Posted on by camellia's cottage · 3 Comments

The Stalwart Pear Tree…

This little dogwood tree struggles and survives every year despite it’s poor location, yet it reminds me of another tree,  ‘The Quickened Stalwart Pear’, found in chapter 38  of my book- ‘Four Days- the Lazarus Principle’img_1996

Here is an excerpt with some added emphasis…

“Go with me…to New York City. While we were there we visited the 911 Memorial. I was expecting to be moved by it. I was expecting to feel anger. That is not what I felt – I felt an overwhelming sadness for what America had lost…the loss of a type of innocence which turned many of our people into distrustful cynics. A harsh rhetoric, indicative of anger and fear has descended on our people…the-stalwart-pear-planted

The most hopeful thing of all in that tragic somber place was a Stalwart Pear Tree, known as the Survivor Tree. It is now 30 feet tall and was the last living thing to be removed from the rubble. The tree was moved to a park in New York to see if the broken charred remains could be revived. By the spring of 2012, having survived two collapsing skyscrapers, several moves, and one hurricane, the stubborn little tree is a testament of resurrection power; a living lesson that we can survive, we can be quickened after the worst loss imaginable. Many Wounded Warriors come to the 911 Memorial to have their photo taken by the Survivor Tree. Native New York Swamp Oak trees were also planted, they are alive but are not yet thriving.

Isn’t that the choice we have? We can be alive, cloaked in grieving clothes-south-tower-world-trade-center-stalwart-pearor we can yield to the Savior who has breathed the Breath of Life into us while we are bound by our circumstances… We can struggle and thrive like the Stalwart Pear or we can merely survive like the New York Swamp Oaks. When I saw the Quickened Stalwart Pear, it gave me so much hope amidst all the sadness. So, hear this-

‘For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for your welfare and peace, and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome….you will find Me…when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you…and I will release you from all captivity…’  from Jeremiah 29″

—————————————————-

Whatever it is that is holding you back, whether sorrow or sighing,  alive but not yet thriving, the survivor of disaster or dogged with depression, I hope on this blessed Lord’s Day, you will read of the survival of the Stalwart Pear Tree and find sweet comfort in this – and in the Love of God.

Love y’all, Camellia

The Stalwart Pear – New York, 911 Memorial -images from AOL images

The Survivor Tree The Survivor Tree

Four Days- the Lazarus Principle Four Days-the Lazarus Principle

Posted on by camellia's cottage · 3 Comments

Purses, passion and pimento cheese…

imageThis is my grandmother, Betty Jo Sparks Holmes, standing by a fence in Alabama with her small son and her young brother. This photograph was taken in the late 1920’s. She was a working woman beginning in the late 50’s –  because her husband and her son were disabled. For almost 20 years she rode a bus to downtown Birmingham to work as a florist. She could squeeze a dollar harder than anyone I have ever known and get more out of it too! She was passionate about her work, her home and her family; always making sure her home was clean and beautiful and that there was something on the table that was fit to eat. To this day some of the best food I have ever eaten, the best meals I make, came from MiMi.  I still use her recipes and methods to make good food for my family or for pretty tea sandwiches –2015-06-05 12.02.11 I even grocery shop with her advice filling my head! No one ever left her home hungry; she was immensely talented and seriously funny. She believed in the old ways of putting out fresh tea towels, using the good silver often and being grateful enough to write a thank you note or compassionate enough to write a sympathy card. And she continued to do these things whether her pocketbook was full or not. This week, in her honor and in honor of other amazing women I know- I hand painted a ‘spring collection’ of notecards with cute little handbags.image

Susan B. Anthony said, ‘A woman should always have her own purse.’ This week in Birmingham Alabama, 100’s of women, with purses of their own, raised over $600,000 for victims of domestic violence. The YWCA Purse and Passion luncheon has been raising money and awareness in Central Alabama for over 15 years, they do an amazing amount of work which benefits women and children who often do not have access to safety or a purse of their own. These passionate women are proof that when a woman has a ‘purse of her own’ she can be a tremendous help and an outspoken voice for less fortunate women. The YWCA of Central Alabama is living proof that a passionate young woman named Susan B. Anthony was right about women and their ability to be a force for good and actually do need a purse of their own! In the 19th century, she began fighting for women to have the right to go to school, she went to school then began her own career as a teacher who fought for decent wages for teachers. She became convinced that women should have the right own personal property and earn a decent wage no matter what work she did. Ms. Anthony believed that the only way these things would ever become the law of the land was if women also had the right to vote. The passionate activist, Susan B. Anthony, died before women received the right to vote early in the 20th century, 1920, I believe. In Alabama, 90 years ago this week,voting rights for women weren’t  extended until 1956, more than 30 years after the rest of the nation.  Fast forward to the 21st century as famous Alabamian, Lily Ledbetter, also fought for several decades for equal pay for women. A bill with her name on it was signed in 2009- more than 100 years after Susan B. Anthony died. Yes, ‘Women should have a purse of their own.’

As a bonus, to honor these women- I will make available the closely guarded recipe for my grandmother’s award winning pimento cheese.

