The Purple Ranch Family

Hand Family, originally uploaded by Purple Ranch Lavender Farm.

Most of you know that my Mom started a lavender farm about 3 years ago. I thought I'd share some of the rest of the story. Yes, we faced all types of trials and adversity as we started this farm. We lost 75 percent of our crop the first year. The above photo tells some of the rest of the story. Four years ago my youngest sister was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. There are four of us kids and none of us had had any physical problems but now it was different. As we all watched my sister Brenda grow in her faith but wither down to almost a skeleton as her chemo treatments took all she had. My Mom and Dad would keep her during the week and take her to her treatments. Being a very logical thinker I would sometimes visualize life without her in an effort to prepare myself for the worst. Obviously not in hopes of that, but in my own way dealing with the loss of not only my sister but one of my best friends. I had never seen someone as strong as she was. God took on new meaning for my family. We were at the bottom just looking up wondering what next Christmas or Thanksgiving would be like. Would there be one extra plate or gifts under the tree that bore a name but had no recipient. In an effort to support her, all of us that could, shaved our heads to honor her as she lost her hair. I remember the first time I went home and saw everyone sitting there with their new hair styles. We all laughed and joked about the funny shaped heads we all had. Through all of this we learned to not make the outward things important, but see what was in the heart. I saw a family that I could take pride in being one of them. The above picture is all of us honoring my sister Brenda in our own way. During this time my Mom put her dream of the lavender farm on hold in order to take care of Brenda. There is a happy ending to this story. A couple of weeks ago Brenda got a positive bill of health from her doctor. Her cancer has now been in remission for 3 years.

Hand Family, originally uploaded by Purple Ranch Lavender Farm.

Above is a picture of her and my Mom a few weeks ago. Alive and well selling lavender at the Tomball German Festival. I know she "Bren" will read my blog some day. So here is my plug. It's good to have you with us Bren. I love you. So, until next time. Lavender Up!

Purple Ranch Hand

Purple Ranch, From Dreams to Reality

The above picture is my Mom. Since I am a marketing guy I started blogging because that is what the pros do to get hits. In this process I realized that I am creating a digital history of my family and the events that happen at Purple Ranch. You all know we are preparing for numerous festivals and expos. That is happening every day. I thought giving some of our history as a family would be of interest to some of you. It might even inspire you to reach deeper and go farther than you ever expected. I dedicate this series to my parents Cliff and June Hand for giving so unselfishly of their time and efforts. I could never work enough hours or do enough at the Ranch to even come close to paying you back for all you have done. It only seems fitting that I would start with my mom, June Hand, owner of Purple Ranch. Below is her story.

MOM'S DREAM

Mom's dreams have always been larger than life. For many years she had dreamed of owning and running my own business. She loved all the aspects of selling and believed she could make a success of every dream she conceived. Over the years, there was jewelry to be acquired and sold, aqua bonnets for fitness centers and spas, and gemstones to be found, polished and reformed into works of art to be sold. Her interests were varied and widespread and were never deterred in her pursuit of that one dream that would begin as a seed of an idea and literally blossom into a flourishing endeavor. That dream is alive and living at Purple Ranch Lavender Farm. Until next time, Lavender Up!