It’s true. I have one at her house, that is one of a few that she also favors. It’s cream-colored, soft around the edges, and smooth to your lips and tongue. I do lick that mug. I lick the whipped cream around the edges, as well as the remnants of brown or raw sugar. And I can feel it now – curved under my palm – smooth, cool, and comforting. The coolness is a contrast to the hot liquid. The whole experience is heightened from that one mug.
At home, we have two “Scarlett’s Country Inn” mugs that made it in one piece on a cross-country flight – no doubt wrapped and padded with baby clothes and socks in our suitcases. I won’t even go to Google to try to link up a website for “Scarlett’s Country Inn” – just in case it doesn’t exist anymore. That, I couldn’t bear. I invite you to go see if it still exists, but you don’t have to tell me the results. My favorite mug is the light blue one above.
This post is for two people, no longer here. Connected by grace and strength, and the fact that they both impacted our lives enough to contribute to the naming of our firstborn – Scarlet Bella. This post is for FTSF and for these women. This post is part naming convention and part belated eulogy. And it’s partly for our firstborn.
When people ask me how we came up with Scarlet Bella’s name, I hesitate because there’s no one clear answer. It’s like our “how we met” story. I don’t know when I first thought of Scarlet as a name but I know it was somewhere around ten years ago and that once it came to be, it felt like it’s been there all along this journey.
And maybe it has. I have always thought I’d have a daughter. Sometimes you’re trying to remember or create something, like the name of a movie star or an idea for work, and you can go through your daily life normally while your brain sub-consciously gets closer and closer to it and the – LIGHTBULB – the answer seems to come out of the blue? And you know it’s not coming out of the blue and that your brain has been on auto-pilot all along.
“How about Scarlet?” I blurted out one day. I can’t remember when this was, whether it was by email when we still lived 3,000 miles apart or if it was when we were sitting together in our San Francisco apartment. Cassidy agreed to it like that. And I know this was before any talk of babies, or even a wedding. Even after we had discussed this name and held it secretly close to our hearts, this name that had followed me in my past and was circling us in our present, it was still to creep up in our future – actually right when Scarlet was conceived.
1 – I went to Rutgers University (Douglass). So did my father, my dad, my sisters, my grandfather, and probably more family than I can remember have all gone to Rutgers University. Their mascot is the Scarlet Knight.
2 – When I was in fifth grade we did a unit on rain forests and I became OBSESSED with Scarlet Macaws. It’s part of my rainbow obsession!
3 – “Scarlet’s Walk” is a Tori Amos album and a song on the album. Nothing could replace “Under the Pink” for me – but this album did heavily influence how I look at lyric writing, America and road trips.
4 – Different shades of reds have been my favorite colors for as long as I can remember. I love reading different red descriptions in catalogs like Victoria’s Secret and Land’s End. I most would want to buy a Scarlet dress.
5 – In our wedding vows, I vowed to explore the magical realm of the Grateful Dead. Before that, I had only known “Touch of Grey.” So a lot of my schooling happened on our two and a half week road trip to move back East. We listened to the Dead something like 80% of that trip and they calmly sang us through one of the most harrowing moments of our lives – getting off of a giant mountain during a freak blizzard in the Rockies.
6 – When Cassidy and I got back together, we stayed with our friend Scarlett at Scarlet’s Country Inn in Calistoga. Our Scarlet’s name has one “T” but we dream that she will grow up to be as elegant, kind-hearted, dream-catching, timeless, and as wise as Calistoga’s Scarlett was. I think it was Cassidy’s mom, Ruth, who first found the B&B. We went any chance we could – to celebrate our engagement, to get away from the city, to say hello and goodbye. The first time I was there, Scarlett made us the most delicious french toast I’ve ever had and gave us advice about running a B&B. She had a boisterous new puppy – a Pomeranian named “Chewbacca of Kashyyyk.”
The second time I went there she had rescued a beautiful bird that had been left for dead that she believed to be a Stellar Jay. She named him Stella. She nursed him back to health but he always hung around, eventually becoming wild enough that she couldn’t always tell him apart from other Jays. He still hangs around there, I’m sure. The third time I went there, I believe she had two more dogs than the previous time. Her mother had recently passed and she had inherited the dogs. Her mom must have been 110!
The fourth time I went there she revealed, rather shyly, that she had rescued a tiny field mouse that had been left for dead. She kept him in the house and fed him with an infant dropper. She held our Scarlet in her arms and we told her she was part of the reason we gave our baby that name. Then we talked for hours over strawberries dipped in sugar and sour cream. I’m so glad we told her about the naming inspiration. She knew!
