Whise money?

  The wife is a stay at home Mom or a woman with a lower paying job than the husband but he don't dare want to make financial decisions because it's our money.  it would be all over if he ever claimed "it's my money".  So why does this lady think her attitude is acceptable because she is a woman?  In a article entitled "What would you say to the much younger woman your husband is dating this woman said "  "I got hosed in our divorce since I didn't do a pre-nup and I make a good salary. So I hope she knows that all those fun shopping trips? Yeah, I'm the one who has been footing the bill." -- F.R.

AMD

  The doctor had to change the medication for my AMD as the type I have been taking has lost its effectiveness.  I may have to continue the injections for up to 8 years.  I thought 3 was bad enough.

Last of the Iris

 The first Iris (yellow orange) is the fourth and last  of the 10 new Iris to bloom.  I'll have to wait another year for the other six..  All the Iris I have posted pictures of are bearded Iris except for the 2nd and 3rd Iris in this post which are Louisiana Iris which grow in my water garden.   

Ever wonder why my blog is called Southgate News?

  Southgate was a motel on what was then High Point Road in Greensboro, NC.    By the time I became acquainted with it  the motel wad fallen into a state of disrepair and served as a place of refuge of the chronic homeless and as a place of business for drug dealers and prostitutes. 
  Many years earlier I had attended a funeral in Raford, NC and read a copy of a local newspaper telling about the death of a young boy in a house fire and  that story not only was upsetting because an innocent child lost his life but also because the circumstances surrounding the fire as described in the paper didn't seem normal to me.  I really wanted to know more about how a mother could let her child die in a house fire and not suffer any ill effects herself so I started doing research which eventually let me to the Southgate Motel.  Because of this story I met many of the city's prostitutes and learned some of their stories. 
   It is true that many of these women are mentally ill but many were abused children.  Some were raped, constantly molested and some started on drugs when encouraged by a parent.  Common denominators are growing up in poor neighborhoods and having a strong rebellious personality.  A girl can be quiet and sweet as she can be but about the age of 12 or 13 their personality changes and they become more strong willed. 
  The truth is they only do sex to get money for drugs and hate the :johns" for taking advantage of them.  Between 1 and 2 percent of all high school girls will become involved in the sex trade at some point in their lives.  One such woman was the subject of my book and after much effort I finally got the truth of what happened that night the young boy died.  She referred to herself as the "Queen of Southgate"  and much of my effort to get to the truth centered around that motel.  I just adopted the name "Southgate News' as my blog title.

another asine article

5 Ways You're Drinking Water Wrong

By Grant Stoddard

A bird in the bush

A bird in the bush

  A bright red cardinal keeps hopping around on my front porch as if guarding his family from potential predators.  Momma bird is hard to see especially among the rose bushes but there she is setting on her nest bringing the next generation of cardinals into this world.  Who knows, one of those cardinals may one day be the pope. 

vegetable gardens

  I'm interested in what you are planting, if anything, for the 2017 growing season, especially vegetables   I've grown watermelons and cantaloupes successfully as well as the regularly grown vegetables but year to year success has been spotty.  One year everything drowned because of too much rain and several years I got very little because of the lack of rain.  Another year I had to replant because of a much later than  normal frost and  I have had crop failures due to it getting to hot to soon. 
  Last year I had a bountiful peach crop but all my peaches disappeared one night.  The cause remains a mystery.  I have some peaches this year but not abundantly like last years crop.  I netted my blueberries this year.  I had plenty in 2015 but last year they disappeared just like my peaches did. 
  But of everything I plant, tomatoes are my favorite/  I have not really had a good crop since I've lived here.  When I resided on Davis Country Road the land was old farm land with deep dark rich top soil and I harvested so much stuff from a 14 x 14 foot garden and I had it all from cucumbers to watermelons.  But things just don't grow in hard red clay. 
  Last year I tried beating the odds by planting in buckets but I don't think I did it right.  Just putting plants in buckets will cause the plants to get too much water the first good rain and drilling holes in the bottom of the bucket causes the water to drain out too fast.  I put plates underneath the buckets but that really didn't help all that much.  Still, I had a descent crop of tomatoes and peppers.
  I'm trying something different this year.  I fixed a place on the side of the house for a raised garden and filled it with garden soil four inches deep.  The space gets morning and evening sun but is shady
for a few hours in the afternoon.  So far the tomatoes and pepper plant seem to be growing well .  A few years back I did have success in a section near my present location.  The plants were tall with plenty of crop but the tomatoes had no flavor. The tomatoes seemed like they would never ripen but that seemed to be a common complaint among gardeners that year.     At least where I have the tomatoes this year makes watering them much easier plus weed control is much better. 
   I'm looking forward to that first tomato sandwich.  Except for one bell pepper plant, tomatoes is all I planted.  This hard red clay was hard on garden tillers and after the last one broke I decided that with the hard clay and the lousy weather, I would scale back my vegetable gardens a great deal.  As long as I get some tomatoes I'm happy.

