Life can be tough. Flowers rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. Inside every senior is an inherent appreciation for natural beauty – like a refreshing bouquet of flowers. They say a picture tells a thousand words. Here are some photos of our delivery today and some pictures from days gone by at a senior center and a senior living apartment house. I think the pictures show flowers look good on everybody. Now fancy that!
Going with the flow – what I mean is going with the flow with flowers!
I had helped a friend all day. It was 5 p.m. I thought about going to a dance tonight and then I thought about taking flowers to a nursing home. It was pretty late to call a store for flower donations. I thought, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” I was delighted to know that they still had three bags and a box of “slightly used donations” that I could recycle, and give a repeat life for some sunflowers, roses, orchids and daisies. John and I took them to two nursing homes and then went to Cracker Barrel for a nice dinner!
This nice lady in the picture below was visiting her husband in a nursing home. She was just “resting” in her husband’s wheelchair. She thanked us for the flowers and asked us if by any chance we had given flowers to her son last Saturday. John said, “Yep, that was us. I remember your son. What a nice young man.”
A Way to Make Your Mondays More Manageable – Flowering Beauty and Smiles
Bob and I liked to take flowers to strangers who needed smiles. He was 91 years old, a Yale graduate, a World War II Naval officer, and a fun person to listen to as we made our petals and blooms rounds. We talked about pets, holiday traditions, Pearl Harbor, old fashioned niceties that he thought should come back into vogue, aging gracefully, the wife he adored, and life lessons learned in 9 decades. And he played the harmonica to “announce” that we were on our way in with the petals and blooms.
Trisha, I used to play the harmonica. What do you think of this idea? I could get it out and start practicing some patriotic tunes. Then, as we carry the flowers in to the nursing home, I can “announce” the visit by playing Yankee Doodle Dandy, God Bless America, America the Beautiful, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Halls of Montezuma, Stars and Stripes Forever and The Star-Spangled Banner. I am a little rusty on those songs but if I practice, I should be able to do that within a few weeks. I might need to buy another harmonica because this one does not seem to be quite right. (Bob, my 91-year-old volunteer)
When Free Flowers Brought Smiles to People in a Fast Food Restaurant…and Parking Lot
Behold the glorious free flowers! I was on my way to take flowers to Fox Chase Cancer Center. I needed to stop and use a restroom. I pulled into the parking lot of a small mall and went into the restaurant. I saw some people dining alone, a few families with kids, and folks who appeared to be grabbing a quick bite to eat on their lunch hour. I asked the manager if I could pass out SOME flowers. He said, You can pass out ALL of the flowers. So, I did! All 40 bouquets! I guess Fox Chase cancer patients are meant to have a visit next week. One lady told me that she had cancer…..and was on her way to Fox Chase. I guess I was meant to give her flowers before she went to her appointment. My secret to feeling happy – go a’flowering wherever and whenever I can – wherever my little KIA, flowers, and I roam. I love the flowers, glorious flowers and how the surprise of receiving the petals blooms so many smiles. I wish I knew a way to tell people in all 50 states how to do the same. That might FLOWER THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE!
My Favorite Place to Take Flowers? Hmmm, you can flower magic anywhere!My Favorite Place to Take Flowers? Hmmm, you can flower magic anywhere!
I wish I could name one place as the winner but I really do not have a favorite place. Today, I started out with 150 bouquets. My husband came with me and said that there was no way that I was going to fit them all in my small KIA Forte. Yep, we did it! We went to two nursing homes and two senior apartment buildings in Philadelphia. All gone. Easy peasy flowery squeezy!
Nothing like free flowers to make a day go better for the giver and the receiver! Happy Flower Day to you.
Started out today with 100 bouquets. Two nursing homes, a McDonalds restaurant and a busy laundromat later, the petals and blooms are all gone. Day is done. Lots of fun! From Wayne to Philadelphia to Cheltenham. Lots of miles. Lots of smiles. Can you sense the flowery love in the air?
Since May, 2013, I have enjoyed MORNING GLORY!
You can’t top the feeling that you get with the Art of Flowering. I made an announcement at Starbucks that it was Happy Flower Day. Flowers free for the taking. I explained that a florist donates flowers. I take them wherever I may roam such as to nursing home residents, bus stops, train stations, shelters, senior centers …. where people need their days brightened. Such as the lady that told me she had just been diagnosed with bone cancer.
I was at the end of my route. I had some extra bouquets.
A man gave me a large hot chocolate. I said, “Do you work here?” He smiled and said, “I am the district manager. Let’s take a picture, and I will Tweet it out!”
Wish I knew more about Twitter so I could tweet out some neat pictures. Some of the comments made by the people at Starbucks:
• Oh, wow, today is my anniversary.
• Today is my mother’s birthday.
• Can I trade the ones that you gave me for the orange flowers? I was supposed to stop and buy orange flowers for a coworker.
• Thank you so much. You just really perked this place up. Where are they from? Who are you?
