February in the Ozarks!

Yesterday was coffee on the deck.  
Today I'm by the fireplace!
Must be February in the Ozarks!

No worries, though. Every day in February is a day closer to spring!
And I know there will be fewer freezing nights in the weeks to come.

I used the warmer days to do a little garden prep for some vegetables and sunflowers.
I also scattered some seeds from last year's cone flowers (Echinacea). I need to do some work in the flower beds -- cut back the Rugosa rose bush, clean out last year's zinnia stems. and re-rock and mulch the compass rose flower bed. There is plenty to do for the remaining days of February and for early March.

I have the recycling stuff loaded into the truck and will be making my way to Springfield to take it in. I have a little bit of glass and the center in Ozark doesn't take glass. Also, I need to make the Springfield run to pick up and drop off the shelter laundry anyway. I suppose it is good to have something to do on a day that's a little cool to be gardening.
It isn't really too cool to be gardening today. It's just too cool to be working outside in shorts and a t-shirt!

And I've been purposely people-ing --
Breakfast with a friend on Monday, dinner with small group tonight, Chaplain lunch meeting tomorrow and maybe Barchurch tomorrow evening. 
What is going on?

I ran across this quote for a little Wednesday Wisdom.
I wonder if you can be happy and be a philosopher.
Hmmm...?

John

Morning on the deck

It has been a minute!
With a deck temperature of 60 (15c) degrees, I decided that it would be a good morning to enjoy coffee on the deck today.

I slept a little later than normal.I guess a couple of hours of yard work is enough to wear me out this early in the season. It's okay, though. It feels good to be outside and getting a jump on the gardening. With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training camps it will be planting season before you know it!

     * * * * * 
I haven't been a big follower of Olympic sports for quite some time. I do like the stories of many of the athletes that are competing, more than I like the actual competition.
I like the US athletes that proudly represent a USA that embraces the spirit of the Olympics and honors everybody. 
I am proud of their boldness to speak up and say that they represent a USA that stands up for one another and shows love and compassion for our neighbors.

It is disgusting that there are people that criticize their comments. Even though they haven't said anything negative about the president (lower case p intentional) or the current administration, supporters of the president are lashing out at them for their comments. 
Seriously, WTF?

I have purposefully kept Out of My Hat out of politics for quite some time. I honestly don't believe I have many conservatives that follow me anymore, certainly not many Trump cultists. I do recognize that you can be conservative and not be in favor of this administration's policies and tactics, but if that is you then you have a responsibility to say something as well -- compliance is complicity.

Let's face it -- 
In the USA due process is a right of every person -- citizen and non-citizen alike.
That is not what we have been seeing. 
For decades the right has been saying that the Democrats are coming for your guns, but now it is the current administration that is talking about limiting access and rights to carry. If the right to bear arms is supposed to be to protect ourselves from government tyranny, you 2A m'fers are now a part of the tyranny rather than the protectors.

smh

I keep thinking that surely they will wake up and see the constitutional violations that are happening. Unfortunately, I think we have moved beyond the point of no return. If they haven't seen it by now, they never will. 
Let me say it again -- You can be a conservative and see that what is happening is un-American. Supporting what you know to be a violation of the Constitution isn't patriotism. You are a part of the fascist regime.
Wake up!

Our Olympic athletes make me proud.
Our current government --- not so much.

John

 

A Church for Hermits

It has been a wonderful morning!
I had breakfast with two friends this morning -- a couple of guys that I had not seen in quite some time.
When I talk about people that I connect with, these are two of the guys that I am talking about. I don't know if it's a soul connection or an energy vibe or what exactly. I just know that there is a part of my spirit that is energized by spending time with them.

The conversation was easy. 
We talked about our kids and family, a bit about sports, work, church, and just about life in general. It was a grand way to start the day -- except for that alarm clock thing!
I use my alarm so rarely that it really startled me this morning. I woke up suddenly thinking, "What the hell is that?!"
I am so glad that I am privileged to the point of not needing to do that anymore.

