FRONT Yard Views where SOMEBODY Needs to Do Some WORK

 

When I got back from my morning walk, I glanced over at my front yard...and thought, " Great , SOMEBODY needs to mow these weeds out here. " Then I kept walking down the drive , turned down my headphones a bit, I was listening to a sermon by a preacher on Sluggard Christians...and thought wonderful...I guess that somebody is me who needs to mow.

I went inside, pulled my headphones off my head, got some more water, looked at Maxine on the floor,  lounging in air-conditioned comfort.. and went out to the garage to get the mower.  I usually mow, but it has been so atrociously hot and humid this Summer, and my body has decided after many decades of being OK with heat...to rebel...and put it's foot down. I cannot take the heat like I used to be able to , of course being in the high 90's and 100's this Summer with humidity added in makes it dangerous for most people to be out full throttle doing anything outside. 

But makes me feel pretty gimpy after being able to ' take it ' for some many years.

Alright, enough of me being wimpy about the heat...let me show you a few things in the front yard.

 

Here is Ms. Maxine checking out the yard to see if any intruders have left their scent overnight.

This front yard , by the way, used to be a normal front yard, with only yard and some azalea bushes to the base of the house. I went to work in the front yard first, about 9 1/2 years ago , I would bring my little son out in his playpen, work planting monkey grass ( lirope ), all down the side walk, down the front of the house, and bordering the beds.

Here it borders a bed I created by digging up my yard, planting privets on the surround , a rose bush is tucked in that mess somewhere, and you see the very large lantana that comes back every year to the far right.

Oh, I also planted that pink crape myrtle.

Gee, SOMEBODY needs to take better pictures and weed this bed.

I  have a gardening friend who hates lantana, I love it..it comes back every year...and this one is located outside my computer-office-waste time area so I can look out and see butterflies and hummingbirds.

I have very poor soil, these privets ( below ) should be huge, but the soil is so poor they don't grow but maybe a few inches , instead of feet a year. I like the  wispiness of a privet. Plus they have fragrant , pretty white flowers in the Spring.

Wispy. Planted them and down below you see the lirope in bloom . Planted it all with ' found ' or borrowed plants.  I'm boring you with privets, so I'll show you something else. 

 

I made this walkway last Summer, somebody needs to weed around it.  I  love to use pebble pavers, they are impossible to find anymore around here, and then some vintage clay bricks in between , almost always found on my walks.

The bare spot to the front is Maxine's spinning spot-take-off pad where she spins in circles before I take her for her walk. This little path leads to a sitting area that I made about 7 years ago, that is not used very much because of MOSQUITOES that are rampant in the city this year.

Every year, the mosquito- mafia invades the Deep South . Ignore the weeds please.

This is the little ' sitting room ' out front.

We painted the big urns black, I painted the lattice accent in the back black, the flowers on the little stand I made with an old birdbath base from the 1940's, and then my husband caulked a round paver on top. Flowers are pitiful on top as someone forgets they are there. Birdbath or fountain bases can still be useful.

Then I put two of my black iron chairs here. Tried to create a little privacy , as we are on a busier street during the morning and evening commutes.

I just dug up this part of the yard, back when I did this little sitting area my older son helped with the digging , since he's into lifting weights bigtime...I deduced he could work faster than me anyway.

To the left of this area is a iron trellis with Carolina Jessamine vine that will take over next Spring, and I made the little border beds in front with hollies ( boxwoods )and , lirope, and bricks.

On this side of the front is the lovely pink crape myrtle ...

I'm just such a fan of these blossom-generous trees. Fluffy pink .

And to the back of the sitting area is a giant white crape myrtle that the squirrels love to scamper up on top of our house from everyday.

Here is the side statue of Spring , tucked in the bushes.

I enjoy finding statues tucked into secret places in yards and gardens.

The picture above was when the hydrangea was in bloom a few months ago.

