Today, I passed out 2 bouquets each to 23 people. Just random acts of flowering. Took about five minutes. Sunny day, sunny smiles and I felt so sunshin-y inside my heart too. I know I have to give it up soon but I think I am going to miss the Happy Flower Day project. I have lots of pictures which I will post later.
Oh my! The Happy Flower Day made the news in the UK.
Please click the link below to an article written by a writer in the UK about the Happy Flower Day Project.
http://www.womanalive.co.uk/articles?articleaction=view&articleid=791
Just went a-flowering to the courthouse in Doylestown!
On my way to process some paperwork for my mother’s will at the Bucks County Courthouse – met about 40 people who smiled when I gave them a free bouquet!
Why, they all seemed to ask.
Just because is all I could manage to say. It was so quick. Inside and outside flowers to people walking on the pavement and sitting near the steps. Flowers to people walking through the security line. Flowers to people in the hallway and elevator.
Think I might have to wind down very soon. It has been exactly a year since I began the Happy Flower Day Project.
17,612 bouquets rescued and re-gifted. Thank you, Trader Joe’s!
Three places….140 bouquets of flowers….blooming 140 smiles!
I started out in the memory care unit and then on to an assisted living section of a very SWANKY senior living community. The activity director had asked employees to bring in vases for today’s flower arranging activity. That was fun for all. Then, we walked around with the flower cart filled with bouquets to overflowing and surprised the housekeeping and kitchen staff with fresh flowers. And many other employees that we met along our travels throughout the various units and on the elevators. And of course, I gave everyone a Team of Angels pin with the poem for getting well. “Maybe you can pass this along to someone who is not feeling well.”
As I left, I passed out four bouquets to the people who were manning the security desk. Two men and two women.
I glanced across the street and saw a senior day care center. I went in and introduced myself and showed my three bags of “flower wares” and Carol, the activity director, was excited to be a part of passing out the flowers to the clients. Probably 30 people there. We sang God Bless America and Happy Flower Day to You – my own original song – sung to the tune of Happy Birthday. And I continued on way of flowering to find others who needed a lift in their day. A floral lift. A random act of flowers.
Stopped by to bring flowers to a lady who is currently going for chemo treatments. Two bouquets for her.
Off to Doylestown to Center Square Towers. Lots of smiles for the residents and I was smiling too – I still am! 45 bouquets taken there.
Just remembered now at 5:54 pm that I forgot to pick up my flowers at the North Wales store. I only went to Jthe Jenkintown store this morning. Filled my car from floor to ceiling there. By 5 pm, they were all passed out from this morning’s batch.
Well, I guess I am not finished for the day yet. There is a part two of flowering today. The evening shift!
I will head over to North Wales now. And then to who knows where with the new batch. Don’t want to waste a bouquet or an opportunity to offer some petals and blooms to surprise someone.
Happy Flower Day to all!
Flowers for shoppers at The Dollar Tree store.
I ran in to get a notebook and noticed a lady buying artificial flowers.
I have some beautiful flowers in my car that I am passing out today – just sort of a random act of flowers project.
How much are they? What is your name? Why are you doing this?
Nothing. I am giving them to everybody I see today. I have lots of them.
“Patricia, Do you think they will last until Saturday? I am having a party and I want to give a bouquet to each of my friends. Wow, my husband will not believe this. You are going to make me cry.”
I gave her the short version about the Happy Flower Day Project.
She held onto my purple copybook and my ten dollars and got into the line. I ran out and got two big bags. 40 bouquets.
Here and there and everywhere……strangers received FREE bouquets of wonderful and beautiful fresh bouquets. 40 OF THEM!
Just a day in the life of The Flower Lady…….pictures taken today!
I passed out flowers in a parking lot, in a restaurant, and to seniors here and there! Lots of fun.
Ten Commandments for Middle-Aged Moms written by Patricia Gallagher
Click to access the-ten-commandments-for-middle-age-moms1.pdf
I get hundreds of request like this every year
Dear Patricia,
My name is Leslie. Could you please send me a free Team of Angels pin? My address is (That part is confidential so I cannot show it here on this post.) I would like to have one to help with a very personal need. Then I will pass it along like you are supposed to do. Someone gave me one. I gave it away but now I need one again. Can you tell me how this Team of Angels project began for you? Thank you.