In the church part of our conversation, someone mentioned that I need a church for hermits. I wonder how that would work.
Honestly, I miss the community part of church and I think there has to be a way to find that in a way that isn't otherwise uncomfortable. Too much of church life and structure just doesn't work for me anymore. I need a spiritual community that is somehow separated from religion. I think that I am slowly building that -- I even came home and had a conversation with a Southern Baptist pastor friend that is working his own way through deconstruction and reconstruction. 

There is still much about my former Christianity that I still struggle with.
And yes -- I said former Christianity. I think the first century followers had it right when they were simply followers of the way or disciples of Jesus.
And just maybe those early opponents had it right when they used "Christian" as a derogatory term, as well.

I am a follower of Jesus rather than a worshiper of Jesus. I am a disciple; a student of what he taught. Unlike many of my deconstructed evangelical brothers, I am not ready to toss baby Jesus out with the proverbial bathwater. I don't think I am able to separate the Divine Christ from the human Jesus as a good teacher just yet. 
It's weird, but I am comfortable in my spiritual struggle right now. The struggle for truth is way better than the comfortable lie and control I was living under.

So if anybody knows of or plans to start a church for hermits -- let me know.
It just might be my kind of church!

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 "He who learns but does not think, is lost!
He who thinks but does not learn, is in great danger."
--Confucius

February

It's February!
I am looking forward to some warmer temperatures, although I think the snow covered ground is keeping them a little cooler these first few days of the month. I think (hope) most of that will be melted away by the end of today. I realize that we are just at the mid point of winter and there is plenty of cold weather ahead, but I am ready for spring.

I got some fabric planting containers that were delivered yesterday. I am excited about that and ready to get started on gardening. 
I am looking forward to spring gardening as much as I have ever been. I don't know if it's because I'm looking to do more in the way of vegetables or if it's just that I am really tired of winter and ready to be doing something in the way of working outside. I am ready to stop with the sweatpants and long sleeved shirts and get back to shorts, t-shirts and bare feet!
I don't believe that I suffer from SADD, but the desire for longer days and warmer temperatures is real.

It's the third today
A bit late to begin now
I'll skip haiku month

John

Eleven Years

Today marks eleven years since the official end of my career as an air traffic controller. 
As much as I enjoyed the ATC gig, being retired from it is way better! I haven't engaged in supplemental income through contract work as an instructor or staff at any facility and don't understand why others have. I am apparently much less driven to have more, do more, or be more than many of my former coworkers. My pension, Social Security, and Thrift Savings Plan are enough to support my simple retirement lifestyle. 

My retirement from the evangelist/gospel magician gig came a few years later when we were unceremoniously invited to leave the church where we had served for a couple of decades because we didn't object to allowing a transgender woman to be a part of the fellowship. 
Wow! Talk about blessings in disguise! 
Admittedly, I kind of miss the magician part -- more than the ATC gig, and definitely more than the church/religious bullshit. In fact, these days I rarely make an appearance in church of any kind, and when I do it is with a small group from church that meets at a brewery!

My life today is much different that what I might have imagined it to be eleven years ago. 
But I am a much different person than I was eleven years ago, so it makes sense. 
Life happens.
People change.
People grow.
Or maybe people stay the same and you (or I) grow.

I am at peace.
I think I've always been able to find the centering peace within me, but it is helpful to be truly aware of oneself and to be able to purposefully find the calming, peaceful, almost magical presence that connects us to everything around us. Perhaps mystical is a better word than magical.
I wish I had been paying attention to that voice rather than allowing myself to be controlled by the church voices and others that speak and teach from outside of myself. 

If I were ever to go back to preaching, that is what I would teach -- that the Spirit of God lives within you. Find that voice.
Nurture that part of your being -- feed it, exercise it, help it to grow.
Learn to recognize that same spirit in others. 
Let the spirit connect us to each other and to the world around us.

Think about the philosophy that we are not bodies with souls, but rather we are souls with bodies. When we begin to view life from a spiritual perspective rather than a physical perspective everything changes.

