Wednesday Wisdom

Wondering about all the talking I'm hearing from political candidates.
How much is something to say and how much is just saying something?

John

It's a Numeric Life

Only the longest of my followers will remember It's a Numeric Life blog.
I thought of her this morning when I saw this:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1471176660367549

I wonder what she's up to these days.

John

The Ballot and the Bible

I just received the just released book The Ballot and the Bible by Kaitlyn Schies.

I follow this author on X (formally Twitter) and pre-ordered the book from Amazon. I'm just getting started, but the Introduction and first chapter would indicate that it's going to be a good read.

I think I'm going to take my time reading it for a couple of reasons.

First -- for me, non-fiction reads are harder to process when I engage in long reading sessions. Enjoying a book for its story or entertainment value is way different than trying to learn something. I tend to learn better when I learn more slowly.

Second -- I'm underlining and writing notes in the margins as it just seems to be that kind of book. 
Here's an example from the first chapter on the politically co-opted phrase "a city on a hill." 

You should be able to click it to big it. The underlined parts are examples of how we often take things written specifically to certain people of the time or about certain situations of the past and make them about us -- about us as individuals or about us as a nation.

Third -- I'm still short story-ing and I also just received another ordered book on healthy living that I'll be reading through as well.

What are you reading?

John

The Sun is on the Move

One of the seasonal change indicators for me is the morning sun. For about a week now, it has moved far enough south that it shines into the deck as it rises. The back of our house faces the SSE and is shielded from the morning sun throughout most of the summer. It feels good in the late fall and winter months, but quickly gets pretty warm here in the late summer. Last night's overnight temperature was cool enough to turn off the a/c and open the windows. I slept on the deck. It's still just 65f (18c) at 7:30, but will make it to 83f (28c) this afternoon. 

I am really not looking forward to the fall and all that comes with it -- like winter!
I do like a good Marzen lager, so the Oktoberfest beers that are coming out now are welcome, but I'm not a fan of pumpkin nor pumpkin spice beers. Most traditional Oktoberfest brews are marzen lagers (German for March) and brewed for release in August (now the eighth month). It's more of an end of summer beer than a beginning of fall beer, at least that's the perspective that I have on the matter. 

Maybe I should mark the sunrise position on the compass rose garden that I have -- spring and fall equinox and summer and winter solstice. I should probably mark it on the calendar or I'll miss it as it happens.

I'm not a big football fan so the start of the NFL season doesn't thrill me.
I don't mind sitting around a fire pit on a fall night, but the deck is more comfortable and it doesn't make my clothes and hair smell like smoke.
I'm more of a shorts and sandals (or barefoot) guy than jeans and boots.
I'm not much of an outdoors activity person. I'm not planning on running or cycling whether it's warm or cold so give me warm. 

Here are some astronomical reminders--
On the night of August 30th (Wednesday) the full moon will be the closest and brightest full moon of the year -- a super blue moon!
Saturn is just past its opposition (the night of the 26/27) and will be the bright "star" near the full moon. With a small telescope (50 or 60mm refractor) you should be easily able to see the rings. Handheld binoculars are tougher, but you might be able to make out what looks like a tiny hat shape. You get a lot of wobble when you look at deep space objects with binoculars. I find that using something to rest your elbows on and holding the binoculars at the lenses helps to minimize the shake.

I hope you have clear skies for the largest full moon of the year!

John

Cooler Temperatures are Here...for a few days

After a couple of weeks of extremely hot, humid weather, we are going to get some relief in the way of cooler temperatures -- at least for a few days.
The 10 day forecast has the daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s through Friday with mid 90s returning for the weekend and next week. Summer ain't over yet, friends, so put away that pumpkin spice crap and hold off on the Halloween decor.

I should probably be taking advantage of the cooler temps to mow today, but I've got all week for that and the Springfield Cardinals have a day game today. I think I'll go ahead and take in the ballgame.

Night time temps will be in the 60s this week, so I may be sleeping outside for several nights.  

Back to the mowing thing --
Not just mowing, but I have some more landscaping/gardening to do. It looks like I'll be getting another plant - a Western sand cherry - from the same friend that gave me the rugosa rose bush. I already know where it's going, but as with the rugosa rose bush, it will mean digging a hole using a pick and shovel.
I also need to prepare a new butterfly garden spot. I'll use it to plant milkweed (for the Monarchs) and dill (for the Swallowtails), as well as zinnias and other flowers that butterflies, bees, and birds seem to love.
And I need to prepare a place for my moon flowers and figure out what to do with the 10 tree seedlings from the Arbor Day Foundation that should be arriving in September.
I may do some seed harvesting this year. I've done that in the past, but not in recent years.

