One of Alabama’s first governors was named Chauncey Sparks, my grandmother’s maiden name was Sparks, the owner of the old Birmingham Barons baseball team was called Sparks DeMent. Both noun and verb- sparks- could describe all three of these individuals. Yet I suppose my favorite definition is a ‘glimmering particle’ which imparts an emotion. This is what New York Times bestselling author, Marie Kondo speaks of so eloquently in her two books, ‘the life changing magic of tidying up’ and ‘spark joy’. I have read the first- the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing, all the way through and have finished most of what she suggests. All throughout she speaks of keeping ‘whatever sparks joy’ and discarding what doesn’t. I found her writing style so charming- she could be a southern girl the way she says- ‘tidying up’! Everything we do here is ‘up’…’clean up, make up, mess up, mop up, wash up’…! Marie Kondo is a successful smart lady from Japan. Her methods really work. I have dipped in and out of her second book, ‘spark joy’ , but somehow until I finish all of the tasks in the first book, I cannot move on to the ‘master class’ in next one. That’s how powerful Ms. Kondo’s books are! They spark something inside me that I know is true, they inspire me because I have glimmering particles of joy each time I look on my bookshelves, in my closet and drawers which have been the recipients of her advice! Take a peep inside a few of my drawers, they were done months ago. I realize there are enough striped shirts to outfit the Royal Navy, but my drawers have stayed organized just like she suggests. Better yet? I can find things, I can put things back, I like what’s in there and it truly does ‘spark joy’ when I look in those drawers!
Now, I know writing about peeping inside a lady’s drawers alongside the words – ‘grandmothers, governors and baseball barons’ is scandalous especially in Alabama, but Marie Kondo’s books are just too full of ‘sparks of joy’ not to shamelessly let you in on it! I hope you will read them both and let me know what you think.
Love y’all, Camellia
http://amzn.to/1S1UmWG ‘the life changing magic of tidying up’ by Marie Kondo
http://amzn.to/1N1xdMK ‘spark joy’ by Marie Kondo
In an earlier post we talked about shoppin’ our closets, the pantry and fridge- working down what we have on hand. This week, we cleared out the pantry and found 3/4 of a loaf of raisin bread, some raisins, a can of evaporated milk and a jar of hot fudge sauce. In the south we love our bread puddings! Raisin Bread is almost perfect for a good bread pudding but how could we make this one different? Bread pudding usually has a hard sauce for the topping- we had the jar of Hot Fudge Sauce and who doesn’t like chocolate covered raisins? Hold the popcorn at the movies, give me some chocolate covered raisins! So, what about a hard sauce made with raisins, rum, and hot fudge sauce? We keep some ‘likker’ here just for medicinal and cooking purposes you know…whiskey, bourbon and rum are ‘must-haves’ in the southern kitchen, almost like strings of pearls and white blouses in a southern lady’s wardrobe, got have those accessories! We had plenty of eggs, milk, pure cane sugar and vanilla extract so we were set!
”When we have suffered the losses that life brings… We know by experience to look for signs. Our instinct whispers in the small things, the gentle rain, a rainbow, a breeze warmed by the sun. The earth welcomes the seed which will sprout, the first tender leaves push up through the garden soil. Our souls begin to stir, knowing the seasons are turning again. Remembering the harsh lessons of winter; knowing full well that nothing on this earth lasts forever. Leaves wither, grass turns brown, and plants die down. Snow blankets the jeweled leaves of autumn -the soil is enriched. The earth is changing ever so quietly, as the days lengthen. We know, as sure as there is springtime -everything can begin again- a fresh start, bright, beautiful and new again. ‘With God all things are possible’.
I noticed when I was weeding the front beds today, that when I was yanking whole wads of them out, it felt more like being mad. When I eased the weeds out carefully I was more aware, slowin’ down does that! Weeding is a constant in gardening. By slowing down a bit, I had an odd sensation- something very akin to gratitude for the weeds, what?!? Yes you read that right! Weeds are place keepers in the soil to stall erosion, otherwise every downpour would muddy up the drainage ditches! These very place keepers caught my eye, before I pulled out those spiky things at the base of the irises a faint waft of garlic rose. I realized they were garlic chives! Probably a carryover from when I divided the irises! Garlic chives are not easy to find in garden centers, in fact they are highly prized herbs. Chopped and added to softened butter, garlic chives add something nothing else can- to bread, a baked potato, a crisp cracker or even melted over warm shrimp. I was delighted to find them since the other patch I have has almost played out. But they don’t look right where they are and it’s not time to dig iris tubers so they’re staying where they are! The beauty of garlic chives is in the Beholder’s Eye. Weeds may be ‘fine plants’ waiting to be discovered. Take a look at the Oxalis below-
An old gardener complained to me once, ‘I can’t ever get rid of that old Oxalis, its everywhere!’ I know he yanked out, rooted up every one he ever found, they were the bane of his existence in his garden! Years later I was working at a fine garden center, around St. Patrick’s Day potted up just as pretty as could be, were blooming Shamrocks! The common weed was elevated to a fine gift plant! And imagine my surprise, while working there, to find the bane of my lawn, Ajubaweed, was sold as a groundcover! It’s the Rule of the Beholder’s Eye. Right about now in my area, the daffodils have finished blooming but…the foliage is all flopped over; don’t just run a mower over them or weed-eat them all up. No, no, no, I’m going to show you a ‘love knot’ for the floppy foliage- 
Daffodils need the food in the foliage to come back strong next year! It doesn’t take long…just tie the long stems into knots and they will look tidied up! The ‘Moral of the Beholder’s Eye’ is this- how we view everything whether plants, events or people determines their value, their worth. There is no truer saying than ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. The greatest lessons can be learned on bended knees in a garden! So, put on your Beholder’s Eyeglasses and tell me what you find!
When I was a little girl, in early spring a man with a rigged up produce truck came to our neighborhood, with windows rolled down we could hear him as he called out…’Ber-ries, straw-ber-ries!’ It was an exciting sound, ‘Momma, Momma, it’s the strawberry man!’ We’d run to the road waving our arms for him to stop…gears grinding down he would roll to a perfect stop, so that the open wooden shelves could be seen. Little balsa wood pint boxes of perfect strawberries were displayed and exclaimed over. As we were dancing on tiptoe to get a better look, the strawberries would be bought- always more than we needed, always a few juicy ones that had to be eaten right away! To this very day, it is one of my most vivid childhood memories. As a young adult I was delighted to see strawberries growing in rich dark soil, the runners connecting the mother plants to their young…pale green berries hiding under leaves that looked like they had been cut with pinking shears., sweet white blossoms with sunny yellow centers, such a sweet sight! Two years ago, I decided to start my very own tiny patch, not for a big harvest more just for the fun of watching them grow and girl, let me tell you! There is nothing as sweet as a fresh picked, warmed by the sun strawberry ! Here in Alabama, it’s almost scandalous how right that groundhog was when he predicted an early Spring! I’ve been just dying to show y’all my little patch and how it’s coming along…
Camellia's Cottage 