Matters of Life and Death
Feel like doing some flag waving today and roll out a new urn design for the Urn Garden patriotic collection.
The American Price urn solid brass cremation urn features a rich slate finish, hand-engraved with an American Eagle and the American Flag. Secure threaded lid.
Comes in three styles, full-size adult urn, matching keepsake, and heart-shaped keepsake urn.
Earlier this Spring, I threw some seed down and these beauties sprang from the soil. Wish I knew what they’re called. Last fall, my neighbor let me harvest the seed, she said they were an old plant and didn’t know what they were.
Not only are they beautiful, they are hardy, the soil isn’t that great, and I haven’t done a thing to them. Added bonus: the hummingbirds love them.
If you want some, leave a comment and I’ll share the love.
Peggy Sue Smith, RIP: My nephew had a memorial tattoo done to honor his grandmother, who introduced him to the guitar and paid for lessons.
Peggy was my mother-in-law, and was an influence in launching this site. Peggy had always been the picture of health and when she died suddenly from a brain tumor, 6 weeks after diagnosis, we were all deeply affected. Peggy’s husband Ed Smith was kind enough to compose these words about Peggy:
It’s hard to put a lifetime in such a short space but Peggy Smith had a full life even though it was prematurely shortened by a malignant brain tumor in 2001 at the young age of sixty. Peggy grew up and attended schools in Springfield, MO graduating from Central High School in 1959. She had been a student worker in high school and was hired as a full-time secretary at Parkview High School upon graduation. She worked there for several years before moving to California and then returning to Springfield in the mid-seventies. She was re-hired by the Springfield School District upon return and worked there until retiring in 1998 for a total of 31 years with the School District. Peggy’s first marriage was ended in the late eighties and she was married again in 1984. She was the mother of two children, Kirk Hall and Keely (Hall) Millstead, and the grandmother of eight, five of whom were brought into her life in the second marriage. She thoroughly enjoyed their participation in sports, music and other activities and didn’t miss many opportunities to see all of them perform at their various functions. She was a great lady and has been missed much by all who knew her in the more than four years since her death.
The whole reason I forced myself on Anne of Shifting Gears was a post she wrote about her girlfriends. The day I read it I knew I had to reconnect with a childhood friend that over the last few years, frankly, I’ve neglected. Five years after starting my own business I realize that in building it, I’ve let my friendships fade. She reminded me the importance of nurturing this part of life.
In our conversation, she also mentioned that her parents had been cremated and simple wood urns were the natural choice for both parents. They didn’t want their kids to spend a lot on a funeral and didn’t want to be buried. What to do with the urns? One of Anne’s daughters suggested that since they both loved to read, why not use each urn as a bookend until a final resting place could be determined? So, Anne’s parents reside on the bookshelf in her home for now.
Polaroid image courtesy of: Square America
Recently, I had the good fortune to connect with a local blogger who inspired me with several stories of her life experiences. She graciously allowed me to share a very touching memorial service that she participated in:
My dear friend Leslie was my roommate my freshman year at Drury College and also a sorority sister. She died of cancer in 1997 and Sally and I still are pissed at her because she naturally went out in the most awesome way.
Before she died, she instructed her husband, Bob, to take a group of us to Monterey, CA for a weekend – all expenses paid at a B&B including gourmet meals and on her birthday, we all climbed aboard a boat and had the captain take us beyond the 3-mile mark where we had a memorial service and spread her ashes.
Bob brought her favorite flowers, coral roses, for us to throw on top of the ashes and we were all incredibly weepy until somone started telling “Leslie stories” which had us all in tears of laughter which lasted through her memorial luncheon at the Monterey Aquarium. Leave it to Leslie to set the bar so damned high in life AND in death!
