Lawn Tchotchkes

What is it with people who feel lawns aren't complete unless they have a sufficiently gaudy display of tchotchkes?  Apparently well-mown grass, the nice patriotic touch of a flag or a discrete address plaque don't suffice.

And how many tchotchkes is too many?  Permit me to hazard an answer - one.  Is the size of the front lawn a factor in this calculation?  One would posit no, considering the answer just hazarded.  But the prevailing practice appears to be the smaller the space, the more's the merrier.  They sprout like weeds: gnomes, elves, sleeping cats, "design elements" that defy both good taste and categorization at the same time - the list is apparently endless.

Then there are the seasonal collections.  Ye gods, where do people store all this stuff?  After all, there is an inverse relationship between the size of the house & lawn and the size of the display.

Be on guard - these things sneak up on you as you drive around and are dangerously distracting.