Saturday, May 29, 2010

Operation Write Home Blog Hop

I am so thrilled to once again be participating in an Operation Write Home Blog Hop. What a wonderful and worthy cause. So many making handmade cards for our deployed heroes. The details about their fine work can be found here. If you arrived here from Stacy's blog you are on the right track. Isn't here Freedom Eagle marvelous? So, I welcome you to my little stop on the hop.

My childhood memories of Memorial Day are getting up early in the morning and watching my Mom go to the garden and cut peonies and poppies that were in bloom. She would cover an empty coffee can in "tin" foil, fill it with water and carefully arrange the fresh cut flowers. The flowers HAD to be peonies and poppies. We would get in the car and drive to the cemetery and leave the flowers on the graves of departed family members. We would return home and spend the afternoon listening to the the Indy 500 on the radio. Paper poppies would also appear on the dining room table. My Father would bring them home....he was a WWII Vet. I never quite understood as a child why, but the paper poppies would remain in a small vase on the hutch until they were replaced with new ones the next year. It's funny how these early memories stick with you well until adulthood.

As I was thinking about what I was going to do for this very special blog hop, this memory came to mind. I began to do a little research and discovered that the poppy has been a symbol of Memorial Day for many many years. In 1915, during a lull in the battle, John McCrae a medic for the Allies in WWI penned a poem about the poppies he saw in Flanders Field. The poem was published. Around 1918, Moina Michael, an American Woman read the poem and began to wear a red poppy as a remembrance of those who sacrificed and as a symbol of keeping the faith. Shortly there after, a French Woman, Madam Guerin. while visiting the US, learned of the new custom and took it back to France. She began to sell paper poppies to raise money for those rendered homeless after WWI. Selling paper poppies spread to Canada and then to America. Today, the custom of buying a paper poppy on Memorial Day remains and donations have raised countless dollars towards Veteran's Programs.





This is my "Paper Poppy." The card is made with Close To My Heart products. The "poppy" was stamped twice, watercolored, cut out and glued together for the 3D effect. The center is a button that I painted with a mixture Pearl Paint and Outdoor Denim re-inker.

I am offering some great CTMH blog candy for anyone who leaves a comment. Share a childhood memory of Memorial Day and you'll receive 2 entries. A winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday June 1st.

As a child I never fully understood the significant of Memorial Day. Now I have a greater appreciation...For all who have sacrificed and those who are currently giving of themselves so that we may be free, we shall be ever indebted.

It's time to get busy and make those cards. All the details on how you can donate to Operation Write Home can be found on the link I provided at the start of this post. Thanks for visiting and enjoy the Blog Hop....it's time to head on to Karen's blog. For Now, Happy Crafting!

92 comments:

Teresa said...

Terrific card!!!

Julie said...

Love the poppy!

In my family, we always spent Memorial Day at my grandfather's house and had a big crawfish boil. Not exactly in the spirit of the holiday, I guess, but my grandfather was the WW2 vet and that's what he wanted to do!

Nancy Keller said...

Cindy Cindy Cindy! So glad I made it to your blog before passing out today! :D I love your card and the background info on the poppies - I buy mine every year from Jim - this fantastic Vietnam Veteran that I work nights with. I never knew the story behind the poppies - but now I do! Thanks for sharing your awesome card and for being my awesome OWH found friend!!! Hugs and happy blog hopping!

Rhonda Miller said...

Wow, what a great card. Thank you so much for sharing the story about the poppy. I always wondered about the signigicance.

I don't have a lot of childhood memories, but since I got married 11 years ago, we visit the cemetery every year since my FIL, who served in WWII, passed away to visit his grave.

Melisa said...

Thank you so much for the history of the poppy!!! And what a great card for the troops.

Kate said...

Thank you for telling the poppy story!

Shelly R Wilson said...

what a great way to use the stamp from Unforgettable, did you use the new Glitz on the edges?

helloholley said...