A year later, Cassidy excitedly called her up to make a reservation for a wine country wedding. We found out the tragic news that she had JUST passed away three weeks earlier in a car accident. I found it near impossible to wrap my head around the news. Scarlett was one of a kind and I always wished for an annual Scarlet/Scarlett get together. At least they did meet once. I know she had a long life that must have dramatically touched the lives of everyone around her. I’d only seen her four or five times in my life and I believe I’m a better person because of it.
7 – Scarlet’s middle name is Bella. That was my grandmother’s name. No Isabella – just Bella. She was magic. I could write on and on about her with tears streaming down my eyes but I think I’ll just post the few paragraphs I wrote about her in the “We Remember…” dedication section of our wedding program:
“When I think of Bella Klein, I always think of the phrase, “larger than life,” because she lived life so big and true. There was not enough room in this world for her huge heart; as well as there is not enough room in this world for our pain at losing her. The quintessential perfect Jewish grandmother, she taught us how to dip bowls of ice cream into rainbow sprinkles and how to be properly tucked into bed at night. This involved yelling “Alley-oop!” and throwing blankets well over our heads as we shrieked with laughter.
I went to college quite close to her home and when I first started as a freshman, I was so nervous that my throat closed and her magical salad was the only food I could get down. I wish I had known then that my time with Grandma Bella was limited because I would have screamed to the sky and been around her 24/7 just to say, “I LOVE YOU” a thousand times. It would never have been enough. Luckily those were my last words to her anyway, thought I didn’t know at the time that they would be. Her funeral was on a clear, dry day in December.
We were all dying a little that day…until someone said, “Look up in the sky” and brought the ceremony to a standstill. I’m no scientist but vivid, full rainbows with arcs do not appear on clear, dry, wintery days yet there were two in the sky directly above our group. We all became believers of magic that day. However to know Bella alive was to be a believer anyway.”
I’m linking up with Finish The Sentence Friday. This week’s topic is “They Call Me..” You can link up HERE.
This is so beautiful! I love hearing the stories behind names! I also think your words are pure magic. We knew Shelby’s name long before she born as well! Even before we knew we would have a baby. It was fate, because we only picked out the girl name and we ended up with a girl!
That’s what happened to us the first time! Fortune smiled upon us, my friend.
Aw, what can I say, but I couldn’t love all the reasons why Scarlet is named Scarlet if I tried. Seriously, I am left with a very warm and cozy heart after reading this. Hugs and definitely couldn’t agree more that Scarlet is just the perfect name for your girl! <3
xoxo to you!!
Wonderful story! Connections among us are a gift worth treasuring. I have a Dr. J mug. It states that I “Make Faces and Break Faces.” lol
haha, perfect! I don’t have ONE favorite mug. I did but my dad broke it and he recently broke my mom’s favorite mug. That seems rather funny. (she didn’t think so)
Oh, Tamara, that is stunning. All of it.
I love how there is so much background to Scarlet’s name! My daughter has my grandmother’s name, but my son’s name is totally random, and I wish we had a good story to tell him about its origins.
Totally random can be a good story. Especially with how well it suits him!
What a wonderful story! I love how you put so much thought into sweet Scarlet’s name. I totally Googled Scarlett’s Country inn too. 🙂
Really?? I hope it’s still there. I’ve been afraid to find out after all the fires.
Oh wow. I’ve got tears. Scarlet’s name is perfect for her and the story about Scarlett with two t’s — at least she got to meet her. And your Grandma Bella’s funeral! Wow. That’s incredible and so perfect. Love this!
I saw a rainbow just like that recently. Always so strange!
Oh, this post is magic. And I’m quite literally covered in goosebumps. I’m sorry to hear that the Scarlett with two t’s is no longer with us–that is such a wonderful picture of the four of you and I’m glad she was able to meet your daughter before leaving this world.
And I feel the same way about a good strong and sturdy coffee mug.
I love the rainbows for your grandmother’s funeral. What a beautiful thing <3
Also! Scarlet Begonias always. Love that one. And Scarlet's Walk is an incredible album, but nothing ever tops Under the Pink (though Little Earthquakes is SO CLOSE!).
XOXO
I saw one of those rainbows again – just the other day! Always takes me by surprise. I think we always need to give our kids Grateful Dead or Tori Amos names now! Des Blaze is named after Fire on the Mountain.
Magic, as Charlotte said. Pure magic. I love the Scarlet connections—so many to that beautiful little creature. The pictures of the kids as babies, my goodness! Incredible, Tamara. I adore that name Scarlet Bella. It has such a nice ring to it and now the back story makes it even better. Your grandmother sounds like an amazing woman. Love the rainbow showing up in the sky at her service. She was looking down on you all and smiling with love.
