Fall Gardening

It's about that time.
It is at least time to begin thinking about how I am going to approach re-working my fence line flowerbed. 
After learning (the hard way) that I replanted my irises wrong last fall, I am going to have to dig the road side of the fence up and replant them correctly. Even though they didn't produce flowers this year, they did multiply greatly. I will have an abundance of tubers to share if you are in the area and want some.

For the house side of the fence, I think I will try solarizing the bed to kill off the weeds that grew this year, as I neglected to keep up with it. 
My plan is to solarize this fall, cardboard and compost in March, sow zinnias in April.

My front yard bed is going to need some work also. 
I have a large Rugosa rose bush that needs to come out. I'm afraid the runners it leaves behind will be a nuisance for a long time. I think I will try to find a way to contain it and replant it where its thorny stems won't pose a problem and it can thrive. The flowers have a very pleasant aroma and other than its aggressive spreading, I really do like it.
I expect I could have a few plants available if anyone wants one. Just be aware -- it is an aggressive spreader and the runners can tunnel quite a distance before popping up unexpectedly (ask me how I know)!

I will wait until spring to thin my hostas, but should have some available. Maybe I need to get a boot at a local farmer's market and sell some plants. 
Ha! that sounds too much like a job! I'd much rather just share them with friends.

I'm going to save some seed pods from the moon flowers, but I haven't decided on where I want to plant them. I'm thinking about the backyard flowerbed so that I can enjoy them from the deck where I spend most evenings.

It will be a lot of work. 
However, I have found that gardening produces patience. So much of gardening is work now, reward later -- and often it's much later.

Today is going to be cooler with occasional rain, so I probably won't get much outside work done today. The thunder has been rolling through the clouds as I drink my coffee and plan the upcoming project. It is hard to believe that this week is already the end of August. 

Where has summer gone?
sigh

John

Sunday Self-assessment

I've been doing a lot of thinking about Christianity -- Christian Nationalism, Christianity as understood by, well -- Christians, and simply being a follower of Jesus.

The way I see it:

I don't believe that Christian Nationalism is anything like Christ -- not in name, not in morality, not in any way. In fact, it is generally in direct opposition to the teachings of the Christ, Jesus.

Christianity as understood by Christians isn't really too far removed from the crusaders or colonist of the past. While today's Christian churches and people may not go to the same extremes as the church of history, there is still both social and spiritual condemnation and isolation instead of the physical torture and execution of the infidels that refuse conversion. 

Followers of Jesus should be about caring for the marginalized of our society, taking care of people in need, speaking out against injustice, and doing that love your neighbor/love God thing.

I honestly don't really fit into any of these definitions.
While I certainly agree with the teachings of Jesus that expect us to love one another, I seldom even want to be around people, much less show them any sort of attention or care.
I don't know how monks or cloistered nuns can claim to be Christians without interacting with people, but I like that they've found a way that seems to work for them. I know that I am not ready for that extreme degree of isolation, but it would be nice to find some sort of middle ground where I can be a Christ follower and not have to deal with people.

Maybe it's time to admit that I am not really a Jesus follower, after all. I certainly can't claim any Christ-like qualities or regular practices. You can ask any mainline Christian today and they will tell you that doing good deeds isn't enough to call yourself a Christian.
In fact, according to most, you don't have to do any good deeds. Just call Jesus Lord, trust him as your Savior, and you are good to go! Maybe I should go back to believing that. 

Again, it would be nice to find some middle ground.

I know there doesn't seem to be any real point to this -- not for myself, nor for anyone else. It is just stuff I've been contemplating and felt like writing down. I know there are others that may have found themselves in a similar place. Maybe you'd share some insights for those of us still trying to figure things out.

John

Live Long and Prosper

I heard an NPR story (yes, I listen to NPR) yesterday about a woman in England that celebrated her 117th birthday!
If I live another 50 years I still won't be 117 years old!

My current state of mind is that I would like to stick around for a few decades, but I definitely need to make some changes if I want to enjoy that time. 
It's weird how a person can intellectually know what needs to be done and actually do things that are quite the opposite. 

I know I need to lose weight, but it's easier to indulge in foods that I don't need and even to overindulge in foods that are otherwise healthy choices.

