My Husband's First Garden

I've posted a lot of pictures of my gardens, so this area right next to our storage shed, that was full of our neighbor's leaves, our left over bricks from the mailbox, Canna Lilies and a pesky ground cover, has been chosen for my husband's first garden. My husband, banned from any other beds in the yard, has been known to cut down a few flowers unknowingly. Well he has finally arrived with a small place to call his own. You see he's been working to clear away all this debris. This area has great soil and earth worms galore.

This is how the area cleaned up, he has planted three tomato plants, hot peppers, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers, and later, two okra plants. The two okra plants never made the pictures because some animal came along and ate them. (Bad animals! Stay away from my husband's garden!) Now there's a good thing, underneath the storage house right where you see the lattice there's a nest of those big black and yellow bees, so they will be working the flowers on his plants.

Here he is ladies, looking all debonair with his hand stuck down in a bag of Composted Cow Manure. Smile for the camera baby! I love you. Oh yeah, our neighbors fixer upper car, just waiting for some year to be fixed up, thank God he covered it.

Look! things are actually growing in there. I really thought that I would wound up the care person for this garden but, I'm not. He's been very attentive, just as he is with me, except for that one time I won't mention. :O)

This is how it is right now, last evening he strung three lines across because the cucumbers were reaching out and wrapping themselves around the pepper plants. Next year since we know how large or small certain plants will grow, and how much area we're left with, we plan to only plant one cucumber plant and maybe add a few greens. Now, brace yourselves for what's coming up next.

WOW!

UNBELIEVABLE!

HOT TAMALE!

CUCUMBERS!

MERCY! BELL PEPPERS! THREE OF THEM! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SAVINGS THIS WILL BE! Pardon me for a moment but, I'm actually excited! They also look so pretty I don't want to pick them. LOL! I hope you all enjoyed the tour of my husband's garden, in his small corner of the yard, made just for him. Who knows maybe next year he'll till a spread.

SUNDAY PRAISE ~ HAPPY FATHER'S DAY LORD!

Featured Song - Holy Thou Art God! - Richard Smallwood
Listen and enjoy!

New Meme

I planted this Horsetail in one of my beds and before I knew it there were hundreds, I pull them up and they come back, I'm convinced there will always be a straggler or two. This Meme will tell a little about me, but I will add a tid-bit. I'm kinda like this Horsetail I can get along beautifully in a crowd, I love people. I love to host gatherings, of family friends. Even if you know someone who you think may want to come with you bring em on, the more the merrier. Now on normal day to day basis you will see me alone, and I like it that way.



I've been tagged by Melanie, of Monday through Sunday, thanks Melanie for wanting to know more about me, I just wish I was more interesting than I am.
The categories are : Five things I do for myself, five things I do for my friend, child, or partner, five things I have done for a stranger, five things I do for fun and last five to tag.


Five things I do for myself
1. I keep the hair from my chin
2. Pray
3. Paint my toenails
4. Mind my own business ( you stay out of troubles that way)
5. I perm my own hair


Five kind things I do for my friends child or partner
1. I’m always there when they need me
2. I rub my husbands back without him asking
3. I bring my husband breakfast in bed every Saturday & Sunday morning
4. I give advice strictly from the bible
5. Give my husband manicures and pedicures


Five kind things I have done for a stranger
1. Given great directions
2. Offered my cell phone to a stranded motorist to call for help
3. I bought a homeless man a sandwich, he got mad, tore it up and said he didn’t eat meat
4. I helped a little girl find her momma in Wal-Mart (took her to the service desk so they could page her)
5. Helped a man at the check out that didn’t have enough money


Five things I do for fun
1. Amusement Parks
2. Karaoke
3. Swimming
4. Gardening
5. Blog


Five tags

Just Ruthie
The Barber Bunch
British Colonial Love Affair
Sunflower Meadows
Country Girl At Home

Just a few more pics from from what I love, My Garden.

Balloon Flowers

I don't know what this one is called but it's tall blades of grass, then it blooms beautiful orange flowers.

This is what they look like in full bloom.

DAZED AND CONFUSED!

This shouldn't have happened. I have no valid explanation only speculations.

Speculation: Last week a personal problem had me so distraught that I had no appetite, I don't think I had eaten or drank anything outside of the water that it took for me to swallow my blood pressure medicine for four days leading up to my last weight in, and being empty possibly didn't render my true weight. Sunday I was coming back around and decided that I needed to eat. I ate a full dinner, which was bake ham, cabbage, fried okra, mac and cheese, and a small piece of cornbread, and that was one day. I don't think I ate much of anything Monday, I had a sandwich and a few chips. Tuesday about the same. Wednesday, Kandace made Chicken Fingers, fries, and fried okra, I ate that, and was pretty much on my diet for the rest of the week. I didn't use the back breaking exercise tape, I just walked.

