What sprouts up when you bring flowers into a nursing home?
Happiness in a vase? That is what sprouts up when you bring a few dozen re-purposed flowers into a nursing home. And nice conversations always occur too. Stories of when life changed dramatically, the day that fortune smiled down on their family or a time of exhilaration. Just little bits and pieces of memories of years gone by.
How much are these flowers going to cost me?
I had such wonderful gardens in Brooklyn. I miss the intimacy of my old neighborhood. I would never tell my daughter that but I am telling you in secret. I lived there for 62 years. I knew everybody and everybody knew me. But she worried about me living alone so she moved me here. I was not happy about it. Then, Sister Theresa sat down with me and said that God doesn’t make mistakes – that I am meant to be here for some reason.
I don’t have any family. My husband was an only child and so was I. We didn’t have any children. I was in the grocery store on Christmas Eve and I saw a lady from my church and she asked me how I was celebrating Christmas Eve. She was buying 16 pieces of fish for her guests. I was buying one for myself. I told her that it was just me. “My husband will come over to pick you up at 6 pm. You are not going to eat alone. You are my guest.”
You asked if I think the veterans at the VA Medical
Center would like them. I will tell you what they would like. Go down to the place in Philadelphia. They would like conversation.
My mother left me at the hospital to be adopted. She did not want me. My father told his parents and they adopted me.
Did you ever have pumpkin ice cream? I just heard about it and would love to have some but they say I have to lose weight. They keep track of that here. I wish I could have a little bowl of it.
It’s Beth’s birthday today. Wow, she got flowers! And from a stranger!
I never met my mother. She died when I was 2 years old. What I mean is that I have no memory of my mother and that has hurt me all of my life.
Do you have children, Patricia? Are you a widow? Have your children ever come with you when you do this? I think they should. I never had children and sometimes that makes me feel depressed.
Just another little tidbit about my visit.
The resident had missing teeth, sitting in a wheelchair, was from the south originally and shared his memory of autumn in Georgia with the group seated around him.
“We raked the leaves into big piles, started a bonfire and cooked hot dogs. Excuse me for a few minutes. I wear a bag to go to the bathroom and I have to leave to get it taken care of.”
“Where is your wife? I haven’t seen her visiting with you when I come in.”
“She doesn’t come to visit me anymore.”
I had a lot of Halloween and autumn props with me to do a Reminiscence Program. Lots of Halloween costumes, party supplies, black and orange garland. All of the props were placed on the residents’ laps and we just held something up and shared a memory about it. I had 8 paper plates from the Dollar Store. Just your basic eight for a dollar. I asked what each person liked about the plate.
“I like the colors.”
“I like the sweet potato pie picture.”
“I like the orange pumpkins.”
I collected all of the props including the simple paper plates.
As I was leaving the resident whose wife no longer comes whispered to me, “Can I have that one?”
“What one?”
“I would like to have that paper plate, please. I would love to have something pretty like that in my room.”
Business Suit and Heels to Jeans and Sneakers
Business Suit and Heels to Jeans and Sneakers
It was a chance sighting on a billboard in the Norristown area that changed my life. SCORE advertised that they would help people start a business – for free. I was at a crossroads after the birth of my second daughter in 1984. Work vs. Family – I faced a dilemma that many mothers faced in the 1980’s. I resigned from my position as an account executive/industry consultant for AT&T. In order to get ideas to replace that income, I consulted with a SCORE volunteer.
We talked about business ideas that I could pursue while caring for a new baby, Katelyn, and an active toddler, Robin. We narrowed the choices by evaluating my strengths and weaknesses and finally opted for starting a child care business in my own home. Since it seemed like a great way to be home with the kids while at the same time earn a supplemental income, I thought that maybe other mothers at home would be interested in a little “how-to-start-a-child care business” booklet.
As I learned about licensing, zoning and insurance, I jotted down notes on a yellow pad. When I discovered a recipe for homemade modeling clay, I wrote down the ingredients. As the weeks went on, the pad filled with rainy day activities, outdoor games, and the day-to-day happenings in caring for a house full of children.
