The Poppies Are In Bloom.

Jun 5

Written By Alysa

You know me by now. I LOVE flowers. Outdoors. The Chicago Botanic Gardens. I've had a membership to that little slice of beauty since the year I had Maddie. THAT was what pulled me through the first year of her life as I struggled with post-partum depression.

So I knew the poppies would be coming soon and this week I saw a few around the neighborhood so when I saw the weather forecast for today, I just had a gut feelin' that it was gonna be a Botanic Garden day.

We packed up the water colors, paint brushes, and water, and off we went.

And we found one of my favorite corners

{I'll be honest, there are SO many favorite corners of mine at that place} and plopped down.

I forgot thin brushes for Jackson and myself so he used a bigger foam brush and I used my Canon camera. Seemed to be a win-win. {I might have gone a bit overboard with the pictures but I just couldn't help myself.}

I grew up in Canada, and Remembrance Day was a pretty big deal. We'd leave school and go over to the little Memorial Statue in Thessalon. Everyone wore poppies on their lapels.

And I distinctly remember this poem being read. We had to memorize it, and to this day, I can't see a poppy without beginning this poem ...

This is what Wikipedia says about the poem ... "The poem has achieved near-mythical status in contemporary Canada and is one of the nation's most prominent symbols. Most Remembrance Day ceremonies will feature a reading of the poem in some form (it is also sung in some places), and many Canadian school children memorize the verse. A quotation from the poem appears on the Canadian ten-dollar bill. The poem is part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in the United Kingdom, where it holds as one of the nation's best-loved, and is occasionally featured in Memorial Day ceremonies in the United States.[citation needed]"