Lastly I will show you the side to this area I made a few years ago, and then have been blending them together.

I love my front entry fountain, and the Mexican petunias are coming back veeerrryyyy slowly in the front blue container. I have not weeded here or done much in about two months.

Slack gardener/yard-lady.

I will stop here, this is too long, but will show you the other side tomorrow.

I hope you have a peaceful day, evening...wherever you are,

Gina

The Moral APATHY of An Average AMERICAN Man

Searching for Art

This is a difficult subject to write about, but I have had an urge to do so for many months. It is unpopular with men. The subject that I am going to address is the moral apathy of the average man , especially concerning pornography and overt hyper-sexuality in the media . I was briefly watching the news this morning, when they show a clip of the new Sports Illustrated swimsuit magazine coming out soon.
Pretty young blonde woman about 20-something , not wearing the top of her swimsuit, covering herself with her hands and a strap of her top.
98 % nude, 8:30 AM.
Acceptable for morning news show now.

My husband was around later, and I asked him why do men, especially older men, not seem to care that they are lusting, leering , after women in their late teens and early 20's in this magazine ? Or on TV, or in the movies, or on the internet ?Why is it socially acceptable for men in their 35-45-55-60's to look at young women that could be their daughters or granddaughters, and all they do is smile and nudge each other...and feel that it is normal, acceptable...and worst of all healthy to look ?

I asked him if he felt it was wrong, all the hyper-sexuality in the media ( and he has heard me bring up this topic for over 25 years...lots of times ), but he just is silent.

APATHETIC.

That silence is fairly common with men about this subject.

He then says that I need to calm down as nothing will change," THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS . IT WON'T CHANGE."

The world won't change.

Moral APATHY.

That of course infuriated  me ( I get riled up about a few topics, and this one is a biggie ) to me, as I believe that as Christian men, older men , they have the responsibility to protect women in ALL ways. They also need to express VERBALLY express, their disapproval with what they see. God did not want men to  be looking at naked young women or half-naked women, 100's, even 1000's of them with access to the internet, and polluting a man's mind and eventually causing him to pollute his relationship with his wife and daughters.

It also ends up polluting a man's own sexuality , skews his vision of beauty and intimacy.
His level of satisfaction with his wife can deteriorate exponentially.
He ends up never filling satisfied.
He ends up destroying part of his soul.
That's how strongly I feel about this.

I asked my husband about this later, about the fact that don't these men feel like a ' dirty ole' guy " looking at this ? He says that most men don't REALIZE they aren't 25 anymore. They think THEY are young , when they may be the age of the young woman's father that they are looking at. 

It made me so sad to think of all these young women allowing themselves to be used for monetary gain, or attention...for a pittance in the long run. I know they are not being forced to do this, unless for  financial reasons they feel forced , but I know that deep down they are ashamed and unhappy.
No matter how much they fake the smiles and moans for the camera.
That young woman is someone's little girl.


But if the men did not want this, did not smile and wink about it, but stand up against it...for God, for the women in your family , for any woman or girl that you know...then it would be less prevalent, and much less condoned.

Why I feel so strongly about this, about men more than women , I haven't any desire to see or leer at young men...I see them as close to my 24 year old son's age or my 26 year old son-in-law's age...I always see them as that kid I knew.  I feel that men have the POWER to stop this cycle in themselves, influence their friends, and most importantly influence their sons and daughters.
I don't usually see older women ( 35-65 ) lusting or leering after young men, 20-30 years younger than themselves. 
Maybe a few, but women trail so far behind men in this area , generally, that is is very unusual if it happens.

You men have untapped, unbelievable, tremendous STRENGTH to help develop a different moral climate in our world.

Starting with yourself. One man. 

Which brings me to the subject of what gets my husband excited.
Out of his mind excited .

Ready ?

He gets out of his mind excited when anything that comes on the news, that has to do with politics, especially Obama, who he has decided is evil ( him not me ) , comes on CNN or FOX News .