Your card is gorgeous!! Thanks so much for sharing your touching story....I didn't know about the 'Poppy' either!

Jenny McGee said...

Cindy, Great card. I am doing a quick blog hop before enjoying the weekend. A few Memorial Day's when I was in high school (way back when) the band would march in a parade. That would make it feel like Memorial Day. I played the flute in marching band.

Kristy said...

Great card and memory. I don't have an memories of Memorial Day other than an extra day off of school. Way to go CTMH!!

Erika said...

Great card and story - I didn't know that history. Thank you for sharing it.

And, as a military wife, let me say thank you for sharing your creativity to help bring families closer who are separated by duty.

Betty said...

Nicely done with the card! I grew up reciting that poem - "In Flander's Field the poppies blow between the crosses row on row..."

I always was amazed that the story tells that McCrae didn't think it was good and threw it aside to be picked up by a fellow medic and submitted for publication. The rest, as they say, is history :)

Kim said...

Beautiful card! Thanks for sharing your story. Love all the glitter on the flower.

Operation Write Home said...

Thanks so much for the story of the poppies!

I love your rendition of a paper poppy too - very cute card!

Happy hopping!!

Operation Write Home said...

Thanks for the poppy story - and for your own paper poppy! Adorable card, I love the enclosure.

Happy hopping!

Melanie Nichols said...

Thanks for the interesting story. I always wondered why they were selling poppies! Now I know!

My grandma also used to make the coffee can bouquets and she made smaller ones in Mason Jars. The bigger ones were for the family members who had served in the military. The smaller ones were for other loved ones who had passed away. I remember picking tulips, daffodils, jonquils, peonies, and bleeding hearts with her. The poppies didn't bloom until later where we lived!

Pat Q said...

Great story about the poppies. I love the fact we can hand these stories down from one generation to the next. Love your card, too.

Paula S. said...

Totally terrific that you incorporated Poppies in your design. While I was familiar with their meaning and the Flanders Field poem it never even occurred to me how perfect a poppy design would be. Thank yo so much for sharing this story and tradition with the rest of us.

Kelly said...

I loved discovering your blog. Thanks for the inspiration!

Anita said...

Fantastic card!

Karen said...

Cindy....terrific card! I, too, don't think I realized the importance of Memorial Day as a child. I am making sure my children do! Wonderful card! Thanks for tossing them to me! ;)
Karen

Cathy... said...

Great card! Thanks for sharing the history of the paper poppy!

Martha said...

Thank you for your wonderful telling of the poppy story. It is quite touching.

And thank you for supporting OWH!

Rufus said...

Thank you for sharing the story of the poppy. Even though my Grandpa was a veteran of WW2, he never talked about it. For Memorial day we would go to the cemetery and weed the graves and leave flowers. I, too, now have a much greater appreciation of Memorial Day and what it truly means. Freedom isn't free, they buy it for us everyday. We owe them our entire way of life. That's just one of the reason I make cards for OWH.
Thank you for your support of our Heroes and of OWH.
R/

Lori said...

Loved the history of the poppy story. Your card was great too!

D's Paper Studio said...

I love your memory. Now I'm planning on making poppies Monday in rememberance. thanks you.

my dad was in the USAF so memorial day was spent on base with the military band, moments of slience to remember, a picnic and fireworks. I still am moved by the patrotic songs played by bands.

Melanie Holzwarth said...

What an absolutly lovely card! So very pretty.

My childhood memories of Memorial Day would not be complete without our hometown's annual Memorial Day parade. I loved going to the parade and as I got older I loved marching in it. We'll be taking my two children (3 and 6) to it on Monday. I still cry when the color guard comes down the street followed by our hometown Veterans and everyone's hats come off and all applaud.

PocketsOfInspiration said...

Lovely!

Lelia Pierce said...

Beautiful card!

creations by jackie said...

Lovely card, I do like your paper poppies. Thanks for sharing and being a inspiration this Memorial Day

Andrea said...

