A view from my neck of the woods

good morning y'all.         it looks to be a beautiful day so far, although it is quite early to make such a judgement call.       it is 7:35 am when I'm typing this out.        I just looked out the back door and the sun is trying to shine.        it's kinda strange, I don't hear any of the usual sounds I typically hear of the morning.        I guess that means everyone is still unactive as of the moment.       I don't even hear the typical birds and frogs talking to each other.        those are sounds that I never get tired of hearing.        it brings joy to my soul to hear the birds and frogs and just all usual morning sounds.        I'm not hearing the train like we usually hear, or road traffic that is the norm for around here.       but I guess I'll start hearing it soon enough.    

I took pics of my deck garden the other day and finally got them sent to me from my cell phone to my computer and thought y'all might like to take a peek at what's growing out back.      lots of tomatoes and peppers.        those are just a necessity.        I'm not the greatest gardener by any means, but I try.       as long as I've been trying to container garden, I still honestly don't have clue, but I keep trying.         I keep praying and God keeps answering my prayers.         I'm clueless about fertilizer and all that stuff, but like I said, I keep trying.   

and, back to first paragraph, just like that, I hear a train on the other side of town, it will be rolling thru here in a few minutes. 

Now, on to the garden:  

the first pic is the shot from the ramp, just before I step onto the deck.    from the back corner to the opposite front corner.        you can click on the pictures and it will bring us the full sized version.

this pic below, I'm still standing where I was for the first pic, I just pivoted towards the corner of the house and took a pic back that direction.         you'll also notice some colorful pieces on top of some of the poles I'm using.          those are pool noodles from the dollar tree  that I cut and put on top of the poles to keep the poles from poking holes thru the mesh that I use to cover the containers.        the pool noodles work well.   

this one below, is down the ramp, to the landing and that's where my 3 fig trees are for now.        they are covered in sheer mesh bags to keep from sprawling out and also to keep squirrels and birds from digging around in the containers.        I noticed the mesh looks funny, I'm sorry about that.        I'd like for the fig trees to show up better.         I'm not gonna have any figs this year, I trimmed them last year and cut them back too much and I cut off all the growth that would have had figs this year.         that's my thoughts on it anyway.         I actually got 36 cutting from the 3 figs and only 1 cutting survived the winter.        so I guess it's fair to say that I don't know anything about fig trees either.

the pic below is the front of the deck facing the woods as you can see.         the tall containers are "Keter" containers.         these were made in Israel.        I don't know where they are made now, but I do love the fact that these were made in Israel.        I got them at a place called Bargain Hunt about 4 years ago.      we kept going and asking about when they was gonna go on sale.       the regular price for them at BH was $85 each.        (they're about $150 from amazon right now)        we went one morning and asked  about  them, and  the lady  we  asked  said  I don't  know  if they're  marked  down yet, let me ask.       she asked the  manager  about them, and  he said that he just got the memo on them this morning and that they had indeed gone on clearance.         the lady told me and I asked how much they are now.         she told me and I started crying!!!        I looked at my husband with tears streaming down my face and he was smiling real big and we both just started laughing and I just had a pretty big Jesus moment right there, praising Him and thanking for such a blessing!!        we got 4 for less than the price of 1 at their original store price.         $20 dollars a piece!!!!!          Yes, thank you Jesus!!!!         and these 2 keters have greenbeans in them.         there is cane poles with pool noodles in the sides and centers of both to help hold the mesh up that I had put over them to keep birds and squirrels out of them.         these are in full bloom and I should have small greenbeans by the end of next week, the first weekend in June.           in front of the are tomatoes, peppers and a planter full of stevia.        I've got dry some stevia so it can bush out even more.

the pic below is just down from the greenbean filled keters.          you can't see it to well, but there are 2 low benches that I have containers setting on.          on the back row and up the rail on the side of the deck is where I have watermelons and all kinds of squash growing.        some of them, I've replanted the seeds two or 3 times and if they don't come up this time, I'm planting more greenbeans.          also, I have 4 containers with corn in them.        this is just for fun, I totally don't expect it to make corn, so I'll probably plant more greenbeans soon.          we love greenbeans.

