One often ponders this question, what we make of ourselves, and frequently we hesitate to give an honest answer. However, the reality is very simple to define if we are bonsaist or not. To help with this estimation I will cite a few attitudes that are common among bonsaist and you can draw your own conclusions and accept if you are a one. You know you are a bonsaist when it is not hard to get up before the sun rises and drive 100 miles to be in the right collecting place when the sun com …

Almost everyone begins their journey into a bonsai hobby by killing their first tree. It's like a rite of passage. There are on-line support groups for guilt-ridden bonsai enthusiasts who grieve over making a Mudman homeless and for the loss of a green life. Sharing stories with sympathetic peers eventually enables forgiveness to replace self-loathing for committing this horrendous crime against nature.While some guilt may be healthy in terms of learning from past mistakes, it may not be entirel …

The centuries-old art of Japanese calligraphy is in some sense a divine experience, with every stroke and carefully chosen character reflecting the writer's spirit and personality. It is an art that requires years of experience. In fact, Japanese calligraphy is often referred to as an art of the elderly because it takes decades to develop a unique writing pattern. Perhaps that's why the Japanese begin practicing calligraphy so young. All Japanese schoolchildren learn to write some calligrap …