Vine-kill update: Growth after 1 month.
The discreet charm of the Bourgeoisie...
She, a public school teacher, using chemicals to kill out my Engleman Ivy hedge,
which should look like the photo below. Her husband is a flight attendant... scary.
The healthy hedge - street side of my backyard.
Easy maintenance: I simply remove the trailers when I mow the lawn.
It's all relative.
Did I tell you I live across the street from a church? it used to be a Lutheran church, but now it is Seventh Day Adventist - they believe the pope is the Antichrist BTW. Anyway - their doors were open this morning - they go to church on Saturday - and their hymns are exactly the same as what we use in my Catholic parish. No applause however. The preacher was fiery this morning - I heard him yell, "And she deserved death!" He seemed to be speaking on the woman caught in adultery.
So anyway, I started to think about how these folks go to church on Saturday, clearly thinking the rest of us are wrong because we go on Sunday. They think the pope is evil and Catholics idolatrous, yet they pray and worship the same God. They are obviously good people - a couple of them gave me literature on how homosexuals are going to hell, someone else told me the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon, and of course, I shouldn't have idols in my yard - that guy must have seen my statue of St. Joseph. Most have noted the Vatican flag which flies from time to time - but why the homosexual warning? I'm a masculine guy. Oh wait - two men in one house.
So, who can be saved?
Keep it in perspective. They also have issues with meat, alcohol, cigarettes, having fun...
ReplyDeleteThey don't believe in immortal souls so how can they be Christian?
Don't they really? That means they can eat people then - according to Sr. MM's theory of animals without souls.
DeleteVery sad, and the destruction is glaring! Wish I had a green thumb. On the other subject of eating people, we listened to Mark Twain's The Cannibalism in the Cars while eating dinner tonight. A weird little tale ...
DeleteTerry Nelson writes : "That means they can eat people"
DeleteYes and No. They have to first become zombies.
...I don't know Terry. I have withdrawn from outside my own tiny house with new neighbors, who will be parking their huge silverado thing four feet from my property line, took down the trees I planted and placed them elsewhere, glare at me since I complained about the truck noise - did I mention the truck is right below my bedroom window ? I have been reflecting on the opposing views of - adapting to a place: or bringing in earth-movers to sculpt land to one's choice. new bmw, truck, additions, et al, for which I don't begrudge anyone, it seems to be the accompanying superiority that offends me. However: although I hope I don't sound prissy-ish, it Is yet one more among so many opportunities to 'be afflicted'. I can feel the cold wind of getting older and becoming even more dis-enfranchised. It is so easy to be judged and scorned today. & so easy to feel one is 'on the right', with the majority, and look down upon the rest. I do know that if I were not alone, others would not be so free with the contempt: I've observed the shame when they are seen by someone else. I Am a "presentable" person, with a BA/MA, educated, smart, all the 'right' background...but none of the 'right' values: worse - nor do I admire these people, who Expect to be admired. sorry to rave on. I'll be going to Confession soon, then Mass at a small Basillica, then home to hide out. I'm glad you have someone there with you. I am also so astonished at men who so freely express scorn at a woman...why...? the world confuses me so much. feel free to delete this mess.
ReplyDeleteDoes St Joseph help you ?
Lou - St. Joseph helps me in everything - he's amazing. I'll ask him to help you too. God love you!
DeleteThat hedge us such a shame. :( I'm very sorry. What nasty people.
ReplyDeleteI'm something of the village gay- "that gay guy who works at the library"- even though I'm masculine and whatnot, my guess is because I'm a guy librarian. I don't even live with a man. Whatever.
And I'm the village idiot. Haha!
DeleteFour houses on our road. First one is Father Bill who gardens like I do - lovely. Two is us - gorgeous. Three is an Indian and a bunch of shirt-tail relatives that are in and out of prison. Place looks worse than a reservation. We just keep planting stuff and really can't see them in the summer. In the winter we pray for snow to cover the mountains of crap. Thank goodness we're closer to Father Bill than number three. They're about 300 feet away. Number four speeds on our gravel road and kicks up mountains of dust. Two out of four isn't bad.
