Very early on with Ming-Kahuna I learned to pay attention to exactly how I was doing something even if I was carving a free-form freehand.  Often I’d carve a fun piece and look at a shape after it was carved and decide that it was a shape that I’d want to repeat.  The problem was that I’d often scratch my head and say “how the heck did I do that.”

The solution has been to be more conscious of how I’m doing something.  Each repeated shape that I do has a set of moves or techniques necessary to accomplish that particular shape.  Some of them are very precise set moves that must be done in a certain order and in a certain way to accomplish that recognizable shape.  Remaining more aware of what it takes to get from point “alpha” to point “omega” has taken a bit more awareness on my part,  but nothing too drastic.

As it turns out the Katsu shape is one such shape that requires a very set process to arrive at a tamper each time that has the “Katsu essence”.  Individual pieces will vary greatly, but the essence of the shape will be there.  That’s because I make each one the same exact way.  I know that they will differ from one to another, but by following a very precise set course the shape will be most definitely Katsu.  Each one will have the same basic windswept top and kimono bustle at the waist.  With each one the spiral will sweep dramatically downward.  As the man who carves the shape I know that a very definite order/technique must be followed to make it so each and every time.  So it goes with the Katsu and so many other shapes that I do.

As the Katsu is one of my newer shapes, and one of the most difficult to carve for optimal results, remembering exactly how it is carved is of paramount importance.  To get the shape that you see above, and recognizably so, each time that I carve one, the process is rather complex.  So, it was no surprise when one night I awoke out of my sleep alarmed realizing that I had forgotten how to carve a Katsu.  Why at that moment the realization came to me I don’t know, but I hadn’t carved a Katsu for a good while, and hadn’t carved all that many,  and for the life of me I couldn’t recall how to do one.  I fitfully fell back asleep knowing that in the morning I would have to work to find the shape again.

As I turned out the shape came back to me rather quickly.  I looked at photos of the pieces that I considered to be “prototypically Katsu” and that got me going in the exact right direction.  Of course, the piece that you see above is the one that I carved that morning, and my recollection was strong enough to create a Dynasty grade piece.  This Katsu is about as Katsu as a Katsu can be!

So, the moral of the story is to not only pay attention to what you are doing but also as to how you are doing it.  I’ve created dozens of recognizable shapes over the past ten years so it becomes very important to keep it all straight.  I may have to start writing all of this down………not.  

Bonsai, again.

For me the art of bonsai is somewhat of a family tradition.  Growing up I watched my parents cultivate some magnificent plants. I would spend hours looking through their books dedicated to the art.  It was no surprise when bonsai followed me into adulthood. 

For the last fifteen years of the Twentieth Century I nurtured three bonsai.  Two were bought at a nursery, both Junipers, one wind swept in form and the other more of an umbrella.  The third was a juniper that I raised from a seedling that sprouted in the yard of my first house in 1985.  The plants grew wonderfully as I nurtured them meticulously pruning them and training their growth with the use of wires.  I was always light with the use of training wires as I considered the pursuit to be a partnership with the plant.   I wanted to capitalize on  the plant’s natural tendencies, imposing my will only when absolutely necessary.  Careful pruning was often all that was necessary to accomplish the greatest changes.  Things went well for years until one occasion when I left on a two week trip.

As it turned out, the person who was to take care of my plants ended up unable to do so, and did not enlist anyone’s help.  When I arrived home I found three plants so close to death they could not be revived.  I was devastated.  It wasn’t like losing a pet, but these plants had been part of my life for years.  I knew every aspect of them and had formed a bond with them, if such a bond is possible between man and plant.  I then turned my back on bonsai for years and didn’t look back, that is, until a couple of years ago.

Finally, I found that I was able to put the disaster behind me.  As I’d see bonsai at various places I began to think that I could begin again.  One time I even went back to a nursery to buy an incredible gnarled trunk leaf tree bonsai that must have been twenty years old.  The pot had been broken and they were asking a song for it as they had no desire to re-pot it.  Of course, when I returned the next day, it was already gone.  That was okay as I really didn’t want too established of a plant.  The art is in bringing the plant to that point, not to have it all done by someone else.  So, the search went on for the right young plant, one with potential.

The search ended yesterday.  After work I paid Harry’s Whole Foods in nearby Roswell a visit (worth a stop if you are ever my way) for some swordfish steaks.  Their fish/seafood counter must be seventy-five feet long. As I approached the store I stopped for a look-see at their outdoors nursery situated by the entrance.  Their selection of bonsai is usually fairly nice but nothing had jumped out at me over the past two and a half years of shopping there.  But yesterday, as I stood there in the rain, absolutely glorious rain considering our drought, I spotted one particular plant among the others.  As soon as I saw it I knew that my search had ended.  It was a Japanese juniper, and my preference had always gone to junipers.  It was marked as five years old, which was old enough to have a nice start but not too old to be set in its ways.  I stood there, a good part of the time in the rain, for what was probably twenty minutes, considering the plant as well as the others on the racks, probably a sorry sight to a passerby. Finally, I made the choice that I already knew that I was going to make, and gingerly set the plant in my cart. Soon I was on the way back home with my swordfish and Bonsai.  As I wove through traffic on Old Milton Parkway on that rainy ride home I felt like a part of me had been restored. It was like the return of an old friend.