Thanks for adding a little bit of history to your blog. Growing up I was in the marching band. I lived close enough to the Memorial Day parade route that we always walked there. There is a small town memorial about a mile from my parents house. They always played Taps...it always and still does give me the goose bumps! Thanks for supporting OWH!

Unknown said...

Beautiful card! Growing up we always went to the cemetery and put flowers on the graves and attended the Memorial Services. Now as an adult and a Patriot Guard Rider I still do this! Thank you for sharing and for the chance at the blog candy.

Missy said...

Nice flower on your card.

debb said...

Beautiful card! I have memories back to childhood of poppies too- they always bloomed for mmemorial day and we always had them out for our family cookout!

Samantha said...

thanks for looking up the history of the poppy! Such a beautiful card, your watercolor flower is perfect.

SuzAnn said...

Thank you for the history of the poppy! I'm going to go make some like your card once I get done hopping. As a kid, we always decorated the graves of departed family and then had a wiener roast and told stories about them.

RobinH said...

love the flower you made for your card

my Memorial Day memory ... for many years growing up I went with my father to the cemetary a few days before the holiday to put flags by all the graves of the veterans. I enjoyed the stories that my father would tell of all the people buried there that I never got to meet

Trevorstuffmammas said...

You know I always wondered how the poppy came into play...Thank you. I remember the Memorial Day parade. But now for me....a Marine Mom....It is thinking for my son and his unit in Afghanistan. Thank you for your support!!! Jennifer

Unknown said...

My grandpa was a Marine, and my dad served in the Army. Most holidays involved some sort of meal or barbecue at Grandma's, and dad & grandpa would tell stories about what their service was like. It helped remind us that this wasn't just a day off of school and work, it was a day of respect for our heroes.

Butterballfeather said...

This is such a cute card! You did a great job!

XOXO,
Greta

Dixie Cochran said...

What a lovely post! I remember red paper poppies! Thank you for reminding me! And thank you for making cards for our heroes!

Brenda said...

Great card and I love the poppies.

I spent many Memorial Days listening to the Indy 500 while attending BBQs if we didn't visit grandparents in Kentucky or Michigan. There is nothing like seeing the Indy in person tho.

The real significance of Memorial Day struck home after joining the military and losing friends deployed to war zones, and losing my Mom (5/29/96) around that date.

God Bless all our service men and women and their families for sacrificing to keep America free.

Erica said...

Great card. I LOVE CTMH.

Eileen said...

Thank you for taking me down memory lane, I had completely forgotten about a can and foil.
I like the way you tied the memory of the poppies into the card.

Unknown said...

Oh, thank you for the poppy story! I had no idea!

My fondest memories are simple ones -happy ones watching parades (my mom's fav). I remember every time a parade finished, that quiet, serene, reflecting moment - this, I share with my own kids!

Thank you for posting today!

xoxo
Lindsey @ ScrapStreet

Merry's Musings said...

Super, just super! Thank you for the wonderful blog post, sharing your memories.

Jan Hunnicutt said...

Cindy, I enjoyed your blog so much today! I didn't know the story of the Poppies but remember them.

Our family did just about the same thing yours did on memorial day when I was a child. I live in a resort area now and people hardly seem to remember.

Meg Bean said...

Thank you so much for sharing the poppy story! I really enjoyed viewing your card too!

mumgranny said...

No cards made today BUT will get busy tomorrow. Thanks for the blog candy. Love CTMH stuff.

Country Wings in Phoenix said...

Hi Cindy Sweetie...
I am Country Wings your newest follower. I cannot begin to tell you how your story of the poppies and peonies so touched my heart.
Your poppy card is so beautiful. You did an awesome job sweetie. Just awesome.

My sweet Moma and my Grandma did the same thing with the cut flowers from their gardens and covered the coffee cans too, but we added little American flags to the car. As we walked the cemetary and we saw Veterans that nobody had visited, we would add a little flag to the grave. It was so much fun to search out the ones needing a little color. When we would walk away and look back, I loved seeing the little flags of love that we had left behind. It was so heart warming.