As you can see, there is always plenty to do around the property. Fortunately, retirement gives me the time to play around with it all.

John

New Flowers

Yesterday I met with a friend that gave me a great gift -- more plants for the garden.
A few starter plants for the fall and some seeds for the spring.
I put the starters in small pots this morning and have to figure out where I will plant them and make an area for them. Three of them are moon flowers and two are milkweed. 

I'm a bit conflicted about where to place the moon flowers. If you are unfamiliar with moon flowers, they have beautiful, fragrant flowers that bloom at night and close when the sun comes up. 
So...
Do I plant them in the back where I can enjoy them from the deck, or in the front where the neighbors can appreciate their beauty? 
I'm leaning towards the back, but just need to figure out where.

Milkweed has pretty flowers and are host plants for monarch butterflies. Adult butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves and the milkweed becomes the food for the caterpillars that become the butterflies. Between planting dill for the swallowtail butterflies, milkweed for the monarchs, and having plenty of flowers for the other pollinators, we should have plenty of birds, bees, and butterflies.

I'll be moving and expanding my sunflower area next spring. I'm also looking at planting native flowers in different areas of the large field behind us. Natural grassland areas are great for local wildlife, keep soil temperatures a little lower, slow water runoff, and will give me a little less to have to mow. Plus -- they are beautiful!

And I'd love to plant more trees.
Trees are expensive. If you get maple or oak saplings that pop up in the spring let me know. I've got plenty of room for them. New pine or evergreen trees are also welcome. I tell myself that I wouldn't mind walnut or native Missouri pecan trees, but I don't know that for sure. I'd definitely plant them towards the back of the field and in an area that I can get away with leaving uncut when the trees are dropping their nuts.

I might need a greenhouse to keep things growing in the winter months and get plants started for the spring.

Hmmm...

Enjoy some nature today!

John

One less excuse...

So I won an Instagram drawing from Core Essentials Physical Therapy and Wellness. It's a little home exercise/wellness kit. It includes an exercise ball, and bands, and body weight straps, plus a great drink tumbler.

I still have to inflate the ball.

If you are not following Core Essentials Physical Therapy and Wellness (CEPT Wellness on Facebook and Instagram, you should. I've provided the links to make them easy to find. 
CEPT Wellness provides regular info and videos to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and how to work through some common muscle aches and tightness. They also have a weekly podcast that addresses a complete picture of healthy life and well being with topics from mindfulness, relationships, exercise habits, proper hydration, and a host of other things.

Dr Jess is my niece (or niece in law, if that's a thing) and I really think she is doing a great job in her PT practice. Give her a follow, tell her John sent you, and be healthy.

John
 

Reading

I really haven't been reading much when it comes to book reading this year. I'm not sure why; I just haven't been. Sometimes I feel like reading fiction is kind of like watching TV. Maybe that has something to do with it -- I've actually been watching more TV. 

I suppose that entertainment isn't a bad thing, but I do think that we (American society, anyway) rely too much on being entertained by others vs just doing things on our own. Even our social media time is largely consumed with finding out what others are doing or telling others what we are doing.
Sure, there are both books and shows that are both educational and entertaining, but for the most part even news programs realize the value (as in monetary value) in keeping people entertained while giving them information -- the information they want to hear in a way that keeps them coming back for more.

To get back into the reading habit, I picked up a collection of short stories. It's a Louis L'Amour collection that was on the bookshelf and I'm sure that I've probably read it before. There are some good nonfiction books on the shelf that need to be read, as well as a number of novels. Many years ago I started on Stephen King's Dark Tower series but never made it past the third book. I think I have five, but I'm not even sure of the number of books in the series. Maybe I should start it again. 
While I do like reading an actual book, I have grown accustomed to using my phone and the Kindle App for reading. It's always with me, easy to read without glasses, always has proper lighting, etc. Maybe i should just get a tablet reader or use an old tablet and dedicate it primarily for reading, at least while I'm at home (which I almost always am).

So...
What are you reading?
For those that know me -- Any recommendations or must reads?
Maybe I'll go hang out at the library for a bit. It's still one of the few places you can go and quietly study, read, or just sit and be present without the expectation that you need to buy something in exchange for being there.

