Two nursing home visits and one flowering adventure at WAWA! 140 flowers in all!
A down-home recipe for a happy Tuesday – passing out the flowers!
It is hard to believe that 12,487 bouquets have been rescued, recycled and repurposed……since May, 2013. It makes me so happy to do the Happy Flower Day Project but I think I may be discontinuing soon. What would I like to happen? I would like to get some exposure on a national show or newspaper and tell other people how they can do it in their town. According to my calculations, if I passed out 12,487 donated and beautiful bouquets to strangers…..what if 100 other people in other parts of the USA did the same? That would be 1,248,700 bouquets to bring smiles to over a million people. Wait, am I reading that right? Yes.
Delivering flowers to strangers never lets you down!
Going into WAWA and saw opportunity for random act of flowering!
She said she was going to the doctor’s office. Just what she needed to brighten her day!
And then to 15 people waiting for tax preparation, lots of wonderful people at the senior center, people in a Bucks County parking lot, to the staff of my mother’s primary physician……so many people just needing a random act of flowering!
I put the flowers on the lady’s bed. She is legally blind.
Last week, I went to visit my aunt in a nursing home in Cherry Hill, NJ and gave the flowers out to lots of residents and to the staff. An aide asked me to give a plant to the lady in room 614. “She just asked me if I could get her a plant.”
I went to room 614 and it was empty. I placed the little plant wrapped with gold foil on her bed. I guess she was in the dining room. I forgot all about it until yesterday when I was visiting my aunt in room 612. (This is a picture of my Aunt Anne.)
I heard someone say, “Are you the lady that gave me the plant that was on my bed? My name is Eleanor. I have been wanting a plant for so long.”
How did you know it was me? That I was the one who put it on your bed?
I was in the dining room last week and saw you passing out flowers but I was on the other side and you did not come over my way so I didn’t think there was any for me. Then, I went back to my room and that beautiful plant was waiting for me. Look, I have it on the window sill. It is really growing so nicely. It looks beautiful, don’t you think?
Have flowers will travel – random acts of flowering!
60 bouquets to dancers at a senior dance in Philadelphia
I wasn’t planning to stay for the senior dance so I was just dressed casually in white slacks and a summery pink blouse….planned to just place the beautiful bouquets on a table at the Polish Home and go on my way back home. An hour ride to Chalfont from Philadelphia. I told Debbie about the Happy Flower Project and she suggested that I put the bouquets on each of the 17 tables. That was at 7:10 pm. By 7:30, all of the bouquets had been “claimed.”
It was a beautiful sight to see when the dancers came in and were surprised at the flowers that greeted them. And I stayed for the dance…….and had a wonderful time!
And loved dancing to two of my favorite songs!
Missed the Saturday Dance by Sam Cooke
At Last by Etta James
Flowers requested for Rose’s 100th birthday party! Nursing home visit.
Patricia:
Hello. Nice touching base with you again. Rose’s 100th Birthday is Friday, March 28th at 2:00pm. Rose would be over the moon grateful to receive flowers on her birthday. My vision is for various people to approach her during the party at different times giving her flowers. It could be individual flowers to bouquets. I appreciate any assistance in making this possible! Of course we are trying to get the media here and I would make every effort to mention you in that as well as Trader Joe’s kindness in donating them to you every day. Wow.
Jennifer
Students needed for a little community service project
Hi Friends,
I feel like I am in transition again. I just posted this on Craig’s List. If you know of a group of kids who would like to do a community service project, could you please pass this information along? Thank you very very much.
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/vol/4363057651.html
Trisha
A Marine’s mother – can you imagine her heartbreak?
Hi Patricia,
Do you still make the Team of Angel pins for families of the fallen? Is there a cost? Anything else our folks would need to know? Thanks, Nancy, Gold Star Moms, proud mom of Cpl Kyle, USMC, Killed in Action, 4Nov06
Am I “normal” or just too much thinking outside of the flower box?
So I got all dressed up today. Black slacks. Red blazer. Colorful scarf and jewelry. Looking like I had a real job to go to. Not a close to full-time volunteer job being a Flower Lady. Is this quirky little project normal? Why in the world and how in the world did I get started picking up day-old flowers, seven days a week, every day (but 10) since the end of May, 2013? I think even to me it sounds a little nutty. As I think back over my life and the projects I have been involved in……yes, this is just another thing on the Patricia Gallagher continuum of life that is very “normal” for me! I guess flowers are nature’s way of keeping me calm and happy. I think they must do the same for the 11,612 other people who have been the recipients of the beautiful donated flowers. Thank you, Trader Joe’s. for letting me be the Flower Lady.
