Sorority Sisters- Beta Sigma Phi
The Sorority Sisters of one of Beta Sigma Phi's Longest Standing Chapters - appears in the PILOT Episode of J Schwanke's Life in Bloom- and you can see a bit of my personal interaction with them in the credits of this First Episode.This show was actually put together to pitch the concept of a Nationwide TV Show about Flowers- Fun with Flowers and J... that ultimately turned into "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom- you can watch it here... www.uBloom.com/SororitySisters . It was our First attempt at creating a show- and we were just putting it out there... and well.. the rest is history ... NOW! hahahah!My Mother in Law- Marylou Blank- (second from the left in the picture below) has been a member of this chapter for decades... this wonderful group of Sorority Sisters gathers throughout the year to share friendships, love and lots of memories. Being one of the Longest (if not THE longest) standing Sorority for the Nationwide organization is a huge accomplishment.... but the truth be told- these ladies are strong, independent, flower loving ladies.
A long time ago- Marylou asked me if I might do a flower demonstration for the group- and we met at one of the ladies' home- and I gave a little presentation - sharing tips and tricks for including flowers in your life... it was a fun little event- that has become an Annual Tradition! At one time- the group swelled to over 20 people... today it's a tightly knit group of less than a dozen... the ladies range in age from late 80s to early 90s. I dedicated the Pilot Episode to a couple of the ladies that have passed away since our filming and completion of the series.It's one of the most fun events I do each year... it's evolved nicely too... because I encourage the ladies to bring a vase - one of their favorites- and share the memories of the vase with the group- while I fill it with flowers. It's a great time- and encourages those wonderful memories to get dusted off- and together we create more! Filling vases with flowers is fun- and hearing the stories they share is priceless!
The Beta Sigma Phi's Flower is the Yellow rose- so I try to include a few yellow roses- and other yellow flowers into the presentation. These ladies are incredible friends and provide a unique solid network for one another... they gather for breakfast weekly, for playing cards, shopping, and even a dinner that includes spouses and friends on each Friday! It's a testament to how friends help support you throughout your entire life.This year- the Sorority Event will include the 3 remaining husbands... so we're expanding the 'outreach' with flowers- to include the guys- giving them a chance to socialize too... it's all about friendships- the kind that lasts a lifetime!Check out the bonus content- in this episode of Fun with Flowers and J- with my "Sorority Sisters" on uBloom! You'll get to meet a few of them - and hear the stories of their cherished vases... It's a wonderful tribute to flowers and Friends!