I had the good fortune of meeting an editor from Doubleday who was interested in publishing my book Start Your Own At-Home Child Care Business. When the book came out, I was invited to be a guest on Oprah Winfrey, Sally Jessy Raphael, CNN, Financial News Network, Maury Povich, CNBC and many other television shows.
I figured that in order to continue to attain ongoing media attention and interviews, I needed a “cause” or “mission.” I dubbed my self-styled nationwide tour the “The Child Caring USA Tour.” I offered to present seminars on child care and related topics at libraries around the country. My new van was custom-decorated so that it was covered with hundreds of multi-colored teddy bears and the words on the side panel said “Do you love children? Start Your Own Child Care Business – Ask Us How!”
I scheduled fifty media interviews and thirty library presentations during the summer as I traveled around the country with my family. (1989)
I went on to write 7 more books. Six years after my initial introduction to SCORE, I contacted the branch in Fairless Hills, PA. With the help of another SCORE volunteer, Nat Matlin, I launched a new venture – the Team of Angels Project. Nat Matlin, a retired marketing consultant guided me on marketing an inspirational poem attached to a trio of angels lapel pin. I am happy to say that there are close to 125,000 Team of Angels pins that have been distributed worldwide. The pins were featured in many magazines such as Woman’s World and Family Circle. We were even guests on the CBS Early Show – a seven minute segment. The Team of Angels project made the front page of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. All in all, it has been a great 28 years since I first carved a new career for myself- all because of a chance sighting of a SCORE billboard and with the help of the wonderful SCORE mentors.
www.patriciausa.com
I even gave one to construction worker for his wife!
I met a lady at the post office last week. She was using a walker. I was sitting on the floor putting postage on 100 padded envelopes. She asked if I needed help. She told me about her new apartment. What a random act of kindness! I knew that I wanted to give her a random act of flowers to repay her kindness.
I went to the building and the mailman told me that I was at the wrong place and that her complex was about six blocks away. I asked if he would like flowers for his wife.
I reached into the back seat of my car where the water buckets had spilled all over the seat…. and found a lovely fall bouquet of burgundy and orange flowers.
So happy that I was able to gift a postal worker flowers…… on the way to the lady’s home.
I saw mailman number 2 walking out of her building. “Would you like flowers for your girlfriend or mother?” He responded, “My mother would love them. She is 83. She is going through some health issues now.” I gave him a “rainbow flower bouquet” thinking that it might be good medicine for sagging spirits.
I rang the bell in the lobby. The leasing agent came to the door. I described the lady with the walker and asked her to pass the flowers along to her with my gratitude. She said the lady’s name was Diana.
I saw a Road Closed sign. Cranes, bulldozers, steamrollers and lots of men with orange hardhats on were tearing up the old road and pavement with jackhammers and replacing with new cement and blacktop.
I had to go into a building on that street to deliver my last batch of flowers. I was afraid to walk down the street with all of the construction vehicles. The foreman on the job escorted me to the safety of the side door.
Oh man, five bouquets left and I was out of time. Needed to visit my mother in the hospital.
I said to the project manager, “I have something for you. Are you married? Do you have kids?”
I reached for the pumpkin trees and five bouquets. Pumpkin trees? (Just picture a rosebush with thorns and replace the roses in your mind with little pumpkins growing on a branch.)
Yes, really tiny pumpkins. Real ones.
“I have five kids. They will love these little pumpkins. I am going to give the extra bouquets to some of the other guys for their wives.”
“Brandon, since your wife has five kids, why don’t you give her all five bouquets?”
“My wife’s car is right over there at the Lansdale train station. I have her key. I am going to run over there right now and put these flowers in her car.”
And the lady with the two bouquets quickly wheeled herself out……clutching her two bouquets.
The sweet little lady was all about peace and love. She told me how she went all over the world helping children. An entire life dedicated to doing good, making the world a better place for all.
I had an extra bouquet after everyone had gotten one. Then a blind lady spoke up and said that even though she could not see, that she could smell the perfume-y fragrance and would like to have one on her lap.
I asked the sweet little lady who had two bouquets if she could pass one back to me. “Are you kidding me? You are an Indian giver. No, I am not giving you these back.” She turned feisty and combative!
