#ideally in a beautiful book that i can hold and buy and peruse at my leisure

[agir1ukn0w]

hey suzanne, you probably aren’t reading this, but if you are I just wanted to ask if you could write a book about every victor of the hunger games, with descriptions of their lives, how they won, and what happened to them after that, because I am actually frothing at the mouth wanting to know more about mags flanagan and finnick odair and johanna mason and beetee latier and wiress and the morphlings and enobaria and chaff and even cashmere and gloss. I want to know everything about these people and how they survived such brutal circumstances, please pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseprettyplease can you write something like this for us suzanne???

[ducktracy]

164. uncle tom’s bungalow (1937)

disclaimer: this is the fourth entry in the censored 11. there are dozens of cartoons not on the list that are just as vile and tasteless, if not moreso, yet this provides good insight into what we’re dealing with. with that said, this review entails racist content, imagery, stereotypes, and ideals. i do not in any way endorse these. i find them dehumanizing, gross, and wrong. and to act like they never existed in the first place would be just as insensitive. this needs to be talked about. PLEASE let me know if i say anything wrong. it’s never my intention to harm anyone, and i want my mistakes to be identified so i can own up to them. thank you for your patience and understanding.

release date: june 5th, 1937

series: merrie melodies

director: tex avery

starring: tedd pierce (narrator), billy bletcher (simon simon legree, excited little eva), lillian randolph (topsy, eliza), berneice hansell (little eva), mel blanc (dog)

this is a rather momentous occasion in tex avery’s career, a cartoon that would dictate the direction that the majority of his remaining cartoons at warner bros would take. uncle tom’s bungalow could be considered the first “travelogue” of avery’s. especially prevalent throughout 1939 and 1940, avery did a number of travelogue parodies—a narrator examines a setting as we interact with the characters, narrating what they’re up to, and learning about the area we’re exploring. this has more of a concrete storyline than many of the other travelogues, thus contributing to its quality, so to speak. tex would take another spin on uncle tom’s cabin with uncle tom’s cabana in 1947 over at MGM.

and, of course, the elephant in the room—this is tex’s first entry out of 3 in the censored 11, the other two being the isle of pingo pongo (1938) and all this and rabbit stew (1941). i don’t mean to sound like i’m making light of the impact these cartoons cast—that’s not at all my intention, but there are, undeniably, entries that are better than others. this cartoon is probably the best out of the remaining avery censored 11 entries, as well as one of the better entries in the censored 11 as a whole. that’s not in my power to decide, of course, but in terms of quality, technicalities, and polishing, this is one of the “better” ones.

a parody on the infamous novel by harriet beecher stowe, uncle tom’s bungalow illustrates the story of how little eva and topsy save uncle tom, but his refuge is threatened once the girls fall behind on their payments to the treacherous simon simon legree.

the cartoon opens with a long, beautiful pan of the rural countryside, complete with a beautiful, jaunty chorus of “swanee river/the old folks at home”. we truck in on a grandiose property, where we meet our narrator courtesy of tedd pierce as he asserts “that’s real swing, boys.”

next starts the first introduction of many, a highlight in the cartoon, if not THE highlight. we’re met with the stereotypical cute little avery blonde, vocals by the great berneice hansell as always. the narrator asks for her name, and, in a moment of greatness, she rambles on in that terminally amusing cutesy voice, giving everything BUT her name. she provides her age, her address, shows off how she can spell “cat” (”i can spell cat! uh, c-a... uh, cat. uh...c-a... uh, cat! c-a... well, anyway, i can spell dog! d-o-g, dog...”) and so forth. as both she and avery test our patience, she suddenly shows off the lace underneath her dress, getting both the narrator and audience in trouble as the narrator protests, insisting she cover herself back up. “now, all we want to know is your name!” a looney tunes staple, the girl’s outburst is surprisingly provided by billy bletcher as opposed to mel blanc when she barks “LITTLE EVA, YA DOPE!”

the narrator moves on to patronize his next subject, topsy. her introductory gag is seldom spared from being cringeworthy, but is undeniably clever. "hey, girly. step out of that shadow and introduce yourself to the folks here.” topsy makes her way out of the shadows and introduces herself, the narrator once more providing a patronizing chuckle and a “that’s cute.”

