I remember back in July looking at my wildflower garden full of poppies and wishing we had poppies growing in November. We are lucky not to have the ground covered in snow in November. Why do we focus on poppies at a time of the year when poppies do not grow? The second battle of Ypres was fought in West Flanders from April 22-May 25 in 1915. Flanders is a northern region of Belgium and there are many “fields” where poppies grow. Many battles were fought in this region and poppies grow there between May and August.
Apparently, after the war, the ground was so damaged that poppies were one of the few things that would still grow. I can attest to their resiliency as they flourished in our gravel driveway after having had no rain for weeks.
Not having real poppies to use for decoration in November, I decided to save the plastic poppies over the last few years with the intent to eventually get enough to make a wreath. It always felt wrong to take more than one when making a donation.
I had a round foam ring about 3/4” thick that must have come from a pail with seal in the lid. I used some glittery green Christmas yarn, as I didn’t have any plain green in the right shade, and wrapped it around the foam ring until I could no longer see white. It was easy to add the poppies as they have pins. I felt like it needed a bow. I should have used a light purple ribbon as it symbolizes remembrance but I did not have any ribbon in that colour.
I decided to add some combat boots and one of Chris’s berets below the wreath. I then added a couple of my hymn based signs beside it. Perhaps I should do one that says “Abide With Me” and another “O God Our Help in Ages Past”.
I also have a poppy in the powder room.
I feel like I need that extra little reminder that it is the month for Remembrance. I don’t go into town very often so I don’t see a lot of people wearing poppies.
There is always chatter online about people decorating for Christmas before Remembrance Day. I think that maybe people shouldn’t go all out before then but that a plain tree with white lights would be fine. I have two blanket ladders in our house with white lights that feel like a beacon of light and peace to me when they are on. Later on, in December, I will add other decorations to them.
Using that yarn to create the base for the wreath had me thinking of other projects to make with yarn. Any craft or woodworking project that I make leads to me trying something else. I now have plans for new hymn signs and a pine wreath with crocheted poppies for next November.
Remember that creating will lead to inspiration.
And ‘WE WELL REMEMBER THEM’.