New Patio

  This is the completion of one of my summer projects.  I originally built this patio when I moved into my house in 2009.  I used the concrete blocks, 12" squares. some red and some grey to make a pattern and filled the area between the blocks with cement.  I had to remove a couple of blocks when I enlarged my back porch and one was broken for some unremembered reason but the two biggest reasons for rebuilding it was first it was just a little too small and the most important reason was the cement grout has become broken and cracked over time and weeds has grown between the blocks.  Last year the weeds were so thick I actually had to mow my concrete patio. 
   Being sold grey the patio isn't as pretty as it was but being a solid slab means the weeds cannot grow.  Just the extra foot around the patio makes it more functional. 
  During the summer months I really need an umbrella or gazebo tent to make the patio comfortable enough to use in the heat of the day but in the evening the sun is blocked by the house so the patio is shaded.  I enlarged the back porch and purchased a patio set and gas grill to go on the back porch since my wife has trouble with stairs and steps so we don't use the patio now as much as we did in the past but I still wanted it to look good. 

Garden Time II

Vietnam era

The mid sixties brought protests to college campuses, integration to high schools,  hippies to the west, Woodstock to New York, and free love and illegal drugs to anyone who wanted it.  There isn't any event that changed America like Vietnam did and while the United States won every battle in fought during that war it lost the war itself and we lost tremendously at home too.  God was kicked out of the schools and drugs became front and center in the hearts and minds of many of the young.  We've been fighting that part of the war ever since and getting our butts kicked in the process. 
  Personally I never took part in the protests, , never partook of any of the drugs,  volunteered for two tours of duty in Vietnam, and got through school with my faith in God stronger than when I went in.  Still, the war had a profound effect on my life, and probably not all in a good way. 

Garden time, vegatable and flower

From top to bottom: White Iris, Black Iris, Orange Iris, Purple Iris, purple/yellow Iris, Purple Heart, Purple Ice, Lily of the Valley, Rock Garden with yellow Iris, Knockout Roses, Grape vines, Fruit trees with Cherry, peach and apple tree. 

Day off to a rough start

First, I awoke at 2 am and knew that I wasn't going back to sleep so I played on the computer and did my glucose test.  At 4 I fixed my breakfast; the usual with oatmeal and eggs and coffee.  I decided to add a few Rote tomatoes to my eggs and that is when things started to go wrong.  I dropped the bowl of tomatoes when putting them back into the fridge and took time to clean them up.  Meanwhile my eggs were overcooked and the oatmeal got dry.  I spilled a little coffee on the counter and had to clean that up too. 
  After I ate I realized I had not turned one of the stove burners off  so I did and since the pan was hot I decided to cool it off with cold water.  The cold water on a hot pan caused some steam which set off the fire alarms.  The security company called the fire department before calling me to cancel the alarm.  My poor wife has been woken up twice and it's only 4:45.  I sure hope the remainder of the day goes better.

Cash back credit cards and other freebies

I have to admit that I own a credit card.  Most folks are owned by their card but I am fortunate in that I have been able to pay mine off in full every month for the past 14 years.  I have a reward card that gives me points for using the card and I can cash those points in for cash.  I recently di that and received $387.00 back.  I know the credit card company has to hate me.
  For the majority of folks offering cash back is not a money making scheme for the consumer but a gimmick to get you to go into debt faster.  After all I can afford to give you 1% back if I charge you 18.9% interest plus late fees.  Some cards charge you just to carry them around.  What kind of deal is that? 