As you may have guessed, the plant that you see above is the very same bonsai.  I see so much potential there, a tree that will allow me to stay with a light touch.  And while I hope to spare the training wire, I already see a thin limb in the back that could very well be brought up over the top of the canopy, or brought out laterally to create more of a wind swept effect.  But for now I will resist those temptations and be patient so that I can get to know the plant.  While not wanting to sound all mystical about it all, the art of bonsai is one of contemplation and patience.  And while the future of the plant will hopefully bring magnificence,  that should never be at the cost of failing to appreciate a single moment along the way.

Bonsai is far more than nurturing a plant.  It’s just as much about patience and taking the time to savor each moment of or life.  So much is lost if you never take the time to see.        

Presidential Horse Race Picks

While I don’t discuss partisan politics here I do enjoy a good horse race, so, I’ll give you my picks as to who will be running for president come November 2008, and why.  Please don’t try and read anything more into these comments other than where I see things going.  I will say that you can probably look to at least the Democratic convention being one where the nominee is actually chosen rather than a rubber stamp.

Hillary Clinton:  Some have said that her gender will carry the day.  They seem to have forgotten about Geraldine Ferraro.  Gender isn’t enough, and her President Bill Clinton baggage and record will end up making her, in the view of her party, unviable.  She is often portrayed as ruthless, and that is by her friends.  In the end they will deep six her in favor of the most electable candidate.  On the other hand, the Clintons are incredibly shrewd campaigners and can’t be ruled out entirely.  Hillary, if behind going into the convention, but within striking distance, may well be able to prevail.  Between she and former President Clinton they know where the bodies are buried with many favors to call in between the two of them.  

John Edwards:  I see Senator John Edwards as the strongest Democratic candidate.  While Hillary and Barack bloody each other he stays well above the fray ready to move in for the kill as the last man standing.  He’s a likable sort of guy whose Southern folksiness will go a long way in wooing voters.  His greatest vulnerability is the negative picture he paints of America,  one often bordering on class warfare.   His troubles with expensive haircuts are old hat and portraying him as wealthy is nonsense in light of the fact that everyone running for president is a multi-millionaire.  Here is your Democratic candidate.  His most important decision will be his VP.

Rudy Gulliani:  Rudy won’t last the month of January.  While 9/11 brought him to the limelight he has been forced to distance himself from it as well.  He may have cleaned up New York but that won’t be enough.  He looks terrible in drag, and the problem is that we know that.  His personal life has been such that it won’t play well with most of America, and the media has not yet begun to have a field day with that.  His credentials as a conservative will not be adequate to carry the day.  He is likable, but unelectable.

Mike Huckabee:  Next year this time you will have a hard time recalling his name.  He is a flash in the pan elevated to his current stature by evangelical support.  Look for his campaign to fade faster than a cheap T-shirt washed in bleach.

Dennis Kucinich:  Do I even need to say more?

John McCain:  The man has everyone’s respect for his heroic service to our country, but, in the end, his Senate voting record may be his undoing.  His own party sees him as disloyal and a turncoat.  Many Republicans view him with distrust.  That said, he remains a frontrunner.  McCain, along with one other possibility, is your Republican candidate.  All things considered, he has the least against him, allowing Republicans, even the most conservative, to hold their noses if need be, and give him the nod.

Barack Obama:  The bottom line is this.  If he wasn’t African-American he wouldn’t even be in the running.  The man is not seen by many as qualified to be president, at least not yet.  I honestly don’t think he anticipated this kind of success his first time running for president.  2012 or 2016 would be his time, but being in the limelight this time around may well end up hurting him down the road.  The racial factor propels him to the forefront, but at the same time it is one of the main reasons why he will not be elected. Race shouldn’t be a factor, but it is, and it cuts both ways.

Ron Paul:  His message is his undoing.  Despite many disaffected Americans looking for someone new, or anything new, his message, one that often appears to be that America hasn’t done anything right since WWII, isn’t going to win many votes.  He’s seen as a fringe candidate and little more than that.  He has one chance to win, but I don’t see hell freezing over any time soon.

Mitt Romney:  His major problem is that his record is very often 180 degrees opposite his current positions.  To many in his own party he appears to be someone who will say what it takes to be elected, an attribute not quite desirable for a candidate.  Many see him as disingenuous and someone not to be trusted to be the man with actual positions such as those portrayed as a candidate.  Further, generally conservatives see a Massachusetts Republican about the same as a moderate Democrat, or even a liberal.  And while he gave a fine speech on the issue of his religion, it will remain an issue with voters, even if they acknowledge it or not.  All added together puts him out of the race, and relatively soon.

Fred Thompson:  I have a hard time figuring out Fred’s campaign.  Quite frankly, this is a guy who should be able to step right into the presidency.  The moon and stars are all in alignment, the ducks are all in a row, but he seems to be throwing it all away.  Some argue that the media fear him to be the winner so they are condemning him to death by silence, but Fred seems to be an unwitting accomplice.  The Internet may be many things, but it isn’t the primary way to be elected President of the United States.  Another part of me knows Fred Thompson to be a crafty trial lawyer who may well have a few tricks up his sleeve.  He’s the kind of guy who does it his own way, so maybe he will re-write the playbook.  In any event, he has stayed above the fray and may well be the last man standing.

The bottom line:  For the Democrats: John Edwards (Hillary Clinton at the outside) versus John McCain for the Republicans (Fred Thompson at the outside).  

Note:  This entry was not written to offend but merely to summarize where I see the races to be at.  So much can happen between then and now that it all remains to be seen.