Hello darlin’, sorry I haven’t called lately, it’s been like the Dew Drop Inn around here! The painter was here for the front door, some teenagers came by takin’ up mission trip money to witness to some folks up in Mentone, the carpenter stopped by and said yes, the screen porch is in bad shape, he’s going to try to work us in between jobs, you know how it is with an old house~ on and on…
Yes, I know I’ve been putting you off, but believe me this bloggin’ is like learning how to practice voodoo and speak German at the same time… Well, they’ve had me doin’ something called word prompts… you know I don’t use words like – misstep…who says that anyway? Around here they say ‘you can’t mess this up’ or ‘He can’t walk and chew gum at the same time’ certainly not misstep. Yes, I used it in the Green Onion blog post. Those onion roots are already popping up!
For heaven’s sake- I told you it was a word prompt- Boot Camp Word a Day from those Happiness Engineers…they send you a word and tell you to use it in your blog post that day~ on your mark, get set …go! The next word was incomplete. The only time I’ve ever said that was when your roommate was sneaking out after curfew, missed so many of her classes she was about to flunk ‘Human Behavior’ and took an Incomplete ~ though Lord knows she was out practicin’ it! The best I could do with that word was when I wrote ‘A blog is incomplete without great photographs’, I know it didn’t sound right but you have to admit Jeremy Miniard’s pictures sure were amazin’and I knew you would get a kick out of the title- ‘You really need to get out more, darlin” …you say that all the time!
Yesterday I put my foot down! The word prompt was fleeting, Lord, I about died on that one! I just sat there blank, well not totally blank….all I could think of was a Fleet’s to clear you out before you have a baby! I have never heard… not even one southern lady, coarse or common- use the word fleeting…though I will say those Fleet’s…never mind, don’t get me started! I got out the dictionary and fleeting means ‘brief, short, short-lived, quick movement’ sort of like that Peepin’ Tom …what was his name? Lightnin’ that right! Lightnin’ scared the livin’ daylights out of me when I saw his ol’ head reared up outside my bedroom window with the moonlight shining ~ before I could get out a good scream- he was gone in a flash! He was runnin’ down the alley quick as the devil! That’s what the word fleeting meant to me! Can you imagine usin’ that word for anything? What?
No, I didn’t let them know I wouldn’t be sending in the word prompt – they’re Happiness Engineers, they wouldn’t give me an Incomplete, they’d just send me another word the next day.
The best thing those word prompts did for me was to make me sit down and write a blog post for 3 days in a row- no, I just turned in 2. I felt guilty about it though… Remember when I got the Bible App? I signed up for a daily Bible reading, was so excited about it and the next thing you know I got busy and missed a day. They must have ‘unhappiness engineers’ because that bossy Bible App sent me an email letting me know that they knew I had missed a day! I’ve got enough to make me feel guilty without that going on! My face looked like death sucking on lifesaver I was so upset. I put up with it until the third notice. I’m ashamed to admit it but I removed that App! I can take care of my daily reading on my own thank you very much! I know…don’t remind me, you got a badge for reading yours everyday.
Yes, darlin’ I’m going to do it right now… I’m going to drag and drop your precious face right smack dab at the bottom of the page….yes, honey, watch for it…you’ll love it- glad you called. Bye…love you too!
Okay y’all, in honor of Best Friends Week and without further ado…here she is…Allie Mac! My own sweet friend who knows a whole lot more about nothin’ than I do! She’ll have her own page and everything- watch for it! Love y’all, Camellia
Allie Mac
Hi, my name is Camellia, a fictional character who is an Alabama girl born and bred. Brenda Wyatt created me as a composite of the finest ladies from her home state who will share good things about life in the south. Alabama is a place where we love our folks, our friends, our homes, humor and hospitality. My name comes from the state flower, the Camellia. You might call it a shrub, but if you live here you either call it a bush or just say- ‘Would you look at that Camellia’. Like Brenda told me, ‘Darlin’ your name is gonna be Camellia; it’s the epitome of a southern lady- but like me, it blooms in the dead of winter’. Shh…don’t tell it- Brenda is of a ‘certain age’, but she’s decided to flourish later in life and learn some technology! At some point I hope to introduce you to my fictional friend (what other kind would I have?) named Allie Mac, a play on Camellia spelled backwards. 
Brenda was conflicted as to which character would be the main one. Thank the Lord, I’m the one who won out, Allie Mac is always telling me I need to update and I’m the one telling her we need to do things like we’ve always done. That’s how things are in Alabama- embracing the future and hangin’ on to what’s good about our upbringing. We were taught to write a thank you note, not an email or a post on social media but a real thank you note on real paper written with a real pen, put in an envelope with a real stamp from the US Post Office. It’s just the right thing to do.
Camellia's Cottage 