My I HAVE No IDEA what to DO with THIS Stuff Corner of my YARD

Here is my newly ordered corner of my yard/garden, where I have put together things from my garden or porch...that I have not got a CLUE what I am going to do with..

For years.

I had taken pictures of the mess all of this was ( and yes it was a bigger mess ), before...but Mrs. Delete pictures on her computer deleted them all PLUS her Dad's 70th birthday party pictures in the process.

I was one mad puppy over that.

But, can't do anything about it,

but try not to do it again right ?

So you see, I have laid these lost and found bricks of various colors, sizes, ages, on the base. Sort of a mosaic look to it ..if you squint your eyes.

Go ahead, squint and look again.

I did throw some things to the side of the road, and I saw some gardeners come pick them up that afternoon and take them to their gardens I'm sure,

great recycling that way.

I'll show you a few things I cannot figure out what to do with..

 I have 4 of these wrought iron chairs that go with the table I have on the porch with all my drop-off garden items now ( that table is working out perfect for me ). So I have 1 chair up by the table, for Maxine's leash , so she can grab it before we go for our walks. Two down here and I think the 4th is in my tiny side garage I need to REALLY clean and straighten out. That will be another entry ,as that will be hours of cleaning and going through additional garden and eBay items, more wrought iron items too.

I have these two large wrought iron pieces. The black one you saw before, was leaning in the middle of the yard , against my husband's workshop/palace. It came from Charleston, S.C. where it was an old window guard there. I have two of these, but one is hanging on our back chain length fence , sort of as a entrance gate...but not the look I really want.

My husband is going to build me a wood fence over there and a special gate when he can.

That could be a loooonnnnggg time.
He's a busy man .

The nice large , heavy white wrought iron  piece I got from an antique mall about 5 years ago, thinking I could easily use it somewhere...I think I paid 25. or so for it , as the woman did not have room for it in her booth.

Now, I have tried it as a trellis many times, it is an odd size with no straight side to anchor it properly, so it has been back here for years. It was very difficult to use.

I also have a large black wrought iron 10 foot column -thingee laying by the side of the house that my husband wants to trash .

But, no way I tell him...I may use that one day.

6 years later, have not used it.

I really like these, I have three of these old vintage bases to birdbaths. One we made a small  table out of by gluing a round decorative paver on top of, one we have in the front that we glued a glass globe ball to, and one is right here being useless at present.

Here's my little fairy reading girl, she is cement, I know these are very common...especially in the resin. I like her, wish she was vintage instead...BUT, as it is now going on about 5-6 years of moving her all around the front and back yard, I just need to wait another 20 more years and she WILL be vintage.
Oh ! That large black object to the right is another bird feeder my husband made me, that the thug squirrels in the yard mainly used, and it started to block my view of my garden , so poof...it came down.
Begrudgingly by my husband as he thought I did not appreciate his second attempt at making one of these.
I told him I DID appreciate it , but it was not working, so it sits with my other stash until I can make it work somewhere else... to make him happy about it.

Assorted pots and a old vintage lamp base.

The other wrought iron black chair, and assorted pots. I used to have my front porch with more flowers in pots, but not as much anymore. I probably got rid of about 1/3 that was back here.

Progress, slow but steady.

So here all of this sits neatly now, in front of my shade garden, Maxine has worn away the path in front, as well as myself going to get the hose usually. I see this every time I go back inside.

What I want to see is a nice screened porch to sit and relax on instead in this spot...but my husband says we would have to cut down this large river birch to do that. I tell him to build it AROUND my tree , but again , we have other priorities before the dream screen porch I want can ever be built.

So I am left to walk by and think, walk by and consider...

What in the heck and I going to do with this stuff ??!!

Made me consider all the 'stuff ' I also have allowed to build up and be stored in my heart and mind, dreams, etc....that I need to either throw out, move aside, or actually DO something about and use.

Check out my weather widget to the far left sidebar. Going to be another day at 100+ degrees.

Staying mainly in today ,

 Bless you and your stuff today too,

Gina

" So now he said, " I will do this; I will pull down my barns and build greater , and there I will store all my crops, and my goods. " Luke 12:18

Unnoticed BLESSINGS of the Ordinary ABUNDANT Life

A ladybug blessing

I have come to a revelation lately , and what is so surprising is that it comes at a not-so-great time in my life, you know we all have those times...but God teaches us in the valleys and the trenches more than on the mountain tops right ? 

I came to a revelation about what ' the abundant life 'means, that Jesus tells us He came to give us in the Bible. We all have this skewed version of abundance these days, typically relate it to lots of money, lots of material possessions, lots of attention , lots of status, lots of ' spectacular visions ' which are developed by the media. You see those ' blessed ' people that have an expensive new car, new chic clothes, new shiny baubles on their fingers and neck, new girlfriends or boyfriends to replace older models,  new large vacation plans to surpass your neighbor's plans , new and bigger everything.

But what I know, and I mean really know...is I believe the abundance we search for to fulfill us, satisfy us...is always there. Right at the tip of our fingers.

Right before your eyes.

Everyday, every evening.
But we cannot have it until we notice it.

This has become evident to me , and I believe anyone else who has experienced a death or a loss of someone they truly , deeply loved , or a separation...then you see what you overlooked.
Daily, hourly.

The moments I am referring to consist of glimpses of your loved ones doing ordinary, over-looked, often ignored by us tasks.

Examples that come to my mind:

The bend of my husband's neck when he is working or reading something , the sound of footsteps in your home  , the sound of a key turning in the lock before they enter, the play of light on your wife's hair , the sight of her puttering around the kitchen about to prepare a simple meal, the gift of sharing a meal, your loved one's  breath on your neck when they hold you, their warmth beside you at night .
Quick kisses of hello or goodbye. 
Also...