the pic below is of my early girl watermelon and you can see peppers and tomatoes around it.        I hope it does well.        we had 3 or 4 watermelons last year and they were delicious.

this next pic is where I played "I spy" in the garden and low and behold I spied some fresno peppers in my garden.       yay!!!

this is one of my little dollar tree stackables with micro toms and orange hat toms.       there is 9 tomatoes in this little planter and they are loaded with green tomatoes.         the very last tomato that I planted in the top wasn't a micro or an orange hat.        it appears to be full sixed and I may have trouble with it if the wind blows.        hahaha          I've thought about cutting it off some, I'll wait and see.

this next pic below is down the row where I have the melons and squash set.       some of the seeds haven't come up yet and I may end up planting something else.         I don't know yet.       I have 2 containers with squash/pumpkin that have "hull-less" seeds.         they are stinkers to get sprouted.         the seeds are expensive and I'm just about out of seeds, but I really want to grow some of these.    

ok, now this next pic below is on the wall of the house and you can see the legs of 2 more keters.         I have a container with the mesh over it that has okra seeds in it.          when they sprout, I'll remove the mesh and put forks in the container like the of them have.        then beside the okra is tomatoes and peppers.       

the pic below is another view of the containers on the benches that we had looked at earlier, but I realized that I didn't get a pic of the sunflowers I have growing.       the very last container on the bench is the sunflowers.          these are supposed to be a mini variety.        I can't wait to see them when they bloom.

now, the pic below is back to the keters that are at the back of the house.           this keter is filled broccoli rabe and I don't expect it do much.         they just don't look like much.         so what I actually done was put more tomatoes and peppers in this keter.         so there is broccoli rabe, tomatoes and peppers in this one.        this one and the one next to is still has a black mesh over them just to keep birds out.        the holes are big enough for pollinators to get it, but not birds or squirrels. 

this pic below is looking toward the house where it makes a corner on the deck.         that's the backdoor going into our bedroom.         it catches the early morning sun and make the bedroom unbearably hot, so I covered the storm door on the inside with light blocking barrier and I use heavy curtains on the inside to keep the heat out, that's why it's black.         but, right here is my 2 strawberry greenstalk towers.       I had filled them with 50 strawberry plants just before winter.        some of them survived, but about half of them didn't make it.         that's why there are empty pockets.        but these are putting out runners now and I thrilled about that.         I'm hoping I can the pockets filled before winter and we can have a lot more strawberries next season.         these are everbearing strawberries.         they will have fruit all season, but not a huge abundance unless you have several plants.

so the pic below is the last keter, sitting beside the one with the broccoli rabe, tomatoes and peppers.      in this particular one is "red rat tail radishes".        you don't grow them for the tuber below, you grow them for the seed pods that they produce.        they look similar to greenbeans and they are spicy like a radish.        this is my first year with them, and upon closer reading about them, I would be planting them in the keters any more.        info said that they can get to 5 feet tall.        I'll have to use a step ladder to harvest them.          they already have a to of blooms and the info said they would keep on growing and making blooms.         we'll see how they turn out.

this next pic below is over in the corner of the deck and I have 2 other raised beds containers.        they have green peas and onions in them.         I've never had any success with starting onions from seed so hopefully these will do something for me.         and sitting beside those is my little greenhouse on wheels.        it's where  I brought  my plants  from the garage to harden off before I actually planted them.           I'll take it to the garden shed after the fall season is over.        and then I can bring it back out next year when I start the process all over again.        right now it's full of a lot of the stuff I'm using in the garden, so it gives me a storage area. 

well, this is a look at my garden, such as it is.         I'm sure you noticed a lot of forks.          well, they are to keep birds and squirrels and neighbor cats out of my containers.         I had to put black mesh on my strawberries too.         the birds were trying to build nests and they killed about 4 or 5 of my strawberries that had survived the winter.         so I just got the mesh and made a tube and pulled it down over the strawberries.          the pollinators can get to the blooms, but the birds don't have anywhere to make their nests.        and the squirrels can't bury their nuts.         oh, the things we gotta do to have a garden.