This is a total heart breaker for me because I am now convinced (that if this is what I want) I can't stray away from my diet or exercise at all, or it will be a total catastrophe. If I want to lose any weight I'm doomed to a life of nothing good to eat, nearly invisible portions, or nearly kill myself exercising.

I have loss quite a few inches and don't notice a change in my clothes. I just went an tried on an outfit that I notice last week I could wear again, and it's not pulling tighter or anything. But I want the weight to come off. Maybe I should have my mouth wired shut or lock myself in a room and have three meals of air brought to me each day.

Bottom line is, I just think I should be stronger than I am concerning this. I fought with my doctor, not to go on blood pressure medication, because I wanted to see if losing the weight would take care of the problem, now my doctor has force me to take the medication because I believe she no longer has faith in me. I believe that if I really want something as bad as I want this, I should be able to do it, I've done it before. It's not even that much weight to lose. I won't even voice how I feel about myself right now, for fear of offending someone who maybe going through this same thing.

I know what I've said will concern you, I'm concerned, but it's how I feel right now. I'm not happy at all.

Gardening Today!

I'll be gardening today, it's well over due. I have a bed out back that I planted and didn't mulched, now it has weeds galore, so I'll be pulling weeds before I can mulch. I will be visiting with you guys a little before I get started. I've had a very busy week, now maybe I can get back into the swing of things. I do want to share the few Hydrangea plants that I have that are now in bloom. I've had a really hard time with them , because it's so hot, that is except for the big one.

This is the really big one, don't ask what it's called because I don't know. I just know that it's beautiful when it flowers and it's beautiful when the flowers turn brown as well. The flowers have turned kinda pink since this photo.

This is the blue one. There a really tall bush to the right of it, I'm using it to keep this and the next one you're going to see shaded. I've had a really hard time with these two.

This is the one that I've really had a hard time with, she's a little sad and has pink flowers, a few look white but, she gets most sun and she's trying to hang in there. Well this concludes the Hydrangea tour. Short, I know, and you probably didn't get your moneys worth but, what if you'd been on the J. Peterman's Reality Bus Tour :O) Snickers anyone?

Is It Time For A Change?

These little guys are my soul inspiration for my Country Den. I was browsing in Marshall's maybe 11 years ago and there they were. I thought to myself how cute and I swooped them up and went straight to the check out. They cost 25.00 each plus tax. They are Teddy Thompkins Bears by Enesco so cute I thought they would be a lovely collection to have.

I began my quest of finding things that I already had like this chair it means so much to me personally, I recovered it to match this room. I also went to local thrift stores to find things that could have been used long time ago. I did, nothing that I would have liked to have but authenticity cost like the dickens.

The clock you see on the wall I found for 4.00 the clock did not work and my husband had to replace the clock part of it. That lovely frame above the tv, I think it was about five dollars I think it once belonged to a dresser. It was painted green, I stripped it and stained it mahogany. Other things I found just trying to set the mood.

These pic were taken around Christmas time that's why the garland is under the mantle. Some may say it's clutter but, it's a host of things that make the country look.

The plaid chair in the corner is my biggest Thrift Sore find ever, I paid only 40.00 for the chair and ottoman. The guy there had the greatest bargains but he's out of business now possibly because of his low prices. The navy leather chair I found at a local furniture store. The lamp at a yard sale.

The plaid chair has been moved from this corner now, and this area has become where I spend most of my time visiting with you.

This is how it looks now. It's not a good picture but my camera is not so good these days.

This cow I love. The little hoop he's holding is for a small flower pot. I had one in once but, he was knocked over and it broke and I've never tried to replace it.

Now I'm ready for a change, I don't know what I'm going to do with all these things that I love, maybe transfer them to the bedroom that I use for my grand kids when they come over. I'm going to check on my bears to see it they're worth anything to anyone but me. My husband wants a leather couch and club chairs. I would like to do something different with the fireplace. A fluted surround, and slate or something. Then in keeping with the colors that I like, I thought about the French Country look, but it's a small room and I think I want to keep it simple this time. What do you think?

Can't We All Just Get Along!

This morning while reading I came across this scripture and I wanted to share. It tells why people don't get along and I must say "true that". In James 4:1-3 it says, What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but you don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

This started me to thinking about a lot of things. It is true that we quarrel over things that we want, and mostly over things we want from others. We either get mad because they don't agree with us, we want them to take out the garbage when we want it taken out, they're not driving as fast as we want them to drive therefore we can't get where we want to go when we want to get there. The list can go on and on and on. We do malicious things to get what we want but, are still not satisfied. There's a song that says Gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayers, that's true because most things we ask for are not good for us, or we have an unsavory motive behind them.

