Sago Palm

Before I get to my Saturday yard work, let me tell you about my sego palm.



Earlier this year, my friend Marty gave me a sago palm. He told me it was in a wheelbarrow in his yard so just pick it up when I wanted it. The next day, Sunday, we took my son's truck to fetch the palm. After the previous night's rain, the wheelbarrow containing the palm was full of water. Even after dumping the water I could, it still weighed a ton. John and I lifted the wheelbarrow and all into his truck and I rode in the back with the palm to keep the wheelbarrow steady. I was riding behind the wheelbarrow throwing my weight around to offset the shifting load of the palm sitting in a muddy mixture of roots and thorns. The wind was whipping the palm leaves around and I felt like I was in a Tarzan movie running from wild natives. The two mile drive home seemed more like two-hundred miles, but we made it and unloaded the free palm tree.



I had just the spot picked out in our front yard. The problem was, there was already a bush there. I made short work of the unwanted bush with my pickax, muahahaha. I dug the hole in short order. Everything was going smooth, until I went to put the palm in the hole. I could not lift it out of the wheelbarrow. Our dirt / mud here is what we call gumbo. It is heavy in clay and this soil consistency was creating a suction adhering to the wheelbarrow like a crack head holding onto his pipe. My reluctance in dumping it in the hole was two fold: (1) Is the hole depth correct?; and (2) Is the plant oriented correctly? After some measuring and thinking and head scratching, I decided to go for it. John's friend Ben was helping me and he was dumping the wheelbarrow as I tried to guide it to the right spot in the hole. With one big flooooomp, the plant slid into the hole perfectly oriented, but too deep. Rats. We had to go around the plant prying it up with a shovel while the other guy put dirt underneath it, in an effort to jack it up. In the end, I was a muddy mess with a few palm needle pricks decorating my upper extremities, but the palm was in the ground and looking good.



I knew nothing about taking care of this kind of plant, so I just left it alone and observed it. We have gotten steady rain, so I have never watered it and it has done fine. I look at it when I mow the grass or water other plants just to make sure it is OK.



This week, I got a surprise. I whole new plant was growing up from the center. Actually, after reading up on sego palms, what I am referring to is the normal spring leaves. Sometimes they bloom and produce seeds or pups, (new plants on the base of the plant). The male plants send up a pine cone looking thing, while the female palms have a bloom that opens up for pollination. There are good photos illustrating this here.





It looks like a badminton birdie. This new growth is typical and will eventually spread out.



Top view of the new growth. The new is very soft compared to the old which is sharp. The center of the plant has sharp 3" thorns.





Plants are amazing. Really, they are just one amazing thing about our universe. When I think of all of the things I don't know, it is a bit overwhelming. On the other hand, it is satisfying to know I will never run out of things to learn and be fascinated over. Today, the normal cycles of a sego palm, tomorrow, who knows?



Until the next time

John Strain



Now, where's that lawnmower?

My Dad

My dad was born in Cabool, Missouri on January 31, 1925. He is 79 and lives in Kansas City. He was an only child, played high school basketball, and was in the Army Air Corp. during WWII. He worked for the post office before "going postal" was a description of temporary insanity. A family man and a scout master, my dad was around a lot. He played catch with me and pitched me balls underhand so I could hit them. He built a second place pinewood derby car for which I got to take credit. If I had an interest, he helped me pursue it.



Some of my earliest memories of my dad are from kindergarten. Dad had Wednesdays off, so on that day, he and my mother often picked me up at school. I was only going half days then. I remember looking out the glass of our classroom into the hallway and seeing my dad wearing his camel colored overcoat and hat. My heart would speed up and the remaining minutes I had to wait before being released from school seemed like miniature eternities. He called me "bud," and "boy." To this day he calls me "Johnny" much of the time. I was proud of my dad.



During the summers, when I was old enough, I walked the mail route with him. I walked proudly with him as he strode from door to door delivering mail. He seemed to know everyone and he was always joking and laughing. People seemed to like dad. Back at the post office, I got some special attention from the other mailmen. Dad would tell them about my latest interests and activities.



When I was in Boy Scouts, dad was the scout master. He already had one hitch under his belt from when my older brother was in scouts. Dad pulled another shift to get me through. Campouts and hikes were especially nice having him there.



I learned from him that if you want to be respected, you must be worthy of respect and you must show respect to others. He taught me to be easy going, honest, and to laugh a lot. He was a good model for me. As I am a father today, I draw from what I experienced myself. It seems to have worked thus far.



With my dad, I knew I had support. I knew someone was in my corner cheering. He encouraged me to try harder and not to give up, he taught me my first lessons about being a man.





1967 or so at the Grand Canyon



Dad with my son John in 1985



Kansas City 2002, from left to right, Me, Dad, John, my brother George



May 2003 at John's high school graduation.



The longer I am a father, the more familiar I become with what my dad had to do to raise us and provide for the family. He did OT during the holidays, then would come in and have time for the family. I am sure he would have rather taken a nap or had some time to himself. He took pride in his yard and his house. I learned a lot from him about home repairs and how to use tools.



