Paying It Forward With Flowers

“I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.”
                                                                        Dave Lee Roth of Van Halen - 1979

As we careen into the holiday season just about every business is looking to make the next six weeks really count. Retail stores will be jammed, grocery stores will be packed and a table at your favorite restaurant may be tough. As Thanksgiving approaches the party circuit starts as well, when did the weekend before Thanksgiving become “the” weekend to throw a shindig?  Oh well, time to saddle up, assign designated drivers and ride into the parties…we’ll see you again late afternoon on January first.

A great friend of mine and fellow blogger Linda Stansberry sent me a note about a recent experience as a non-drinker in the season of eggnog, single malts and “Celebrator Ales.” It started as she was hosting a small get together at her cute cabin in the redwoods outside Arcata, CA. A friend called at the last minute asking if she could bring anything.  Linda was just having an epiphany that she was going to run out of Parmesan cheese, so she requested a wedge and went back to cooking.

Thirty minutes later her friend arrived, not just with the cheese but with a great bunch of flowers. The bunch was a simple consumer bunch of tulips and iris from the same market that sold the cheese. It was a very thoughtful item to ensure she didn’t show up with just the cheese and she didn’t want to bring the usual bottle of wine to a non-drinkers home.

Red Tulips and Blue Iris from Sun Valley

The flowers were an unexpected delight and Linda was thrilled to get a warm burst of color for her cozy home.  Since tulips respond so quickly to a warm room, she and her guests were actually able to watch the tulips dance and move throughout the leisurely northern California style dinner.

 

The party came off without a hitch, and when Linda woke up the next morning the iris had opened and looked spectacular.  It was one of those sweet gifts made even sweeter by their spontaneity.

Red Tulip and Iris opening.

The next evening it was Linda’s turn to be a guest at another friend’s party. This wasn’t dinner, it was later, with a band and hopefully some dancing.  Linda was in a dilemma, do you bring a bottle of wine or a 6 pack of micro-brew, even though you don’t drink? Then it struck her, FLOWERS!

Purple Passion bouquet from  Sun Pacific Bouquet

Linda arrived about nine o’clock with a beautiful west coast style bouquet of local flowers. The party was just starting to get rolling and the hostess was thrilled as Linda presented the colorful bouquet.  Ironically, the hostess popped the bouquet in an over-sized mason jar and used it to dress up the table holding the wine bottles and glasses.

 

After a night of dancing and fun Linda was on her way out, she looked back over her shoulder at the wine bar area.  All the bottles were empty, but the flowers had held their beauty all night, and certainly would continue to shine throughout the week.

Ories and Iris, a lovely combo.

Arcata is a pretty small town, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the giant redwoods, our flower girl Linda woke up Sunday to an empty fridge, over the next few hours she made her way to coffee, breakfast and the grocery store to pick up a few items.  In the store, she bumped in to the hostess from the night before, with a beautiful Oriental lily bouquet cradled in her shopping basket. She was on her way to visit her parents, and the grand idea of bringing flowers had just occurred to her.