A double entendre is always intriguing but a third and fourth is way more memorable. This is a much welcomed homecoming for my sister, Lindsey, and her baby. After much uncertainty and nail-biting, anxious moments, all turned out thankfully well and for my sister, who is my business partner and marketing coordinator for Casart Coverings and her third child — a healthy baby boy, named Charlie. I don’t think I’d ever want to go through what she did but we all make sacrifices for what we love and I admire her strength and courage for what she endured.
The other reason for this blog title is I recently attended my university’s alumni Homecoming weekend at Sewanee, The University of the South. My husband and I ditched the parent’s weekend a month before in lieu of attending something where we could still visit with our son, who is a Freshman, as well as see some good friends at their 25th reunion. What a great time it was!
I’m so glad we chose this option because we were also able to deliver our promised Blue Butterflies to Susan Binkley, the proprietor of The Blue Chair Cafe & Bakery which operates to help The Blue Monarch. Proceeds from their homemade granola, benefit the program and the women who make it and reside at the Blue Monarch. Susan works hard to help them along with their children, through her charitable efforts. Susan was recently featured on the cover of the November issue of The Tennessee Magazine. There is not an online version of this remarkable story, so I’d suggest picking one up or ordering a copy to read more about this life changing endeavor for so many.
We love so much about what Susan does. She’s helped over 300 women and their children get back on their feet from drugs and other down trodden situations. She runs three Blue Monarch homes which give these women instructional tools to parent as well as put together and operate a productive business with their granola packets or by working at the Blue Chair. She helps change their lives. Much like the Maker’s Mark bourbon labels, with every dipper having their signature dip and therefore every bottle is unique, these women are profiled in their granola packets so you can see how worthwhile your money is being spent. We also love the Blue Chair’s food. There’s not a better place, particularly for breakfast in Sewanee. Maybe you’ll see our blue butterflies helping to adorn the walls or even the lovely Blue Chair mural by Lisa Turner. The ambiance is equally as good as the fare. If you’re passing through Sewanee, please stop by and even purchase some granola to help support this program. Fortunately, if you’re not able to get there, you can find it online.
Homecoming is a time for catching up with friends, but we were also able to celebrate the honor given to Becca Stevens as this year’s Most Distinguished Alumni Award. It is so well deserved. Becca always had this spark, confidence, ease, love of life and ability to inspire that we all knew she was exceptional and she has been remarkable in her own charitable efforts. Becca, an Episcopal Priest and Chaplain for Vanderbilt University, runs a successful program called Magdalene to help abused women find better circumstances. She directs six homes that house these women and offers a way, much like Susan, to help them take control and get their lives back by making Thistle Farms homemade bath and body products for sale at Whole Foods and other establishments across the country.
With the holidays right around the corner and knowing that these programs afford opportunities for their residents to find their own way back home, and knowing that we will all be experiencing our own family homecomings, it just makes sense to consider supporting these homecomings with holiday gifts that truly give.
Happy Homecoming!
— Ashley
PS: If you want a quick and easy way to decorate for your own homecomings, click this previous post.
If you’d like to consider charitable giving for ongoing Gulf Coast Recovery efforts through our Casart Carryalls or other items, click these links.
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