Cheers

It Took Me 10 Years To Find Roses At The End of The Driveway In January

Shelley

As I look out the windows in January, it’s slightly hard not to admire another snow globe-shaking arrival of MORE snow.

It’s kind of magical, right?

Not so much with the wind that came along with it, though. That kind of ruffled all of our feathers.

The drifts left behind are pretty, in a way – especially with the sun shining on them.

Near the end of January, you can find me seeking some warmth from the sun through the window as I look longingly for signs of spring.

Oops, not this window. That’s snow and ice drifting off the roof…real and fake icicles.

Thank goodness for a good book to read on the treadmill and stylish attire to wear. I jump on the treadmill for exercise while Mr. shovels the driveway yet again. He’s WAY beyond DONE with winter.

This past week, I’ve been wondering where the heck has the dang sun been. Is there a ray of hope it’ll stick around one of these days and melt some of the drifted snow?

It’s been trying to peek through the clouds this week.

I think to myself, “I dunno…is it time to throw in the towel on winter or not?”

UM YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

What do you think little Dark-Eyed Juno?

“Duh, we’re done too – lady in the window!

I guess I am too, it’s sure a cold ONE out there…drum roll, please…

My silly joke that missed a landing on the railing…

On Friday, I took a day off from work to celebrate my 10-year work anniversary. Instead of doing something fun like taking a trip to Jamaica, I spent the day at the same desk I took the day off work from (being that I work from home) and worked on my tax prep.

🙄

It’s okay, though, I made great strides and I’m on the home stretch now. I see the light at the end of the tunnel of papers. As I was getting around to the end of the ‘not-working’ day, I received a phone call from the florist. Ah…just what I need some flowers to remind me of warmer weather.

😎

“We have a delivery for you, will you be home to accept it?”

“Um, yes, when will you be here? Our driveway is a HOT mess, we don’t want anyone to drive on it.”

“Within the next hour.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you at the end of the driveway.”

“Okay, the driver will call you when they are there. Thanks for letting us know not to drive on the driveway.”

An hour and 45 minutes later, I, the anxious person, who had put on her boots first, as they take a while to tie – grabbed the camera, and shot a few more photos of the sun trying to peek out from under the clouds. (I’m sparing you from how many!).

Then I figured, they’ve gotta be here soon, so I put on a winter hat, and took some more photos of the sun. (Again, sparing you from how many).

Mr. “It’s going to be dark before they get here.”

Me: “Man, it looks cold out there in the wind.” So I called the florist to find out ETA.

“I just passed the roundabout – I’ll be there in 4 minutes.”

I donned my winter coat, and gloves, and stood looking out the door for 2 minutes. I mustered up the courage to exit the house to walk slowly down the driveway to arrive at the end of it 1 minute before the delivery car arrived. Not to look too silly for any passerby, I stared up at the crescent moon in the sky and felt the heat of the setting sun on my face. It’s not that bad I guess. I’ll keep watching for signs of spring from the comfort of our home.

Up rolled the delivery car and she jumped out of the car (without a coat on!) I grabbed the bouquet from her and thanked the delivery person. She thanked me back for not having to drive on the driveway. She drove off from what I’m guessing was her last delivery for the day.

As I walked back to the house, the past 10 years flashed through my mind with the many happy memories I’ve had working in memory care. I grinned at my FRAGILE prized bouquet all bundled up in a plastic wrap. Hmm…it snowed the day I started working for them. ‘Tis January weather in Wisconsin.

Word to the wise, eucalyptus is poisonous to cats! Dessy rubbed up against it and freaked out!

It’s weird, I still remember that very first day of work, what I wore, and how excited I was to be starting anew. The company I had worked for 10.5 years before had closed the month before. So, I remain grateful for my job and thankful for the flowers to celebrate the milestone moment. They brightened my day. Even if it was time for the sun to set.

The next morning, the flowers were even more gorgeous in the sunlight shining through the window. A taste of spring to come and the flowers, unlike these gorgeous ones, that I hope will grow in my yard. I have no idea what the dark purple flower is. Do you know?

I hope you enjoy the slideshow below…

As I toss in the towel of Winter in January, I continue to seek sunlight, completed tax prep, and of course I hope for an early Spring! I wish you a day full of bright memories that warm your heart and soul!

Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday: Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 28th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “throw in the towel.” Use the phrase “throw in the towel” somewhere in your post. Enjoy! And Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills – Seeking Light.

PS – Do you know what that dark purple flower is? What is your favorite part about saying goodbye to January? Have you seen a sun pillar formation this winter too? What milestone moment do you remember from your working career?

