July 29, 2020

Three things I'm grateful for this morning:

1. The company of my best girl who is now thriving three weeks after our veterinarian wanted us to make a quality of life/end of life decision.

2. Cultivation of a never before used patch of field for sunflower successions 5-9.

3. Four foot tall blooming verbena bonariensis after not believing I could grow them from seed this winter.

What's on your gratitude list today?

"Every person that comes into our life comes for a reason; some come to learn and others come to teach."  Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Warning:  Long post. No bus shelter updates.

About 10-12 years ago I held what I called "Barn Sales" a couple times a month. This was a great excuse to hang out in our old carriage house with friends listening to music and drinking coffee on a Saturday morning. I'd sell produce and plant starts, homemade bodycare products, soy candles, and flowers. Friends came and sold hand poured beeswax candles, handknit hats, jewelry, cards, etc. It was so fun and I was in my flow. I loved it. Everything seemed to come together effortlessly and the people who came into my life during that time, I still remember fondly.

However, there was one woman who stopped in who I remember the most. She was one of those people with magnetism, enthusiasm, and bright eyes. I felt inspired just being around her. She let me know that she liked what I was doing and that I'd probably like going up the road to a Barnhouse Boys show. I'd never heard of them, but I'd soon find out they were just my style. Farmhouse chic and over the top when it came to putting on a sale. The sales were spectacular and they'd hire parking attendants to manage the droves of people and cars who'd show up to take it all in. I still have many beloved Barnhouse sale items in my home now.

Anyway, I'd occasionally see this bright light of a woman at the Barnhouse sales and once in the past 12 years, I ran into her at Costco. I don't know that she remembered me, but I had to say hello and reintroduce myself. That was years ago.

Anyway, I'm a big believer that when you plant seeds of happiness and hope and when you're living as your truest self, your life becomes filled with abundance. I believe that when you are in your flow and doing what you love, you attract enthusiastic people who continue to fill your cup and remind you that you're on the right path.

Since turning my passion for farming and flowers into a business and an artistic outlet, I have been blessed over and over with meeting new, inspiring people. In fact, I'm almost overwhelmed by it. A couple weeks ago as, I was delighted to see that the bright light of a woman from way back in my barn sale days nearly a decade ago had found me again when I discovered a box full of beautiful vases at the door. My mom was here at the time and found them at the gate. "I don't know who they're from," she said. "They were just sitting out by the gate with this note."  I smiled deeply as I knew exactly who gifted them.

I see you and appreciate you, Friends! Thank for encouraging me and cheering me on during this big floral ride.

Oh, also, to the guy who steals numerous bouquets once a week, I doubt you follow our social media, but just wanted to let you know we see and hear you, too. Literally. We can hear your car coming for a mile down the road. The fact that you've visited a few times makes me think that you truly enjoy them.  I hope they're bringing you some light and my hope is that you're sharing them with someone else who needs encouragement, too.

Much love,

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Our two day fundraiser came to a close tonight and with your help, the little bus shelter raised $420 for NAMI SW Wa! I am so incredibly humbled by your support and was delighted to make the donation tonight. Since June 19th, the bus shelter has raised $1035 for community organizations close to our hearts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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My heart is bursting! I just picked up the floral buckets from Bonaventure and was told the residents loved the flowers. Due to COVID-19, we were unable to do the bouquet making workshops we'd been planning for almost a year, so the Activities Director took a cart door-to-door and allowed the residents to choose flowers for their rooms. I almost cried when I heard all about it today. Flowers are a universal language of love and I am so grateful to be able to share with people who are quarantined in their rooms and will be for who knows how long. So grateful that the staff at Bonaventure made it happen!

Hi Friends! One thing I finally learned over the years in an effort to control my anxiety is to lean on community and ask for help. The other thing I learned is to garden hard and, well, that was somewhat of the dilemma today. 

When I started this business, I reached out to the community and to things that were close to my heart. One of those was a retirement community where my son did his 8th grade project pairing the residents with 1st and 2nd graders in a reading project. The kids brought cookies and visited the seniors on a regular schedule and they partnered together to read. We loved this project as many of the residents were former teachers and they just lit up when the kids would walk through the door.

I worked in a retirement home when I was 19 and learned so many invaluable lessons from the residents. So, when I started this business, I reached out to the activities director and asked if I could do weekly or bi-weekly bouquet making sessions with the residents. We were so excited about this partnership, so I planned my blooms to have enough to cover those workshops. 