Each and every glimpse of your children , dirty from play, earnestness of questions and opinions coming from their mouths, the sight of them deeply sleeping in their beds.

Smelling fresh brewed coffee in the morning, licking frosting off a knife that you have just decorated a birthday cake with , the feel of a nice long hot bath, everyday phone calls from loved ones, the sight of your dog running to you with their leash in their mouth .

Walking side by side.

The shine in a loved one's eyes , the opportunities to buy them a gift , sharing holidays, the opportunities to tell them about your day, that you love them. To hear them tell you that they love you.
Simply their presence...I believe that is the biggest gift of all.

This ladybug likes me

Remembering laughs, remembering how your loved one sounds when they laugh.

The sight of sunlight filtering through trees, sounds of locusts in deep summer, birds singing for us daily in the early morning , the sound of crashing waves at your favorite beach , the warmth of the sun on your face, the chill of a first snowfall. 

There are really too may ordinary things and activities we take for granted ...daily, that I would be writing until late in the day to mention all of them.

Then I probably wouldn't even finish or notice all of them.

These moments are taken for granted , unnoticed, ignored and forgotten as soon as they happen and pass us by.

They are your life though. They are gifts of abundance , everyday gifts that God allows in our lives. He wants us to notice them and appreciate them.

They are what make up the abundance of your life.
Only when you lose someone , does it hit you hard...just the ordinary things of a day.

I hope you consider what you allow to pass by , daily.

They are treasures of your life, to fill the treasure chest in your heart...I believe God designed it that way.
You can have that abundant life...just look around.

Wishing you vision today,

Gina

" The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill , and to destroy. I have come that they may have life , and that they may have it more abundantly. " John 10:10 

My View of the Woman DRIPPING Diamonds

On a hunt

I was on a antique art hunt about a month or so ago again, up in Charlotte, North Carolina at my favorite hunting spot there. A large, great antique mall full of many treasures. On this day I had found a few, and I was up front doing my typical, " Should I buy this ?" , " Can I make enough money off this to buy it ? ", " What kind of awesome rock bottom deal can the dealer give me so I will buy it ?" verbal scenarios I was playing with the sales staff. They are used to me hemming and hawing , trying to make up my feeble mind when I want to buy it all, but can't.

Then I glance up and notice HER.

She was an attractive woman in her late 40's, early 50's , with a little blonde ponytail, a white tennis outfit on , but most of all...

BLINDINGLY DRIPPING DIAMONDS

were all over her.

She had two diamond stud earrings that could have easily paid our house mortgage for a few months. 

She had a diamond tennis bracelet on, with various assorted gold bracelets with it.

She had a diamond solitaire around her neck , but mostly....

She had a gargantuan diamond wedding ring, with two diamond eternity rings surrounding it....so bright I swear I almost whipped out my sunglasses as the light was reflecting off it so much I almost went blind.

Or else I almost went blind with envy, imagining , or really hypothesizing that this woman, this wealthy , spoiled woman, could not possibly understand what we ' regular people' go through in our lives. What the average woman has to struggle with financially or otherwise.

Now mind you, I know NOTHING about her, she may be nice, she reminded me of my mom who was always oblivious to anyone around her as she did not glance at me or anyone else around her, except the sales clerk. I on the other hand notice EVERYTHING around me at all times, very handy looking for artwork. I know I was smiling at her, she was interesting to me, I on the other hand was not so to her. 

I look down at my jeans, my cowboy boots, my vintage leather jacket, and my long hair in a ponytail ( at least a decent size ponytail as rich women always have those little itsy-bitsy ponytails -- very chic ). No terribly expensive jewelry on me, my wedding ring is high quality and was not cheap, but wouldn't blind you, I only wear real jewelry and no costume jewelry. I don't even have alot of jewelry , unlike Mrs. Sparkle.

I was directly across from her, maybe 5 feet from her , but from my OUTSIDE, what I projected and what she projected , was not mutually interesting.

She was interested in outward signs and symbols, of wealth, success , her visible trophies of this world. Many of us like these trophies, ranging from clothes, jewelry, cars, even to people.

I know I like some.

It made me think of that ludicrous show that is on ' Real Housewives of LA ' or "Real Housewives of New York ", you know the shows where a bunch of really ridiculously spoiled, selfish bratty women with all types of plastic surgery get on an whine for an hour ( not that I can't whine for awhile myself). But they whine about the most dumbest, trivial, childish, petty things...I cannot imagine who would sit and watch them.

But this world , this raging flesh of "want ", eats up that type of over-indulgence and ostentatious, the shows apparently get high ratings. People today are confused what is really, truly valuable.
What really sparkles.

I was irritated with myself for thinking these thoughts about Mrs. Dripping Diamonds, as I did not know ANYTHING about her life, her problems, nothing.

But I was aware of what she projected.

I watched her walk out the front door, and I could see her jump into a large white luxury SUV, I was wondering if she had a clue about God, about His treasures, about Jesus...wondering if she knew that all those diamonds she glistened with , would not fill up her heart. That the light they projected , was an illusion , and that a more beautiful, never-ending light could be inside her always through the love of Christ.

I kept my thoughts to myself, tucked my envy over her apparent ability to pay any bill she needed to pay and not worry,  back into myself , and told God that I was sorry I was judging this woman on outward signs alone.

I am unsure what lessons I learned that day, I know the lessons I should have learned, but as usual with me... two steps forward, three steps back.

" Judge not , lest ye be judged. " Matthew 7:11 ( easier for me )

" And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. " Philippians 4:19  ( harder for me )

I hope your day is a blessed , very bright one,

Gina