It is the best pimento cheese you will ever eat! If  you register your email address with Camellia’s Cottage, we’ll let you in on it! Use the sign up box or email:  brenda@camelliascottage.com

As always we will never ask for your height, your shoe size, when you started dying your hair or where you were when you got those redbug bites. We will never share your email address with anyone, we will never ask if the weight on your driver license is the same as the weight showing on your bathroom scale, we will always let you unsubscribe if you want to- but we hope you won’t, because we’ll never let you leave Camellia’s Cottage without knowing that we are grateful you stopped by! We’ll leave the light on…

Love y’all, Camellia

Grace and Grit –http://amzn.to/1XzrcBX Grace and Grit

Susan B. Anthony –Susan B. Anthony

YWCA YWCA

Visit YWCA of Central Alabama’s website – http://www.ywcabham.org

Posted on by camellia's cottage · 3 Comments

Designin’ with Barn Board…

 

red car barn- miniard

On the backroads of Alabama you will find old barns like this one Jeremy Miniard photographed. When I look at this, I think of Alabama now – from old farms and steel skyscrapers, cotton fields sidled right up next to engineering firms making technological advances these old farmers never dreamed of! Old courthouses and turn of the century homes stand not far from national championship football universities- training future scientists, engineers and teachers.  That’s Alabama for you – a study in contrasts.

Designing with Barnboard and Reclaimed Wood

The photograph of an old barn inspires me-I love the decorating trend to use old wood, old barn boards and discarded wooden pallets for interior and exterior design.  As we have been renovating the cottage, we have used a study of contrasts-

  • Old wood with marble-
  • Slipcovered sofas with French chairs-
  • Pine floors painted black
  • Shiny black doors with linen and bright white square columns.

Contrasts please the eye. Let me show you a few things we’ve done with old wood…

A French side chair with an old barn board topped table, natural sisal rug and black painted floors- the contrast of styles and even rustic with silver is lovely…

Marble countertops with a contrasting barn board tray…These trays are perfect for cheese boards or to pile up some citrus- and they are my favorite prop for photos!

In a powder room, the old cabinet seemed low so we put a nickel faucet and elevated the look by putting up ornate white brackets topped with two pieces of old wood …

And a sofa table behind the slipcovered sofa was too short, so we placed old boards on it, to extend the table, now a lamp, a plant and other items can be better situated.

Then, in the foyer, a large chest was replaced by a ‘floating’ contemporary shelf which was topped with old boards. See the old map of St. Clair County above the shelf. Now the foyer feels more spacious.

Even the deck needed to be re-done, we’re still not completely through with that but…we reused the old wood and made a planter and we bleached out the thick wood steps to prepare them for stain-

The contrasts of old rough wood with linens, rounded French curves, the sheen of marble- contrasting with fresh whites and grays- pleases us, we hope you agree! The good ol’ boys who’ve helped us achieve this still walk in and roughly say…’I never woulda thought this would look good, but it does’ . Bless their hearts.

Love y’all. Camellia

jeremy-miniard.fineartamerica.com

This article was originally posted April 13, 2016 as ‘Barnboard…’ and has been updated to include more projects!

Posted on by camellia's cottage · 2 Comments

Sparks of Joy…

image

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

Posted on by camellia's cottage

Raisin’ Cain in the Pantry…

imageIn 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!

 

image

 

 

Camellia’s Cottage Raisin’ Cain Bread Pudding

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees if baking right away.
  • Tear 3/4 loaf of raisin bread into large pieces- (we used Pepperidge Farm) in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a Pyrex 4 cup measure, crack 4 large eggs, add one can of evaporated milk, 1/4 cup of brewed coffee, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 stick of melted and cooled butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
  • With a whisk, mix the egg mixture until foamy, pour over raisin bread pieces and allow the mixture to set until the bread is completely soaked – about 15 minutes or you can refrigerate overnight.
  • Butter a 9×12 glass baking dish. Pour in soaked bread mixture. This bread pudding will rise.
  • Bake 30-40 minutes in hot oven. Do not over bake!
  • Meanwhile soak 3/4 cup of raisins in 1 cup of dark rum (we used Bacardi Dark Puerto Rican Rum).
  • Remove from oven when Bread Pudding is set and tops of bread are beginning to brown. Dot with more butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top- you can use plain sugar if you don’t have cinnamon sugar mixed up. We always have that in our pantry!
  • Lightly drain the plumped rum raisins and drizzle the excess rum over the hot bread pudding. Don’t waste any of that hard stuff!
  • Bread Puddings can be served hot or at room temperature, we let ours cool a bit while we prepared the hard sauce, Rum Raisin Hot Fudge Sauce, are you raisin’ cain yet? We never said this was going to be low cal…

Camellia’s Cottage Rum Raisin Hot Fudge Sauce 

We had a jar of Hershey’s Hot Fudge Sauce which we heated in the microwave according to directions on the jar. We spooned it into a small saucepan and added the rum soaked raisins to chocolate sauce- now, how else are you gonna make hot fudge sauce into a ‘hard sauce’ without the ‘hard likker’?

 

Darlin’ you’re gonna want to keep this recipe on hand, even if you just spoon the sauce  over ice cream! We topped our bread pudding with the Rum Raisin Hot Fudge Sauce, whipped cream and to make it healthy we added that sweet sprig of fresh mint!

Sugar Cane is grown in Alabama, that’s why we’re so sweet! Shoppin’ our pantry is going to be fun!

Love y’all, Camellia

Spring!