John

Untitled

I normally write a title first and then the post. Sometimes I go back and change the title when I've finished writing. Today I have no idea where this is going to go, but ...
...here goes--

I recently watched the film Jesus Revolution with some friends from our church small group. 
It is a good movie and tells a good story. I wonder how triggering it might be for some that have suffered at the hands of evangelical churches in their past.
Trying to get a read on my own feelings is interesting. 

I remember...
I was just a kid for the Jesus movement. It brought guitars and drums to the Catholic church in the sixties. Yes, the charismatic movement that rocked the more evangelical world even reached into the Catholic world. Though the Mass stayed pretty much the same (it had just changed due to Vatican II), the music changed and younger people felt more drawn to church and to Jesus. We still had the typical High Mass with the organ music and hymns, but now we had "guitar Mass" for the more revolutionary minded. We had young, guitar playing nuns leading the music at our church!

As an adult, I moved to the evangelical church. I even became an evangelist and traveled to other churches to preach for revivals, crusades, or to fill in for vacationing pastors. I pastored camps for kids, youth, and even led a couple of college student retreats. 
There was certainly a kind of thrill watching people come to recognize Jesus as Lord. Because I wasn't a pastor, I only baptized a few people. That was pretty cool, too.

Watching the movie was a bit nostalgic. I remember (fondly) the feeling of oneness and belonging during the corporate music worship. I remember the joy of witnessing and being a part of a new believer coming to profess faith in Jesus. I'm a little sad that those things are no longer a part of my life, but I can't see that they really have a place in where I am today. 

Even within the Jesus Revolution there was the corruption of the holy part, the Godly part. There were power struggles, attention getting, control issues, etc. It's difficult to get away from the characteristics of humans when humans are in charge. Although The Venues Church is unlike any other church I've known or been connected to, in many ways it is still church. 

And that is now an uncomfortable and a little unwelcoming feeling for me.
I imagine there are many others that feel the same way.

For those that are looking for a church, it is a great place! If you want a place that is open to your questions, is welcoming to everyone without regard to your past, your sexual orientation or identity, or anything else, if you just want a church where you can belong -- yeah, it is great.
I'm just not sure that I'm that interested in belonging to a church anymore. It's kind of weird. I'd say it's kind of lonely, but that really isn't the right word for it. Yeah, I feel alone, but I am okay with that.

The part of the past that still has a hold of me is that I would still really like for people to know the joy and experience the peace of knowing and following Jesus -- not in an end-of-life/heaven or hell sort of way, but in a useful, productive, joyful, daily living kind of way. I'm not sure I know how to convey that without a church kind of backdrop. 

My conundrum is that while I am at peace with my relationship with God and am perfectly content to enjoy my (self imposed) isolation from others, I still feel compelled to share a better way for those that seem to be struggling with life and are searching for some kind of meaning or purpose.

I think I'll leave this post untitled.
If you had the assignment of giving it a title, what would it be?
I'm curious.

John

Exercise the hard way

Some days gardening is hard work. 
Today will be one of those days.

I was given a good size Rugosa rose bush and I need to dig a hole for it. If you've ever tried digging a hole in SWMO clay and rock you know this isn't going to be a fun day. Digging post holes here is work (ask me how I know), and this is going to be a much larger hole.
I asked about bringing a 5 gallon bucket to transport it and was told that a 5 gallon bucket wouldn't hold the root ball. Typically, the transplant hole will be twice the diameter and a little deeper than the root ball. Digging here isn't too bad until you get past the thin layer of topsoil--about 4-6 inches. After that it's swinging a pick and shoveling rock and clay.
Ugh!

Additionally, I bought another hibiscus variety -- hibiscus syriacus, commonly called Rose of Sharon. It's in a one gallon pot so that won't be too bad. The new plants will have plenty of time to root and establish themselves prior to winter. I also have the rose bush that I mowed down. It's regrowing in a pot and I am debating about replanting it this fall or leaving it potted through the winter and waiting until spring. 
Additionally I have a few hibiscus cuttings I'm starting and need to start some hydrangea and peony cuttings, as well.
I need a greenhouse for wintering plants and getting an early start during the spring planting season.
Maybe that needs to be added to the garden list of things I'd like to have.

Well, since those holes aren't going to dig themselves I'd better get started before it gets too hot for a fat, old guy to be doing strenuous work in the sun.

Have a grand day!

