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Confessions of a Small Business Owner Pt. 4

April 22, 2008 urngarden.com

redbud

The red buds are peaking this week, and it smells sooo good outdoors. The Urn Garden is downwind of two monster lilac bushes that are so fragrant.

lilac

And that my friends is the problem. Or is it? There’s no separation between work and home. It’s getting better, but when you cross the threshold at my place, you immediately enter our World Headquarters. My messy desk and file cabinet, work and living space all rolled into one, it’s the first site you see when you hit the door. It’s aesthetics really, and can easily be solved. Lots of people would ignore the clutter and crossover just for the opportunity to work from home, but there has to be a more attractive and productive answer, to partition it off somehow, I feel inspiration coming.

Listen to Your Gut: Spoke with a colleague today who worked for a funeral supply company and had taken on a line of the Chinese caskets. She really wanted me to take on a territory and help move the product, she’s good at what she does, works hard, and it could be a “great opportunity”. A nice addition to my business. When someone says “Great Opportunity” my radar goes off. Call me lazy, but I didn’t want to travel, and I’ve got my own challenges with distribution without adding the bulk of crated caskets to the mix. Not to mention the YEARS it would take to establish relationships with the funeral homes that were locked up in long-term dealings with their suppliers. If ever there was a breakthrough….I just couldn’t see it.

Today she informed me that after a year or two of that back breaking business, she’s moved on to what she’s really good at. Selling pre-need.

Another Revelation: Since I left my old job four years ago, the position has turned over three times! Makes you think…was I nuts to stay there eleven years? Nah.

Filed Under: Confessions, funeral service, mental health Tagged With: Confessions, funeral directors, funeral service

Sweet Sweet Mullet

April 19, 2008 urngarden.com

Spotted a sweet mullet this weekend. One of the most exquisite, perfectly coiffed styles I’ve seen in a long while and has respectfully earned a spot in the hair hall of fame.
mullet

Side view: Nice length and shape. Well blended.
mullet

I have a virtual hair museum that you can visit on Pinterest. The guy in the camo was spotted at blues and barbeque event.

hunting urns for ashes

Later, in the year, seated in front of me at the Springfield Cardinals ball park, I was delighted to discover another beautifully styled mullet to add to the hair museum.  I do love a well-done mullet, or as we called them in the ’80’s a “Bi-Level”. This gentleman also has been added to the collection.

mullet hair style
At the peak of the trend of this particular style, I wanted this look and my mother, who was a hairdresser absolutely refused. So, my childhood friend who lived across the street, Laurie did it for me in our garage. Laurie was a couple of years older and planned to  attend cosmetology school, or as we called it:  beauty school.  She did a pretty good job, mother was not thrilled that my senior portrait would capture this moment in time.

Laurie went on to work as a hairdresser and party girl. She died in 2002 at age 41. RIP.

Filed Under: Confessions

Bleeding Hearts

April 16, 2008 urngarden.com

bleeding heart

A welcome sight in the early Spring garden. Bleeding Hearts are hardy and easy to grow (and toxic). My Bleeding Hearts have taken a lot of abuse over the years and still come back every season. The original plant in my garden has been split and divided several times and moved all about the property, been peed and trampled on by the A-Team, and still remained strong and beautiful.

They like light shade and can tolerate a heavy clay soil. Most are pink but occasionally you’ll see a white Bleeding Heart. By the end of summer, they stop blooming and turn a lime green. That’s when I cut ’em back.
white bleeding heart

The only problem? Slugs love em.

Filed Under: ash scattering, cremation, memorial garden, Memorial Service Ideas Tagged With: Bleeding hearts, memorial garden bench, memorial garden ideas, memorial garden stones, planning a memorial garden, scattering ashes, tree dedication memorial

Memorial Tips from Keith Richards

April 15, 2008 urngarden.com

keith richards
In this month’s Blender magazine Keith Richards answers a fan’s email:

Can you clear up once and for all the thing about snorting your dad’s ashes- I’ve seen you quoted as saying that you did, then that you didn’t and then recently that you did. Which is it?

Richards’ Reply: It’s about halfway in between. You want the latest story? All right, all right. I opened my dad’s ashes, and some of them blew out over the table, just because of the suction of the lid- you know what I mean? And I no longer do cocaine- I’m not allowed to since I broke my head open, otherwise I’d be right in, baby! Nothing stops the old snorter! But I can’t do it; I don’t do it. I looked at my dad’s ashes down there and- what am I gonna do? Do I desecrate them with a dustbin and broom? So I wet me finger, and I shoved a little bit of Dad up me hooter. The rest of them I put round an oak tree, which is coming up a treat. And I’m sure he’s still blessin’ me.

Filed Under: ash scattering, cremation, Memorial Service Ideas, mental health Tagged With: cremation ashes, Keith Richards

Heal Thyself

April 14, 2008 urngarden.com

horseshoe greetings

So last week I visited the doctor. The Good Doctor knows I don’t come around much; only when needed, and I NEEDED a physical. I pride myself on staying out of the health care system, but I don’t want to be a Melton Medical Mystery either!

A new computer system had been in place for almost a week, and the staff was trying to adapt. “We’re going paperless!”, they announced.

After waiting over an hour to see the doc, in a waiting room full of Sisters of Mercy propaganda and Fortune magazines, I finally got in. To the waiting room. For another 30 minute wait. But they had better mags and a pillow. So I kicked back and relaxed in my paper gown.

Pretty mundane stuff, except for this: as I was checking out, I asked for a cash discount. I’m self pay. No insurance to file.

My bill was not available because? The info wasn’t in the computer yet! One moment while the cashier called the doctor, and guess what? The doctor granted me a 50% discount! Plus, rather than have labs drawn at her place, she directed me to directlabservices.com to order the $89 basic work-up package. Saved me hundreds of dollars.

I heart her.

Overheard at the doctor’s office: “Honey, I’m 75 years old and I don’t know where I am!”

Filed Under: Confessions, Cube World Tagged With: direct lab services

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