I've always said that I plant and pray and God does the rest.         I stand by that statement.         because I don't know enough about gardening to fill a thimble, but I do know The Master Gardener.        and helps me and blesses me and encourages me to keep on growing.          as long as He is with me, I'll keep growing a garden.        I just think that gardens happen to to be a very happy place.        if you remember, it was in the Garden that God walked with Adam in the cool of the day and He spent time with Adam and I think that's why so many people have peace and contentment in the garden.        I know it is a special time for me when I'm out on the deck working and just praising God for the time that He has blessed me with.

well, I guess that's about all I have for you today.       I hope and pray that you seen something here today that you like and if you did, share it with someone you know who may be struggling with life and tell them that God loves them enough to provide a way for us to be in relationship with Him thru the shed blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.       when we spend with Him, it's time well spent.

blessings to you all and happy gardening.      hugs and love, patty

please overlook any spelling or whatever, I'm not real good at this either.  but if I see something weird, I'll change it.  thanks.

You are what you wear

Good afternoon y'all.      something came thru on facebook that I felt the need to share on my blog, so I copied this to share.        I hope you  feel free to do the same if you agree with this.      this is a very well-written statement.          I know several people personally who could benefit from this advice.
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I don’t have a problem with ladies showing their cleavages. I don’t lose sleep over seeing thighs, hips, or even laps out in public. I’m not on a mission to police women’s clothing.

Here’s where I draw the line, when you get angry at being addressed the same way you’ve presented yourself.

The way you dress is a silent statement. 

It speaks before you open your mouth. 

It tells the world how to see you, how to treat you, and sometimes, wrongly or rightly, how to approach you.

You can’t come out looking like an invitation and expect everyone to treat you like a locked gate.

You can’t present your body as public property and get offended when people forget it’s sacred.

Your dress is not just fabric, it’s identity.

The way you carry your body says a lot about how you see yourself. 

And unfortunately, in a world full of predators and pretense, your body language is sometimes louder than your actual words.

When you know who you are, you dress with purpose and not just for attention. 

People who know their worth don’t need to beg for validation with their body parts.

Royalties don’t go around naked. You’ll never see a queen walking into a palace with her breasts half out or her thighs exposed to the world.

Because royalty knows this truth... "I am not for show, I am for impact."

You dress for where you're going, not where you've been. You dress for the throne, not for the street.

You don’t throw diamonds in the open and expect flies to stay away.

This is not about judgment. This is about awakening.

Here’s the hard truth: If you don’t know your worth, you’ll always take advice that reduces it.

If you don’t know your identity, the world will give you a cheap version — and dress you for the part.

Let this sink deep, you are not a plate of food for flies. You are not a body begging for likes.

You are not a mannequin for fashion trends that discard dignity.

You are a woman of substance, a queen in her lane, a lady of legacy.

And queens don’t expose themselves for approval. 

They carry themselves with quiet confidence, knowing full well that the right eyes will see them not just the loud ones.

I’m not shaming you. I’m calling you higher.

I’m reminding you that dressing modestly is not a weakness, it’s awareness.

And until you know the weight of your presence, You’ll keep reducing it to skin-deep impressions.

Let your clothes speak purpose. Let your body be clothed in dignity, not desperation. Let your image reflect your identity not your insecurity.

Once you know who you are, you’ll never again need to undress to be noticed.
~Kathryn Esther Clement
 Priye Finny Nna (Team lead) The King's Daughters 
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again, I copied from something that came thru on facebook and I thought it was spot on.      this is exactly how I've always felt but didn't know how to express it.        just to be blunt,  a lot of women that dress like hookers want to call themselves Christians.       I'm sorry, but Christian women dress like they DO have a higher calling.        when you learn to do better, you do better.        early on when I was a new Christian, I learned that I needed to dress more appropriate for the calling on my life.       and for the last soon to be 50 years, I've dressed appropriate.         it blows my mind to walk in church or anywhere for that  matter, and  see dresses  cut so low, it  leaves  nothing for the imagination, because it's all out there.         not only that, but dresses so short, that you see butt cheeks when they lean over even just a little bit.         my husband sits in church with his head down, simply because he doesn't want to see all the boobs and fannies hanging out.        I'm just gonna put this out there too, that it's not fair to the men that DON'T want to see other women's body parts hanging out.         I can't answer for other men, but I know my godly husband  doesn't  appreciate  it at all.       and  I  don't want my husband to have to deal with it.         yes, he's a grown man, but he doesn't go around looking and lusting after other women.      it's not fair for decent, God loving men to be subjected to that.       so maybe we all need to think about how Daughters of Yahweh should dress.