ReplyDeleteI love your house and garden. You seem to have a fairly large corner lot.
Next spring get out the R-up and kill a strip of grass in front of the vine and curving slightly to join your house. Plant a row of bridal wreath (Vanhoutt spirea.) You don't need to remove the dead grass. Just dig a hole and stick the bush in. Less lawn to mow and it will cover the bottom of the vine. Spirea would continue your white theme, too.
Adrienne said
Delete"In the winter we pray for snow to cover the mountains of crap"
I've seen MANY places like that.
Adriennne - The neighbors feel the vine boxes them in, so I was thinking of planting a wall of tall lilacs if the vine dies out completely.
Delete...or a row of arborvitae for year round coverage.
ReplyDeleteI'll comment first on the Lutheran-church-turned-Seventh Day Adventist. That's interesting most Lutheran churches are full of grey-haired women with little or no growth. I assume this one was a victim of that trend.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to think about the hedge. It all seems so childish. Do these people talk to you? They have issues it seems. Do you think they resent 2 men living together next door? I remember years ago on Elliot Ave South in Minneapolis and the next door neighbor was sadly crazy. She used to scream from her steps, "in the name of JESUS I want new neighbors by sundown!!" She used to threaten to feed poisoned pizza to my dog. One of the things I miss about living in Germany is that for the most part people mind their own business and respect their neighbors for the most part. Usually gardens between and in front of houses are walled off. Every garden has a gate for cars and one for people. You ring the "garden bell" not the door bell.
I have always talked to them, gave them garden plants, day lilies, hosta, I gave them a really cool trellis I no longer wanted once, and so on. Over a month ago I finally broached the subject of killing the vines and mentioned how offended I was and how betrayed I felt. Unfortunately it got hostile and we haven't talked since.
DeleteOh my! What was their reaction when you mentioned the killing of the vines? Did they immediately become thunder clouds? You did the right thing in confronting them about it. I would daily (preferably more often) beg their guardian angels to give them light. This will work wonders.
DeleteNo One is Alone by Bernadette Peters
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/LnLKbc2hvxk
Someone is on your side ;) Feel better mon frere
Thanks Maria - I've resigned myself to the situation - just documenting things, really.
DeleteNO to the lilacs!! They take a lot of care or they'll take over the world.
ReplyDeleteI planted about 150 lilacs and we spend an inordinate amount of time pruning, thinning, pulling up runners, etc. Bridal wreath sends up no runners and arborvitae gives winter cover.
Oh thank you Terry ! I can not afford a new fence, so I have been training Wisteria - a wonderfully strong thing...for a barrier. three times I have gone to the zoning office, but the laws are antiquated. I am sorry things became hostile between you & your neighbors - I know how uncomfortable that is.
ReplyDeleteand I am going to begin a novena to St. Joseph...I'll let you know....Lou
Terry - I always thought you lived alone? No big deal, anyway, just wondering.
ReplyDeleteFwiw, my sister's been living with me, and I an only imagine what people assume.
Btw, the woman caught in adultery - I remember Pablo once saying that Jesus never said that stoning her would have been unjust, and that that is certainly what she deserved. He said that the law of Moses in that regard was totally right, and that Jesus believed it so, too. Only, since He was God, he could intervene. What do you think? I've heard of some Catholics say that there should be actual, physical punishment for sexual misbehavior. Is that Catholic?
Pablo knows more than I do. I always keep in mind Christ's saying, "It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice." After the woman's accusers left the scene, lest they too be condemned, Jesus looked with love at the woman and told her, 'Is there no one to condemn you? Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more."
DeleteI'm not familiar with your climate zone, but Rose of Sharon would be a good privacy hedge option.
ReplyDeleteI don't know whether rose of sharon will grow in Minnesota. It needs at least zone 5.
Deleteoh, ok. Thanks.
DeleteThanks for the suggestion though Thom.
Delete