Dave Ramsey

I'm taking a Dave Ramsey financial course at church and he makes a lot of sense.  I remember the first thing I purchased on credit.  It was in the sixties before people had credit cards and I stopped in a men's clothing store in downtown Hickory, NC.  I was in need of a belt and I had a couple of dollars.  I found a really nice one but was shocked at how much it cost.  I didn't have the means to shop around and my pants were falling down.  When I told the clerk I didn't have enough money he asked me who my parents were.  When I told him he said "Just buy it on credit."  So I did.
   I stopped in every week and gave them some money.  It seemed like the payments on that belt lasted about as long as the belt did. 
  I've found that if you can afford to make credit card payments you can afford to pay cash.  You just have to save up first.  I know we really want it now but with patience you will get what you want and remain debt free.  Many credit cards carry 18 to 21 percent interest.  If you want a big screen TV that had been $1000.00 but find it on sale for $800.00 and use your credit card to purchase it you believe you made a good deal and saved yourself $200.00.  Unless you have the cash to pay that credit card off it full then you have made a bad deal.  If you make the minimum payment on that card each moth it will take about 7 years to pay for that TV and you will pay around twice the original cost.  Not such a good deal after all.   
  Dave Ramsey has lots of good ideas and not just about credit cards.  Some are about budgeting, saving, emergency funds, insurance, etc.  If you erver have the change to go through the course it is well worth the cost. 

Mom Shares Terrifying Story About Alleged Encounter With Human Traffickers at IKEA

  The woman explains that she was with her two toddlers and her baby and her Mom at an IKEA store when two men followed them around the store for over an hour before she and her Mom made a trip to the restroom and then contacted IKEA security.  She believes she was the target of human traffickers. 
   The incident probably happened but I seriously doubt it had anything to do with human traffickers.  They may have been interested in kidnapping the baby or looking for the children to distract her or her mother so they could slip[ off with a purse or two. 
  If, in fact, they were traffickers in the sex trade they would not last long.  First of all, traffickers don't kidnap mothers with their children present in public places.  They prefer women who are young, venerable, and unattached.  Most traffic victims go willingly because they have no other place to go or find themselves in a situation that it is impossible to get themselves out of. 
  No, I think most likely one of the guys saw something he liked and just wanted to sneak a peek.

Extra Income

I'm retired and receive enough money to replace what I had earned when I worked/  However my wife suffered a brain aneurysm 3 years back so her income has dropped significantly.  Our income is enough to sustain us  but doesn't leave much room for extras.  I had written a book a few years back but it has all but stopped producing income and the articles I had published were one time deals.  I did write some for the local paper but those were free-bee articles. 
  I thought about taking a job but I really hate the thought of punching a time clock again.  Writing won't do it for several reasons:  I don't have the great American novel inside me and the competition is stiff for paying positions  and those would probably go to the younger crowd who are better trained and more ambitious. 
   I suppose I could generate revenue by putting ads on my blog but then I would have to get wildly popular and what I am expert at  isn't in big demand.  
   I guess I'll just suck it up and deal with it. 

The case for Christ

I changed churches a month or so ago and I'm really glad I did.  I am now attending Academy Street Baptist (yes, the church on the hill near the SECU and Thomas Tire.  The pastor is young (just 29.  he is the first pastor I've ever had that uses expository style preaching and he does it really well.  The church was once community church but is now a Baptist church.  It has everything needed to be a first class facility except a baptistery.  The congregation is mall and not as faithful to the church as what I'm used to but they are good people and rather friendly. 
  The music is traditional which I really like I would like for the church to grow, become more faithful while retaining that small church friendliness.  It just seems harder and harder to get people interested in church.  More and more the church and Christians are mocked and Christ is rejected.  It seems the more we need Christ, the less people care. 
  Our country is in grave danger from our enemies yet we open our borders and welcome them in with open arms, we approve and even encourage the acceptance of decadent life styles, think that killing unborn children is our right and just an effective method of birth control, and that the one thing that America needs most is not only rejected but made fun of. 
  The older I get and the more I learn about Jesus the more I am convinced that the country needs to turn to Christ.  If we don't I don't believe this country will survive as it is today. 