well, there you have it, this is what was on my heart today and just wanted to share it.     blessings be ours today in the Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. 

Resurrection Sunday and The Folded Napkin

Good afternoon beautiful friends.      I hope and pray that this finds you all doing most wonderful on this magnificent Resurrection Sunday!!!

The Folded Napkin

I pray that everyone has a wonderful Resurrection Sunday when remembering the cross is empty, the stone is rolled away from the tomb, and our Master is not in the grave.      The grave clothes are lying in the corner, but, the napkin that was on his face is folded neatly and placed where His head had lain.

 
If I remember correctly in the Hebrew culture, the folded napkin represents that the Master of the house is not finished with his meal and he will be returning to to the table to finish his meal.         And HE did!!!             He was with His friends and followers for 40 days!           More than 500 people were eyewitnesses to the fact that He's Alive!!!        He's Alive!!!       He's Alive!!!

 
After 40 days, He  ascended into  Heaven to  be with  the Father, just  waiting for the Father to say, "Go get them Son, bring them Home!"         There isn't an obituary any where for Him!         There's no grave marker!            There's no head stone!           Those things are needed only for the dead and NOT the living!          He's Alive!!!

  
He's  sitting  at  the  right  hand of the  Father  pleading  on  behalf of  each  one of us.        When the accuser comes before God and tries to  accuse any  of God's  own  children  of  something,  our Messiah is sitting beside Abba  Daddy  saying, "I  covered  that!"          "Look  again  Father,  My  blood  is covering that!"          "Nope, that's not so Daddy, I took the stripes to cover that!"

 
To know that we have a friend that would take the stripes that actually had our names on them, is almost beyond my comprehension!           The best part of the story, the napkin is still folded and waiting for the Master's return and He is coming again!!!!!!!!!!           He's Alive and He is coming again!!!

 
praise God for the greatest gift we have ever known, Salvation as a result of Resurrection Sunday!!!

I hope and pray as the day slows down that we can all stop and contemplate what the meaning of Resurrection Sunday actually means for us.          it means that we get to spend an eternity with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our one and only Messiah!!!!          blessings of mercy and grace be ours, all because of Resurrection Sunday.           hugs and love, patty

An end of the year lesson and "Happy New year"

Good afternoon beautiful people!!!         I hope and pray that you had a most lovely Merry Christmas and that you remembered the main reason for the festive time.         and that is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.        He alone, deserves all of our praise and worship.        

a sweet friend shared this and I wanted to pass it on as a reminder to us at just how easy it is get sucked into our own ways and losing sight of Jesus, His birth and the Cross.         these are the only things that matter in our lives.        they truly are.         sometimes I have a tendency to forget that, so I'm sharing this here, as much for a reminder for me as anything.        but I pray that this is something that will help us all think about what we do, why we do what we do, and if we need to make some adjustments, let's do it now.          I pray that everyone that reads my blog are christians, but I also pray that if anyone isn't, that they'll silence the thoughts in their head that they are good enough as is and they don't need Jesus.        that is a lie straight from the pits of hell.        we are not good enough and can not EVER be good enough and we do need Jesus!!!

I don't know who the writer of this is, but it's pretty much spot on in truth.          please read and share it with others.

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Satan is not opposed to good morals.

He’s opposed to Jesus Christ.

Read that again because most Christians miss this completely.

Satan doesn’t care if you’re a “good person.” He doesn’t care if you volunteer at the food bank, recycle your trash, and help old ladies cross the street. He doesn’t care if you’re kind, generous, and well-liked by everyone in your community.

