Good Morning. The Thursday Open Thread has been though a complete annual cycle under my voice. It is time for new thoughts and new directions. Next week Magiamma will start as caretaker of Thursday mornings.

A few random thoughts.

Balance
The goal to stand upright, balanced and move in the desired direction requires skill and knowledge. Few of us notice the micromovements of muscle being coordinated with the rest of the body while standing on flat land with strong legs and no wind. It's a little more challenging to stay balanced on a hillside with loose gravel or a small boat. Poor coordination between analyzing incoming information, executions of an action and evaluation of results will lead to a fall. Knowing how to exert some control on a fall becomes a valuable skill. Add an extreme storm to challenge the simple balance of standing and staying upright or a controlled fall might not be options. The skills one has to rebuild a life filled with contentment are highly valuable. The skill can be acquired and practiced now, never a better time to start.

How Does My Garden Grow (evolution of gardening)
As a child - Mom stayed at home to grow, preserve and cook majority of meals at home. Created more economic wealth for the family than when she was working as a waitress. Dad shifted from regular hunting and foraging to raising animals for food and cash crops. Less interference with work at the mill.

As a teenager - added my time toward labor in the garden, animal husbandry and a few cash crops.

Dorm living - Cafeteria eating lasted one term. Then brought preserved food from home, got creative with a hot plate (skillet) and hot pot (boiled water).

Apartment Living - grew sprouts and potted herbs (chives, basil and thyme). Gleaned from home and relatives as trade for labor (helping out occasionally).

First house - career building, created small garden spot for salad vegetables and continued gleaning.

Second house - early stages of a business, had time to grow summer tomatoes, sprouts and a small herb garden.

Third house - poor soil, no time due to business so I shared cost of an established garden plot. Assisted with harvest and preservation for part of crop.

Current house - revived an abandoned orchard. Assisted with creating a garden plot - contaminated soil failed two years and most of transplanted plants died. Second garden spot did better. Built a sunroom for housebound parent added houseplants, herbs pots and started container vegetable growing. Been using livestock to improve soils . Trees for shade, firewood and wind barriers. Became inspired last year with the everyone's input and stories. Grew winter salad greens, radishes, peas, broccoli, bok choy. chard and citrus in containers. Built raised beds for summer vegetables. Have started beds for cane berries, strawberries and asparagus. Not good results with the starts shipped from across the country. Discovered the value of local garden club fund raising events - acclimatized plant starts. Next year will start adding more permanent raised beds and walk paths wide enough for a wheelchair or a golf cart. Thinking about adding sprouts to the diet again, does not require sunlight.

Future - time will tell - maybe better at starting plants for transplanting. Still have a few irrigated acres to improve while playing farmer, rancher and builder.

China
Started as a journey to have a wider understanding of health and herbal component of traditional chinese medicine. Discovered a consistent circular philosophy of energy changes and numbers used to explain the universe, world, human society and individual health. Their ancient civilization was not destroyed and rebuilt into a totally new culture, but continues to evolve from the original. Patterns can start to be seen regarding controlling population

The pictorial written language interpreted into modern languages lets us hear the actual voices of past humans and their thoughts. We are not limited to making educated guesses of how a society treated its citizens based on archeological objects. Additional bonus, translations done at different periods of time gives glimpses of changing western world views.

The myth American leaders seem to believe is Chinese are not inventors and can only copy or steal Western innovations to advance their culture may be our downfall.

Three articles that may be of interest regarding foreign policies.
US diplomats act like imperial governors riding roughshod over sovereignty of national governments
Indian diplomacy and the American Imperium (Part I)
Indian diplomacy and the American Imperium (Part II)

Health
Food therapy is one of the four cornerstones of traditional Chinese medicine in maintaining health and treating disorders. One description of cooking I found was "The art of cooking is making medicine taste good". Western medicine has tried to minimize diet and its importance in maintaining health and therapy fluctuates at different times. Supplements are not the same as quality food.

Three diaries might be worth looking at again as a refresher.
Healthy New Year advice: avoid the first operation by Alligator Ed
Mitigating Medication Misadventures by myself.
Revolutionize your life with radical self-care by OPOL

Working Together
Three different personalities and work styles on stage for a student audience at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. Plenty of awkward pauses, humor and a persistent professor patiently keeping it moving in the direction he planned despite the effort of two experienced comedians used to controlling the stage. (9 ten minute videos)
Bob Osserman, Steve Martin and Robin Williams