Dad was not the best at expressing intimacy and he passed that trait on to me as well, ha. He may not say "I love you" in so many words, but I know he does. I may not say it to him, but he knows that I do. It's a guy thing I guess.



Here's to the dads out there. Have a great father's day.



Until the next time

John Strain

It is a Matter of Perspective

Anytime I can point to one thing which effects the many, I have stumbled onto something important. Perspective or how we look at things is one of those things.



Here are some examples of how perspective makes a difference.



My favorite Psalm, 139 reveals a perspective David had about God.

(13) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

(14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

If you believe God made you then you will probably reason that God made everyone else. You may further reason He loves them as much as He does you. Keeping this perspective in mind, might have one treat fellow humans more like a brother and less like an enemy.



In United States politics we have the Democrats and Republicans jockeying for power. Virtually everything has become political game. Even the death of Ronald Reagan is being shamelessly politicized by both sides. Why? Because someone in a party sees two kinds of Americans, those who are right and those who are wrong. If we see only Americans, the divisiveness shrinks.



Open up your mind if you are feeling angry and hateful. These feelings are results of minimizing things. By expanding your view, anger and hatred will melt away. A rabid partisan can love someone in the opposite party if he sees him/her as an American or a fellow man. However, if that same person is viewed as a barrier to a narrow political reality, hate can flourish.



If your job is getting to you, you may need to adjust your perspective. It is easy to feel trapped and abused at a workplace. However, if you realize you are making a choice, the conditions you are experiencing may not seem as incarcerating. From time time my jobs have been extremely dissatisfying due to everything from work load to coworkers to management. I made it through by telling myself things like, "this job is not my life, it is only part of my life." I realized I could quit, but chose to work there, because at the moment, I had no better alternative. These are subtle perspectives which give me a sense of control.



When someone talks about "thinking outside the box" they are saying, "hey, we need to look at this problem differently, maybe we are missing something." Blogging is a wonderful way to gain other perspectives. I am a 47 year old white guy who lives in Louisiana. My friends are coincidentally in my demographic. I do not often get the point of view around here of an Australian, Canadian, or European. I do get those perspectives on this blog. Like the three blind men trying to describe an elephant, one feeling the trunk, one feeling the tail, and the last one feeling the elephant's side - they reported vastly different descriptions. Bloggers do that. We all talk about events from our perspective. Each of us takes these points of view into consideration and hopefully a new perspective emerges. I believe this is referred to as "learning."



I have nurtured a switch of sorts in my own mind. As I know many people do, I talk to the television during the news. I sometimes yell and curse at the television as though I were a part of the discussion. At other times, I may be talking to Barbara and even ranting about one topic or another. Eventually, I realize how extreme I am getting and I laugh at myself. At the moment I realize my extremeness and laugh, my perspective changed.



Changing perspective melts away anger, bitterness, fear, stress, and anxiety. The funny thing is a change of perspective can create these same things. Change your perspective from narrow to wide if you want to include people. Don't take things so seriously if you want to relax a bit. Realize life is short the next time you are making a big deal out of the "issue of the day." Do you want to expend so much energy on something that won't even be in the next news cycle?



Standing under the night sky it is easy to feel small. The vast universe makes even our galaxy seem insignificant. Then looking into a microscope we see microscopic worlds and become aware of how large we are in comparison. A wise old man may intimidate us or have us marvel at the collection of wisdom while holding a newborn baby elicits feelings of nurture and love born of our own knowledge and wisdom.



How many times have you heard astronauts speak from their perspective in space? They say things like, "seeing the earth from here makes problems seem insignificant." One man said, "I was sad because I had no shoes, but then I saw a man who had no feet." Chicago Cubs fans know the perspective setting phrase, "wait until next year." These phrases are all around us. They are tools to help us cope, but if used too much, become instruments of denial.



Think about it. Do you need to change your perspective about anything? What is bugging you? What keeps you awake at night? These things may need a shift of perspective. You will be amazed at the difference it can make.



Until the next time

John Strain

Accomplishments

I have accomplished a lot in my life. I have a masters degree and almost finished a doctorate. I have been married 21 years. I am a father. I have run marathons. Once I danced with Mary Wells (she pulled me up on stage at a casino in Mississippi). I have seen things, done things, but the accomplishment of which I am most proud is . . .



. . . standing on my head in four states at once.











I accomplished this amazing feat at age 10 while on a family vacation. We visited Four Corners and the rest is history. Since then, it has been pretty much down hill. Nothing I have done since begins to approach such an achievement.



What obscure, strange, whacky, off beat, and otherwise unique achievement have you accomplished?



Until the next time

John Strain

Emergency Help Is Available

I am offering free counseling services for any Calgary fan who feels they need them today. My most sincere condolences are offered. I know all too well the depression caused by your favorite team losing a big game. Hang in there friends and I truly am sorry for your loss. Feel free to emote here.

John Strain