next is uncle tom himself, who, surprisingly, isn’t featured very much in this cartoon at all. the narrator comments on how feeble uncle tom is getting, remarking on the way his knees shake. uncle tom retorts how his knees aren’t shaking--he’s trucking. narrator has no response.

eliza is the next one to be introduced (obligatory comment about how we share the same name and how totally WEIRD it is to hear your name over and over and over again. how do you folks with common names survive??). as grotesque as these caricatures and stereotypes are, eliza’s banter with the narrator is very amusing. they’re both from the south, and go back and forth in jovial banter about the other being from the south. eliza’s animation is very loose, rubbery, and fun, all things considered. i know it seems i always pin him as the perpetrator for certain scenes, but i wonder if this is bob clampett animation? it seems very unlikely--he would have been working on porky’s badtime story at this time as a director. yet, chuck jones, who also moved to iwerks’ unit with clampett before clampett took over, also does animation in this cartoon, so it’s not completely out of the question. it is unlikely that this is clampett, though. just a guess. her movements are very reminiscent of daffy’s exit provided by clampett in porky’s duck hunt.

and, of course, every cartoon must have a villain. chuck jones animates simon simon legree, who you’ll recognize as the villain from milk and money. the name simon simon is a take on popular french actress at the time simone simone. very clever indeed. chuck jones’ animation is top notch as always--in fact, the introductory pieces for every character, gross and cringeworthy as some of the designs are, are very well animated and full of great character acting. 

even the narrator is not immune from puns: “and last but not leashed is the hounds.” a skillful ear will note that the underscore is “my little buckaroo”, the name of a 1938 friz freleng merrie melody. daffy also sings it in the opening of the daffy duckaroo in 1942 (not to be confused with the 1954 chuck jones cartoon my little duckaroo). the dogs hardly display any signs of enthusiasm as they snooze on the porch--the gray dog troubles himself enough to lift his head up and give a gravelly “hello.” courtesy of mel blanc. that’s that.

the introductory portion, taking up half the cartoon, comes to a close as the narrator asks if all of the characters are ready. they all give the affirmative (perhaps most notably little eva responding “you said it, dark, tall, and bow-legged!”, as well as the apathetic dog grunting that there ain’t nothin’ else ta do). this whole entire scene is far from perfect--stereotypes are abound and caricatures are grotesque, yet this serves as a landmark in tex’s warner bros career. there isn’t even a fourth wall to break--there is no fourth wall. we are completely immersed with the characters, and the characters are completely immersed with us. they feel real, alive, and with us, all the while holding onto the notion that there is an underlying sense of performance. the most immersive of characters act like they’re putting on a show, coming from an actress herself (i use that loosely and coyly, i was the lead in my senior musical and was in quite a handful of other plays). broad movements, exaggerated dialogue. the more unbelievable, the more believable. cartoon acting is a strange world!

“here we go, camera!” the narrator announces as a warning. and a warning is right. it’s important to remember that this is a parody of the stage adaptations from harriet beecher stowe’s book, not the book itself. not that a parody makes it okay--it doesn’t. and that’s what we need to remember. 

we are greeted with simon simon legree’s slave company, as well as billy bletcher’s haunting laugh and avery’s favorite theme for the villain. legree cracks his whip, and we are reminded just how treacherous and despicable this man is as we see the whip physically snapping its “fingers”. the next scene is a grotesque and racist (well, that’s a given) display of social commentary as we see slaves lined up against the fence, advertised with signs that liken them to a used car sale. absolutely brutal, commentary or not. but, again, it must be noted.

uncle tom is one of the slaves for sale, who the narrator desperately attempts to warn to escape. terrible as this sequence is, uncle tom provides a great one-liner as legree threatens him with his whip. “my body might belong to you, but my soul belongs to warner brothers!” 

meanwhile, little eva and topsy hold hands, frolicking and skipping with deliberately annoying singing as they stumble across legree’s site (as the satirical signs help us remember). they hear the whip cracks, and both girls dart in front of uncle tom in an attempt to stop legree’s abuse. eva protests “stop! stop! we’ll buy the nice old man!”

very amusing is the next scene as we watch legree negotiate business deals with two 6 year old children. more wonderful chuck jones animation, of course. “here’s your contract! but remember, if you fall behind in your payments, i take him back!”

thus, the girls take uncle tom home, and all is well. for now, anyway. time marches on as we watch snowdrifts pile on the grandiose property from the beginning, even prompting the narrator to remark “my, my, how time does fly.” 