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Teachers and Learners

It is time for school to begin in SWMO and around the US, so yesterday's gratitude prompt seemed quite timely.

If you had to teach something, what would you teach? Everyone has something to teach, everyone has something to learn. 

I don't know what I would teach. I tend to think of myself as more a Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none kind of guy. Anything that I have to share is pretty beginner level for a field in which there is much more for me to learn than I know to teach. I don't think of sharing information as teaching; it's really just conversation. Teaching requires planning and purpose, which are not strong suits for me.
For that matter, learning also often requires planning and purpose which is why there is the master-of-none attachment to my description.

Sure, I could teach a few magic tricks, tell some bible stories, point out constellations or stars in the night sky, or propagate hibiscus plants; but we couldn't delve deeply into those things with me as the teacher. I'd love to have conversations in any of those areas (and many more), but as a learner/seeker of knowledge rather than as a teacher.

If you had to teach something, what would you teach?

John

Baseball, Botany, and other BS

This year I purchased a Red Access pass to the Springfield Cardinals, the AA affiliate of the St Louis Cardinals. I've enjoyed going to several games and will probably go this evening. I go to the games by myself and that works well for several reasons.
1)  I can decide at the last minute whether I want to go or not.
2)  I can walk about as I feel like during the game and often end up watching part of the game from the outfield GA area.
3)  I don't feel obligated to talk to anyone.
4)  I can leave whenever I feel like it.

I haven't taken full advantage of the Red Access perks and was in Mexico for a full month of the season, but it has been worth the cost and I think I'll go ahead and get it again for next year. I especially like the day games in the early season when local schools make it a field trip day. Even though I tend to stay away from the areas where the kids sit, it is cool to see kids that get to spend part of their school day at the ballpark. 

     * * * * * 

I'm working on propagating some of my flower garden. I'm starting a few new hibiscus plants from cuttings and looking for some different varieties. My current bushes have pink flowers, so red or white would be great if you are local and feel like letting me have a stem from your plant.
I'm going to do the same with our hydrangeas and peonies. Again, I would love to have more color varieties of peonies.
I didn't think that my rose bush survived the winter and so I mowed it down late in the spring. After being away for the month of June I noticed some new growth from the surviving root and have been trying to nurse the plant back to a decent bush. I dug it up and put it in a pot and will keep it inside this winter and replant it in the spring.  If it is healthy enough to get a clipping start for another plant I will. Again, I would love to have more color varieties, so...
I'm going to need to thin my hostas in the spring, so if you want a few plants, let me know when you are doing your spring planting. I suppose there is plenty of time for them to get established before winter if you want some now. I'll also be thinning and transplanting some purple iris flowers. Let me know if you want some. They tend to propagate quickly so you can have a nice bunch of them in just a couple of years.

I just made a contribution to the Arbor Day Foundation and will be getting some more trees to plant. If you want to make a contribution and don't have a place for a dozen trees, you can send them my way (I have 5 acres and can pick them up if you're local) or opt to have them planted in a forest. The Arbor Day Foundation is one of the few charities that I really enjoy supporting.

     * * * * *

As for other BS...

My daughter in law got me started on a new game on my phone -- Star Battle.
It reminds me a bit of Sudoku and is becoming as addicting. I think it's what you might get if you somehow combined Sudoku and minesweeper. 

Although I still have my daily morning quiet time, I haven't been as purposeful about structuring it as I had hoped to be. I'm not certain that's a bad thing. The time, such as it is, is still pretty good. I have been incorporating some simple tai chi moves into my time and I will attempt to keep that as a regular part of the morning routine.

I also bought some online woodworking plans. 
I think they will come in handy for a few future projects. I'm going to try to start with a few simple things and then work up to more complex ones. 

It looks to be overcast and cooler today with a chance of more rain this evening. Hopefully, there will still be evening baseball, but I think I'll drive the car instead of riding the bike to be safe.

John

Getting Ready for a Long Trip

Not me. The hummingbirds.
I noticed a lot of activity around the hummingbird feeder and checked to find out that these little birds are storing energy for their migration to their winter homes. The ruby red throats will winter in Mexico and will leave here in a few weeks. By the end of September they'll all be gone. Maybe I should join them. 

