Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

Confessions

The Last Word on Infant Urns

Because it’s too horrible to think about. Last night I was catching up on some blog reading and I got sucked into the Funeral Sauce. He describes a trip to pick up a dead baby at the hospital:

“and she wasn’t in the morgue yet, so i brought a regular baby carrier so that i could inconspicuously carry her through the hospital with a blanket over it because they won’t let you just carry a dead baby through the hospital obviously…omg it was so terrible…we looked like brand new gay dads and everybody was staring. we were totally dressed the part.” Read more at Funeral Sauce.

She Carries Her Baby’s Ashes Everywhere She Goes

One of our clients shared her story:

This is for my best friend, Danielle, we both found out we were pregnant on the exact same day. We were due within 2 days of each other. I found out I was having a boy and she found out she was having a girl. We were both 6 months pregnant and she goes in for her sonogram and the doctor can’t find any heart beat. Her baby girl is pronounced dead and she is heart broken. She watches me go on thru my pregnancy as she waits for her day to be induced so she can have her baby. She goes in on August 23rd to have her still born and she names her after me. The baby was so small that the only option the funeral home had was to cremate her. The date is coming up to mark the baby’s birthday and this is the gift I plan to give my best friend. She carries her baby’s ashes with her every where she goes and now she can have her close to her heart. Our kids should be turning 2 together this year… my best friend walked out of the hospital to see a butterfly float to her side and land on her arm. She came home to see yellow tulips that bloomed in front of her house in the middle of August. She knew it was her daughter looking down from heaven. She knew she was there with her. This gift would mean so much to her .. especially with her daughter’s birthday approaching fast. You will never understand how happy I am to stumble upon such a gift. I know this isn’t the kind of comments that you normally see .. I just wanted to share her story.. and thank you for reading.

She bought a vial for the ashes, a small keepsake with a butterfly.  Thanks for letting us serve you.

Related: Infant Urns, the Worst Part of the Job

Urn Garden Infant Urns

American Made Urns – Pride and Prejudice

More and more of our clients prefer to support American artists as opposed to purchasing an imported cremation urn.

Eagle cremation urn
Bronze Eagle Urn Limited Edition

Often, it’s important to families that are creating a memorial for a veteran to have an American made product. That’s exactly why we curated a collection of American made urns for sale. Several years ago, a family purchased a military style cremation urn for internment at Arlington Cemetery, it was imported and the widow was less than pleased. Now, if a family selects an urn for a veteran that is made in China, I will disclose this and let them decide.  A funeral director confided that this same scenario had happened to him when the family of a deceased veteran came in for the viewing, it was discovered that the casket was made in China and they insisted on a switch to an American made alternate.

We recently had a discount shopper who ordered a brass urn and was unhappy when the item arrived. Why? Because it was made in India. She wanted to exchange it for another style.  When I pointed out that her second choice was made in China, her response was, “I don’t care.”

Really?

Imported urns often cost less than their American counterparts, but the idea that we are keeping jobs here in the USA is appealing. The artists that we work with here in the U.S. are talented, hardworking craftsman located all over the country. The memorials they are creating are beautiful tributes in wood, marble, bronze, ceramic, and various synthetics.  Urn Garden is proud to support American labor and spirit.

Thanks for letting us serve you.

Urn Garden Cremation Urns

Time to Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

wolf howling t shirtThe Border Collie known as Shadow is going down. If he makes it through the summer, or even the next two weeks…I’ll be surprised. Although, he continues to surprise me. It’s 9:00 AM and he hasn’t moved. We stayed up late last night, and it’s not unusual for him to sleep late these days. But for the last month or so he acts like he’s looking for a place to lay down. Forever.  He’s always been restless, he’s a Border Collie for God’s sake. But on occasion I’ve had to nudge him to make sure he’s still with us.

Let Nature Take It’s Course

It’s been my creed for the last couple of years, and with a couple of exceptions I’m trying to let events unfold organically. As they are supposed to happen. Death is never convenient and could complicate a national holiday. But what’s a girl to do? I’ll wait it out.