He rants, raves, screams, pitches a fit, veins start to pop up in his neck, blood pressure rises, his voice rises.
Mass excitement, outrage , hysterics.

GEE-Whiz.

I tell him to calm down ! Stop getting so worked up !

I then ask him if he knows that in the Bible it says, for us to PRAY for our leaders ? Not constantly tear them down.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

He says yes he knows that.

I then ask him , ' If all your guys at work, who like to tear down the President and Congress everyday...what if you got worked up about the moral fiber in our country going down the drain instead ?"

He glances at me.

Silence.

Then more silence. 
Additional silence.

I then ask him, " What do you feel is a bigger problem, Obama or the moral decline of our world ?"

He stares at the TV for a few moments , then says,

" The moral problems. "

He knows, like I do.
Neither one of us is a prude , but we are also growing to realize how so much is now acceptable, and I see it more than him , as that is my general nature.
Too observant for my own good.

But apathy reins within him about this subject.
Too many apathetic strong men around.

If only men realize they can help.
Speak up when you see something offensive, don't laugh at ridiculous leering of young women , stop polluting your mind with images,  raise your own personal standards.
Consider your wife and your daughter.
Make a difference.

Men have inspiring, awesome, untapped potential to change this world.

Remember you are our Knights in Shining Armor, Our Defenders, our Warriors. 
We women WANT you to protect us , our honor.
God expects it of you as well.
Stand strong.


Bless you,
Gina

  "  I say then ; Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit ; and the Spirit against the flesh ; and these are contrary to one another , so that you do not do the things that you wish. "  Galatians 5:16-17

The PEOPLE Who LEAD Us to GOD vs The Ones Who DRAW Us Away

I heard something interesting the other day on the radio, I cannot recall who said it...Joyce Meyers, Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll...maybe some other preacher...but it was a comment that was telling who Christians should keep in their lives, and who we should not.

It was not an exclusive, meaning excluding some person as if we were ' better " , than they were. It was a comment that had to do with who we spend the majority of our lives around. Like our spouse, our friends...and more importantly, making us stop and consider who we allow to be close to us.

The statement was , " Do the people you associate with or want to be friends with , or consider to marry...do they draw you closer to God, or further away from God? '

The speaker then said , " That should be the biggest questions you ask yourself, for the rest of your life, because the right people in your life can encourage and keep you close to God."

And the wrong people in your life, can draw you AWAY from God.

Now this brings me to the car wash incident that happened with me and my little boy the other day.

Let me set the scene, car wash and oil change 29.95.

Great deal.

We go one day after I pick him up from school, I tell him to bring his backpack and his homework ( always way too much home work for a third-grader lately ), and we pull in...drop off my car...and go inside and sit and wait.

My little boy spies some Oreos for sale, I give him the money to go get them, he throws his backpack down...and I sit back in my chair with my Antiques & Art magazine...ready to relax for a bit.

But no.

Because I spy out of the corner of my eye...a salesman.

That set off my first defense mechanism.

He was walking around from customer to customer...giving them his business card and chatting for a few minutes.

He had a strong Northern accent , in a Southern car wash...which I thought was amusing. His hair was slicked back with something shiny, and he had a briefcase. 

I immediately did NOT want this man to come over to us.

My son comes back and rips open his cookies, while I keep watching over my magazine this salesman going around.

My defense mechanism, my quills , if I was a porcupine, were now in full alert mode.

He was getting closer to us.

I look down, start reading my magazine, figuring he will take the hint , and not come in my SPACE.

Not bother me or my son.

Not a chance.

Within just a few minutes, there he is , above my magazine, very politely asking me if I would take his card ? He replaces windshields in cars for free and he would appreciate me calling him and keeping his card if I ever needed that service.

He was about 1 foot too close to me and my son for my comfort level.

He had set foot in MY inner circle.

