August 11, 2026, a thought for the day, Sugared words generally prove bitter. Spanish Proverb

Photos in my life yesterday

The first challenge was “white”. One of the white daisies from my current bouquet on a white cloth back ground. 

The next assignment was “my choice” and another of my “still life”, a
princess chair from the kids toy box.

The last upload was “hands”. I coaxed my sister into letting me use her hands for my model for this photo. 

Life today. This week is a bit different from the same-old-same-old as far as my bulletins go. I have a memorial bulletin to do this week along with the regular Sunday bulletin. I think I am going to do the printing a day earlier than my usual since the memorial bulletin will be needed on Thursday morning. These are the things I have been working on yesterday and today. 

After those I was able to start on this letter and the photo assignments for the day. There have been interruptions here and there so my “timing schedule” is a little whomperjawed today. I am playing catch up again. 

The last couple of days we have had some pretty powerful storms with thunder and lightening. That means Bobbi has been hiding whenever the thunder was active. The thunder, lighting and pounding rain sends her sailing for cover (even though it is on the outside). I’m sure her peers that live on the street were finding cover too, they in far more need of such than she. 

Well, I am going to prepare for uploads now so that I can get to the kitchen to make some tuna casserole. 

The word to ponder today is company. Good company and good discourse are the very sinews of virtue. Izaak Walton. Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as by the latter. Paxton Hood. I live in company with a body, a silent companion, exacting and eternal. Eugene Delacroix. Live always in the best company when you read. Sydney Smith. Family connexions were always worth preserving, good company always worth seeking. Jane Austen. It is said that if Noah's ark had had to be built by a company; they would not have laid the keel yet; and it may be so. What is many men's business is nobody's business. The greatest things are accomplished by individual men. Charles Haddon Spurgeon. You teach your daughters the diameters of the planets and wonder when you are done that they do not delight in your company. Samuel Johnson. The company of just and righteous men is better than wealth and a rich estate. Euripides. Learning makes a man fit company for himself. Thomas Fuller. My thoughts are my company; I can bring them together, select them, detain them, dismiss them. Walter Landor. Bad company is like a nail driven into a post, which, after the first and second blow, may be drawn out with little difficulty; but being once driven up to the head, the pincers cannot take hold to draw it out, but which can only be done by the destruction of the wood. Saint Augustine. 

Article summary. As I am searching for something that I have on my mind, I find a lot of things I hadn’t thought of. I see things that spark a new light so I pick them to share. This is one of those incidences. How a simple thing like coloring, something we probably did as a child can releive stress. Come to think of it is was fun, no stress back then too. The title is Anxiety and stress really can be lowered through colouring – here’s what our research has found. Michael Mantzios. Professor of Applied and Experimental Psychology, Birmingham City University. Kyriaki Giannou, Lecturer in Applied Psychology, De Montfort University. At theconversation.com. It begins by talking about how many people think of exercise or meditation as the way to go in releasing stress. As it continued it mentioned that that is not the only way to relax. It pointed out that coloring books seem to be becoming a “popular hobby” and looking at relieving stress. So they did some studies on this subject and found that it is an “effective way of reducing stress and improving wellbeing” and reducing “burnout”. It seems to involve “mindful” practice. They are saying that “mindful practice” is a “deliberate practice” of paying attention of what you are involved with at the moment rather than “making judgements about any thoughts, emotions or distractions that happen”. Coloring can help as well as staying focused as mediation is claimed to be effectie. There was a study conducted with two groups of people. One group was given instructions of “mindful guidance” to relax their body, focus on what they were doing and the how the“sensation of coloring” felt and what to do if they found their mind wandering. The other group were given no instructions beyond just coloring. At the end of the study the group having been given the instruction “reported feeling less anxious and more focused after colouring”. The other group didn’t express the same kinds of feelings. The study seemed to show that “colouring can help to lower anxiety”. Another study was a daily mindful coloring activity for five days against a group who followed a typical days activities for five days. The coloring group showed less overall stress and were more “resilient”. It is suggested in the article that if trying this “mindful coloring” idea keep your thoughts on the coloring, if you wander off let those thoughts go and refocus on the colors and how the hands are moving. As the article was ending if admitted that “mindfulness” of this nature can also work toward the noted lowering of stress, well being and in areas of mental health benefits.  Drawing, painting, knitting and other of these kinds of activities  can reduce anxiety by simple “focus on being in the moment.”

 Maybe I will make tuna casserole for dinner. 

Photos in my life today

The first upload is “grey”. I guess the greyest thing in the house is Bobbi so she is he model for the image. 

The next one is another of “my choice” and another of my “still life”. This one of the roses and some babies breath from the current bouquet. The bouquet is helping me out in more ways than one. 

The last challenge is “cards”. This one speaks for itself. It happens to be from the only deck of cards I have in the house.

Joy

this bonus image is another of my uploads to a Fine Art America Contest

shop? Visit: fineartamerica.com search for joy rector click on “view shop”  and redbubble.com search for jarector (and take a look at flickr.com search for rectorjoyce)