Keep 'em smiling till you return

I don't know who enjoys nursing-home visits more -- visitors or visitees. But I do know that there's an easy way to keep the memories you're making alive until you return. And that's bringing silk-flower arrangements that you've custom-made for each resident you visit.

I get most of my containers at Good Will and Salvation Army stores, usually for $3 or less apiece, and often find bunches of unused silk flowers there, too. But great buys can also be had at the end-of-the-season sales at local garden centers and craft stores. And there's nothing better than amassing donations from friends. Three cases in point: the beautiful basket shown above left, handcrafted by Brenda Strohbehn; the blooms in the four-legged bowl at right, contributed by Linda Edmondson; and all the materials in the fall basket below left, purchased for me by a flower-crazy staffer.

I'll share some others in future posts, including more that take advantage of my friends' generosity. 

Of course, if you want to do this in any volume, it takes quite a collection of both containers and silk flowers. My husband was kind enough to build me this wall of shelves in the garage (right). And he usually manages to bite his tongue as the scene gets more and more chaotic and spills over into the basement -- not to mention the kitchen, which becomes my washing-and-arranging workroom one night a week.  

But I guarantee that it's worth it. My elderly friends  look forward to their new arrangements each week. And between visits, they're reminded that someone is not only thinking about them, but is making something special just for them.