There was a time when glass bottles were saved, returned or reused. The earth was better for it. My extremely talented friends, Steve and Sally Smith are helping our earth by repurposing and photographing reclaimed glass and other found objects. Steve uses old glass as his medium to create everything from wind chimes to major art pieces. His wife Sally takes astounding photographs! Sally sent me these photographs of old glass bottles which had me thinking of the individual beauty in each single photograph, yet what would happen if they were clustered together in a collage?
There are messages in these bottles of long ago. When were they made and why, what were they used for and further were they collected or saved? This collage of old bottles has an haunting beauty, which to me proves the truth of what Henry David Thoreau said –
‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.’
Steve and Sally Smith of Camp Creek Creations exhibit their beautiful work near and far. This weekend they will be at the Magic City Art Show in Birmingham, Alabama. If you can’t make it, please visit their website – http://www.CampCreekCreations.com or follow them on Facebook. And while you’re at it, take a look at Sally’s book- called ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’-
Before Earth Day draws to a close, let us be thankful for the beauty of the earth, and like Sally and Steve, do our part to keep it beautiful for generations to come.
Love y’all, Camellia
Let me tell you what it is…The Liebster Award is given to new bloggers by another blogger. A big southern ‘Thank you darlin ‘- goes to an amazing blogger -Agatha Chocolats ! I think I’ve gained weight just looking at her blog with all of that chocolate! You have to go see what that little Southern girl is up to! To thank her properly here is a thank you note especially for you, Agatha- 
I like Agatha’s blog because of the images she uses- some are even short video clips, the 13 recipes she does once a week, the unusual combination of mystery and chocolate is intriguing and the playful, tasteful way she produces her blog. Currently it has to be my favorite! She has inspired me to be a better blogger.
Garden centers are blooming up a storm with bedding plants, herbs and vegetables…Now is the time to start planting, but not before you take a little time to think about what needs to go where, I am a big believer in getting the planting spaces ready whether in established beds or breaking new ground. Garden chores are never done, so decide what you want to focus on first. For me, it has to be the front yard; it’s where I usually park, it’s what I see when I go get the mail, it’s what I see when I come home. This year, we have had to install a new front door (more in another post on that!) and we also had to repair the screened porch in the back, not finished yet! Most of the work is now going on out back, So you know it would have to be the front yard again this year. Here is my checklist for getting started.
Alabama Public Television has been offering up some wonderful programming for many years. I was late findin’ out about Downton Abbey but truly loved the seasons I did watch. In the meantime, I began watching other programming such as ‘Mr. Selfridge’, ‘Home Fires’, and ‘Call the Midwife’ . They have become such a breath of fresh air in television programming, such anticipated Sunday night favorites, that I researched ‘Mr. Selfridge’, bought the book ‘Jambusters’ which inspired the series- ‘Home Fires’ and loved author Jennifer Worth’s ‘Call the Midwife’ so much I ordered the series of 3 memoirs and they are page turners! The setting is in England for all of these dramas but ‘Call the Midwife’ is set in the late ’50s, early ’60s and I can remember many of the medical discoveries, the fears of infectious diseases and for sure can recall that in rural Alabama there was a lack of adequate medical care. I’ve known people who were delivered at home and heard of the high infant mortality rates . The music and clothes, the makeup and hairstyles are amazingly accurate in ‘Call the Midwife ‘ as well. You won’t read many television reviews here but these are worth checking out. We are long time supporters of public television and radio, with programming that just gets better all the time. ‘Call the Midwife’ does have mature subject matter simply because it’s about ‘birthin’ babies but even that is expertly filmed in a discreet manner. And if you’re looking for a few good reads I can highly recommend Jennifer Worth’s memoirs . Also the DVDs for the others are highly popular. Support public broadcasting, a national treasure! tell me what PBS programming y’all like!
or 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-
Camellia's Cottage 