Thinking of motives, I remember when I didn't have a car, I mostly took care of my errands and what have yous by bus. There were times when I did ask friends or relatives for a ride somewhere. Sometimes they didn't mind, sometimes they did but, most of the time they said they didn't mind, when they did. I can remember feeling so hurt inside, because it would be something that I really needed and when they would pick me up they would sometimes have a mad look on their face and give me the silent treatment throughout the whole ride. People don't do this, if you don't feel like doing something or don't have the time, just tell the person, I promise you they'll understand that better than the cold shoulder.

Okay back to motives, I would pray and pray to the Lord, for transportation for my family but, always at the end I would always say " If you get me a car Lord, I'm gonna pass by all of them, they better not ask me to take them anywhere, and the Lord never answered that prayer. It wasn't until I asked with a reason that was pleasing to him. I said dear Lord, I need transportation for my family, I'm having a hard time out here. I promise you that I will never treat anyone, the way that some have treated me. This won't be my car Lord, it's yours as is everything, and I will use it to your pleasure. I meant this from the bottom of my heart, and I was blessed.

I'm glad that this was brought back to my memory, it's has blessed my soul today, and re-enlightened me on how to pray. Ask always with motives pleasing to God.

One more thing since the subject started out as ~Can't We All Just Get Along~, here's a how to get along scripture. It's Philippians 2:3-4 and it says, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.

Now my Pastor always says, "Be Mindful Of Others". Can I get a Amen!, a Hallelujah!, and a Thank you Jesus!


Now last week I went a little overboard on my eating, and gained two pounds. Last week I weighed in a 170.0 and this week I weighed in at 166.2. Hooray! Hooray! Now this was not done without punishment, and although you don't know what I've been through, just thank God for giving me the strenght.

An Award For Me! An Award For You!

This wonderful award, was given to me by a wonderful person. She funny and kind. She is Mrs. B, over at you guessed it, (Mrs. B's). Mrs. B has a lovely blog, she shares her beautifully family, a beautifully decorated home, trips, hometown pictures, crafts, etc. She's an American Idol Junkie, and a David Cook fan ( just one of the things we have in common). One of my favorite post of hers is called ~Yellow~ where she shared the most beautiful yellow dishes that I've ever seen (check out the last yellow thing). I still go back to look at those dishes from time to time. Thanks Mrs. B for honoring me with this beautiful award, it's so pretty and it's such an honor for me to receive this from such a lovely person as yourself.

The rules that apply to this award is as follows:

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.

4.The award winner and one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. To show these rules.

I choose to share this award with:

Michael's Care Page - This blog is about a wonderful little boy named Michael. Michael, 5 yrs old, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. After reading about him, I became fascinated by his bravery and his smile. Thank you Mike, you are a huge blessing to me. This award is for being the bravest, cutest, little Fireman around.

Sunflower Meadows - This is Michael's mom JoAnne, she's also very brave. She's a caring and loving person. She enjoys decorating, gardening, family, and what a wonderful family they have. She has a beautiful blog, wonderful taste, and talents.

3 Guys A Girl And A Prim Place - Kindra is a wonderful person, she's married with 2 little boys that it has been a delight reading about. She also has opened her Etsy Store its called Momma's Primitives. She hand make beautiful primitive items that are beautiful, she does special orders too. I can't wait until mine arrives to show you.

Life On Bonnie Lane - This is a wonderful blog, she shares family, shopping, gardening, she's always so thoughtful and always has encouraging words for all of us.

Monday Through Sunday - I love it here, in between the fun there is always some deep thoughts to ponder, mostly about the Lord but other things too, she keeps me in my Bible.

I wish I could go on and on but, I'll stop at the five. Thanks again to Mrs. B, you're BEAUTIFUL!

My Testimony That He Is God!

This is a picture that I just took of the beautiful sky from my back yard. I took it in honor of our mighty and awesome God. I had a different post ready for today, but just as I was about to publish it, I was compelled to give testimony of our God. He has had me tucked away in his bosom ever since April 29,1996 two days after the passing of my oldest daughter Kevina.

That evening I spoke with my daughter, she was in Talladega, Alabama visiting friends that were in school there. She told me that she would be leaving there shortly and we planned to go out to Wal-mart. Within the next hour I received a phone call from a lady who'd found my number in my daughter's cell phone. She stated that there had been in a terrible car accident and my daughter had been air lifted to Birmingham's Carraway Hospital. I tried to remain calm and optimistic, and I had a friend take me to the hospital. I went to the emergency room and told them I was the mother of the young girl that had been air lifted from Talladega. The nurse took me to a small waiting room and told me that she would get the doctor. I grabbed hold of her hand and asked her "why do I have to wait here, where is she, why can't you just take me to her or tell me how she is"? The nurse told me that she didn't make it, that she had suffered a severe head trauma. I let go of her hand and sat down. She went on to get the doctor. As I sat there I was seriously thinking okay what can I do? As I thought and thought I finally came to the realization that I could do nothing, and I literally screamed and slid to the floor crying uncontrollably. The doctor came in and explain that she was so severely injured that if she had lived she would had lived the life of a vegetable. He offered me a sedative but I decline. I did see her and had the hospital Chaplin to say a prayer for her.