“looks like bad news, folks,” the narrator ever so helpfully quips as we spot legree’s business. a wonderfully grotesque hand helps to further the entire sickening feeling that is inherent with legree as he peruses topsy and eva’s checking account: they’re three months behind on their payments. legree saunters through the snow with that delightfully absurd villain walk as the narrator frets, wishing to warn the kids.

“jiggers, kids! ditch uncle tom--here comes legree!” with some quick thinking, the girls throw uncle tom through the portrait displayed so ornately on the wall.uncle tom places his face in the position of the face that was there just seconds before. 

i didn’t mention this, but this is irv spence’s first scene in a tex avery cartoon. spence is a WONDERFUL animator and one of my favorites. the way his characters move is nothing less than tantalizing. legree bursts in and berates the kids on uncle tom’s whereabouts. eva protests “we don’t know, so THERE!” followed by a “so there!” from topsy. the way the girls push their bodies, how strong the line of action is, how defined the silhouettes are... absolutely beautiful animation, all things considered. they even make chuck jones’ next scene seem inferior, and that’s quite a feat. legree spits that he’ll find uncle tom, no matter what, as we see animation of him slithering across the ground, reused from milk and money.

he slithers across the floor to where the couch is, per the narrator’s guidance. “getting warm... warmer... warmer... warmer...” he’s getting warmer, alright--thanks to the narrator’s quick thinking, legree feels around underneath the couch, his fingers dangerously close to an electrical socket. all according to plan as legree is electrocuted, spasming and flailing around in a bright array of colors. as legree recovers, he does not at all fancy the narrator’s joke of “boy, you’re burning up!”

more irv spence animation as legree threatens to whip the girls within an inch of their lives, until another animator takes over and gives us this take that... speaks for itself how tasteless it is.

nevertheless, irv spence provides animation once more as the narrator recruits eliza into action. eliza scoops up the girls and runs out of the mansion, the narrator commentating on the chase like it’s a horse race. legree whistles, and we are reminded of the lazy dogs from the beginning, who are still snoozing on the porch, covered in snowdrifts. legree resorts to sniffing out eliza’s tracks like a dog himself, and in a twist of tex avery greatness, one of the footprints kicks legree right in the ass.

the chase persists as legree now has his hounds, the hounds chasing after eliza. eliza halts when she approaches a lake: it hasn’t frozen over, no way to cross. another frequent favorite used by tashlin, iwerks, and now avery as eliza panics, trying to think of a way to cross. the narrator croons “relax, eliza, now don’t get excited, don’t get excited...” eliza retaliates with the famous “EXCITED?? WHO’S EXCITED?? I’M NOT EXCITED!!!” 

as legree gets closer, the narrator indicates a slot machine--an avery favorite used since his debut with gold diggers of ‘49--where eliza can get some ice. eliza slips a coin in, and hits the jackpot. giant bricks of ice tumble out of the machine, forming stepping stones across the lake. a long shot of eliza and the girls trying to escape from legree, who has also approached the ice blocks.

eliza lands on the shore, as does legree and the hounds. as the hounds bark at the victims, legree readying his whip, the narrator giving a dramatic “and the winner...!”, the suspense is broken by the sound of a car horn.

“...is uncle tom. looks like the old boy has collected on his social security!” an avery staple as we see the victorious old man triumphantly holding up his winnings in his grandiose car. a cut gag from daffy duck and egghead also has daffy crying about how he shouldn’t be killed, he still has to collect on his social security. definitely a trend in the avery-verse! 

uncle tom forks over a bundle of cash to legree, who accepts it begrudgingly and stalks off. the girls are thrilled. eva asks “why, uncle tom! where did you get all that money?”

what better way to end a racist cartoon by perpetuating more stereotypes? uncle tom throws two dice on the ground, who land snake eyes. yet, lo and behold, the dice roll over to reveal a 7. another avery iris out gag as the iris closes, leaving the dice on the black screen. the iris opens to allow uncle tom to fish the dice back into the cartoon, ending the cartoon as the narrator sardonically croons “and there you have the story of uncle tom’s bungalow! ...or have you?”