The blind lady said, “That’s okay. I don’t need any flowers.”
And the former sweet lady who was all about peace and love quickly wheeled herself out……clutching her two bouquets.
Here is a picture of my number one volunteer – Bob – just stopped for a lunch break before going to our next destination.
Festive Flowers – West
No medicine needed for the blues when colorful flowers show up unexpectedly.
I gave two bouquets of flowers to the ladies who volunteer at the hospital information desk, the hospital where my mother is being cared for. They told me that they lives in a local senior apartment building.
I stopped by their senior complex the other day and things were pretty quiet there. Just a few people sitting in the lobby so I gave away five bouquets.
Someone suggested I put the rest of the sunflower bounty in the BINGO room.
Today, I passed the information desk on my way to the elevator at the hospital. as I was getting on the elevator, the volunteer asked, “Was that you who brought the flowers to our BINGO room? I thought so. I got down there too late and they were all gone!”
Not to worry, Lucy, there will be plenty more ‘a coming! I am going to schedule a visit for an officially planned Happy Flower Day delivery next week. Flowers for all residents……guaranteed!
There is something about an unexpected abundance of flowers arriving that gets people fluttering with excitement at a senior apartment complex. A surprise gift for everyone in need of a smile.
No medicine needed for the blues when carnations, posies, daisies and roses arrive. It just makes everybody feel a little rosy-er!
The birthday gal who was 104!
I wish that I could post pictures of the thousands of residents who have received the showering of flowers. I just received this email from the activity director of the senior living community that we went to, with 60 bouquets, to celebrate someone’s 104th birthday.
“Trisha, I am sending this to my assistant. She has the pictures of us standing outside by your car with all the bouquets of flowers. She will send them over. Thanks again, Trisha , for understanding that we can’t send photos of residents to any type of media without consent of the Power of Attorney first…it’s a very sensitive issue. The day you brought the flowers……it was an awesome day for “the birthday girl – age 104″ and our whole community.”
I enjoyed handing out your flowers and much enjoyed everything.
Hi Patricia,
I was thinking of you and wanted to send you a quick note. I am Kate. I was sitting next to Peggy at the nursing home in East Norriton and I helped you pass the papers out. I just wanted to say, I think it is fantastic what you are doing to pass your motivational words along. All that you shared was so upbeat and positive. I heard in the hallways of BrightView how much the residents enjoyed your presentation! As did I !! I enjoyed handing out your flowers and much enjoyed everything. Thank you so much and God Bless. Take good care.
Kate
Here is the ad on Trader Joe’s website about their flowers – the kind that they donate to me!
Seasonal Flowers
November 27, 2012 – Last year, still a fun read, price & availability may have changed.
Great food will take you far, but flowers have special powers – Trader Joe’s Seasonal Bouquets are essential for the holidays. Make a stunning centerpiece with our $9.99 bouquets (all you need is a vase). Acknowledge your hostess with our $5.99 bouquets (their stems replace stress with smiles). Or spruce up your home with our $3.99 bouquets (even the powder room will profit).
I had a few cheery bouquets left in the back seat of my car.
I was going through the toll booth on the turnpike. I had a few cheery bouquets left in the back of my car. So I asked the lady who collected the money if she would like a bouquet of flowers. Of course, she looked bewildered. “What did you just ask me about flowers?” I explained in a sentence or two and she happily took them. I hope that her husband doesn’t get suspicious and think that they are from a secret admirer. He might not buy the story that some lady came through the toll booth…….and gave her flowers with lots of emerald, olive and greens of every tone. Lovely and leafy with lots of yellow flowers and sun-gold sunflowers. And other artistic shades of blossoms mixed in with the greens.
Trying to sprinkle petals of happiness in senior living communities
So I usually load three carts, filled to overflowing….and since I am not good at packing flower cargo…..I usually drop a few flowers here and there and everywhere……and then just deliver iris, daffodil, and rose scented bouquets of nature’s beauty.
Sprinkling petals of happiness behind the cart as I move on with my caper. I am humbled by the wonder of the Happy Flower Project and a bit saddened too. I guess because most of the people do not have anything to look forward to…..no new beginnings. But hopefully, the yellow flowers are like a beam of sunshine
Flowers to a synagogue! Special delivery to seniors’ luncheon.