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

56 thoughts on “It Took Me 10 Years To Find Roses At The End of The Driveway In January”

  1. The flowers are very beautiful, so thoughtful of those people! I do not envy your weather, Shelley. Sunshine and 61 are forecast for Las Vegas today, shorts and T-shirt weather. I hope the cat doesn’t eat a poisonous flower. Have you thought about taking vitamin D tabs in winter? Stay warm!

    1. Hi John, thank you, I agree, the flowers are pretty and thoughtful!
      I’m jealous of your warmer short-wearing weather and sunshine! Hmm 🤔 we set our house temps at 64-67…does that mean we should be wearing shorts? 😂
      I have the flowers up high and out of the way. The cats seem oblivious to them there.
      Yes, I take Vit D daily, it does help! We had a fire in the fireplace yesterday, it brought the temp in the house up to about 77 in that room. It was delightful! It’s back down to -6 F outside this morning. 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶

      1. I would be wearing a coat and long pants in that temperature in the house! The weather took a major downfall today. Rain, wind and just 45 degrees for the high. This winter needs to end! It’s nothing like the usual winters with more sun and less of this cold! I hope next winter is better than this crap.

        1. Oh, trust, me, we do layer up. We’ve been burning wood in the fireplace so it’s been cozy without the furnace running overdrive!
          Yeah, I agree, this winter is crap and should move on to the next season soon!

          1. You are saving money with the fireplace and running the propane on low! Imagine the days before such technology. 🥶🥶

          2. Yes, we are…last month’s bill was HIGH!! We’re kind of thankful for propane, natural gas costs here are sky-high!

          3. Everything went way up because of the stupid virus, so ridiculous! I assumed you guys have a 1000-gallon pig near the house for propane.Stay warm.

          4. I agree!
            I don’t think it’s that big, we pre-buy every summer and the price back then was the highest we’ve ever spent. We’ve been able to conserve our use by keeping the house cooler this year. Hopefully, the below zero temps will be a thing of the past for this winter. Except it’s -13 right now! UGH!

          6. Yes, it does, usually for a couple of weeks every winter. We still bundle up in 4 layers and walk most days. We used to cross-country ski, it is great exercise. We don’t have boots that work anymore, but maybe some day we could get new ones. Snowshoeing sounds fun to me too. We’d have to buy snowshoes or rent them. By then, it’d be nice enough outside to walk which is always fun for us. 🙂

    1. Hi Janis – it was nice to receive the flowers, I needed a dose of spring for sure! 💐🌷🌸🌺🥰
      I was tickled to see that pose of the bird when I went through my photos. It was mighty cold and windy…definitely not amused is right!! 😂🤣

  3. First of all, how wonderful to get roses for your 10 year work anniversary, Shelley! Congrats! Your life and the way you describe it here sounds astonishingly like mine. Except I don’t work other than write a few articles for the paper. You are ahead of me on the taxes–we still haven’t received all our forms yet.

    Love the way you captured the light in your pics! Again, similar shots, LOL. Even though it is 14 degrees at this moment, I intend to walk my dog later–all bundled up of course! BTW it takes me a bit to get ready to go out in the snow too!

    1. Thank you, Terri! I often think the same things about your life and mine being so similar. Both having two girls in the same month and 3 years apart and our youngest getting married first…wow, that’s so fun. I’d love to someday retire, not quite ready for that yet, but a day off more often should be a goal! 😉

      Thank you for the compliments on the photos…I aspire to get beautiful shots like you share on your blog!

      LOL…again, the same for us…it takes us long to get bundled up, we consider it part of the workout! We’re at -7 below and feels like -20 below so I’m thinking the treadmill will be our route today! You’re wise to stay warm and keep moving even in the winter!!!

      1. Thank you, Shelley! I’m sure every photographer has their share of stinkers that are lurking in the archives. This is cool to learn that our daughters have similar birthdays and years apart! Wow, -7? We are at 7 degrees but the sun is shining…weakly as I write this. Looks like weather “warms” up for us as the week continues. Have a great week and do stay warm!

        1. Ah, yes we do!!
          The coincidences in our lives make me smile. 😍
          It’s -4 today, I couldn’t bear to write that it was -27 yesterday…but I just did! 🤣 Thank goodness we had saved some fire wood for these extra cold days. They’ll be leaving us this weekend, we hope!
          I hope you’re having a great week too!!

  4. I really like your photos. We have no snow here and I really want to see some. I don’t envy you the driveway, but the snow. I love the sun breaking through the clouds. Kinda looks like an alien beaming someone up for examination.