i will give this cartoon credit: this is the best entry from the censored 11 we’ve seen yet. i don’t like to put it like that, because it’s not, and should not be a popularity contest, but the quality of work in this cartoon is undeniably superior in comparison to the other works we’ve seen. i will say that i personally like this better than the previous entry, clean pastures, despite its jolly music score. this cartoon has some wonderful animation by irv spence and chuck jones, and the entire first introductory half is pretty extraordinary, all things considered. in fact, the rest of the cartoon, in my opinion, doesn’t quite match the momentum brought on by the first half. the first half is slow, yes, but it’s filled with wonderful character acting and animation. the chase scene between eliza and legree doesn’t quite have the same avery snappiness as other previous chase scenes. it becomes rather droll, despite the narrator’s amusing, if not redundant at times commentary. frank tashlin would rival tex avery in terms of speed and quality, and that would serve as a great thing--those two would always play off each other as a result, and cartoons got better.

but, with all that said, this is still an abhorrent cartoon in many ways. stereotypes and caricatures are abound, and scenes are uncomfortable, if not plain cruel at times. of course historical context is important--one must always keep that in mind--but this still remains as an inexcusable display of racism, even if this is a parody. racism is racism. and, because of that, i still can’t recommend this cartoon, or really any of the cartoons on this list. this cartoon is more lighthearted than the previous entries, and i would never call it entirely innocent, but it doesn’t feel as nasty as previous entries like, say, sunday go to meetin’ time. this cartoon has quality, but it has many, many problems. 

so, as always, i will provide a link--obviously view at your own discretion.

[veronicawattpad-blog]

Bambi (Werewolf #1) Chapter 5

Hello everyone! I am really grateful for all the support you guys are showing me on this platform. If you feel I am deserving of something more than do not hesitate to share some coffees with me on the ko-fi platform, I am looking to buy a new laptop and each dollar helps. 

She could feel his stare, it was unnerving.

"The Great War fifteen years ago, how much do you know of it?" he asked carefully.

"Not much" she said softly, "my parents died and you l-lost your e-eyesight."

He hummed and nodded.

"There have been a lot of wars in the werewolf history, between magnificent packs, but that's all they were. Wars between two packs and one emerging as a leader, it was barbaric but nothing compared to the Great War."

Bambi listened to him with rapt attention, Maximus never told her of the Great War.

"The Great War was one that included every pack on this planet; possibly, I don't reckon one pack that didn't play a part. Each and every pack was affected and everyone lost something or the other. The battleground for the Great War was of course King Dmitri's Castle in Romania," he said.

Just then the thunder erupted and Bambi whimpered.

"If you are getting scared then I can stop..."

"No," she quickly whispered.

"There were two main factions with regards to the Great War, two major camps. The first was the Royal camp while the other was the Reprobate camp or you can also say the Rogue camp," he said.

"The Royal Camp included the packs that were fighting for the royal family, which included my pack, your pack, Alpha Leonardo and Alpha Vasiliev's pack. The Blackwood and the Knight pack were with the rogues," he explained. She saw his jaw clenching.

"But why w-were they with rogues?"

"Because The Blackwood and The Knight had ... issues with the way the Royals ran the kingdom. They were not given a space in the council despite proving their mettle apparently and some other stuff as well," he explained vaguely, Bambi made note of them.

"Anyhow, the Great War then happened, your parents fought valiantly and they lost their lives and I my eyesight," he finished.

She didn't like the story but didn't say that to him. She had to research upon this, she felt like she should.

"T-Thank you," she mumbled.

He could probably sense her curiosity but didn't say anything.

"So Alpha Hunter and Alpha Hades... a-are they g-good now,"

"No one is good," he said.

"Okay," she mumbled.

"Yes, now let's go to sleep,"

***

It was the next day and she could feel the boredom set in already, there was absolutely nothing to do in this house and she was in no mood for painting however she was definitely in the mood for researching and that's what she wanted. She smoothed her dress and stood beside Ekon who was perusing through a file with the help of Beta Ryland.

"The Northern Pack needs to pay a price if they want protection," Ekon muttered.

"We could send in a proposal, what do you suggest?"

"Not a lot but I want four hundred of their men to train under our pack's warrior training regime, I feel that's what that pack needs, their security systems are lousy as hell," Ekon snapped.

"Right,"

"Schedule a meeting with the Alpha of their packs,"

"You are free on the 10th of September,"

"That is..."