Guess what Ms. IMPERFECT Christian bad example for her son did ?

I looked up at him, no smile, you see he was physically in MY SPACE.

( I went to a therapist many years ago  that told me I was territorial, which she thought was fine...just how I was wired).

Anyway, I take his card, again feeling he is too close to me and my son, all defense mechanisms and postures ( as much posturing as a woman in  workout clothes and tennis shoes can project ), and I put the card in my purse, nodded at the man , he said thank you and walked off to someone else.

The ridiculous thing was I was the ONLY one that I saw that did not say Thank You back to him, or smile at him or be that sweet Southern polite person that is fairly common here in the South.

Nope, I was the one person, with the little gold cross around her neck...who did not want this man in her SPACE, to get close to her.

The other absolutely ridiculous point of all that is I was a terrible example to my son about how nice Christians are supposed to be to people. He saw , as he was watching too, that other people around us were fine with this man in their space, just not his Mom who likes to talk to him about God and Jesus all the time.

How we are supposed to be kind and polite and show love.

Again , God is up in heaven, wanted to thump me on the forehead and say, " Wake up Woman ! "

Getting back to the decision we have concerning who to allow to get close to us...I was off-kilter with this salesman...but in real life , the day to day choice of who I know or meet...do they draw me nearer to God or further away from God  is a sobering question.

My son trying to pull me over backwards at our State Fair

The other questions we need to ask ourselves is does that person inspire us to learn about God , do they make us consider the things of God, or do they make us consider the things of this world more ? 

Who do you allow to get close to you ?

Who are you willing to let in your very personal space ?

What kind of conversations do you have with this person ?

What kind of places do you go with this person  ?

What kind of thoughts do you have about them ?

So many questions we can ask ourselves about any person or circumstance or action that can draw us to God or far away from God. 

Letting that be a barometer is difficult , as Christians we are supposed to go where the sinners are ( and most Christians know that they are sinners as well ), and be with them and witness there.

This statement does not negate that we minister or associate for brief periods of time, or help someone who does not draw us close to God...because the act of ministering to their needs can draw us close to God. It is the habitual fellowship, or ' hanging-out ' , with un-believers that can draw us very far from God.

We are not as strong as Jesus was to dis-associate ourselves from the world's lusts and pleasures and people , to keep putting ourselves smack in the middle of sin and expecting to come out clean.

We are told to guard our hearts and minds , to stand strong.

I am trying to do this, and it is easier than I realized to discern who draws you close to God or further away from God.

The hard part is the actual ACT of putting it into action.

The lust of the flesh , of the world , is a hard , relentless adversary.

But now I can ask myself that question , and be aware.

Mrs. Territorial wishes you many blessings today,

Gina

" Hear my son and be wise; and guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the drunkards and the glutton will come to poverty.." Proverbs 23:19-21

SHOWDOWN at the TARGET Corral

Me and my son's favorite store

A few weeks ago, my little boy came up to me on a Saturday morning, stands at a distance from me..and asks , " Can we go to Target ?'.

This was unusual for him, he goes if I ask him, but he typically does not ask me. I ask, " Why ?'

He looks down at his Superman wallet in his hand, fingers through his dollars, and asks if he can go buy a giant Nerf gun he found in the Target Christmas catalog.I had seen him rifling through that little catalog, with all the coupons for weeks...and I told him he does not need anything because his birthday and Christmas are very soon.

He is turn explains that he has enough money, exactly 35.00 to buy a GIANT nerf gun , can he pleeaassee ?

I debated with him that 35.00 is alot of money, especially for an 8 year old.

Then I sat there and looked at him, think I am going to say No again, then decide I will take him and his superman wallet full of cash to get his treasure.

I know God gives me things when I do not really need them, so I can allow this too , I surmise.

I tell him to go cut out his 5.00 coupon out of the catalog , for the correct gun...and we take off with all that we needed.

NOT.