Earthly status doesn't matter in the spiritual realm.
Wealth doesn't matter in the spiritual realm.
Power  doesn't matter in the spiritual realm.
Skin color doesn't matter in the spiritual realm.
Gender doesn't matter in the spiritual realm.
National borders don't matter in the spiritual realm.
Even the religious beliefs of us humans don't matter in the spiritual realm.

Find and strengthen the God spirit within yourself, then look for and connect with the God spirit in others.

I don't think it is a message that will preach well in our world today. Too many want to cling to the perceived power or control that their current beliefs give them.
Fair warning!!! -- Following Jesus is way harder than worshiping Jesus.

There!
I said what I said.
Now you know why I don't preach anymore.

John

Can We Just Skip Ahead to Spring?

January is finally coming to an end, but it looks like the disturbance in the polar vortex will continue to bring cold weather to the Midwest and beyond into early February.
Sacrebleu!

Although February is really in the very heart of winter, I always feel like spring is getting close. MLB teams are all in spring training camp by the end of week two, so it has to be close, right?

This stretch of cold weather has me a little out of sorts. I haven't even been reading much lately.
Maybe it has to do with the addition of snow cover that lasts for more than a few days. 
Maybe it is the extra nights of working.
Maybe I am getting too old for this cold weather crap and need to move to a warmer climate.
Maybe it's that SADD thing getting to me this season.

I'm not sure what it is, but I am ready for spring!

There is a part of me that wants to be present in the moment and appreciate the winter and what it accomplishes in the cycles of nature. But I am also very much looking forward to planting a garden and watching flowers grow. I don't like spending too much energy on the days ahead. It feels like I am cheating today by doing that. I can tend to my early plants and do things to prepare for the coming weeks rather than just wasting time thinking about it. 
I ordered some containers for tomatoes and have already started my tomato plants. I think I'll also grow peppers (also started) in containers and I bought some larger containers for potatoes and sweet potatoes. I'm wondering how that will go and also wondering how I will do on the crops that require more patience than some of the others.

This weekend marks eleven years since I hung up my headset and retired from the ATC gig. It is hard to believe that it's been that long. 
Talk about privilege! Wow!

Enjoy the remaining moments of January. 
Retirement in any month is better than going to work!

John

Regrets

Earlier this week I read a post that someone shared about their parent's regrets about not having been active during the civil rights demonstrations of the 60s. I'm wondering if this is our moment to either be active now or regret it later when it comes to demonstrating or actively speaking out against the government injustices that are taking place.

It also got me thinking about my own regrets.
I have come to terms with my past religious teachings, knowing that I was teaching what I had been taught and truly believed I was doing the right thing. But now I am wondering if maybe I have stepped away from religion long enough and it's time to begin to share how my beliefs have evolved into being less of a worshiper of Jesus and more of a follower of Jesus.

Although my past observation of -- The farther I got from religion, the closer I got to God -- still holds true, I'm now wondering how evangelism works when it comes to helping people recognize the Spirit of God that resides within themselves and also in the people around us.
How does one follow what Jesus taught, and teach what Jesus taught, and manage to leave religion out of it?
Is the St. Francis model of preaching by practice and only using words when necessary an effective way of following Jesus? Is it an effective way to teach others what Jesus taught?  
Is it even necessary to teach others what I know or believe about following Jesus?
...or just about living a peaceful life?

I think I need a warm day and a good cigar to figure it out.
It might be a long time before that happens.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

When Monday Mornings Aren't Mornings

This winter is making for weird Monday mornings. Working at the cold weather shelter on Sunday and Monday nights means that my Monday mornings are really Monday evening. 

On what is actually Monday morning, I typically end my Sunday overnight shift by going out to eat (breakfast) at a little diner along Old Route 66 with one of the other shelter workers. Then I head home and eventually sleep from 11 to 5pm or so and then get up and get ready for another overnight.
This becomes my Monday morning.

This evening time "morning" still has coffee as a part of my wake-up routine, but not much else is the same. Today I am getting in a little time on the Chromebook and blogging, but that hasn't been the case most of the winter. A little less screen time is never a bad thing these days.

