A Walk to Remember

*This post mentions pregnancy and infant loss.*

I've spent the last couple of weeks reflecting on the past. A friend of mine posted on Facebook about a group called A Walk to Remember. They needed blankets for their care packages, and I knew that I wanted to help. 

This particular group is based out of Colorado, and supports the Front Range and High Country communities. They deliver care packages to hospitals for newly bereaved parents. A typical care package includes a journal, a grief book, blanket, and a small teddy bear among other things.

I've been blessed to be a part of online communities where I've gotten to know so many amazing people. So in creating blankets for this project, I started to think about the babies who've touched my heart. The parents who shared their joy and their grief with us - some of us practical strangers on the other end of a computer.

I wrote to these parents, and asked their permission to include their child's name in this post. Some people are at different stages in their journey, and I didn't want to cause anyone pain needlessly.

The anniversary of my own loss is coming up in a couple of weeks. Not a single day goes by that I don't think of her. My loss in 2005 changed who I was. 

So for my sisters and brothers in this club, I remember. I remember your babies. Their names are in my prayers, and etched forever in the hearts of those who love them, and love you.

I remember Renee.

I remember Nicky.

I remember Delaney.

I remember Henry.

I remember Persephone.

I remember Lucy.

I remember Katelynne.

I remember Alex.

I remember Liam.

I remember Riley.

I remember Archer.

I remember Baby B.

And I remember my Anna.

Want to get involved? 

You can sponsor a care package in part or in whole here.

You can also donate items for care packages (like hats, blankets, etc.) by emailing bereavementcarepackages@walktoremember.org

Also be sure to stop by Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. They are a fantastic organization that provides remembrance photography for free to parents suffering the loss of a baby.

"There is no footprint too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world."

Busy Busy!

The past few weeks have been very busy here at BLT. I've been processing lots of Easter orders and taking care of 100+ baby plants. So I haven't had much free time to update the blog.

Rainbow eggs have been very popular this year

In my last post, my tomatoes were just coming up. I've since had to rethink my garden plan for this year because some tomatoes didn't do what I thought they would.

(The Giant Sauce, for example. Slow, poor germination and weak plants. I wanted 4 for the garden, but am probably only going to wind up with 2. The spoon tomatoes had some leaf curl, so I lost all but 1 of them. The surviving plant is looking great, though!)

Spoon tomato 

In the last 4 weeks, the plants have seriously shot up, though some varieties more than others. The sweet million is getting a little big for its britches, so it is going to lose those branches when I plant it in the garden. The whole stem will get buried with just the top bit sticking out of the soil. Tomatoes grow roots along their entire stem, so the stem can be buried when you plant.

Sweet Million (Cherry)

  

Spoon tomato

Peppers and tomatoes

Swiss chard

A lot of the tomatoes are already producing suckers, too!

The peas are coming up really well in the garden (I'd have pics, but it's raining). I also planted beets, radishes and arugula (again, pics are forthcoming in drier weather).

I'm also working on something new for the shop! Become a fan on Facebook for a sneak peek!

Making My Own Rainbow

My favorite movie of all time is "Steel Magnolias". My favorite scene in the movie is when Shelby is talking about her wedding colors while Dolly Parton's character is styling her hair.

Shelby: "My colors are blush and bashful".
M'Lynn: "Her colors are pink and pink."

That is pretty much how I feel about today, except that instead of pink, it is grey and grey outside. We badly need the rain (the cold I could do without). So I decided to make my own rainbow.

I really enjoy mixing my own Procion colors. I don't exactly play by the rules, though. I don't write measurements down. I dump some dye into some water and go from there. I like not knowing what the end result will be. I love the surprise of opening the dryer and pulling out the finished piece. (Never judge a wet piece of fabric. 9 times out of 10, it will look completely different when it is dry.)

Enjoy the rainbow!