Anyway, here we are. Basically the week we planned to start this activity and with COVID-19, it's not possible. However, the activities coordinator was excited about the idea of us dropping off buckets of gladiolus this week for the residents. The issue was, my anxiety is high today because I had at least another 2-3 hours in the field and another 5-6 in the barn arranging.  Also, I have dozens of floral buckets, but most are full of flowers right now and the extras were starting to crack.  I realized I couldn't be in three places today, so I decided to ask for help. 

Within minutes of posting my need, I had people willing to come deliver the buckets of flowers to Bonaventure and had dozens of people messaging me about rounding up floral buckets at grocery stores.  As I took the buckets of gladiolus out to the bus shelter for Cheri to pick up (thank you, Cheri), there were boxes and bags of vases waiting for me. You, Guys!

Asking for help is uncomfortable, but necessary. I put myself out there a little today and it felt vulnerable but I was blown away by people jumping in to assist. Teamwork makes the dream work, for reals!  Thank you SO much

We're in a pandemic, people are without jobs, anxiety is high. I feel so tone deaf when I declare that I love my job. However, I do. I jump out of bed every morning as soon as the sun starts to appear to see what sort of magic has bloomed for the day. However, the real goosebumps come when I'm in the barn arranging and thinking about love and friendship as I'm filling delivery orders.  When someone messages me and explains why they need to send a bouquet or lists their friend's favorite colors or favorite flower. I love being the conduit in this expression of love. 

Can I also say, it never ceases to blow me away when consider that these blooms all started as a teeny tiny seed in the palm of my hand at one point in time. Feeling so humbled today.  How are you guys doing?

Guess what?! Even after all the flower sales at the berry festival on Saturday, the little bus shelter managed to raise $115 on Sunday for The Hockinson Main Street Team! Thanks, you guys! You're the best! 

I'm loving these fundraisers with flowers. In less than one month's time, the little bus shelter has managed to raise $615 for local organizations that we hold dear. We can't thank you enough for your continued support. I'm anxious to do another fundraiser soon for an organization that means so much to me, and I will announce it in a week or two, but I need to pay some bills first. 😉😘

Thanks for coming out to the Berry Fest, Friends! It was super fun and I am so grateful to the Hockinson Main Street Team for all their hard work and for the invitation. I was super honored. I'm ready to kick back and enjoy some shade around the farm now, but had a great time meeting so many of you! 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

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Eep! I'm berry, berry, berry excited for our community's 1st Annual Berry Fest and so honored to have been asked to be a vendor. Barn Dog Flower Farm will have a table right across the street from Hockinson Market and close to the live music! Hope to see you there!

Gratitude shoutout to Hockinson Main Street Team and the 1st Annual Hockinson Berry Festival!

https://facebook.com/events/s/1st-annual-hockinson-berry-fes/1195699120770084/?ti=cl

Hey Friends!  Baxter wants to thank you from the bottom of his big, fluffy heart for helping raise money for Oregon Dog Rescue and for helping them save dogs from high kill shelters in Texas. Both Baxter and his younger brother were born in Texas and we are all so grateful to the people in rescue who made it possible for them to live better lives in the PNW. 

We are happy to report that as of 7pm tonight, the bus shelter collected $250 for ODR! I just sent in the donation and it feels fabulous! 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We are happy to report that as of 7pm tonight, the bus shelter collected $220 for ODR! I just sent in the donation and it feels fabulous! Thank you, thank you, thank 

As you've probably figured out, much of our life revolves around our dogs. We bought this property 16 years ago because we felt our city dogs needed room to run. We have since fostered dozens of dogs and adopted several more. All rescues. Our life can be a little chaotic with our four dogs and our house never as clean as I'd like, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, 100% of the bus shelter sales from today and tomorrow will be donated to Oregon Dog Rescue. Today feels like a great day to kick this off as a family dear to our hearts is saying goodbye to their 15 year old pup today. If you don't need flowers, but would like to make a donation, here is a link to to donate.

Here's a picture of our pack. We're SO GRATEFUL for the rescue organizations who worked so hard to save them.

Flowers should start trickling into the bus shelter by 10am.

http://www.oregondogrescue.org/about-1

#oregondogrescue #adoptdontshop #rescuepup #farmdog #flowerpup #claekcountygrown #pnwflowers

@oregondogrescue

“The flower of the present rosily blossomed.” – Aldous Huxley

These sweet new blooms greeted me in the field early this morning.  To say I was giddy would be an understatement. So grateful and so incredibly excited.