The coming days are going to be bitterly cold and Springfield MO is woefully under equipped to help shelter our homeless population. Even on our best nights, we have fewer than 300 beds for the nearly 1000 unsheltered people in the area. Our little shelter has added a few cots recently and made room for a few more pets, but we are at capacity. Last night I had a couple of cots in the hallway and one person on the floor. We were literally wall-to-wall with people and pets.
The next 10 days or so will be extremely challenging and quite dangerous for the unsheltered population of SWMO.

No time for a Monday Meditation post. I have to get ready for work.

John

Brrr...

Much of the Ozarks is waking up to frigid temperatures this morning. "Feels like" -4 (-20c) means that it's coffee by the fireplace for me today. I will have absolutely no reason to venture out into the cold until this evening when I will make my way into the shelter to keep a few dozen people and their pets company throughout the night. 

I haven't felt like writing much lately, but I have been reading. 
It has been a long time since somebody has talked to me about reading The Bible, but one of the overnight guests at the shelter asked if I'd ever read through the complete book before. 
I have, but it has honestly been some time since I have made it a part of my daily habit. I am not going to read through it from beginning to end again. I can't think of a single reason to do that. But I am going to read through the new testament with a different perspective than I have in the past.

It is difficult to set aside nearly all that I was taught about The Bible as I read through it again, but much of what I learned was weaponizing the ancient text to control a society into blindly serving some made up, bullshit religion and worshiping a god of its own design. I'm pretty much over the religion of Christianity that worships Jesus, but fails to do -- even actively opposes -- the things that he taught concerning how to live in harmony with one another. 
Studying the life and teaching of Jesus without the cloak of religion is both challenging and freeing, but takes a little more time and effort than simply reading the gospels. I am hoping that I will have the persistence to see it through.

     * * * * *

Switching topics to Things I Learned This Week

Did you know that the word myriad once represented a specific number of things rather than being a countless quantity?
To the ancient Greeks a myriad was ten thousand.

Did you know that poecilonym (PEE-sill-oh-nim) and polyonym are both synonyms for synonym?

Both from my Word Nerd calendar.

Have a great week!
John

The value of a day

 

It's the weekend! (It is, isn't it?)

Normally, weekends aren't a big deal for us retired folk, but this has been a weird kind of week. Yesterday (Friday) was the first day all week that I didn't have to go somewhere or do something. It was nice to just stay at home all day. I didn't even manage to go down the street to check the mailbox.

Aside from being a busier than normal week, the first week of January was also unseasonably warm. It was nice to spend a couple of days doing some yard work and sitting in the sun. Winter is returning and that means it is back to work at the shelter for a couple of nights.

In a recent conversation with an overnight volunteer we discussed some of the reasons for volunteering or working at the shelter. There was a time when it gave me a sense of accomplishment or made me feel good about myself for doing a service in the community. I'm not certain that still exists for me. Now I feel like I am doing it just because it needs to be done and I don't really get the same sense of personal satisfaction from doing it that I once did. I just do it.
I don't think it's a good thing nor a bad thing. It's just the way it is. And maybe it does keep me from being the absolutely least productive member of society, although not by much.

     * * * * *

In other news -- I finished my first book of the year! It was the historical fiction, The Runes Of Victory about Anglos and Saxons defending against Viking attacks in early 9th century England. Today, I will finish Let Them. 
I've already started a new non-fiction book, Inner Anarchy by deconstructed mega-church pastor Jim Palmer. I believe this is his most recent book. I should probably read some of his earlier works, as well. Fwiw, this is another paper and ink book. I'll figure out what fiction book I'll read from my Kindle library later today.

I may help setup the shelter cots tonight, but otherwise it looks to be another non-productive day in the life of John. If you are doing something to make the world a better place -- thank you. 

John

Too much to do!

Monday -- midday shelter work
Yesterday -- doctor's appointment.
Today -- early car appointment
Tomorrow -- morning shelter work

Whatever happened to my quiet, non-productive retired life?

