Happy New Year's to you. We hope this finds you enjoying a beautiful week and well- rested from the holidays! We can say having closed for the week is simply wonderful, especially since we have been going non-stop. But the weather over Christmas break and returning was interesting to say the least. Only in North Carolina can you have temperatures in the 70's, near 80, and experience snow the next day. Am I right? We had 5.5" of rain and the lake is full again. Scott was complaining and I said, "You just said last week we need rain desperately. And now you are whining about how much we received." LOL. His life is so hard.
As we wrapped up for the holidays before we left, I have to share this funny and heart-warming story. I have shared stories about Ann in the past. Ann has been with us for over 5 years now and she brings all the blooming, colorful magic to the garden center through perennials, annuals, veggies and herbs. She waves her magic wand and poof! Spring arrives in full bloom.
Ann also orders Christmas trees, wreaths and works with the "rancher" who supplies the reindeer. The "reindeer" were adorable this year and the herd was so well-behaved that everyone had to have them this year, except for one. One reindeer sat by himself at the very end of the season. Alone.
The conversation between Ann and Scott went something like this. I might be improvising a little but you will get the gist.
Ann: Scott, did Shannon cut the check to the rancher for the reindeer?
Scott: Yes, she took care of that and he can come back and pick up whatever is left.
Ann: There is just one left. Can we just keep him?
Scott: No, we already wrote the check. He can swing by whenever and grab it.
Ann: But he looks so lonely sitting there. (insert her sad eyes here.)
Scott: Ann, it's fine. He can just pick it up when he gets his check. (I'm sure he had audible irritation. LOL.)
Ann: But it's so sad and he is just sitting there alone. Maybe I'll get him.
Scott: Ann, we wrote the check. Do not do that. It's fine.
Ann: Sigh. Okay.
A couple hours later and towards the end of the day, Scott stepped into Shannon, our accountant's office, to check on something in Quickbooks. He sees an email to Shannon from Ann to let her know the new amount to write to the rancher! She flat out purchased this one, last, lonely reindeer and buckled him into her car.
This is the heart-warming part of the story. Ann is our most sensitive at the garden center. You can tell a story and if you are sad and have tears, she will have tears with you. You can share a moment and if you are crying, she will cry with you. If you have a pet story that is happy, she might actually cry with happiness.
Scott shared this story with me because he thought it was the funniest thing and who she simply is. Adorable. I said, "Scott. Hello. The reindeer are real. They are like the Velveteen rabbit. Duh."
Scott laughed and said, "Marsha, I can actually see her driving home with that reindeer buckled up in the front seat and she is so happy right now. Brad (her husband) is going to be so pleased."
No one gets left behind at FGS. No one. Keep that in mind when you see one last, lonely- looking plant, shrub or tree in 2022. You never know what kind of magic you might be taking home with you.