He cares that you don’t bow the knee to Jesus.

Here’s the deception that’s damning millions:   Satan has convinced people that morality equals spirituality. That being a “good person” is the same as being a Christian. That if you just live right, treat people well, and avoid the “big sins,” you’re acceptable to God.

This is a lie straight from the pit of hell.

The Pharisees had impeccable morals. They followed the law meticulously. They were respected, disciplined, and religiously devoted.

Jesus called them children of the devil.

Why? Not because their morals were bad. Because their morals replaced Christ.

Satan’s greatest trick isn’t making bad people worse. It’s making good people think they don’t need a Savior.

Think about it:

The atheist who feeds the homeless thinks he’s good enough without God.

The Buddhist who meditates and practices compassion thinks she’s enlightened without Christ.

The Muslim who prays five times daily thinks he’s righteous without Jesus.

The moral Christian who goes to church, pays his tithe, and avoids scandal thinks he’s saved without surrender.

All of them are headed to the same place: eternal separation from God.

Because morality doesn’t save. Jesus saves.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Satan loves moral people who reject Jesus. They’re his best advertisement for the lie that you can earn your way to heaven.

They’re living proof that you can:

•Be kind without Christ

•Be generous without God

•Be disciplined without the Holy Spirit

•Be respected without redemption

And still be lost.

The most dangerous people in hell won’t be the murderers and rapists. They’ll be the moral, upstanding citizens who thought their goodness was good enough.

Their morals became their idol. Their goodness became their god.

And Satan smiled because he’d accomplished his goal: Keep them from Jesus.

Here’s what most Christians don’t understand:

Satan doesn’t need to make you do bad things. He just needs to keep you from doing the ONE thing that matters: surrendering to Christ.

If he can get you to:

•Trust your morals instead of Christ’s sacrifice

•Rely on your goodness instead of God’s grace

•Believe in your works instead of Jesus’ finished work

He’s won.

You can live a moral life and still die lost. You can be a good person and still face judgment. You can avoid all the “big sins” and still end up separated from God forever.

Because the only sin that damns you eternally is rejecting Jesus Christ.

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36

Not the murderer who repents and believes in Christ is damned.

 
Not the thief who turns to Jesus on the cross is damned.

 
Not the prostitute who washes Jesus’ feet with her tears is damned.

The moral, religious person who rejects Christ is damned.

That’s why Satan loves morality without Jesus. It sends people to hell with a smile on their face, convinced they were good enough.

Stop trusting your morals. Start trusting Jesus.

Your goodness won’t save you. Your works won’t redeem you. Your morality won’t justify you.

Only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away your sin and make you acceptable to a holy God.

Everything else is just Satan’s distraction from the one thing that actually matters.

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well, this is certainly something that we can carry on into 2026 with us and stay aware that trusting Jesus is our only hope.       we can't trust our own morals for anything!!!!       we can't trust ourselves for anything, but we can trust Jesus with everything.

it will probably 2026 before I'm back here again.        so let me say "Happy New Year" to everyone and I pray that we all go into 2026 with a renewed sense of need, that only Jesus can meet, through His Mercy and Grace.        remember that His birth is directly related to His death on the Cross and that's the only way for us to salvation, is thru the shed blood of Jesus.        if we can remember this and stay focused on Jesus, we can all have a wonderful 2026.

blessings of love, joy and peace be ours continually, in 2026.        love to all, patty

Merry Christmas and "The Little Things"

good evening my friends, I wanted to pop in here while it's on my mind and just say that I hope and pray that everyone that reads this will have a very Merry Christmas.      I pray that we all remember what the day is all about.      it's about the birth of our Savior.     we've made it far too commercialized and a lot of people have forgotten what it's all about.     may we remember that there had to a birth in order  for there to be salvation for any of us.     that salvation came thru the cross.     so, as we remember, let us remember that the birth of Lord and Savior is not to be taken lightly.       is Dec 25th the day Jesus was actually born?    no, it's not, but that is the day that has been set aside, traditionally, to celebrate His birth.      for me, I just try to remember that every day the Lord gives me to live this life is to be celebrated as joyously as  we celebrate the traditional day of His birth.     so let's celebrate every day, let's love others every day!!!