"A month from today," Bambi said softly and daringly placed a kiss on Ekon's cheeks.

Ekon stiffened before turning to her, his gaze was tender and gently pulled her on his lap and placed a kiss on her nose, Ryland looked everywhere except at them.

"So it is done, 10th September, meeting with their Alpha, till then I will send them our detailed proposal it will give them the time to mull over things,"

Ekon nodded and dismissed Ryland and turned his attention back to Bambi.

"Why do I feel that you want something?"

"C-Can I g-go outside of the h-house?"

His hands tightened across her waist the moment that sentence left her lips, she gulped and bit her lip in fear, was she getting too comfortable too soon?

"Why do you want to leave the safety confinements of this house?"

"I w-want to explore the pack a little a-and I w-was getting a l-little bored as w-well," she mumbled quietly.

"You will get bored at the pack offices as well; they are not an interesting place to be at,"

"Oh... umm, do they have a l-library?"

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why the sudden interest in a library?"

"I like to read books and Mrs Land said that a new book club too was starting and I was wondering if I could join it," she said.

Ekon stared at her before carefully nodding.

"You can stay there for a few hours, my third-in-command will be with you, she can protect you and be your guard, don't try to befriend her though," he said. Bambi nodded, excited at the prospect of visiting a library.

She just hoped she could make a book club over there since she had lied in the name of Mrs Land.

"Ok then, get ready," he said and she ran to their room.

She slipped on a pair of jeans and a full sleeve t-shirt, she brought out her book-bag and put her phone, her notebook and stationery inside. She wore her shoes and ran downstairs, Ekon and his driver were standing waiting for her. She waved Mrs Land goodbye, she had to turn her lies into truth for the sake of Mrs Land.

They sat in the car and drove towards the library, she couldn't contain her excitement. She looked outside and saw the lush green forest pass by before they turned towards a road that that simply read library. The car stopped in front of a large wooden house, stylishly built of course, it looked very sturdy and was humongous. Ekon wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked inside.

A tall woman in dark blue jeans and fitted shirt stood at the entrance.

"Good morning Alpha Ekon," the Gamma greeted. She looked a beautiful exotic princess with her caramel skin and dark black hair in a high ponytail. Her eyes were dark brown and big and her features sharp. She wore a nose ring as well.

"Bambi this is Kalindi Shetty, my third in command, she has trained in various martial arts under the tutelage of experts in the Himalayas, and she is also very much adept with creating efficient strategies,"

"Oh...b-but why is an i-important person like Gamma Supreme looking after me, A-Alpha you can send in anyone else..."

"You are very important person, as important a Luna can be," Kalindi said, her voice a sensual song, scaring little Bambi into self-doubt.

"Right, Kalindi, I want you to take care of your Luna, see to it that no one from the book club troubles her,"

"Will do Alpha, I have already filled her form for joining the book club as well," Kalindi said and winked at Bambi. Bambi's eyes widened and she placed her palms on her lips to stop herself from gasping. Kalindi was lying for her!

Ekon turned to her and gave her a tender smile.

"I will pick you up in a few hours,"

She saw him drive away and fearfully turned to Kalindi who stood with a mischievous smile on her face.

"You owe me Luna Bambi, there is no book club at our library of course now you are starting one, may I know the reason for this blatant lie?"

"Uh... I was g-getting bored,"

Kalindi cocked her head to one side and stared at her.

"I know there is more to it but I will get that out of you later," she said, "meanwhile I want you to meet your new friends since I am sure Alpha would've said that I couldn't be yours,"

Bambi nodded and followed her inside the library. The library was absolutely empty yet well-equipped and clean.

"No one really comes to the library, except for some high school students for their project research work and sometimes the pack office when we have to refer to same age old werewolf books for creating laws or strategies, it is an ideal place for planning and plotting," she said and turned to look at Bambi.

They climbed a flight of stairs and she saw two girls sitting on the table, both Bambi's age. One of the girls looked somewhat like Kalindi, except she was very frail in built unlike Kalindi's beautiful lean body while the other girl was a blonde with grey eyes, she was slightly taller and wore glasses.

"Luna this is my younger sister, Ela Shetty and her best friend Victoria Spencer, Ela works at the pack offices as a legal assistant while Victoria is a baker by profession and every person in our pack is familiar with her mother's bakery," Kalindi introduced them.