Actually, the past couple of days have been decent days and I have managed to take advantage of the warm weather by getting a few things done around the house; nothing major, just a few things that needed to be done now are. 
There are plenty of things like that. Yesterday I spent a couple of hours tilling an area for spring planting. I may go over it again today and then once more before planting. Anyone that has tried tilling or plowing land in SWMO understands why there is no crop farming here. The ground is hard, mostly clay, and full of rocks. A couple of hours behind a tiller can beat you up. I'm a bit surprised that my hands and wrists aren't sore today.

Working outside in shorts and a t-shirt was nice for early January. We will have a couple more warm days before winter returns. I am looking forward to spring and planting my Christmas seeds -- pumpkins, sunflowers, and popcorn.
After working yesterday, I sat in the sun and enjoyed a cigar and a tequila and soda. I am looking forward to many similar days. I know that this simple life isn't for everyone, but I do enjoy it.

I hope you have a chance to enjoy whatever today holds for you. 
It's time for me to take a car to the shop.

John

Communication: Is it a lost art?

I think that people often communicate to deceive.
We have gotten so used to listening to people that try to control us by manipulative speech, that we have accepted that as normal and have maybe even started to communicate with others by trying to say what they want to hear while meaning something very different.

I doubt that most politicians or religious leaders (remember when those were very different kinds of people?) would agree with Quintilian. It seems that intentional ambiguity is the way of public speaking these days.

John

It's not spring -- but I'll take it!

A few January days in the mid 60s (17c or so) -- I'll take it!
I'm actually a little excited about it.

It is still just a bit above freezing, but I am looking forward to a much warmer than normal day today. Although I have plenty to do, I am pretty certain that there is a cigar waiting for me this afternoon. 

I ran across this list of challenges for the new year.

You can click it to big it.
Are there any here that you think might be beneficial for you?

I think the first one is good. Having to start over if you complain or gossip in the 21 days might make it an ongoing experiment that lasts the whole year.
Actually, they are all helpful in setting new habits and only as difficult as your current lifestyle differs from each challenge. The 75 day protocol would be the most difficult for me. The rest of them, not so much as I do a bit of them already.

I've never been a big New Year's Resolution person. If you need to change something, just change it. 
"Starting tomorrow..." would work just as well as waiting for January 1st to roll around. Having an artificially imposed starting day like Jan 1 doesn't do much for us procrastinators. 
Nonetheless, I think I'll get started early on my outside work today and make a little more time for that afternoon cigar.

Be well, my friends!

John

What are you reading?

It is highly unusual for me to have four books going at a time, but that is my current situation. Three books is rare, but not too weird. Two books (usually a fiction and non-fiction) is pretty normal. One book happens about as often as three books.

Of my current four, only one is fiction -- The Runes of Victory by John Broughton, an 8th century English tale of a small village and Viking invaders. I started it because I just needed a fiction book to read and it was in my Kindle library, no doubt a free download from a regular listing of free or cheap books somewhere. I'll probably finish it before I finish the others.

The main one open is Mel Robbins' bestseller, Let Them. I had some Amazon credits and decided to see what all the hype was. I've got to say, I think it's mostly hype.
The material is decent and I pretty much already use the philosophies I've read so far. I'm not a podcast listener and I can't imagine hyping this simple stress relief to the point of some viral sensation. One of the difficult things for me in working through the book is that I believe she is writing primarily to women. I only know her story from what I've read in the book and I may have that wrong, but I think that she probably writes like she talks on her podcast and that means she fills a lot of time with unnecessary words. 
I am almost to the halfway point and I will finish it, but it may take another week as I can only read the rambling monologue for so long before needing a break. If you have an over-stressed life and need a self-proclaimed expert to tell you to stop doing stupid stuff and caring about what meaningless people think about you -- well, this book is for you. 
That may be a little premature as I am not even halfway through it yet, but that would be my assessment to this point.

The third book is more of a lesson book that is a part of my quest to learn to speak and understand Spanish. Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish is a way to help me increase my Spanish vocabulary and pick up whatever help I can as I try to pick up the language while living as a hermit in SWMO.

