Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

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Duck Dynasty Camo Urn

mallard duck
Image: Martin Correns/Wikipedia

Duck Dynasty is my new guilty pleasure, and after watching a couple of episodes I could tell right away that the Duck Commander, Phil Robertson and his son Willie, who serves as the company CEO are both educated and savvy businessmen.

I’ve learned a few things watching the show, like how many species there are of duck, the fact that ducks have keen eye sight and the great lengths the hunters go to to blend in with the environment, including not showering or washing their clothes during hunting season and of course, the art of duck calling.

To celebrate the life of the outdoors man we created camouflage cremation urns in three patterns: bass fishing, woodland print, and a marshy print with flying water fowl for the duckaholics. The urns are solid brass that are dipped in the same coating used to camo trucks, ATV’s, and other outdoor gear and make a fitting tribute for the fisherman or hunter. Until that day comes though, happy hunting!

duck hunter urn

funeral urns

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger. Oh, Really?

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Seems like I hear this phrase a lot lately. I don’t use it, because I’m not sold on it. But for years, I’ve heard others say it with conviction.  Kanye squeezed a hit out of it.

Toyota is using the Kelly Clarkson tune for the 2012 Camry campaign.

Christopher Hitchens confirmed my uneasiness with his essay on the subject in Vanity Fair. “Before I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a year and a half ago, I rather jauntily told the readers of my memoirs that when faced with extinction I wanted to be fully conscious and awake, in order to “do” death in the active and not the passive sense. And I do, still, try to nurture that little flame of curiosity and defiance: willing to play out the string to the end and wishing to be spared nothing that properly belongs to a life span. However, one thing that grave illness does is to make you examine familiar principles and seemingly reliable sayings. And there’s one that I find I am not saying with quite the same conviction as I once used to: In particular, I have slightly stopped issuing the announcement that “Whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”

Home Going Service

The term “Home Going Service” was foreign to my ears. I’m familiar with the “going home” theme in funeral service that used the imagery of birds in flight. It’s a popular style in urns and caskets.  A few weeks ago, I first saw the term used on a memorial website and asked the owner about it. She explained that a homegoing service is a celebration and is common vernacular in the African American community, originating in the South.

A few days later, Whitney Houston died and I heard it everywhere. When I turned on the television Saturday, the funeral was on and I was hypnotized by her Home Going Service. Through the miracle of television I felt the power of the Home Going and was moved by the spirit of the service. Dionne Warwick did a beautiful job and what an orchestration it must have been for the funeral director, who I assume was the lady in the gold jacket.

So back to my friend Kim who runs the Elegant Memorials website. She specializes in funeral templates for Home Going services and can help you create your own style of funeral programs.

Finally, I want to tell you how much I love this picture that was used for the obituary of Rosie Lee Autmon who passed away on 2/13/12. RIP. And? Celebrate life!

 

Dance of the Dolphin Marble Cremation Urns

dolphin fresco
Fresco of Dolphins from the bronze age excavations on the Greek island of Santorini

Dolphin Cremation Urn

Even the ancients appreciated the playful spirit of the dolphin as images reflect from excavations found in the Greek ruins. Playtime is an important part of the dolphin culture and we’ve tried to capture that spritely element in quality carved marble cremation urns.

dolphin urns
Above product no longer available as of 08/12/2013.
Dolphin Keepsake Urn

The dolphin marble cremation urns have a smooth sparkling finish and are hand carved by Italian artists and are designed to use as a keepsake urn to hold a small amount of ashes.

marble cremation urns

Although many of the marble cremation urns are imported, the Dolphin’s Duet Keepsake Urn is made in the USA and is features crisp navy and white details, edged with a border of shells, and dolphins splashing in the ocean waves.

cremation urns

Biodegradable Urns Video

Biodegradable urns are designed for families that have chosen to return their loved one to the earth in a pure form. Urn Garden is pleased to offer earth friendly urns for ashes that are made from sand, salt, paper,tree bark and other organic materials. The urns are durable, have no shelf life, and will NOT begin to biodegrade until buried or placed in water.

What You Should Know About Biodegradable Urns for Ashes

In keeping with the growing trend of green burials, more individuals are selecting cremation instead of taking the traditional route of being buried in caskets. By storing cremains in these types of biodegradable urns for ashes they are planning to have their remains scattered or buried instead of being displayed at home in customary urns or placed in niches at a cemetery.

Choosing Biodegradable Urns for Ashes

Environmental consciousness has grown throughout the country and because of this, traditional funerals are becoming less common. As more people choose cremation as an end-of-life arrangement, some are even deciding to have those ashes buried in a biodegradable urn in a green or natural cemetery or scattered in their favorite place in nature.

Biodegradable urns are less expensive alternatives because they are made from temporary materials that break down when planted in the earth or submerged in water. Consider choosing biodegradable urns for ashes when you know this is the type of final arrangement you or your loved one wants.

Types of Biodegradable Urns for Ashes

Biodegradable urns for ashes are made from a variety of materials, some used for earth burials while others are specifically for water burials. Make sure you know the type of burial you are planning before you purchase a biodegradable urn for ashes.

Earth biodegradable urns: These types deteriorate over time depending on their containers and where it’s buried. The more moist and healthy the soil, the faster it will break down. How quickly it degrades also depends on how deep the urn is buried too. These urns are made from several natural materials such as sand, bamboo, cornstarch, natural clay, peat, or recycled paper. You can also purchase urns with flower or trees embedded in the container so a green plant will grow over time,  another reminder of your loved one. Earth biodegradable urns come in various shapes such as pillows, boxes, unity hearts, or traditional urns.

Water biodegradable urns: These urns typically float for a brief period time and will sink gracefully. They are made from recycled paper, rock salt, gelatin, and sand. Typically, you may only be allowed to scatter ashes or put a water biodegradable urn in saltwater or you can bury it in the earth. They come in different styles such as tubes, pillows, sea shells, sea animals, Grecian urns, and balls of sand.

Before Burying or Scattering the Ashes
Each state has its own regulations regarding burial and scattering of ashes, many because of environmental laws. Your funeral director can guide you with the legalities.

biodegradable urn