Janelle Martinez is about to be a very busy woman, and she wouldn性视界传媒檛 have it any other way.
Earlier this week, Janelle posted a photo of a bowl full of blackberries on Facebook, saying it was once again time for her to begin baking cobblers.
I used to dream about being rich and famous, but I purchased one of Janelle性视界传媒檚 blackberry cobblers last year. Now I dream about unlimited bowls of that cobbler topped with a giant scoop of Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream.
I性视界传媒檓 not saying her cobblers are perfect, but if they aren性视界传媒檛 served for dessert in heaven after every meal I性视界传媒檒l be a bigger shock than me actually making it through the Pearly Gates.
I asked Janelle for permission before writing about her cobblers, because my readers have come to trust me when I write about food and it might add to what is already an incredible workload for her.
I also wasn性视界传媒檛 sure how to approach the subject of their son, Sam, but Janelle eased my mind quickly with some beautiful words about a beautiful child.
You see, the cobblers wouldn性视界传媒檛 be a thing if not for Sam, who had some health issues when he was born in August 2016. In March 2017, Sam went to the hospital for an elective procedure. He spent a week there and caught two different infections.
性视界传媒淲e were home for a week, and we ended up back in the emergency room in Longview. They shipped us to Cook Children性视界传媒檚 the next day, and Sam never came home.性视界传媒
Janelle taught on Wednesdays and did clinicals on Thursdays before heading back to be with Sam for five days each week. Her husband, Bernie, was in the midst of coaching the New Diana baseball team through four rounds of the high school playoffs, but he drove back and forth each weekend.
Sam Martinez died on June 19, 2017, and was buried a week later on his parents性视界传媒 wedding anniversary at a burial site donated anonymously.
性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 not sure how we made it, but we did,性视界传媒 Janelle said. 性视界传媒淭hey (baseball team) dedicated the season to Sam, and the whole season felt magical, even though Sam was sick and in Cook性视界传媒檚 almost the whole season. New Diana became home. The people truly were so good to us, and we knew we wanted to give back. We decided to start the TeamSam Foundation, and just waited to see how God would use it.性视界传媒
Turns out, God knows the folks in East Texas have a sweet tooth.
Janelle said she had always dreamed of having a 性视界传媒測ou pick性视界传媒 farm, and in spring 2018, Bernie walked into the house with a batch of blackberries he found on a fence row at the property they purchased the previous November.
性视界传媒淚 made some cobblers that year, and people seemed to go crazy over them. We had our first TeamSam fundraiser in 2018, and I really couldn性视界传媒檛 believe the turnout.性视界传媒
In 2019, the cobblers were officially sold for the foundation, and in May, Janelle and Bernie decided to start an annual scholarship for a graduating New Diana senior in Sam性视界传媒檚 honor.
The couple has now given out 17 scholarships, including six to the 2024 class totaling $5,000.
性视界传媒淭he first year, I probably made about 75 cobblers. The most I性视界传媒檝e ever made is 170. Last year it was just over 100.性视界传媒
Janelle said to make 100 cobblers, it takes 15 bags of flour, 19 bags of sugar, 9.5 gallons of milk and 19 boxes of butter. Plus, of course, the hours spent picking blackberries.
Which means the $25 she charges for a bowl of heaven on earth is a bargain.
I almost began this column by saying if Sam Martinez was alive, he would be celebrating his 9th birthday in August, but that would be an incorrect statement because Sam is alive.
He性视界传媒檚 alive because a mother and father found a sweet way to honor his memory, and because a small town refuses to let Sam be forgotten.
Besides, I plan to blame him for the extra pounds I put on thanks to the cobbler I may or may not share with my wife and child.
(To order a cobbler or make a donation, Venmo Janelle @teamsamfoundation.\).