After returning home a State Trooper came to house and told me the circumstances of the accident. She had been in a head on collision with a drunk, driving in an out of traffic on a two lane road trying to pass other cars until he drove head on into her car. This was during the time of the Talledega Races and some of the people thought it was fun to be drunk out of their minds, in the name of a good time. To this day the mention of these races bring back heartbreaking memories of that day.

Over the next few days the devil tauted me, he told me that my baby was alone, all by herself with no one and that I should kill myself so that I could be with her. He said there were relatives here to take care of my other kids. It actually became a thought. But my God who had already chosen me, stepped in (Glory be to God) and brought back to my remembrance a guy that I had deemed the Church Man.

Roughly about five years before her passing, I was working in Downtown Birmingham at the famous Newberry's Department Store. I used to catch the bus home from work, and one day this man that I sat next to began talking with me about the Lord and how to receive him. Something deep inside of me knew that the Lord was calling me but I wasn't ready to give up my sin, so I ran. For the couple of years to follow every time I saw the Church Man he would always tell me about the Lord, there were even times when I saw him I would miss my bus purposely to avoid him. Near the end I noticed that the Church Man's health was getting worse and worse, even to the fact that he could hardly walk but he held on to his God. (Thank you Jesus) but, I kept running.

About two years before her death I was no longer working downtown and had started to work for United Healthcare, there were times when I wondered about the Church Man and hoped that he was okay. I continued running though, and running, there was incident after incident that I knew the Lord was showing me his face and still I tried to get away. I thought I wasn't doing to bad, I had a good job and a new car, I was taking care of my kids all by myself, that I could do anything, until I was faced with the death of my child. It was then I realized that I could do nothing, I had done nothing, I was never ever going to do anything and take credit for it as long as I lived, because I have the ability to do nothing without God. I can't even blink my eyes without God. It was His grace, His goodness, and His mercy that carried me and my family.

So that next night after realizing this, and as I thought of what the Church Man had said about receiving God. I went into my room, shut the door, fell to my knees, and cried like a baby, thanking the Lord for all that he'd done in my life. Then I told him that I was so sorry for all the running and all the sin that was in my life and to forgive me that I was ready to give up everything for Him and to wash me clean in His blood.

At that moment a new calm came over me, I no longer had to worry about any of the stuff that I was so proud of doing for myself, I had found the way, the truth, and the life. It was all on Him. And as I said before I've been tucked away in His bosom ever since. Don't get me wrong I'm faced with the same triumphs and disappointments as everyone else but, it's sure is good to know that I have the Lord through them all.

Wednesday night, I found a lump in my left breast, I immediately went into prayer and sought prayer from others. My prayer was for mercy but, I had a certain peace about it, that comes only from God. My prayer was also that His will be done and I was willing to be used in anyway that would bring glorification to His name. Whether it be my life, or my death (to this world). That my life would glorify God as merciful, as a healer, and faithful to His word. I was in the doctors office on Thursday, and at the hospital on Monday for a sonogram and mammogram. The results came back and it was a cyst. All glory be to God!, His goodness and mercy endureth forever, he's faithful to his word, which is a promise to never leave us nor forsake us. All Praise And Thanks Unto His Name (Jesus) And This Is My Testimony Unto Him.


Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised; there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us nor forsake us:

That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgements, which he commanded our fathers.

And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:

That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.
1Kings 8:56-61

SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

OKAY I'M ASHAMED, TRULY ASHAMED BUT, "I HAD A BALL DOING IT!" Last week I weighed in at 168.2 and today I weighed in at 170.0, up almost 2 lbs. All week I've been on a non stop holiday binge. I've been eating like 90 going north, ribs, potato salad, ice cream, potato chips, cake, and all the diet food I could find. I couldn't stop myself, I never knew that food could taste so good, where have I been?. Now the sad part of it is that, I'm not done yet. My husband and I have a full weekend planned. We're going on a outing this Saturday with friends, and to the Comedy Club this Sunday evening. Already my plan is to eat something good on both trips. So I will be back on the train starting Monday. Forgive me friends I know you were pulling for me. I kept saying to myself, this is the last day I'm going to eat like this" but, I just kept going and going and going just like the energizer bunny. Next week I may have to double up on some exercising but I will make a come back and a Slam Dunk. (Maybe if I say that, I'll really hate to mess up). LOL! Stick with me, please and we'll see what happens next Friday. Deb