I know that there are zero healthy benefits from smoking cigars and some definite downsides to it, but I do enjoy the subtle flavors and aromas of cigars and appreciate the relaxing that occurs while smoking.
Enjoying an occasional alcoholic beverage is pretty much the same as cigar smoking -- zero health benefit, definite downsides.

I know I should be more active and get regular exercise, but it is too easy to stay sedentary.

It's easy to say that moderation is the key, but is making moderately poor health choices really the key to living a long, healthy life?

Family, social connections, and community also seem to play a role in longevity. 
I don't know. Maybe occasionally enjoying a good cigar, a nice drink, and the peacefulness of being alone isn't so bad if the opposite is having to spend time with people for additional years.
And you can do everything right and still die from something other than old age.

Finding the balance between what I want to do to be happy now and how long I want to be able to do it has always been the trick. Unfortunately, like many people, I haven't been paying much attention to the second part of that equation.
Both my cigar smoking and alcohol consumption are pretty low. I don't do either all that often and have postponed my standing cigar order twice now since I have cut back quite a bit recently. Diet and exercise are the real challenges for me. These are on the opposite side of moderation.

The odds of me living another 50 years are extremely low. Even half of that is unlikely. But making better choices for today is something I can do -- at least for today.

What choices will you make today?

John

Wednesday Wisdom

It's not too late.
Unless, perhaps, we haven't learned.

John

God is Good -- Oh, Really?

It is unsettling how often we can look at the God of the Bible and see that God is not very good at all.
That God seems to relish in killing off entire nations or punishing individuals by some slow, torturous means like stoning.
Even the New Testament God would offer a human sacrifice (his own son) to save people from his own condemnation!

Are these the hallmarks of a good God?
Sorry, but I don't think so.

I'm going to go with a lot of "I don't know"s when it comes to religious matters. I am very distrustful of religious people. Sorting out what to keep from my religious past is challenging. It is very discouraging to think that it has all been a lie.
Was there any truth in it?
Is there anything worth keeping?

Here's my answer -- I don't know.

I am trying to find answers. 
But I am changing the first question from -- Was there any truth in it? to -- Was there any good in it?
If I do that, I can tell you the answer to the second question is -- Yes! There is much worth keeping.
And there is much worth studying further.

I think Jesus is worth studying and following. I think he taught some good stuff. I am not greatly concerned that you follow his teachings, although I do believe that many could benefit from doing the things he taught. I don't believe that choosing to follow him will determine if you go to heaven or hell. I don't even know if the heaven and hell of my religious upbringing exists. 
For now, I'm filing it under "I don't know," but I strongly doubt its existence.

God is Good
But not that God.

For what it's worth...
I actually believe that God is Good.
I believe that God loves you (and me, too).
And even if I'm wrong, at least it makes a good bumper sticker.*

John

*It was a God is Good bumper sticker that got me started on this post.

Old Guys and Friendships

Admittedly, 66 isn't all that old.
However, it does put me at an age where physical changes sometimes surprise me. 
There are also social changes that become issues for a lot of guys entering retirement. I've been retired 11+ years now and didn't really feel the isolation that many feel.

For whatever reason, older guys don't seem to have the one on one friendships that most women seem to have. It often seems to be that guys maintain an identity that encompasses what they do for a living --what they are -- more so than who they are. When work is over and those people connections are lost they feel isolated, alone, and without a purpose.

That part wasn't really an issue for me for a few reasons.
First of all -- ATC was what I did. It was never who I was.
Secondly -- I didn't really do much with co-workers outside of work.
Thirdly -- I kept busy with church stuff and magic ministry for a few years before that came to an end.

When the church gig came to an end, admittedly, I was a little lost. It wasn't a big deal since so many people relationships within the church are superficial and conditional at best.
And besides, being alone and being lonely are very different things.
I greatly enjoy being alone.

However, as I age, I can see that having a close guy friend or two would be nice. I don't know if it is too late to really work on that or not, but I also need to feel right about the people that are close to me. I don't want somebody that drains my energy or has a contradictory view on life. 
We don't have to be completely like-minded, but (in my head) contradictory is not the same as different. Contradictory says -- You're wrong and I'm right, and rarely leaves room for discussion or conversation.