Today’s adventures in my random acts of flowering:
Picked up 40 bouquets from the North Wales Trader Joe’s. Went to first nursing home. Unannounced. Struggling with four big white trash bags of flowers. Asked for administrator and told her about The Happy Flower Day Project. She was thrilled and gathered her helpers to assist as she went up and down the hallways passing the flowers out to surprised employees and residents. I gave three bouquets and a Team of Angel pin to a lady filling out a job application. On to the next store for a pickup of 80 bouquets and some potted orchids and little lilac plants. Passed out twenty at a WAWA. Went to a Baptist church luncheon for seniors. I had been there several times before and when the ladies saw me they started clapping and cheering “The Flower Lady came back!” We sang Happy Flower Day to You to the tune of Happy Birthday. Suddenly, all of the lights went out and nobody could see – their food and could barely see each other. In the dark, I told them that I had two bouquets for each person. I went home and for the second day in a row, I gave lots of flowers to the home health care aide who comes in to dress my mother who is in hospice care. She was thrilled to be able to take them to her other hospice patients.
I just came from the dentist and was not feeling very good. You made my day.
My son gave me flowers for Valentine’s Day and they lasted for two weeks. The vase is empty now but not for long. I am going right home to put these in that big blue vase.
It’s my birthday. I can’t believe that you brought flowers for all of my friends.
I am going to visit my sister now. She has cancer.
I was having an anxiety attack right now. These flowers are calming me down.
You know the flowers that you brought last time. I brought them to my daughter. I never give her flowers and I did not tell her that I did’t buy them personally. You gave me a whole bag that day and I put them all around my house and I just went around and enjoyed the fragrance so much.
I am a nurse and I have clients to visit today at a nursing home. If you have extras, I can take them with me to give to them.
My son just got engaged. Wow, this is a nice present for them.
Eight Japanese tourists at Burger King probably thinking – she must just be a crazy American!
I had two beautiful orchid plants in gorgeous clay pots and six lovely bouquets. I went into Burger King to get my daily fix of a large chocolate milkshake. I spotted the group – all finely dressed and very classy, The men were sitting at one table and the women at the next table. I couldn’t help myself. Sometimes a flower lady just has to do what a flower lady has to do! I went out to my car and quick as a wink, I went back and in and just smiled and said Welcome. And passed out the orchids and pink bouquets. Only one word spoken to them. Welcome.
They smiled. Laughed. Maybe they are thinking that in the American culture that the flowers were some kind of ritual or rite. I thought of the quote from Helen Keller.
The best and the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
That’s what the Happy Flower Day Project is for me. A hidden blessing that makes me feel good in the heart every day I see a surprised look or smile on a stranger’s face.
“I gave the Team of Angels to Protect My Loved Ones” to my daughter. From a California mother.
When I see a family who has experienced a tragedy in the newspaper or something on the news such as the Boston Marathon, Columbine, the tragedy of the Amish or Newtown, Connecticut – I send a box of pins usually about 25. Most often, send them to a priest or rabbi who is officiating at the service and ask that they pass them out if they feel that they would provide comfort.
Hi Patricia,
Thank you so much for sending the Team of Angels pins. Every person who gets one is delighted. I gave the “Team of Angels to Protect My Loved Ones” to my daughter. Your prayers are much appreciated. Thank you for the work you do and the comfort that it provides.
Just remembering my amazing trip to Ecuador – before becoming the Flower Lady
I needed to find my groove again. And where did I find it? On my exciting solo trip to Cuenca, Ecuador. 8300 feet up into the Andes Mountains. Hope to go back again sometime.
http://myadventureinecuador.wordpress.com/
People at gas stations get flowers, at WAWA, at restaurants, senior communities – what happens?
People seem to like the surprise of receiving flowers!
75 bouquets of roses and 39 assorted flower bouquets
I am on my way to a post-Valentine party at a very swanky retirement community laden with a carload of flowers everywhere, floor to roof of a big car and even the trunk is stuffed with 5 white trash bags of blooms. So so many…..so gave some to CVS customers in Chalfont, at the 7-11 in Willow Grove, and other just along my way opportunities to bring smiles to strangers. I know I will be passing them out as I drive towards King of Prussia……need to save 60 for the program so the rest will be passed out as random acts of flowers.
Topic for your retreat for women – yesterday at my church
https://storiesforseniors.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/a-talk-i-am-giving-at-my-church-on-february-16/
Patricia Gallagher welcomes interviews and speaking engagements. May be available on short notice.
http://www.patriciausa.com
Cell: 267 939 0365
I kept it on my kitchen window sill, so I could see it every day.
I don’t know why but when I get an email like this one that I got today, it makes me feel good.
Dear Patricia,
Thank you so very much!!! I received a Team of Angels for the Overwhelmed pin a few years ago, and thought so much of it that I kept it on my kitchen window sill, so I could see it every day. I wondered if you had other pins, so I checked for a website – and there you were!!! I know I will need more pins in the future!! I want to pass them out to all of my friends who need comfort here in Texas.
Kathy
The truth about random acts of flowering….it buoys spirits!
I think The Happy Flower Day project, which began in May of 2013, quite accidentally and without any strategy or plan from me……well, I guess I just want to say that doing the flower deliveries to surprise strangers……makes me so happy! The Flower Project has been a gift to me. It is really a divine privilege for me to be the messenger and the bearer of the generosity of Trader Joe’s who donates them to me each morning.