Some of these little guys will fly more than 1000 miles nonstop during migration. Others will take a break along the way. Tracking shows that hummingbirds return to the same places at each end of their migration each year and generally make the same stops, usually within a day or so of previous years. They travel solo so young birds rely on instinct to follow the paths of their ancestors.
The smallest hummingbirds lay eggs that are the size of the mini jelly beans and weigh around 1/50th of an ounce! Maybe I'll look into making nesting spots for them this coming winter.
They only have a 3-5 year lifespan. I figure they probably get to the end of their tropical winter one year and say, "F#*k that! I'm not flying another fricken 1000 miles this year!" and then they die from too much heat in the tropical summer. 
Or maybe they just don't have the strength to make it back and freeze during our Midwest winter.

I'll try to keep the feeder full so they'll have plenty of energy for the long journey. I always wonder if some of them might feed at my son's feeder during the winter since I know he has some red throats that winter in Puerto Vallarta.

John

A Good Question...

I get these daily prompts for an online gratitude journal. I'm not really good at writing everyday and I often just write a short, simple response when I do write. The prompts are a good way of just reflecting on different aspects of life and often remind me of some people that have helped me or been influential along the way.

Today's prompt is interesting--

     What do others like about you that you have never loved about yourself?
     Maybe try believing them a little more.

I really don't know.
As I've gotten older I have also decided that I don't really care what others like or don't like about me. I've also done much more internal reflection and am pretty happy with who I am at this point. Yeah, I've got things that I'm working on, but that's a part of the process of making my way through life.

Sure, I want to be a likable kind of guy -- not too likable, though. I don't want people to actually want to be around me all the time. But I realize that I don't have any control over how people feel about me. I may say or do something stupid and offend someone. They'll decide if that's a characteristic part of my personality or not and judge me accordingly.
We all do that. Some are just more gracious about it than others. 

I don't think I have issues of self esteem or am overly critical of myself. 
If there is a thing that I wish I would have done differently along the way it is that I sometimes wish I would have put a greater emphasis on education. I've done well with the little schooling I've had and I still love to learn, but formal education and self learning are perceived very differently by others. At this point, it's a small thing and I don't worry about it. It's just a thing.

How about you?
Is there something people like about you that you never really cared for about yourself?
Maybe something to contemplate today.

John

Frozen Coffee

I'm going to experiment this afternoon.
Prep for today's experiment began last night when I brewed some coffee, let it cool, added a little heavy cream, and then poured it into ice cube trays and put it in the freezer.

Some time this afternoon (when the temp is supposed to hit 104f, 40c) I'll throw some of those cubes in the blender with a splash of Mexican vanilla, a bit of chocolate syrup, a little cinnamon, and a (healthy) shot of tequila. I may need to add a little milk or cream to get the right consistency, but I'm looking for my own take on a frozen Mexican coffee. If I were making it for guests I'd probably top it with whipped cream, drizzle a little more chocolate on it, and maybe sprinkle some more cinnamon. I don't need all that showy stuff for just me.
Freezing the coffee will keep it from tasting like watered down coffee the way coffee and ice eventually does.
It's 8am and already 82, feels like 97, so I'm looking forward to this frozen drink. I don't know if it will be too hot to enjoy it on the deck with a cigar or not, but I am looking forward to it with or without the stogie.

I'll let you know.

John

Unexpected Shower

It's a quiet morning and I am enjoying listening to the rainfall of an unexpected shower this morning. It is a nice way to end my morning meditation time.

The weather app on my phone only showed a 7% chance of rain this morning and I expect this shower to be brief. But it is nice while it lasts and the gentle rain this morning is far better than the wind and storms of Sunday night. 
I was hoping to take the motorcycle out for the 40 minute ride to the hospital to make my chaplain rounds today, but I think the car is going to be a safer choice today. Maybe I'll ride the bike into Springfield tonight for the baseball game. 

I'm going to use today's unexpected shower as a prompt to make a couple of contacts -- you know, kind of an unexpected encouragement to a couple of people. 
If you were going to drop a -- "Hey, just thinking of you. Hope you're having a great day,"  kind of note to somebody -- who would you send it to?
Why not just go ahead and do that?
Go on. Do it now. Your phone is right there. Just pick it up and send the message. 
You'll both feel better for it!

     * * * * *

I just posted over on my Unhealthy Guy's blog about my August goals. It's too bad I haven't been able to find that stick-to-it determination that I really need to maintain the effort. Writing does tend to keep me more focused so maybe I need to make more regular posts to be self-accountable.

I've got some things to do this morning so I'd better get off of the chromebook and get busy.

Have a grand day!
John