I still remember those days. I now live in Phoenix, am not near a cemetary so I don't get to do this. I know sweet Moma still makes her rounds to the cemetary and shares her flowers and flags today.

Thank you for giving me back this wonderful memory and for inspiring me to make some cards for OWH. I have never made one before, but I am going to give it a try.

Please stop by and say hi. I would be so honored if you signed up to follow my blog as well. I love meeting new friends.

Country hugs sweetie...Sherry

Christine said...

what a great card
i also remember the poppies as a kid - my aunt was in the Canadian Navy (and my uncle in the USN) and she would always have at least one in her car all the time

eddee1286 said...

What a great card. Love the way it closes.

StampinSher said...

Very nice story to share and I am so happy that you were able to share the history of the paper poppy. Very nice card it certainly goes well with your story.

Lynn said...

Beautiful card! And I know about the poppies as I am an American now living in Alberta. Thanks for the great idea. Oh and the memory, my mexican family is huge and our family barbeques looked like we invited the whole neighborhood,which most of the time we did!

Theresa's Studio said...

Lovely card. TFS I remember as a child that we always wore poppies that my father would buy for us. He served in WWll and we always celebrated MD day with a picnic. I have not seen poppies for sale in a long time but must not be at the right place. I will try to find one tomorrow and wear in memory of all the veterans and my father.

Cheryl said...

Great card! The flower is fabulous!

I remember going to the parades for Memorial Day and the 4th of July with my family. Once I was old enough I was able to walk in the parade several times with different organizations I was involved and was so proud to be part of them.

Shelly Schmidt said...

Love your card and your story-esp about the flowers in the coffee can! I never knew that about Poppies- My mother has a cousin buried in Flanders Field! Thanks for sharing that info. Have a safe and fun weekend.

Cheryl said...

I wish I had a Memorial day Memory to share but I really don't...ours weren't as vivid as yours but I did enjoy your story and never knew that's why the vets sell the paper poppies outside walmart every year...ofcourse we always buy one ...just never knew why poppy-now I do!!

JPScraps said...

Fantastic card! Favorite childhood memory? We always went to our local pool and then had a cookout when we came home.

Cindi (aka iring) said...

Thanks for sharing your story. I always buy a paper poppy when I see them. I bought my first poppy in high school, someone was selling them in the hall way. My childhood Memorial Days revolved around the parade! I either stood on the side waving a flag or marched in the band when I got old enough! I still love a parade!

Kajikit said...

They don't have Memorial Day in Australia... we had ANZAC Day in April, to remember the ANZACs in particular, and Remembrance Day is in November - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month... they sell poppies for Remembrance Day. I used to buy one every year and I stuck them around the frame of my mirror (because that was what my favourite aunt did with hers!) Your poppy card reminds me of my collection...

Unknown said...

I love the bright colors on your card and the awesome poppy you made.

Cut n Paste said...

Your poppy card is very pretty! Thanks for sharing with us the story of the poppies!

Courtney said...

Beautiful Card!!! In my family we always took flowers to the graveyards and had our family reunions. Thank you for supporting our troops. And thank you for sharing the story about the poppies, I had wondered of their significance as well.

~Courtney~

Brenda said...

Fabulous card! I agree that memories stick with you over the years. Family came from out of town every Memorial Day so that we could visit the cemeteries. There were several veterans graves in my family, so we always put little flags on those. Those memories stick with me yet today!

Stampin_melissa said...

Thank you for sharing your childhood memories. I don't have any memories such as yours, as my family didn't talk about the purpose of Memorial Day, nor did my parents talk much about their time in the service (where they met). As a veteran and Army spouse I have such a deep appreciation for those that came before us and those currently serving our country. THANK YOU for YOUR service to our troops!

Lillian Child said...