I also wanted to share something that I wrote recently and it's got a little bit of celebration in it.      I hope you enjoy it and I hope it blesses you.

The Little Things

sometimes it's just the little things that I remember.     sometimes it's just the little things that help me to remember that God was, is and will always be in every season of my life. "little things", you may ask. what little things?

we don't pay as much attention to everyday life as we should, or maybe I should say that I don't pay as much attention to everyday life as I should.

 
we can see God at work in the bigger things in life.     maybe we can see Him daily in our marriage. maybe we can see Him when we're out on the road and know that He protected us with travel safety. maybe we can see Him in the midst of a sickness and know that His hand is in or will be in the healing. we can see the hand of God in our daily provisions.     you get the gist of what I'm saying.

 
but, how aware are we of the little things that God puts in front of us on a daily basis?     me, not so much, until I stumble upon something that makes me think and know that "if I know that I know that I know" that God is in the big things, then He's in the little things too.

 
a few years ago I started noticing some of the little things that God allowed me to see and be a part of. seeing lightening bugs, a tiny flower here, a heart shaped leaf there, seeing the stars in the sky and knowing that God created them, frozen frost in the air making everything look like diamonds, seeing hundreds upon hundreds of tiny yellow and blue butterflies no larger than my thumbnail.

 
getting to see a child catch a crawfish over at the greenway.     seeing my little green frog buddies every year in my garden.     they will scare me for a minute, but then I'm so thankful for them.     when I see them, they make me smile.     put there for that purpose by God.     getting the little flower head of a weed, from the yard, stuck in the toe of my garden shoes and seeing that until I take it out.

recently, passing by a local 2 story house and seeing their dog up on top of the house watching the traffic go by. that tickles me pink to see it, and I'm thankful to God I got to see that little thing.

I'm thankful and grateful for some  of the  memories that I have. the memory of my Grandmothers laugh.     I'm thankful for the memory of a screen door slamming when you go in or out.     you knew someone was doing something.     I'm thankful for the quiet moments, when I was growing up, of my Mom in the kitchen humming to herself while preparing a meal for her little army.     I guess that's why being in my kitchen brings me such joy although it's just my husband and myself.     just some of the random little things.

homemade biscuits and home churned butter, eating the first blackberry of the summer, seeing a turtle cross  the road  and praying  he makes it  to the other side, hearing the birds sing and the owls hoot. these are some more of the little things that can bring such joy.

some little things in scripture that helps me realize that God is in it all and He wants us to be aware. David used a single little stone; one little boys lunch fed 5,000 people; the size of little mustard seed; little sparrows; the hairs of your head; the jawbone of a donkey. this is just a few of some of the seemingly little things that God used in scripture.

what about the little star that shone brightly, that the wisemen and shepherds seen on that night?     what about the little donkey that carried a special person?     what about the little inn that was filled up?    what about the little hay trough that became a baby crib?     what about the little hands and the little feet? what about the little cries and whimpers of our King, born in the form of a most precious "little thing"?

God will show us little things for us to enjoy.     God will provide little things for us to use for His glory and purpose.     sometimes we may think that things like prayer and love are little things, but they are beautiful, quiet things that really matter.

 
if we are faithful in the little things; faithful in the beautiful quiet things; faithful to remember; faithful to be thankful; faithful to share when we can; faithful to talk to the One who created all things, big things and little things; faithful in our everyday walk of little things to notice that God is in all we see, hear and do; then when the big stuff comes along we'll already be used to talking to Him and thanking Him for it all.

thank Him, in and for, all the little things.     all the little things we notice and ask Him to help us notice even more of the little things.     look for and enjoy all the little things that He puts before us during this season, then, let's thank Him for everything, even and especially the little things.

remember all the little things that God has used in a mighty big way.

God is in all "The Little Things".     Blessings!!!!      hugs and love to you all, patty    (pjg;2025)

Merry Christmas!!!!!