spring/summer projects

 Last year I built a privacy fence but really didn't want to put much money into it.  The reason for the fence is that when we are sitting at the dinner table and the neighbors are on their back porch we are looking at each other.  It is as if we are staring at them.  I made the fence by putting 4 x 4 posts into the ground 8 ft apart and then putting sheets of plastic lattice between the posts.  The idea worked great but over time the posts became wobbly and the lattice was too flexible so I decided to fix the problem. 
  I dug new holes, dropped the posts in the hole and filled the holes with concrete.  Then I nailed strips of 1 x 4 between the posts and then attached the plastic lattice to the 1 x 4 strips.  That keeps the posts upright and the lattice from flapping in the breeze. 
   Another project I wanted to do was rebuild my patio.  I built it originally using the concrete landscaping squares one gets at the big box hardware stores.  Some were red and the others just regular concrete gray.  The finished product looked really nice but over the years the concrete grouting dried and cracked allowing grass and weeds to grow between the blocks.  I also didn't get all the blocks perfectly straight so the patio had low and high spots making the table and chairs a little wobbly.  Seems I have problems with wobbly., 
  It was time to redo the patio and I also needed to make it just a little larger.  so I added a foot to each end changing the patio from a 10 x 10 to an 11 x 11.  This time I framed the area using 1 x 4's and filling in the area with 1520 lbs of concrete (19 80 lb bags).  Not only is the patio level, it is large enough to accommodate my table and chairs and there is not way weeds are going to be growing on my patio. 
  I was rather surprised by the weeds because I did use a weed barrier under the original patio but I suppose it must have deteriorated. 
  The only other project I wanted to do was to make a new vegetable garden space.  The summers are too dry around here and with a yard of red clay not being the best medium for growing stuff in my gardens have had mixed reviews.  Last years I tried growing my stuff in containers which worked better than a regular garden but had it's drawbacks too.  This years I built a raised garden on one side of the house and filled it full of good quality garden soil.  The area is small, maybe 4 feet by 30 feet
but it is big enough for a dozen tomato plants and a few pepper plants.  The area gets morning sun and evening sun and is shady during the middle of the day plus it is close to a water source so hopefully it is the perfect tomato garden spot. 
  Except for planting, my summer projects are done.  I am contemplating coating my patio with a thin coat of cement to make it smother but for now I'm not convinced that is necessary.  Maybe I can find time to go fishing this summer.  I don't have all the church projects to do no nor nearly as many projects around the house.
  I did have a peach tree to die but it looks like I will actually have a peach crop this year.  Mu apple trees are in bloom for the first time ever so I'm looking forward to that.  H
hopefully my cherry trees with have cherries this year.  I covered my blueberry bush with a netting as last year the berries disappeared when they ripened and I didn't get any for myself.  I am also looking forward to some fresh grapes and picking blackberries for the freezer.
  Yes, I'm really looking forward to a relaxing summer.    

Another classmate gone

  I graduated from the largest class that ever graduated from Hickory High School (officially known as Claremont Central) and am at the age when classmates passing away isn't that uncommon.  It seems ever three months I get an update on a classmate dying.  The latest one was a friend of mine.  We were not the best of friends.  I really only had one really close friend but we lost touch after we went off to college and he transferred to another school and then joined the Navy.  It seems no one knows what ever happened to him. 
  I had a secret crush on one girl who eventually married the guy that was always my rival for my position on the baseball team.  He became a big star for Lenoir-Rhyne College baseball.  He died a few years back and his widow has Altzimers.  It seems the people whom I was closed to are either dead or have not been heard from in many years.  I think that is strange. 
  Still, most of them had successful lives and long marriages to their first spouses, which speaks volumes about the different values we had growing up that generations since then.  I am just about the oldest member of my graduating class as I was born at that awkward stage where I would have had to start school at 5 in order to be with my age group.  In my junior and senior years of high school that age difference played to my advantage but that is a totally different story. 
 Even though I have only run into a couple of my old classmates throughout the years as I have never been to a reunion, I still miss them when they are gone.  Rest in peace dear friends.

Random acts of kindness

  I had just finished a visit home after "a" school and was heading to Charlotte to catch an Eastern flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico  for my first duty station.  Mom was driving but two girls in a car in front of us keep waving at me.  Made me feel good but I know it was my dress blues that they found attractive.   While boarding the plane, the stewardess that checked my ticket said she would come sit with me once the plane took off  and then the stewardess standing at the entrance to the second class section told me to have a seat in first class. 
  Never in my life have I ever been treated so kind, before or afterwards.  I was really sad when Eastern Airlines went out of business but it was the kindness of those ladies who gave comfort to a sailor leaving America for the first time.  It's been fifty years now but I still feel good when I think of them.