What a fabulous creation in honor of those that protect us. My husband is a vietnam veteran and he says he wished that the OWH program would have been in place back then as there's nothing better than a card from home. Favorite childhood memory would be our annual memorial day picnics at the park - all the fun and food and we would always have a baseball game where everyone could play. Thanks so much for sharing your talents with us!

Tammy said...

Wonderful card! I love the layered flower!

Unknown said...

As the proud daughter of a WWII vet, I didn't know the basis of the poppy, but I can certainly remember veterans standing in intersections with donation buckets and being gifted with a red poppy when a donation was made. Thanks for the remembrances.

K. Joy said...

Great card, and thanks for the story! I think the biggest childhood memory of Memorial Day is that we always had some sort of grill-out meal and got eaten by mosquitoes. :) Not exactly what memorial day is, huh? I think I will remember this particular Memorial Day now though. I have learned so much about our soldiers on this hop, and have a growing appreciation for them!

Linda said...

Lovely card. Thanks for sharing.

Linda D.

Teepee said...

Cindy: The vets in my town don't sell those poppies. I wonder why and will find out. They were always part of our Memorial Day, too. Love your card.

Unknown said...

Your post was so moving, I have always loved donating to our fine veterans this time of year and have quite a collection of Poppies. I loved your card, thanks so much for sharing.

Patty said...

What a fun card !! I don't remember hearing about the poppies before- nice to know. Thanks for sharing.
Patty

Susan said...

Thank you for your amazing info, and sharing your memories. I borrowed the info on the poppy. (mostly because the VFW and American legion offer them when they do their fund raising drives and it doesn't matter if I pass 20 or 3 of these vets I ALWAYS put a dollar in their can and get the poppy, and I have done this all my life, as my parents did...we would hang them from the rear view mirror of the car...so now(hubby has a small noose hanging from his RVM) we hang the poppies on the rope of the noose, and sometimes there are only 1 or 2, and other times there are 5 or more hanging there. I also always attach one to my pocketbook.

My dad was in WWII as well as my uncle who was wounded and rec'd the purple heart from being in an area where a "German potato masher"(some wicked grenade) went off during the "Battle of the bulge".

I am married to a vet, his late brother was a vet his son is a vet, and both of my daughter have been or are involved with enlisted men.

so when I happened upon OWH during their spring break blog hop...I just HAD to join. I am recently disabled and feel very useless...I feel this is a door that god opened for me...to have a purpose again, even if it is a small one.

ok...sorry for rambling on.

childhood memorial day weekend:

In Girl Scouts, we always marched in the Memorial day parade. My 2nd year i was chosen to be the flag carrier of our color guard...it made me so proud. The flag was huge and heavy, even though I was actually wearing a flag bearers belt and holder....so, so heavy...but I was sooo proud and determined not to let the pole waver.

My parents and neighbors all told me later on, that I was an excellent flag bearer, and that I made them all proud.

Kids today...they do not want to be in parades (unless they are under 10...or it's a halloween parade for prizes)

It breaks my heart the difference between then and now, some progress has ruined us I think.

Thanks,
Susan (78 on the list)

Unknown said...

Love the card! Thanks for sharing about the poppies. And i enjoyed hearing your childhood memory. That was so incredibly sweet.

Suz said...

Terrific card to go along with your memories. Thanks for sharing

Jeanne said...

Great card. And thanks for the info on the poppy. I was actually just wondering about it a couple weeks ago when vets were handing them out to people who drove by and made a donation.

mmwilken said...

Thanks for the great card! I'm a member of the VFW Axiliary and never quit heard the full story on that! This is a great weekend to honor our hero's. Thanks for sharing that!

Brittany said...

I love poppies, too! Outside of grocery stores around Memorial Day, sometimes veterans sit outside asking for donations for the local VFW. Even if you give a nickel, they will give you a purple poppy. It's such a great symbolic gesture.

Your card is lovely, as well! I love the 3-d effect that you have created with the poppy. I like how you make the red paper textured, too!

Heather Grow said...

I love the Flander's Field poem and the history behind it. Thanks for the reminder.

My memory isn't exactly a childhood memory, in fact, it was only about 4 years ago but it is very significant to me. My Uncle Bill served as a Marine in the Vietnam War. Growing up, I knew that he didn't like to talk about it so I didn't ask questions. 4 years ago I visited his home in Germany where he was working for the U.S. Army. My visit happened to be during Memorial Day. I watched Saving Private Ryan with my uncle. I had seen it before in the theater when it came out but when I watched it with my uncle it was more impactful. He explained to me that the movie had it right. That the sounds of the shrapnle flyer is what it really sounds like. I realized a little bit of what my uncle endured during his military service. It made me very proud of him and very grateful that he came back physically unharmed.

My uncle died a year later. I'm so grateful for that memory.

That day in Germany was my most meaningful Memorial Day.

Jean Fitch from jlfstudio said...

Living just outside Washington D.C. as a child sometimes it felt like Memorial Day was every day with all the statues, flags, speeches and the sense of history all around and the feel of war in the offing since it was the 60's - Vietnam, Cuban Missle Crisis, etc. not to mention all the monuments and graveyards in the vicinity. Memorial Day was often filled with parades, fireworks, prayers, flags and visits to the tomb of the unknown soldier. My Mom would save sparklers from last year and the sparks would remind us of the brief lives of many fallen soldiers who died way too young and whose markers we had seen at Arlington or other cemetaries. Of course being a kid the thing I looked forward to all day was the finish of Rootbeer floats and catching fireflies in the twilight. Back then ice cream wasn't an everyday event in our household so it made holidays special and tended to make us remember the day as we chatted and played thinking about all we'd seen that day.

Thanks for bring back some fond memories and sharing those of your own. thanks for sharing your own paper poppies too. Lovely and so very CASEable!

Carisa said...

cute card!

Pamela said...

Great card!!! :)

Seongsook Duncan said...

Very nice card. Love your Paper Poppy. Thanks for sharing its history. Very touching. Thanks very much for sharing.

Linda said...

Great card!

Bev E said...

I remember the paper poppy too! Great card, good looking poppy. Thanks for being a part of OWH.

Unknown said...

I love your poppy card & the information behind that!!

I can remember always going with my dad to put flowers on my grandfathers grave every Memorial Day.... a tradition I'm passing on to my boys!

Thanks so much for sharing & the chance to win!

Happy Memorial Day!
God Bless our Soldiers & their families!

~Ola
okj83 at live dot com

grandmalee said...

What a wonderful card...the flower is fabulous! Love the layout too! I remember every Memorial Day parade when I was growing up & everyone being given a poppy. Then we would go to the cemetary for the rest of the ceremonies where we would receive a small American flag. When my kids were young, they became a part of Memorial Day in a bigger way. They became Little Miss Poppy for the Amvets organization. I still have the long white dress that my mom made for them (which later became a Santa Lucia costume for my younger daughter. This was the last thing she sewed before her death and is now in the cedar chest I inherited from her. Yes, Memorial Day has many memories!

Susan M. Brown {sbartist} said...

Love the card! Paper Poppies. I am off to make some from instructions in an origami book I finally picked up with a Memorial Day special @ Borders! Thanks for all you do for OWH & supporting the men in women in the armed forces.

Aside of maybe having a bar-b-que, I don't really remember any special things we did on this day. But now, it is much more significant as my baby sister is on active deployment in the Army.

: ) Susan [sbartist.blogspot.com]

Jennifer Moore said...

Thank you for sharing the info about poppies. Your card turned out great.

Corinna Lyons-Revello said...

Love your card, especially the way you doubled the flower. I never knew the story of why the VFW members are always selling poppies here during Memorial Day weekend, and I'm glad you included it in your post! I have one on the rearview mirror of my car right now!

Corinna
www.myscrapbooklife.com