    Congrats on the anniversary. I’m glad you got flowers. I think they’re even better in January.

    I think the best thing about saying goodbye to January is that we start adding 2-3 minutes of daylight every day in February.

    1. Thanks, Dan, I’m glad I could provide you with some snowy scenes to admire from the comfort of no-snow-zone. Yes, it does look like an alien beam!!

      Thank you – it’s nice to be remembered for the 10 year anniversary, especially flowers in January. I don’t know if I should brag or not, but…I’m the #1 employee and the longest term employee. My employee id is really #1. 🤣

      Yes…I agree! I’m ready for longer days. It’s brutal having it turn dark at 5:30ish. Some days I feel like we’re living in Alaska!

      1. Even though I worked for the same place for 31 years, I never enjoyed having the longest tenure. When I retired, there were three people who had been there longer than me.

        1. 31 years is a LONG time! Just think of all the memories made that lead to storylines in your books 😉 I still have the note hanging in my office from a comment you shared once on a blog post I wrote about your co-worker that said, “The planning is the work.” I smiled when I saw that on a title for a chapter I recently read. 🥰

          1. Steve is mentioned in the Acknowledgements. I always remember that statement. He’d be happy to know that you have that hanging in your office. It certainly is true.

  5. How lovely to get flowers from your employer for your work anniversary! They’re beautiful. And just what the doctor ordered in this (feels like) endless month of January. 🙂

    1. Hi Laurel, thanks for stopping by, it’s always great to hear from you. 😍
      Oh, yes, I agree…January has been SO long and so full of snow. I hope the month of February is less winter-like for both of us. We’ve earned an early spring, right! 😉😂

  6. Work anniversary flowers? Wow … I’m impressed. It’s not the same as flowers, but my employer gave me many hard times! Woo hoo!!!!

    Meanwhile, you are taking winter in stride. Good for you and good that Mr. takes care of the shoveling. Stay warm!!!

    1. Hi Frank, thank you! LOL 🤣😂😉 Oh, dear, I didn’t go to the hard times, they’ve been plentiful. Remembering the happy memories with flowers makes my heart focus on the warm memories!

      Yes, winter is what it is. Mr. is working on getting the parts to fix the snow-blower this summer so it’ll be ready next winter. In the meantime, he’s getting his exercise in by shoveling.

      Thank you for the warm wishes and the wise post you shared on your blog! I loved reading all of those quotes. 😍

  7. Wish I knew what that flower is, but I don’t. I do know they’re gorgeous! Congrats on 10 years and on having an employer who knows that little signs of recognition really do help!

  8. I have no idea what the purple flower is. I’m not a big flower guy…

    Where I worked, we were all issued a silver key pin from Tiffany when we started work. After 5 years, we received a gold one, and I remember they made quite a deal of it. Less than two months later, we were sold to Dun and Bradstreet and merged with our biggest competitor, whereupon we were told, for good employee relations, we were to stop wearing the keys.

    Now that we live in the South, I’m very happy to say that I don’t miss the days that are colder than a snowman’s butt….

    1. Hi John! I’m striking out in finding someone to tell me what that flower is. I might have to resort to sending a photo to google! LOL.

      Oh, my, the key to good employee relations didn’t seem to work, eh? Wow. It does seem to happen when companies change hands though. Out with the old and in with the ‘new’!

      I’d be happy to enjoy some warmer days…this week will be our coldest so far. We’re at a balmy -9 F feels like -22 right now. Even the snowman’s butt is shivering! LOL

      1. We’re working a standard Southern winter pattern here: highs in the 50’s, lows in the 30’s, a persistent threat of rain. Kind of like spring up there.

  9. Oh my goodness those first snow shots are amazing!!!!! As it’s our summer here it’s hard to comprehend that level of cold :). Lovely flowers and a good story of their arrival!

    1. Hi Debbie – I’m glad the snowy shots were a treat for you to see. I loved all the bright sunny flowers you shared on your post. It warmed my morning to see them. It’s only -9 F right now…I was glad to ‘feel’ the warmth in your post!

  10. Glad you are enjoying winter Shelley. Your man needs a mini snow blower, then you could rent him out as the neighbourhood Mr Plow 😂
    I’d send sunshine but someone has stolen mine as well of late ⛈️

    1. Thanks, Brian! We just keep on keeping on through each snowstorm. We know that one of these days they will stop and spring will come. LOL – yeah, he should do that, hopefully it’ll be fixed before next winter!!
      Aw…sorry to hear you’re having too much rain. I hope some sun will shine for you again soon! 🌞🌤⛅☀😎

    1. Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed the photos! I enjoyed your post about what you’ve read in Jan 2023. I’ve added the Once Upon a Tome to my TBR list. 😍

  12. This is a fun story. We all should find roses at the end of our driveways in January. I think it needs to be a law. Your bouquet is beautiful. I don’t know what the dark purple flower is, but I had a cat once who’d pull them out of florist bouquets then bat them around like catnip.