"Hello Luna," Ela whispered, her beautiful smile showcased her dimples and black hair humg around her in ringlets.

"We thought of joining your book club because well we love to read books," Victoria said.

"Victoria is mated to Beta Ryland," Kalindi quipped.

Victoria blushed at Ryland's mention. Did she blush like that at Ekon's mention?

"Thank you G-Gamma Kalindi,"

She nodded.

"I will be patrolling around the library with a few other warriors for your protection Luna, let me know if you need anything and Mr Land, the librarian will be at the main desk should you need any help,"

Bambi nodded and saw Kalindi leave them alone. She turned to her two new friends, their eyes bright and big.

"Tell us the real reason Luna Bambi," Ela squealed.

"Oh... well..."

"Don't be shy, we are your confidants," Victoria said.

"It i-is not really t-that interesting,"

"Oh I have already picked out the fifty shades of grey for you Luna, you can take them home," Ela said seriously. Bambi's cheeks blushed, she had bought the books but Maximus caught hold of them and threw them away.

"T-Thank you but I don't need them,"

"Then what is it Luna?"

Should she trust them?

"I was here for a research, I just had a few questions that needed to be answered,"

"About what Luna?"

"The Great War,"

Victoria's eyes widened and she turned to look at Ela who had an excited gleam in her eyes.

"Why the Great War?"

"My parents passed away fighting in the Great War and I just wanted to know the circumstances that lead to it, for some closure, really,"

The excitement in their eyes dimmed.

"We can start by looking at the Werewolf Chronicles dating back to 2002-03, we will definitely find some really interesting things, I mean we need to have a good look at the events," Victoria suggested.

***

She saw Ekon entering the library and Mr land stood up almost immediately, his head lowered in respect. Ekon nodded in his direction and started to climb the stairs, Beta Ryland too was in tow. She quickly kept her stuff in her bag and motioned for Ela and Victoria to do the same. They quickly kept the newspapers away.

Ekon walked to her and placed a kiss on her cheek and slipped his hand around her waist, she blushed at his affection.

"How was your day?" he asked her.

"It was good, we decided on a few books that we would talk about," she informed him. He nodded.

"Let's go home," he said.

"We will leave too Alpha, c'mon Vicky," Ryland said to Victoria.

They waved to Ela who gave Bambi a megawatt smile. Ekon and Bambi walked out of the library and he helped her sit in the Hummer that stood waiting for them.

"Hello, yes Taylor,"

Ekon and Bambi turned to Beta Ryland talking while Victoria stood holding his free hand, listening to his conversation. Ryland turned to Ekon, his expression was serious and his lips pursed.

"We did not get any information from their pack about this?" Ryland seethed. He narrowed his eyes at what Taylor was saying on the other line.

"They cannot enter the pack without a permission slip or an invitation, they have neither. The Alpha is not going to like this," he said.

"What is going on Beta?" Ekon drawled.

Ryland placed his phone in his pocket and turned to Ekon. Bambi could feel the prickling tension in the atmosphere; whatever it was didn't seem too good.

"Alpha Hunter Blackwood is here,"

[cargadgetsdeals-blog]

Car accessories to buy online

Is it true that you are one of those vehicle monstrosities who love to spoil their hot wheels interminably? If yes, then at that point you can't not know about these 5 must-have extras.

Car Maintenance Tools And Accessories are one thing that fantasize a car lover. As a web based shopping addict, there are many that can't quit perusing web based business entries for my knick  knacks! Be it popular clothes, beauty care products, books, family things, or even food supplies besides. There are many people who have always hesitated and never freely tried to buy mechanic tools online. 

I am in love with my vehicle and some way or another, I wasn't persuaded of the plan to decorate my vehicle because of obscure merchants. Anything could turn out badly! 

But after deeply researching here are 3 major car electronics accessories deals that you can grab. 

1. Car floor mats

During rainstorms or in any season so far as that is concerned), it's irritating to see the lodge floor get messy with sloppy shoes and dingy water. No one would have any desire to spend too much on uncommon mats for the stormy season. In this way, people  chose to get vehicle floor mats to evade inside harm to the vehicle. The ongoing models are built utilizing the most recent innovation that guarantee quality and fit as well as are intended to hold water, soil, and flotsam and jetsam. For the most part, they are made of elastic and can be effectively introduced and cleaned. They evade water from leaking in and harming the base.