Hi Leslie,
How did you first hear of the Team of Angels pins? Where were you when someone first gave you one? I am very happy to send you the pin for free but I now need to cover the envelope and postage to mail. I wish that I could continue to send them for free but I can no longer afford to do that. Can you please send three dollars for that? Of course, for the people who live near me, they can stop over and pick them up. At this point, I want to share them wherever they are needed. You asked how it all began for me. I began the project in 1998. I have a free download of the book that I wrote about the Team of Angels on my website. wwww.teamofangels.com
Thank you very much. Sending my best wishes to you for peace in your life.
The young girl said, “I can give the flowers out at my father’s memorial on Saturday.”
I was in a nursing home and a young woman was singing a Motown song. The song was IS IT IN HIS KISS sung by Aretha Franklin. I said you are much too young to know that song. “My father loves Motown and I grew up singing songs with him.” She looked to be about 22 years old. We were in the dementia unit.
I left the assisted living after passing out 40 beautiful bouquets. I still had potted plants in the car and two more bags of flowers. I noticed the young girl getting into her car. Her shift was over. I asked her if she would like a few bouquets to perhaps give to her mother, grandmother, aunt, etc.
My father’s memorial service is on Saturday. I would like a few to take to the ceremony.
I asked her is she could use 10 potted plants and two bags of gorgeous bouquets.
My father had COPD. He died last month.
Her eyes filled with tears. And mine did too. We hugged. My car was now empty. My heart was filled with amazement – how these flowering situations unfold!
I gave a friend a BIG BAG of flowers to pass out today.
Hi Trisha,
I decided to drop off flowers at Harriet’s, and then to Lynn’s house. Neither were home so I just left them there. Went to Carol’s and gave her and her sister Jeanne some. Carol is 87 and Jeanne is 93. Gave some to next door neighbor (my former classmate) and lady down the street. Passed them out to people at a WAWA store. On the way home I gave the rest to lady sitting on her porch as her husband was doing yard work. She just had an operation. She was very happy to have them!
I gave her flowers – she offered to bake me a cake
Last Sunday, I adopted a dog, Eddie. Actually, he was Katelyn’s. Since she had the baby, he has been an extra bit of work and I offered to adopt him. He is 15 years old. I took him with me “flowering” on Saturday and Sunday. One lady at Golden Living said, “It has been so long since I petted an animal. Can he stay with me for five more minutes? It feels so good to pet a dog.”
A few recent places – this past week
Golden Living Nursing Home – Germantown, 54 bouquets
Ivy Hill Nursing Home – Cheltenham, 84 bouquets (staff, visitors, and residents)
Abington Hospital – 35 bouquets
Wesley Enhanced Living – 78 bouquets
Arden Court Memory Care – Warminster
Hillcrest – 63 bouquets
Cadbury – 35 bouquets
The Birches – 52 bouquets
Chester County Rehab – 64 bouquets
Harlee Manor – 32 bouquets
Elkins Crest – 68 bouquets
Three people walking their dogs in an over 55 community
A lady sweeping her step as I drove past her house – modular home park
A lady getting into her car in a parking lot – modular home park
Two ladies at Wells Fargo Bank ATM n Flourtown (I gave her a bag of flowers, maybe 7 bouquets. She gave me her business card and told me to call her and she would bake me a cake for a special occasion. She teaches cake decorating classes at Michael’s Arts and Crafts store.
A lady going through a serious health challenge
Happy Flower Day at Fox Chase Cancer Center
Hi Trisha,
Smiles everywhere, that’s what we saw as you handed out flowers to colleagues ,
patients, and their families. Thank you for brightening the day for many at Fox
Chase Cancer Center.
We hope you visit again!
Helen
“I want to sell the flowers,” he said. “Gimme a few bags!”
I took 100 bouquets to Broad Street in Philadelphia. Put a quarter in the meter to get a half hour of time. Opened the trunk like I was selling produce from the back of the car but really just wanted to display the wonderful assortment of free flowers. Opened the passenger side door and the back door facing the pavement. Tulips, daisies, roses filled from floor to ceiling all over the car.
People passed by and I offered them several bouquets. Lots of people. Lots of surprised people and happy people. Three young men came by and said they needed a couple of bags of flowers. “Yeah, I need them. I can sell them.”