I have started meeting with a couple of guys -- breakfast every other week with a guy a few years older and lunches every now and then with a guy a few years younger. It's been good for me. One guy is a shelter volunteer; the other I met through The Venues church and have kept in touch with even though I rarely go anymore.
I have a couple of cherished high school classmates that I really look forward to connecting with on each trip back to central Illinois, as well as a couple of same age friends when we visit the kids in Puerto Vallarta.

I am quite fortunate to have these guys that are a part of my life. 
I do not have a great following in general, even less of a following by retired guys. If you see yourself in this post, feel free to chime in with your thoughts. I consider my old guy fellow bloggers to be included in my list of friends, as well.

John

Audio books

I'm not much of an audio book fan. Yesterday I listened to my fourth book (1st this year). Like the previous three, this one was on a long, traveling solo road trip. The first was actually an accidental download from the Libby app. I thought I was getting an e-book, but got an audio book instead.

Typically, I listen to music while on the road. Yesterday I decided to find a book to listen to.
I am going to say that listening to books has its place and has definitely helped pass the time on an all day drive, but I am going to stick to reading for the most part. 

Two of the four books have been read by the author; two have been read by other people. How does a person get paid to read a book out loud? That seems like a decent gig if you don't mind the sound of your own voice and sitting still for hours on end.

How do you feel about audio books?
I think I would use them more often if I spent a lot of time in the car. 

John

Saturday

I am not much of a tech guy, but I have recently upgraded in a couple of areas. I have been used to owning the cheapest available cell phone and that has worked out well since even the cheap smart phones are smarter than I am.  A recent switch in providers netted me an upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy 26+ that I am certain to under utilize. 

One feature I have recently discovered tracks my daily screen time.
Damn. I use it much more than I thought I did. 
I guess it is a nice-to-know kind of thing and I am going to have to pay closer attention to how I am using my time. I do spend time with several games -- Star Battle, Arrows, and a few of the NYT games.
I'd like to be able to claim that my time is spent reading on the Kindle app (and some of it is), but most of my reading is actually done on my Kindle paperwhite. 
The tracking shows which apps are the great time suckers and while I do spend time reading worthwhile articles, I am also wasting plenty of time with nonsense.
Sacrebleu!

I've also just added a smartwatch to my tech stuff. I know I am late to the party and even feel that my Fitbit Versa 4 is an older, scaled down model to what is actually available in the smartwatch market. However, it was something I could get through my Medicare Advantage plan and didn't actually cost me anything. I've had a couple of cheap versions in the past, but this is definitely more functional than my previous smart watches. 
I am still figuring it out, getting it set-up, and trying to decide if I really want a watch that tells me I'm fat and lazy and need to get up and move my ass. 
Technology!

My watch talks to my phone.
My phone talks to my truck.
I can stream Netflix to my phone, Chromebook, or TV. 
Meta, Google, and Amazon sell my travel, shopping, and browsing data to the world.
And the centers that store and broker all of that data are using up resources and destroying the earth.

Technology!
It's a wonderful thing 
...until it isn't.
It is definitely something to be monitored.

John

Election Day!

It is election day in Missouri and although it is a primary election for our congressional and state representatives, there are also some important ballot initiatives to be decided. 
Vote!

John

Dog Days

The "Dog days of summer" are coming to an end and one might expect that would mean that cooler temperatures will be coming quickly. However, although the dog days are associated with summer time heat, they are associated more by correlation than by causation. 
The time from early July until mid August is often the hottest time of year in the northern hemisphere. It is also the time of year that the constellation Canis Major (the big dog) and Sirius, the night's brightest star, are emerging from being behind the sun.
Sirius, (the Dog Star) is just now visible in the early morning sky, rising just before sunrise. By winter it will be visible nearly the entire night, rising at around 7:30 PM on the solstice. 

I mention this because our temps are heading upwards again and will be nearing 100 (38 C) degrees in just a few days. The couple of cooler days were welcome, but today starts another warm up. I'm okay with that.  The continuing March towards shorter days and cooler temps makes me a little sad. 
I am a summer boy.

August is motivating me to get ready for the coming winter. And by "getting ready for winter" I mean planning a trip to a warmer climate! I hope that airfare remains affordable for trips to Mexico. Or maybe we can plan something along the southern coast of Texas or Florida. That would work, too.

Happy Monday.
Enjoy the sun and the summer. 
Summer days are going quickly.

John