more

Want to shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector