About Jenny

Jenny D works for me in the shop-this description by no means does her proper justice.  She is an incredible talented graphic designer, friend, and delightfully free spirit.  What do I mean by this?  She showed up an hour early for work this morning-the fifteenth anniversary morning-with silver helium balloons-depicting a one, and a five.  She was shocked that I was already at work at 8am; she routinely comes in at nine. Her plan was to tie those celebratory 15th celebration balloons to the window boxes outside my office before I got to work.  Get up a little earlier, Jenny; I am at work never any later than 7am.  A phone call to her husband Mark resulted in this advice-sneak up.  I would have known in any event that it was Jenny behind those balloons-who is she kidding?  I would have spotted her work in a second-I have come to know her.  The best of the fifteenth anniversary day today-her flaming hats.    

Rob and I may have worked hard, and worked even better than hard.  But how Jenny chose to acknowledge that-she is a very talented person who it is my privilege to know.  In my opinion, great companies are all about the great people who inhabit them.  She had the idea to construct a pair of flaming hats.  Jenny-you are too much.    

Much preliminary discussion went to the fire issue-would the hats precipitate a fire?  Rob and I both stood firm.  In respect for that person who conceived and engineered a fifteenth anniversary flaming hat-we would go along with her. 

We lit up-Jenny had to have taken better than 70 photographs of this event-the 15th sparklers representing.  A hat with integral sparklers-have you ever?  But truly, the event was about her.  She created this moment.

Jenny made the both of us laugh-she made a special day more than very special.

The 2011 celebration of the anniversary of the shop was organized spectacularly by Jenny.  When I got to work this morning, I had pink tulips and pink hyacinths in a vase. A great bottle of Italian desert wine, almond cookies, and a box of peanut brittle.  I knew it was from Rob-no one else knows me this well.  Jenny’s balloons came later, champagne from Monica, and birthday shortbread cookies from Pam.  It was a special day that turned out to be a delightful day.  
Thank you so much,  Jenny.

Comments

  1. It has been quite a week on “Dirt Simple”…and a real pleasure to be taken on this moving journey. At first I was a little afraid. The heavy sighs of a bygone time: first houses, an early gardening love affair, generous mentors, twice-weeping mothers, youth’s energy and hubris, passion’s ideology. I know for me that when I dig into the detail of the past it can sometimes signal a moment of conflict…regret…maybe even remorse. One can never go back…the real clincher….the dramatic peak of your tale. I don’t know you that well…I was worried. Little did I realize that it was all foreground to your joyous main attraction: an anniversary…a celebration. Over the past ten days, you drew a personal story of real beauty out of the past…and left us all sitting here today, in the present, feeling your accomplishment and pride. How wonderful. And, like anyone who is a true class act, you managed to give the lion’s share of the credit to your collaborators. I appreciate having been taken on the ride. My congratulations and admiration to everyone.

    • Deborah Silver says

      Dear Michael, thank you for this thoughtful letter. This anniversary for the shop is important to me. What happened before will inform and energize what is to come.There is a big anniversary for my design company-25 years it will be, come July. But vis a vis the here and now, I loved that Jenny thought a flaming hat was just the thing for me. Deborah

  2. happy anniversary!

    i’ve so enjoyed watching, through pics, you grow both detroit garden works & your talents from little seeds to maturity.

    nanne

  3. Your posts are ALWAYS special. Never more so than this recent trip down memory lane with you.

    Happy 15th Anniversary to you and ALL of your wonderful crew. I hope there’s something “bubbly” on ice to celebrate appropriately later this evening!

    And here’s to at least 15 more years of “Good Dirt”!

    Anne

  4. So beautiful. What a great celebration! Good job, Jenny!

  5. Deborah, it has been such a pleasure reading your inspiring blog and about the wonderful people who surround you and make Detroit Garden Works possible. The shop going from machine shop to your amazing showplace was a breathtaking read, your affinity with Thomas Hobbs, Rob’s first buying trip, and now Jenny’s eccentric contributions. What a blogging extravaganza. So many times I think you can’t possibly outdo a certain post, and then you do. Hoping for two more 15-year anniversaries, at least. Warmest congratulations to all of you at Detroit Garden Works.

    • Deborah Silver says

      Dear Denise, your comment is a treasure I will not soon forget. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write it. I take what I write seriously- this means that I take everyone who reads very seriously. People like you make me sure my committment to it is right. I plan to keep writing. Best Regards, Deborah

  6. Joyeux anniversaire à tous les deux.

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