Next Wednesday, I am taking the lovely bouquets to the synagogue senior luncheon on Route 73. Amy just called to say there would be 35 people anxiously waiting for the flowers at 11:30 am. I first met Inga at the synagogue rummage sale and she is one of my volunteer helpers. She is 82. She asked me if I would speak at the luncheon next week and bring the petals and blooms for her friends. I went to Catholic school. So know how to follow marching orders! So, I will be marching over there next week at this time.
I think the familiar fragrance of the flowers does so much for older people. It takes them back to a time of memories of a balmy Florida spring vacation – enjoying the beautiful southern gardens – and seeing flowers that climb up the trellis. Or the memory of planting colorful seeds for a “victory garden” with the fragrance of sweet peas and sweet-smelling dirt. Oh, it is heavenly for me to be The Flower Lady. Happy Flower Day to all of you too!
300 bouquets today? Seems impossible.
I could never have imagined this type of day with the flower deliveries. I decided to use my mother’s car because mine had a lot of junk in it for another project. I did not have a volunteer with me in the passenger seat today and that was a good thing….because when I got to a Trader Joe’s, they had four shopping carts filled with flowers and the second store had more than ever too. There was absolutely no room in the car to fit even a toothpick when I stuffed all of the bags into every space. I went to a big place with 360 residents. I had never been there before with flowers.
Everybody that we passed got flowers; the staff, visitors, residents…….after an hour and a half of in and out to the car for more bags, and in and out of the elevators, and in and out of activity rooms, I asked the activity assistant, “How many flowers do you think we passed out?” She answered, “About 300.” My mouth dropped. “300?” “Well, we have six units and we went to all of them except the dementia unit and they have 60 residents there.”
I had twenty bouquets of sunflowers left so I stopped at Grundy Towers in Doylestown and passed the rest out there. A lady called to me by name from the transportation bus parked outside. The kind that takes the residents to Wal-Mart and the ACME. I recognized her. She was at the other place and had just finished visiting her husband when she spotted me struggling with the bags of flowers. Rosemarie helped me pick them up and now here she was at the second place…..where she lives. So she got her second bouquet of flowers within two hours. In the order of the Cosmos, I think I was supposed to meet her for some reason!
The flowers put a smile on my face for the rest of the day!
Hi Patricia,
Our Life Enrichment coordinator forwarded your e-mail to me. We met during your last visit to our community. The sight of passing out the flowers to our residents put a smile on my face for the remainder of the day. We would welcome the opportunity to be included for your wonderful program at our other facility. Would you be open to distributing flowers at our Philadelphia community on Thursday? Looking forward to hearing from you. Feel free to call or e-mail me. Karen
Let’s use the healing properties of pretty flowers to heal detoured lives.
Soft yellows, warm pinks and other pastel shades of flowers – colors lacking in the halls and on the walls of a jail cell. I just thought of another place where I think the flowers would do a world of good -the women’s correctional facility near my home. My mother volunteered there for years and I worked with young women after they were released.
All young, beautiful women whose lives got detoured due to substance abuse;the gift of a bouquet of colorful tulips, pansies, and hydrangeas would be a natural high. I thought of what might happen if the ladies were given a bouquet of hope, love and support. A sort of an “I believe in you” message and a symbol of a second chance. The young women are all “somebody’s daughter and grand-daughter” – young girls like our own. If anybody has a contact there or somewhere else, let’s make this happen.
I think bouquets of beauty will help those feeling afraid, anxious, depressed…..missing their children, regretting what happened, not able to forgive themselves for mistakes they made. Fresh flowers to help someone make a fresh start – let’s use the healing properties of pretty flowers to heal detoured lives.
Vases needed.
I was in a thrift shop today and I saw a whole lot of vases on a shelf. Actually, looked like a lot more than they would be able to sell in a lifetime.
I told them about the Happy Flower Day Project and I asked if they would call me if they reached the point of “Please, no more vases.” The lady looked at me incredulously and said, “Why don’t you just buy them? They are only a dollar.”