Oh no, someone donated them to me to give away.
It really did not matter to me. What mattered is that a hundred people would have some joy today. And I had joy doing it.
Fire in kitchen – flowers for volunteer firemen
About 7pm last night, we had a grease fire and in a panic called 911 emergency. We had so many tanks of oxygen in the kitchen for my mother and they are highly flammable. A policeman carried my mother out. She was so scared. I grabbed the tanks and put them by the curb. Firetrucks and police cars were on the scene. Fire in oven extinguished very quickly but they put fans in the house to get the smoke out. I had two bags of flowers in the car – 23 beautiful bouquets. Yes, of course………flowers for the volunteer firemen. I could never have planned that one!
The most meaningful flower recipient so far……for me
I only picked up ten bouquets today. I guess Trader Joe’s extra special sell-out holiday is Easter. I took a pretty yellow bouquet to a friend in a nursing home and then took three to a lady’s home who has cancer. I didn’t have enough to pass out to everybody sitting in the lobby of the nursing home.
When I first walked in, I saw two women saying goodbye to the lady in the wheelchair. She clutched her pocketbook as if she was going out for a ride but she wasn’t going anywhere. They had come in to style her hair. As they left to go to their cars, she wheeled her chair over to the window and kept waving goodbye. They did not see her waving for five minutes. They were chatting with each other and walking to their cars.
I gave my friend his yellow flowers and walked to my car. I thought of the six bouquets in my car. I wondered if I should go back and talk to the lady sitting by the window. I was drawn to do that so with six bouquets in hand, I sat down next to her and handed her three bouquets. Three remained in my arms.
For me, are they from a florist? Oh mercy, they are so pretty. I am so sad. Nobody likes me in here. They put things in my food and I get the bumps on my face. They make me wake up too early. I beg them to let me sleep and not give me the food that gives me rashes. Oh, I am going to take these to my room on the first floor. Do I change the water every day? Oh, three bouquets! Can I trade this purple on for a white one? They will all go together and match. Nope, I am going to give two of these away if I get a visitor or two. I don’t know why I am here. I am so mixed up. That is what everybody tells me but I know I am fine. People just don’t like me.
I reached over and gave her the remaining bouquets and hugged her for about 30 seconds and kissed her on the head. Her eyes were moist and then the tears flowed. I hugged her some more.
That impromptu flower visit was no doubt a Divine Appointment.
I feel happy…two nice notes in a day.
Trisha,
Happy Easter to you! Your Happy Flower Day project is wonderful and so giving and loving! Please know that what you do means so much to so many! I feel blessed to know that there are people like you in the world. Thank you so much.
From a recipient of the flowers that I passed out at a doctor’s office today.
Today at the doctor’s office…..flowers for all
I had a very minor procedure done today at a doctor’s office but it is actually in a gigantic medical center with a lot of employees and patients waiting around for bad news or coping with something that might not be pleasant to deal with. I thought my carload of flowers might be a welcome treat for 67 people. I just received this email from one of the nurses.
Dear Tricia,
I want to tell you how special you made so many people feel today, including
myself. Our patients and staff walked around with smiles on their faces all day!
I enjoyed reviewing your website and want you to know that you are an
inspiration! Thank you for your kindness. You will never know how much it is
appreciated!
Stephanie
Beautiful day to go a-flowering! With my mother.
My mother cannot get out of the car to take flowers to nursing home residents. This might just have to be a day of passing the beautiful bouquets out in a mall parking lot or perhaps at a train station. Lots of people just going about their day…..thinking about their woes and their never-ending to do lists. Maybe the beautiful bouquets will be a bright spot in their day. Love bringing flowers to people who need a little surprise in their day.
Do you know someone who needs a Team of Angels? Maybe that someone is you!
Hi Patricia,
I am so sorry I am just getting back to you. My life doesn’t seem to slow down much these days. Thank you so very much for the extra Team of Angels pins that you sent. My sister, who is a breast cancer survivor now, had one that broke. (Most likely from wearing daily as my other sister and I do ). You have touched so many hearts and lives with those pins. There are 3 of us sisters and your pin brought so much joy to our friend that recently passed from cancer. She said it brought her peace. I am forever grateful to you and count you among the angels that walk among us. God Bless you always!
With So Much Appreciation,
Lynn