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Things I'm grateful for today. Handfuls of sweet peas, whimsical nigella, the first dahlia bloom, a bit of color in the gladiolus, and an abundant goumi harvest. What about you? What's good in your world right now?

I am so grateful for the opportunity to dive into this flower business. It involved some risks for me this year and putting myself out there feels vulnerable and scary at times, but I know it was what I was meant to do. 

Like this morning for instance, our house is a disaster and my personal to do list is ginormous, but I needed to get to the field to harvest for some custom arrangements. As I started filling buckets with blooms, my heart started fluttering and I got the butterflies just like one does when they're falling in love. As I stood in the field, I found myself playing around making a hand-tied bouquet and was at complete peace, in that feeling of flow, with all sense of time lost. What laundry? What kitchen sink full of dishes? What bills? Breathe in, breath out.  What in your life brings you a sense of calm or puts you in a state of flow?

Here are two little samples of some morning play. Being a former Floret student and part of the Floret Collective of flower farmers, I love the trendy boho muted look as much as the next person, but I also really love a good splash of color. Grateful I was able to do both today.

"Be Brave. Be Kind. Be Awkward." 

-Brene Brown

“Lilacs are May in essence.” -Jean Hersey

Everyone has a flower that conjures up memories. Lilacs will always be that special flower for me.  As a child I delighted in making paper baskets filled with lilacs to hang on neighbors' doors on May Day. The thrill of ringing the doorbell and running. The smell of the lilacs lingering in my nose as I hid behind the hedge watching the recipients of the little bouquets open the door.

Where I grew up, lilacs bloomed right around my birthday, so that means my mother always cuts a large bouquet from her yard to bring me when she visits from the other side of the state. She loves celebrating with flowers.

One year I came home from work on my birthday to find my husband standing in the kitchen with a giant bouquet of lilacs.  Knowing he never buys me flowers I gasped, "Is my mom here?!?!"  Out she came from around the corner giggling. She completely surprised me with a visit that year.  She is the queen of surprises and flowers.

I can't remember many birthdays I haven't spent with my mother and we were all so disappointed this year when she needed to stay home because of COVID-19. I'd much rather have her stay home and be safe. She, of course, she sent me a picture of a bouquet of lilacs she cut from her yard.  

That is why this season's first bouquet of lilacs  from our farm is so special. Many of these shrubs came from my mother's yard and their smell is taking me back to childhood and to all the wonderful surprises of Spring.

Which flowers bring back memories for you?

Happy May Day, Friends! Sending you all Love!

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I'll be honest, I had some rough days this week. Weary, exhausted, sad. The uncertainty and the worry about friends and family, and about our larger community just overcame me.  As if I had been holding my breath for over a month, just keeping busy planting and tending to the field. 

Although I was a teacher for a blip in what feels like another lifetime, I still feel unprepared to teach my own kids or even begin tracking all of their online learning and figuring out all the new systems. However, while they helped in the field today, they asked about various flowers, commented on how much they had changed, and noticed the ladybugs working away in the rows. They played with the dogs, tied down new caterpillar tunnels, and rode bikes. They seem lighter than they did a couple of weeks ago as they settle and reacquaint themselves with the rhythm of the farm.  

Long gone are the days when I carried them on my hip as we fed goats, or ran from turkeys.  Long gone are the days when we spread blankets and Legos in the field for our picnics. Just a few months ago I was missing those days. In a way, I've been gifted them again and I want to savor all these moments. Am I still weary and heartbroken about the health crisis? Absolutely. However, I choose to focus on what is right in front of me.  Lots of little moments to savor.  

I am so grateful to you all for the outpouring of love and support.  For all the sweet notes, for the PMs and photos of our flowers in your homes. I am grateful to you for spreading joy. I get teary when you tell me about taking flowers and leaving them for grandparents, for struggling friends, for relatives battling cancer. For stopping to pick up flowers for yourself and making self-care a priority.  I am in awe and inspired by your thoughtfulness and generousity. Thank you, thank you, thank you for lifting spirits, mine included.

Here's a little glimpse at our day. Do you notice what the kids built?  A new addition to the farm. Soon to be planted with dinnerplate dahlias and other goodies that I can't wait to share with you!

Stay well, Friends!

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