    1. Hi, Ally! Thank you for reading and your vote that it should be a law to receive flowers in January.
      Hmm…that’s interesting about the purple flower. I was thinking about drying them and harvesting the seeds to see if they’d grow in my garden this summer. The cats would enjoy them as catnip. That would be fun too. I’m excited to see what happens as the flowers turn from gorgeous to it’s time to part with them for now.

  13. [Hmm – I finally made it here and again I could not post on the actual site, like last week.] As to the purple flower – you mean the light purple on the left-hand side? My guess would be Alstromeria. I have never gotten flowers from my workplace except when I had my tonsils out (the second time) in 1987 and it was just before Christmas, so a Christmas planter was sent to the house. Robb sent me mixed flowers when I turned 50 years old. Those little niceties are forgotten now – he recently asked me when my birthday and birth year were for his new CPA. Hmm. I like all your pictures, the snow can stay with you however. I really had to smile at the first photo of the Dark-Eyed Junco, when I had said to you in a recent comment “Do you have Dark-Eyed Juncos?” There he/she was and I especially like the shot of him/her looking defiantly at you in the warm house versus it in the never-ending cold.

    1. Hmm…that’s so weird, I don’t know why that’s happening for you. I’m sure I’m supposed to do some kind of update?!

      Yes, the light purple flowers are the Alstromeria. I’m trying to figure out the dark purple ones.

      Aw…more signs that at Robb’s age, his brain isn’t working as it should. Your devotion to your job for decades should be recognized!!

      Yay – glad you liked the Junco photos 😍

      1. The only reason I can think would be I’m totally on Firefox now, no more Google Chrome. Other than that I’m stymied, just as you are.

        Oh, the dark purple – I thought it looked like a Carnation, though I’ve never seen a purple Carnation.

        Every day is something new (and challenging) … my patience is wearing thin while he dithers around trying to decide what to do with regard to the office. At 76 next month, retirement should be the only thing you’re thinking about.

        I did like the Junco photos – it was funny as I said “do you get Juncos?”

        1. I’m having issues with Chrome too. It’s a CPU HOG!
          I took a better picture of the purple flower, I think I’ll be able to Google Search it to see what it’s called.
          I agree…76 is time to enjoy retirement.
          😁

          1. Yes Google search it – if you’re on Facebook, I just checked and they have a site “What Flower is This” and people will tell you if you post it. There is “What’s that Bird?” on Facebook and I found out what a bird was one time. It was a Juvenile European Starling. I felt dumb I didn’t know a Starling, but it was brown and fuzzy, not black and iridescent yet.

          2. Thank you for the idea to join that page on Facebook.
            All week I was calling the Starling a Grackle, so I felt silly when I had to rename all my photos to the correct name!

          3. That’s interesting – I can’t say I’d know them apart, but I know the Starlings are iridescent. I posted a pic of my bird and lots of people knew the answer right away.

            I found footprints in the snow-covered Ecorse Creek once and found a FB group that specialized in naming who made any type of tracks. That was tough for them, but we finally figured it was the heron walking in the snow across the frozen Creek.

          4. Now that I’ve seen them both in our yard at the same time, the Starlings are easier to identify because they’re more speckled. They both have the iridescent heads/necks, but the Starlings have the yellow beaks and speckled sides.
            I follow a FB page like that. It’s fun to see what people find and what tracks they identify. That’s cool you found out the heron tracks. 😊

          5. I compared them just now – are the Grackles yellow eyes easy to see from your window Shelley? This FB group for the birds and for the tracks were both nice and the tracks group, they were very specific and used lingo to describe the tracks – I was amazed. After I said I had seen a Heron walk on ice before, but never on snow … Herons apparently walk all over and don’t ask my permission to do so!! 🙂

          6. Yes, I can see the Grackle eyes when I use my zoom lens. I’ll try to get some photos this spring when both of the birds are in the yard competing for the grub harvest.
            It is amazing what the group finds for tracks to discuss.
            LOL – silly Herons! 🤣

          7. Yes, take a photo of the community gathering. 🙂 Yes, that group was really into it. Herons are a bit goofy looking and also goofy acting it seems.

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