2. Universal Device Charger

Everyone desires to redo my vehicle to cause it to feel like home. No one can't manage without my cell phone, tablet, PC and iPod. Everyone conveys my gadgets any place they go. I get it's the situation with most youths and working experts. We like to remain associated with the world and need our gadgets to be accused of ideal battery power.Therefore, a universal charger is the best . 

3. Car Bumper Safety Guard Protectors

Everyone wants their car to look new and Daily scratches are such a turn off. There are many people that are not that great at parking my vehicle. And find it such a challenge to park without anyone’s guidance and gestures. For them it is best to opt for a car bumper safety guard protector.

Keep in Mind to check on the accessories section of the online site. They have electronic and non-electronic sections. Checkout Car gadget deals for exotic Car Maintenance Tools And Accessories and get exciting offers. Visit them now!

[williamsmain]

10 Tips on How to Ignite Your Creativity and Productivity in The Garden

Would you love to learn how to ignite your creativity and productivity in the garden this coming season?

If so, then listen up.

Now is the time of year when we’re bombarded with messages that repeatedly tell us that in order  to be successful this year, we should immediately take charge, be productive, and make big changes in our lives.

My response to that is hogwash!

I’ve always felt that the focus on making resolutions and committing to change and action just because the calendar says it’s the New Year is ridiculous.

Our culture has done an excellent job brainwashing us into believing that resolutions are a necessary ritual.

To the contrary.

Rather than scurrying around trying to get your spring garden plans and purchases in order, I suggest another approach.

It may feel counter-intuitive when practicing what I’m suggesting because you’ve never approached your garden making this way. But if you give it a try, my hunch is that you’ll be more than pleased with the results.

 10 Tips on How to Ignite Creativity and Productivity In The Garden 

1. Be Still.

I can think of nothing more rejuvenating than taking time during your day to be still. Whether it’s 15 minutes of meditation in the morning, or having your cup of morning coffee or tea and gazing out at the winter landscape, just sit quietly, take some deep breaths, and let your mind be.

2. Get grounded.

This phrase may sound a bit dated but it isn’t at all. You can only get grounded when you slow down—really slow down—and start thinking about what truly matters to you.

3. Dig deep and own your values.

Spending time thinking about your values and how you want to live your life will reap significant benefits. My suggestion is that you actually keep a notepad where you can jot down whatever comes to your mind over the next few weeks.

For example, some values that are important to me are: integrity, kindness, compassion, creating beauty, connection, authenticity, generosity, and consciousness.

There are no right or wrong answers with this exercise. Write down whatever comes to your mind—this list is for you and you only.

4. Link your values to your garden-making.

You may be thinking “What is Fran talking about?”

What I’m suggesting is not difficult to do. It’s really quite simple.

If nature and gardening are an integral part of your life, then it makes sense to contemplate what mindsets you internalize and actions you take in the garden that represent your values.

Does your garden represent your commitment to creating beauty? If so, how?

Continue to ask questions in order to deepen your perspective on what’s motivating you and what possibilities are awaiting you this spring in your garden-making that you’ve never considered.

For someone like me who values integrity, how would that be conveyed in my garden making? Perhaps it would be the integrity of the materials I use to create the garden; the integrity of my soil, or the integrity of the specimens I choose to plant my garden.

5. Visit art museums.

I’m not a person who spends an afternoon in a museum for a large block of time. But even spending an hour, quietly perusing through one or two exhibits, is nutrition for an artist’s eye and soul.

You have no idea how the colors or subject of a painting or sculpture can impact decisions you make in the garden months—or even years—form now.

Try to visit museums at least 3 or 4 times over the next couple of months.

6. Change the narrative about your garden.

We tend to spend a lot of our time thinking and feeling from a scarcity mindset; feeling that we never have enough. In the garden, that can translate into thinking “ If I only had”…then my garden would be more beautiful or “I can’t because…”

Try something different this year. Write down what it is you love about your garden; it may take a few weeks to come up with a list that feels complete to you. Once you do, close your eyes, visualize what you’ve written down and sink into and experience whatever feelings arise.

For example, in one of my past gardens, I remember how I loved to sit on a periwinkle bench looking down onto my front property from a back hill in the garden.