Seize the day – A Happy Strawberry Day! (Not much of a Happy Flower Day)
Here I go a-flowering – no matter what the weather! On a snowy morning as the Nor-easter was walloping the area with rain, snow and wind, I picked up the flowers. Only about 20 bouquets today and lovely plants. And in a box were a bag of potatoes, three cakes, and some oranges. And real, juicy, ripe, red fresh strawberries. Lots and lots and lots of them. Large plastic cartons were filled with 30 berries per carton, and I had 30 cartons piled in my car. Could that be 900 juicy red plump strawberries waiting to be made into smoothies, pies, strawberry shortcakes, or for a snack with a dab of whipped cream? (The last picture is where I dropped a carton on the street. OOPS!
I called a church that has a soup kitchen but nobody answered the phone. I walked into a few of my favorite places where I know folks always appreciate the surprise of flowers. And today, the surprise of strawberries!
I thanked my lucky stars that it only took a few minutes for the treats to be “claimed” and happily carried home by smiling people. My gratitude meter was pretty high today – so grateful to to the place that donates to me and for the nice people that I meet along my way.
Leftovers…… (Flowers) that people don’t mind receiving!
Happy Flower Day to you! One hundred and twenty beautiful bouquets were delivered today. Where did all the flowers go? To a senior center, to a busy bus stop in Philadelphia, to a lady with health problems, to a group of teens whom I met at a Dollar Tree store who were excitedly pooling their money to buy a present for their music director. They had eleven dollars. I told them that I had 13 plants – free for the taking. And 17 bouquets were put in a cart at the laundromat. So much fun when you flower the day away!
I think God gave me these flowers today because I found a twenty dollar bill and gave it to the person who lost it.
I really needed these flowers today – to boost my mood. Bye Bye Stress. Hello Flowers!
I am taking these orchid plants to my neighbors in my apartment building.
What kind of plants are these? Can I plant them in the ground?
Who gave them to you? I want to send them a thank you note.
I went to a memorial service today and I was feeling a bit sad. Thank you for making my day better.
Carrying these flowers around makes me feel better than when I take my medicine.
Drive around, pass out free flowers and be merry!
Happy Flower Day! Oh, the Places We Go and the People We See: Sixty bouquets and plants of happiness were passed out to nursing home residents and everyday people that I met along my flower travels! Plenty of fresh gifts from nature and plenty of smiles. Yes, the best things in life are free. And a picture of John and me at a dance last night!
Contact Patricia
Patricia C. Gallagher BA, MBA
Box 561, Worcester, PA 19490 (Philadelphia suburb) Phone: 267-939-0365 TheHappyFlowerDayLady@gmail.com
Website for Happy Flower Day Project
Detour from line dancing lesson for simple flowering opportunity
Happy Flower Day! When you are on your way to line dancing and you pass a nursing home….and then another one, and you go in and ask if anybody would like flowers on a rainy day! A simple detour from the line dancing place yielded smiles for the employees shown here. You have to take care of the caregivers too!
Fun on my flowering way! Happy Flower Day!
I stopped by a WAWA convenience store to buy an apple fritter. The lady behind the counter seemed troubled by something. I think the person ahead of me in line had given her a hard time. I had some extra flowers in the car, so perfect to share with the people I meet along my way. I went out to my car. I brought in five bouquets and explained that a florist gives them to me to take to nursing homes. I asked, “Would you like one for your kitchen table? How about a few bouquets for your coworkers?” She looked at me incredulously and said, “I can put them in the break room for my coworkers.” The blooms spontaneously lifted spirits in a mini-mart. Gee, I didn’t plan that destination. Somehow old-fashioned bouquets of flowers seem to do a “happiness” trick. Every time, every bouquet, every day.
Here are a few pictures of yesterday’s visit to a nursing home – flowers for the residents loaded on a cart and a man in the parking lot who was surprised by the joy of flowers.
Glad to receive this email from another Flower Lady
The Ripple Effect……M began her flower project in 2014. She knew about my “flowering petals and blooms forward” idea and she asked me about it. I had only been doing The Happy Flower Day Project for a year at that point. M has received thousands of beautiful bouquets! I am estimating about 200 bouquets a week, so that is 800 a month, or 9600 a year and ….it has been three and a half years for her project. Hmmm…, that is 33,600 bouquets!
“Trisha, yes, the florist is is still leaving beautiful bags of flowers for me to pick up. I usually get about three to four bags worth of flowers. It’s wonderful. We are doing flower arrangements with different levels of care units, mostly on Mondays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the flowers go out to our hospice patients in the community. It has been such a joy for all that get them. Will talk soon. Hope all is well with you. M.
Pictured below are today’s flower recipients…..and my helpful little helper! Happy Flowers to all and to all a good night!
Don’t give up trying what you really like to do!
What is my best piece of flowering advice? JUST DO IT. You do not need words. You do not need to speak the language. Flowers transcend all language barriers. Flowers speak to people who have lost their ability to speak or think clearly. Flowers are a symbolic way to say, “You matter. I care. You are important. I want to make you happy.”