The fourth and final book is a book of meditations of the former Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. 
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a collection of his personal writings that were likely meant just for is own reflection. They were discovered and made public in the mid 1500s, The writings share his stoic philosophy and wisdom and will be something I use in my own meditative time rather than something that I simply read to get through.

Two of these books I read on Kindle and two are actual paper and ink books.

It's 2026.
What are you reading?

John

FOMO isn't a thing for me.

FOMO -- the fear of missing out

It was just a few minutes before midnight when I found out that yesterday (Jan 2) was World Introvert Day. 
I almost missed it!

On the other hand, I did observe it the way any solidly introverted person would -- I stayed home, potted a few plants, read a little bit, watched a movie on my Chromebook, and avoided contact with other people. It turned out to be a wonderfully fitting observance of the day.
I did have to make a quick run to get some food for the cat, but that was my only exposure to the outside world for the day. Although today is not World Introvert Day, I will carry on in much the same way as I do every day.

It looks like the nighttime temps may drop below the freezing point this weekend, so I may have to put in a night or two at the shelter. Daytime temps will be in the 60s (upper teens for you Celsius folk) for next week and I hope to get some of the outdoor work done that I mentioned in yesterday's post. It's also been a little while since I've been able to sit and enjoy a cigar so that will likely happen next week, too.

I have a pretty low expectations kind of life. It suits me quite well. 
I don't do drama.
I am happy to let people do their own thing and work out their own issues.
I am beginning to understand the Buddhist and Toltec beliefs that attachments (to people and things) cause suffering (Buddhist) and that we are addicted to suffering (Toltec).
Perhaps we could all use a little suffering intervention.

Ah well, life goes on.

If you are one of those that wants to learn something every day -- 
From my Word Nerd calendar:
Overmorrow is the day after tomorrow.
And for a bonus:
Ere-yesterday is the day before yesterday.

John

Is it spring yet?

Okay, so I know that spring is still more than two months away, but I think I am going to think spring in my head and begin planning my garden. 

I did ask for some specific seeds for Christmas and someone must have lied to Santa (or Hannah and Jason) about me being a good boy last year because I got them -- sunflowers, pumpkins, and popcorn! Those are all crops that need to be planted in the ground rather than started inside since their roots are sensitive to movement and they don't typically survive transplanting. 
The weather is supposed to be nice next week, so I may begin tilling an area for them. I am actually pretty excited about all three varieties.

If you are planning ahead and want some hostas, I will have plenty to share this year. Some gardeners recommend splitting them in winter, but I have found them to do well pretty much anytime and will wait until spring to thin mine. Just let me know if you have a shady spot that you want to fill.

I do want to get an early start to some cole crops this year -- cabbages, kale, broccoli, and maybe some collard greens. I also want to plant some spinach and lettuce, but those starts can wait a little longer. 
Planning a garden is almost as much fun as working it, so I will do what I can for the moment.

What are your spring plans?
Is it too soon to ask?

John

Stuff and Nonsense

Here are a few things that happened in the past year that you may not have known about:

The moon moved 3.8 cm away from the earth
The sun lost 174 trillion tons of its mass and the earth's orbit increased by 1.5 cm
150 billion stars formed in the visible universe
Andromeda Galaxy moved 3.5 billion km closer to us
and the Universe expanded by more than 60 trillion km

Closer to home and not nearly as significant:

I managed to read 40 books in 2025
I finished the year 15 pounds lighter than I started it
I learned a little bit more about smoking meats and enjoyed experimenting with the smoker

I expect that universal stuff will remain constant in 2026, while John stuff will remain chaotic.
All-in-all, I have a pretty good life.
I should probably work on being more social, but honestly doubt that I will. Maybe I'll just throw out an open invitation for anyone to join me on the deck for a drink and a cigar and see what happens.
Then again, maybe I won't.
Why take a chance on ruining a good thing?

For better or for worse, 2026 is underway.
My plan is to enjoy each day and to focus on keeping my little world a good place to be. 
Let's do this!

John