As I found out, but let me explain the process.

We get to Target, it is one of our favorite stores that seems to have everything any one or twenty people can ever need or want. We head back to the back of the store and the toy department. 

The we see it, the Largest Full-Auto Nerf Blaster Vulcan EBF-25.

The treasure of a 8 year old

The box is almost 3 feet long, heavy and we did not have a cart so we both carried it all the way to the front of the store. Stand in line, place it on the counter...my little boy is getting more excited. The cashier rings it up, tells us it is 39.95. I look at my son, tell him to hand her his 5.00 off coupon. He reaches in his wallet, pulls it out, hands it to her...she scans it. Over and over she scans it.

Zilch.

Nada, nothing.

No discount.

She looks at it again, and calls a manager. They look at it and go , " Oh, you cut the numbers off under the bar code. " 

I look at the coupon , look at my son, and tell then we will be back.

He almost starts crying, I reassure him the whole way home...no problem...we will find the numbers, tape them on..and get back today to buy it.

We get home, rummage through the trash..I do scold him a little for cutting off the numbers but only to make him aware of it so he won't do it again. It was so tiny, but we tape it back on...he is all smiles..and we head back to Target.

We go back in, get a cart this time...and head back to get another gun. We load that big thing in a cart, smiling ...we head back to the cashier.

We have his gun, we have his cash and his coupon !

All is perfect.

Not.

The cashier pulls the large nerf gun through, my little boy hands her is coupon...his superman wallet is open with his little fingers ready to hand her all his cashola...when the horrible words came...after she ran the coupon.

" This won't work." 

By this time a man comes behind us in line , I mildly smile at him but he then gets the pleasure  of hearing me tell her she better get her manager.

Dreaded words no one likes to hear the person in front of you say in line.

My son was getting his discount from their stupid coupon if it was the last thing I did that day.

A manager is called, she gets there, runs the coupon while I explain to her about this being our second trip, all the trouble, etc. The manager runs the coupon, the man starts getting a little antsy behind me...and she goes,
" We can't use this, the very last TINY number is missing, it is invalid. "

I told her, " No way, " nodded my head at my little boy , still holding open his Superman wallet...and said , " He is getting his 5.00 off. "

The manager then gets a bit huffy ( can't imagine why ), and says there is nothing she can do.

I get equally huffy...tell her I am POSITIVE she can, ask her if she has a code she can use, ask her if she has any catalogs in the back with more coupons ? She just stands there and says, " Nope. " 

By this point the man behind me wants to give me the 5.00...I hold up my hand and say . "No, thanks."

I then turn to the manager and ask to speak to a manager. She retorts SHE is the manager.

I then get huffier and ask to speak to HER manager, the head store manager. 

During all this last huffiness, the cashier is rummaging through her drawer in front of her, picks up a CATALOG, cuts out the coupon and uses it for the sale.

I stood there in disbelief, the WHOLE time this cashier has a catalog.

My son hands over his 35.00, the man behind me gets a little happier, and I help my little boy carry it...but only half-way to the car,  as he was showing shoppers how strong he was to carry this giant gun.

I get in the car with a smiling 8 year old boy, and I tell him," You know what lesson that should teach you ?'

He says, " Be careful clipping coupons . "

I say yes, but also do not be AFRAID to stand up for what is RIGHT in this world. Do not back down , that God gives us power through the Holy Spirit , to stand strong for what is right.

He just looks down at his gun and smiles.

At home with his awesome gun

 

I'll bet also when we head back to Target they will see me coming and turn on the red lights in the back office area...Red alert..here comes Trouble.

Such is life.

I hope you have courage to always stand up for what's right, and always stand up for ' The little guy ' in this world who cannot stand up for himself.

God is our enabler, Jesus is our advocate.

Many blessings,

Gina

" And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, the He may abide in you forever--

The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither knows Him; for He dwells with you and will be in you. "

John 14:16,17