2024 has been a year for launches. From political campaigns, to Space and Satellite exploration, to AI intelligence, these launches have taken our world by storm. For me, living in a beautiful, small mid-coast town in Maine, the word, launch, has special meaning. For example, my husband launched his dad’s sweet little runabout boat that had been lying dormant in a Minnesota garage for the past forty years. Painted with a fresh coat of blue and boasting a brand new 30 horsepower motor, the boat slid proudly into the bay and delighted a summer’s worth of company, grandkids (Who could top seeing seals pop out of the water??), and friends. Then there was the garden launch that seemed to take over my back yard. What started as a couple of rows of sunny, fuzzy teddy bear sunflowers turned into five rows and spread to the front yard in the form of a winding, whimsical path leading to a small playhouse. Suddenly, another idea was launched: why not create a children’s book about teddy bear sunflowers, extolling their importance through a charming little teddy bear who hides in the sunflower garden? Somewhere in between digging in the dirt, planting, and weeding, “Sunny Bear and the Secrets of Sunflowers” launched into the world! My head was spinning as ideas began to come together: I could start a tiny business selling my teddy bear sunflowers, create a whimsical path for kids to wander through looking for bears hidden amongst the sunflowers, and add in a story walk along the path… Yikes! Grandiose plans, right? But I have all winter to dream and plan for the launch of Sunny Bear Gardens in the Spring. Now, if I can just get my husband to build those story walk boxes !