Inside, I was thinking…..well since May 16th, we have delivered more than 3,000 bouquets. At that price, that would have been $3,000 and probably a little tax added on too. In the words of the seniors that I visit, I can just hear them exclaiming, “Gee willickers! Heavens above! Goodness gracious. Gracious me. Oh dear. Oh for heaven’s sake! So buying them is not in my budget….so if you have any vases that you no longer need, we sure would love to have them. I am committed to doing this until the end of October. Then, I will have to evaluate if it is feasible to continue. Thanks.
The harmonica, the petals and the blooms – perfect combination for joy!
Today, a friend came along with me to deliver the flowers to strangers. He is a proud WW II veteran and was wearing his Navy hat. He served in Okinawa. We picked up the flowers in Philadelphia, stopped for a coffee at McDonalds in Germantown, gave out three bouquets there and went on to a Genesis community to pass out two dozen palettes of colorful blossoms. He is an accomplished harmonica player as well as a great singer.
“Trisha, I have a thought. What if I practiced a few songs from the good old days and then the next time we go, I can play the harmonica just as a sort of announcement that the flowers are coming in?” What a great idea? Then, I thought what if he played “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In.” Maybe improvise a little bit and have the residents sing “Oh, When the Flowers Are Coming In.”
The harmonica, the petals and blooms and a great singer….what a natural way to ease the anxieties of someone in a nursing home!
I wonder how we could make this dream come true for Marie.
There is a lady at a nursing home in Springfield, Delaware County. Her name is Marie and she has a beautiful voice and a lovely spirit. Has had some hard times in her life which she shared with me. Yesterday, we were singing The Impossible Dream. I gave everybody in the group a sheet of paper with the lyrics printed in large type. I asked what dream seemed impossible at this point in their life. I said that my mother always wanted to be a nurse or a stewardess. I wanted to be a talk show host. Marie said, “My dream would be to go on a hot air balloon ride.”
Who is the Flower Vase Angel that left vases by my back door?
Patricia,
Hello friend! It’s been awhile…but I’ve been reading all of your posts, and excited to see how well your Flower Project is going! Thought I’d peek my head above the back-to-school crush to say that I’ll be praying for your awesome flower project, and that I think you are doing a wonderful job! AS USUAL!!!!! And what a great re-purposing of flowers that would otherwise be trashed…you are the perfect person to rescue them! I will pray for a space, and for the other things you may need to watch this program “grow” :-). If anyone can do it (with God on your team), it’s you!
And I hurriedly dropped off some vases on your side porch the other day, but I don’t remember if I put our name on the bags or not…one of my many senior moments these days! My were running late for a family gathering, but I didn’t want another week to pass without getting them to you. I will keep my eyes open for more, and spread the word. You are doing great things – keep going!
Hugs,
Kristen
Happy Flower Day to You!
Dear Friends,
This is my plan for my Flower Project. I just reserved the new domain name for my website. It will be HappyFlowerDay.com
I chose that name Happy Flower Day because often when I pass out the flowers to surprise the residents they ask why they are getting flowers and I say BECAUSE IT IS FLOWER DAY. And then I ask the group to join me in singing an impromptu version of Happy Flower Day to You sung to the tune of Happy Birthday.
Happy Flower Day to you
Happy Flower Day to you
Happy Flower Day EVERYBODY
Happy Flower Day to you!
A church in Raleigh, NC is doing something on a grander scale that involves the whole community. It looks like a plan that I can model and implement locally. Maybe a church in the Lansdale area would give me the space. Prayers, please….. if I am to proceed with spouting joy for the residents who need a little flower power in their day! Here is a link to the Flower Shuttle project.
So I gave her a bouquet of colorful blooms.
A few weeks ago, I was delivering flowers to residents of a senior community in Doylestown and a happy group of people were coming in – beaming and laughing with joy. I noticed that one lady was wearing a sticker about Twilight Wish Foundation whose mission is to grant wishes to deserving seniors – sort of like the Make a Wish Foundation is for kids but this is for older folks. I asked the lady about her sticker and she said that she had just been granted her life-long wish to take a ride on a blimp ……so I gave her a bouquet of colorful blooms to CELEBRATE that she had just been granted her exciting and unusual wish!