Link to Happy Flower Day website
And it might be just what you need to do for purpose in your own life. Who can do this? Little helpers, school-age kids and college kids. Think of the life lessons that the fun flowering capers teach. Smart grown-ups teach kids to think of other people and to make a difference. That’s the American spirit.
Add a little flowering fun to your life!
Someone asked me if I only took flowers to geriatric facilities. The truth about flowers and me: I love surprising people especially if they are having a bad day. Such as folks experiencing car trouble and the two ladies near tears after a car accident. It is always fun to surprise the turnpike toll collectors, people in the Giant and Dollar Tree parking lots, folks in a doctor’s office, hospices, shelters, rehabs, construction workers, people at a car wash, those waiting for buses and trains, day care workers, senior center staff, and cashiers at the McDonald’s drive-thru windows. Lots of people are delighted: people taking exercise and line dancing classes and seniors dancing at the VFW and Polish Home. Not just flowers for seniors! Flowering is an opportunity for joy that I don’t want to miss.
Patricia C. Gallagher BA, MBA
Box 561, Worcester, PA 19490 (Philadelphia suburb) Phone: 267-939-0365 TheHappyFlowerDayLady@gmail.com
Website for Happy Flower Day Project
“Patricia, your flowers make me feel better than my pills.”
“Patricia, your flowers make me feel better than my pills.” What type of morning do I wish to FLOWER IT FORWARD? For those mornings that I need a purpose. For mornings when I want to make a difference. For mornings when I want to have a natural high. Delivering flowers is my happy pill. I say “Hello” to a new day with excitement. And then say “Hello” to new friends who receive flowers. Oh, so many people who are lonely, sad, isolated, sick, discouraged, and want to give up. Delivering flowers guarantees a beautiful morning for all! Try it, you’ll like it! Just picture this. Four carts of flowers. Two or three bags of bright florals per cart. Ten to twenty bouquets of flowers in each bag. Imagine 120 people being surprised today! Everybody looks good with flowers!
A Few Links to My Flowering Adventures!
Just musing today about the Universal Language of Flowers.
My loving mother Claire Mohan and our friend Bob Goodwin were cheerful volunteers with the Happy Flower Project. Lots of friends encouraged me to keep on flowering. There were times when I wondered where I was heading with all of this. I would like to thank everyone who “flowered with me” or “shared a few dollars” to help with the gas and toll expenses. I am thankful to Ruth Anne, Bette, Annette, Paul, Ginny, Marlene, Barbara, Connie, Sharon, Edie, Lisa, Linda, Annabella, Priscilla, Meira, Hannelore, Glenda, Marcy, Susan, Bill, Mary Pat, Addison, Ken, Eshowe, Elizabeth, and other members of the Circle of Miracles. I thank all who supported me. And a special thank you to Charles Tornetta and Daniel Polett. Thank you to my loving family for your encouragement. You are all important petals in the flowering circle of love! And a lovely and flower-ly expression of gratitude to “B” who believed in me and by her kindness, she brought cheer to so many seniors.
Links to Videos:
Flower away on Valentine’s Day!
Here there and everywhere! Happy Valentine’s Day to all. And Happy Flower Day!
Flowers just in time for a Happy Hour!
John and I picked up flowers at two stores today. The first 30 bouquets went to a senior center where I met a group of Red Hatters. At 5:30 pm, we stopped at a senior living community. I asked if I could pass out flowers, and the director said that the residents would be gathering at 6 p.m. for Happy Hour. We had plans for our Valentine dinner so we could not stay but the employees said that they would send me some pictures of the flower recipients later tonight.
Maybe a cure for the winter or rainy day blues?
People smile brightly when they receive a bouquet. They often ask questions. “Do I need to snip an inch off the stems?” “What kind of flowers are these?” I have to confess. I do not know anything about the care of flowers or gardening. What I know is that petals and blooms brighten spaces and faces.
The fragrance is scent-sational. As people get along, get around and bounce back from illness, the rescued flowers speak in a way that all cultures can understand. Their unique language simply says, “You matter. Have a good day. Here is a little something for your kitchen table. Here is a little gift you can pass along to someone else. Someone cares.”
Someone told me how “lucky” I am. I have to agree. “Patricia, you get to make people happy every day. It might be a gloomy day or perhaps someone got bad news. You come in bearing a gift of free flowers and spirits are lifted. Maybe for a few minutes or maybe for the rest of the day.”
Yes, that is exactly how I feel, too. My spirits soar for the rest of the day! I am certainly a lucky gal.
My favorite story? I have a lot of them. I think maybe it was yesterday when I gave flowers to people waiting at a bus stop in the rain. A sweet grandmotherly type of lady asked me if she could have six of them so she could pass them out to other people when she got on the bus. She said, “These flowers remind me of the good old days when people did nice things for one another. This is called the City of Brotherly Love, did you know that?”
Just a few pictures of the wonderful people that I have met along the flowering way.