In another garden, I loved coming out on my rooftop early morning and observing dozens of sunflowers with their smiling faces slightly bobbing in the morning breeze.

Taking on a mindset of abundance, focusing on what you are grateful for and what you love about your garden, will have a dramatic effect on your creativity in the garden.

7. Think about what you ‘deeply desire’ in your garden.

This is not about what you ‘think you can do’ this year, given your time and financial resources. Oh no!

This is about letting loose and coming up with ideas that you would want to implement if you could—with no restrictions. It doesn’t have to be logical or make sense: As a matter of fact, in most cases, it won’t.

In other words, you could garden on a small urban lot but dream about having a field of lavender like photos you’ve seen in magazines depicting the South of France. Add that idea to the list.

Once you open up the door to possibility, you’ll be surprised at how it fuels other innovative ideas that you’ve never thought of until now.

8. Practice efficiency and effectiveness.

So many of us, including me, are sloppy in our decision-making as gardeners.

A good example is seed buying. I don’t know about you but when I flip through the pages of seed catalogs and see all of the incredible offerings, my “I’ve got to have it impulsive brain” runs wild and I imagine that all of the glorious varieties I want will make for a smashing cutting garden.

The truth is that in any given year there is only room for about 25% of the seeds I’m convinced that I need.

Over the years, I’ve become more restrained in making purchases. I’ve also learned to take a thorough inventory on what seeds from last year can be sown prior to buying any new ones.

We live with the illusion that if we could have whatever we want, with no financial restraints, then our gardens would be a stunning mirror of our creative souls

Not necessarily so. When it comes to creativity, studies have shown that limitations are beneficial. They tighten up our boundaries, organize our thoughts, and get our neural pathways opened up and get us thinking in new ways.

9. Make bite-size changes in your garden this spring—if your time or commitment challenged.

Passionate and committed gardeners can be successful at making sweeping changes to their garden in one season.

But these folks don’t represent the majority of gardeners.

A lot of gardeners start off with grandiose ideas about what they plan on getting done: But after a few weeks when things don’t turn out as envisioned, they become frustrated and lose interest.

Those are often the people who end up telling me that they ‘can’t garden’ or that they have a ‘black thumb’—neither of which is true.

Studies consistently show that folks who make very small changes in their life on a daily basis have a much greater degree of success than those who start of with a flurry of excitement trying to make big changes.

So, if you’re a gardener limited on time and commitment, be realistic and do daily tasks in the garden  that can be broken down into 15 minute spurts. For example, you can set a timer to do 15 minutes of weeding in a garden bed and continue to weed it throughout the week, 15 minutes a day, until the job is completed.

This may not sound like a lot of time but once you start adding it up, you’ll be surprised at how productive gardening on a limited but regular basis can prove to be.

10. Commit to making well-thought out choices.

When it comes to selecting plant material and creating a garden design, I’m a big advocate of taking your time, working on a garden design plan that offers both beauty and efficiency, and being thoughtful when selecting plant material .

We have so much information at our finger tips today that not to research out plants before buying them or checking out a design to see if it holds up under scrutiny before implementing it negligent.

The days of walking into a garden center and buying a slew of bushes or perennials just because you love them and think they might work are so over.

The ideal situation is that you have a list of plants that you’ve researched,  know you want to incorporate into your garden, and then search out a source from which to buy them.

But if you happen to walk into a garden center (and who doesn’t?)  and find a plant that you fall in love with, don’t impulsively buy it: Rather, take a photo of it (and get all other necessary information), and then return home and envision how it will look in your landscape.

You can become spontaneous once you have the basic design and plants in place. Then play to your hearts delight with annuals, containers, seeds, and selected bulbs.

Follow these 10 tips and you’ll experience your creativity and productivity in the garden sky-rocketing this spring.

Wishing you a magical, playful, and joyful 2017!

With love, xo

Fran

P.S. Your time is almost up to take advantage of the FREE 1000 Digging Deep Book and Course Giveaway. We are almost out of stock and are closing the Giveaway on January 10th (if we have any copies left). To have a copy of Digging Deep sent to you and get immediate access to my 3 part course on “How to Transform and Ordinary Life into an Extraordinary Life”, click  here.

You can also find Digging Deep at Amazon, other online retailers and  Barnes and Noble stores.

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from Gardening Gone Wild http://gardeninggonewild.com/?p=30967