Poppies
Everything I ever needed to know about poppies, I learned from The Wizard of Oz.
Gratuitous Pretty Poppy Image
Palette
So this isn’t exactly a poppy palette - even the reds are too solemn - but it sure is a cool pic!
And who doesn’t love to see a pop of color in an industrial setting??!
Yes, The Wizard of Oz is responsible for the entirety of my poppy knowledge.
And - to a lesser degree - Bucktail Bank & Trust
As you may have guessed, I’ve got a highly nostalgic personal anecdote to share!
And yep! I just dated myself with the reference to BB&T.
THE Poppy Clip
Skipping right past Dorothy’s drug-induced slumber . . . Did you know that the snow in this scene was 100% asbestos?
Read more about it HERE.
About Bucktail Bank & Trust
It’s not a terribly exciting anecdote, I’m afraid.
My BFF and I somehow got looped into doing an American Legion poppy sale during our junior year.
We were stationed at Bucktail Bank & Trust (now Northwest Bank). We successfully sold poppies AND had an inordinately good time.
All I knew at the time was that it somehow benefitted veterans.
So in 1987, here’s what I knew about poppies:
Poppies make you sleep (thanks to The Wizard of Oz); and
You sell poppies in November at Bucktail Bank & Trust in Emporium, PA. To benefit veterans. Somehow.
Memorial Day Poppies
(I absolutely should have posted this in May. Grrr.)
Image downloaded from unsplash.com
Poppies symbolize resilience.
It was the following poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae - written in 1915 - that cemented poppies as a symbol of fallen veterans. You can learn more about the history of the poppy HERE.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
The GIF that keeps on GIFing
Poppies in Art
The Island Garden (1892), Frederick Childe Hassan
Woman and Poppies from the Library of Congress
Vase with Poppies (1886), Vincent van Gogh
This part is just for fun.
And further proof of my obsession with Creative Commons licenses.
Featured Product
In keeping with this week’s theme: we have vintage poppy canisters available in the shop. You can purchase them HERE.
Word.
Michaela DePrince is a ballet dancer.
And - based on this quote - a philosopher.
She has an inspiring story; read it HERE.
Seriously. You need to read it.
SUPER Corny Joke
You were warned!
Mix-Tape Must-Have
Oh! How I love the Gorillaz!
The vibe. The videos. The genius.
If ya don’t know, now ya know!