I’m so glad we have a Scarlet Bella because I fell in love with that name. My parents went through something similar, even though I was their second. They said that if they had a boy, they’d keep having kids until another girl because they wanted a Tamara Eden!
What a lovely explanation for your Scarlett’s name. I love all of the “because” of her name…and the description of how your brain happened upon it–the autopilot. Just lovely.
I can’t believe how many things happened to make it come to be! Now if we ever have another daughter, we have to really match up to that name! No pressure or anything..
Oh for crying out loud, you did it AGAIN! Your title alone, got me to click asap because it’s SO you- poetic and magical all at once. Like all your beautiful intimate looks into your life and your loves. This one did NOT disappoint- not surprised.
I absolutely love the name Scarlet Bella. It sounds like a queen, a princess, or a fairy tale name. It seems to be PERFECTLY chosen- for all the right reasons too. Ah.. I’m doing those deep sighs over here.
And… I can only hope that a post might come soon about DES!!
I wrote one when he was born, but I didn’t “know” you yet! I’ll have to re-publish it!
Such wonderful people. Perfect namesakes. Women that loved even the smallest mouse. And I love the rainbow story.
Some people are so amazing like that! I think Scarlet is too.
Oh, this, all of this! I knew about the Scarlett Inn, but not all the other significance of Scarlet. So many beautiful stories behind her name! <3
That is a beautiful, touching story! So many lovey reasons to name her! Any my what a gorgeous child she is!!!
I so love this. I’ve always adored the name Scarlet. For me, it’s because of Gone with the Wind. I love the character.
To this day, I have never seen the movie! I really think it’s probably high time one of these days!
I love stories behind people’s names, and you have so many great stories for Scarlet!
I do! And I had a good one picked out for a second daughter, but alas, I got a Des!
What a beautiful story behind Scarlet’s name. My boys both have stories behind their names – I should tell those sometime.
Ooh, I hope you do! They might love to read that! I know I would.
I’ve always wondered how Scarlet got her name, I’ve heard you mention Des, and what a beautiful story it is. Hopefully she’ll read this many years from now and be able to share it with her loved ones.
It’s really full of history. And it surprised me how easily it came to be. We never really had a discussion about what to name our kids! I would have thought Cassidy would suggest Luke and Leia. (just kidding)
What a beautiful dual tribute. I gasped when I got to the part about the car accident, I’m so sorry. Scarlet’s name is beautiful, just like her and her momma.
I know, right? It’s almost unreal to believe after all this time.
This is such a beautiful and such a touching post , Tamara.Your association and bond with Scarlett is such a perfect illustration of exemplary human bonds, irrespective of blood connections . Loved the part about your grandma Bella and your words brought back memories of my own grandmother. They are such precious people- grandmothers . May God bless your adorable daughter and may you always be a happy family.
Best wishes,
Moon
https://aslifehappens60.wordpress.com
I loved reading this. My husband and I picked out our kids names long before we had them too. When I think about the power of intention in our lives I think about our children and how we decided their names and hoped for a boy first and a girl next and talked about it for years. Then we were ready for them they came just as we always talked about.
I love that! I wonder about a third child and if we’d have a girl if we tried.
What a beautiful story. I love how the rainbow part came full circle with the meaning of the names. I see how you’d hesitate when someone asks. This is a big story and too important for Scarlet Bella to be explained “in a nutshell”
Just last week I passed by the place where I saw the double rainbow the second time. After all these years. It gave me such a feeling. It’s all the way in NJ and somewhere I clearly hadn’t been in years.
This was so lovely, and something I’ve wondered myself. Such a beautiful name with so much love and history. LOVE IT.
XOXO
Thank you! I had posted about it, but so many years ago. Before I “knew” all of you.
xoxo
Your sweet Scarlet! She is going to love reading this some day. Hopefully our blogs hang out for a while right? Now, if you have another daughter someday in the future what would be a good reddish colored name? I knew what name my first daughter was going to be, but each time after that got consistently harder or maybe it will be a boy for you. Although will that be any easier 🙂
Oh yes. You know I’m on the Forever Blogging Track. I hope it lasts forever!
I love all your kids’ names!
Beautiful! So many wonderful stories to tell Scarlet about her name! 🙂
Right! And she really does ask, quite often. I’m so glad I wrote this down.
I loved reading this! I’m always curious about the story behind people’s name and I love the name Scarlet.
Thanks! We don’t know a lot of other ones. Although we just found out that there’s another Des who’s in kindergarten in our district, but another school. So weird!
Eek. I remember when Scarlet was so little. That place and mug represents so much! How are they growing up SO fast?! I can’t bear it.
When I started blogging with other people (through Sits Girls) Scarlet was three and Des was a little baby! And yours were around the same ages. It’s crazy!