3 Apr 2013

A - Z Challenge - C



Campanula patula. Calm.

The spreading bellflower Campanula grows in shady woodland, hedgebanks and meadows. Slender branching stems support bell-shaped purple-blue flowers. The capsules which follow are like upside down rounded cones, which release seeds into the wind through pores at the top.

The delicate flowers of the Campanula under the spreading foliage of trees engender awe. To wander in shady woodland during a bright sunny day offers the joy of surrounding nature, the protection of a forest and the acceptance of calm—rather like the state of meditation, when peace banishes all worldly cares.

Keep Calm and Carry On. This wartime slogan from WW2, spread during the bombing, was first resold as a poster in 2001. Then it made its way on to mugs, T-shirts, tea towels, mouse mats, aprons, and all manner of other items. But five years on and the variants are in the thousands some of them offensive. 

Keep Calm And Have a Cupcake. Keep Calm And Have a Beer. Keep Calm And Do the Dishes. Lastly, for Star Wars fans, the Yoda-inspired: Calm You Shall Keep and Carry On You Must.


Proverb: Cold hands, warm heart.

18 comments:

  1. That is such a pretty and delicate flower. I agree there is too much commercialisation in the wrong way, in my opinion, of the Keep Calm and Carry On phrase.

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    1. Is commercialism ever good? That would make a good blog topic.

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  2. Awe...keeping calm. Nice post!

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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  3. Yoda, such a wise little creature. Keeping calm, not so easy for me. Carrying on...I have no choice, it truly is a must.

    Your photo and description of that delicate little flower was just the calm I needed this morning.
    Thanks.

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    1. I'm glad I helped in a small, pick, delicate way--like the flower.

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  4. I now have my wildflower book open on my desk; delicate and attractive flower.

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  5. I've also grown campanula from seed. Lovely delicate flower. Keep calm posters always make me think of Dad's Army and "Don't Panic!"

    Rosalind Adam is Writing in the Rain

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    1. The light bulb just went off in my head. I'd never associated the saying with Dad's Army. Of course!

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  6. Awesome theme for the A-Z, Francene! It will be a delight to follow you through April, especially since on this rock of mine there's precious few flowers :) Thanks for your earlier visit to my blog!

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    1. I'll bet those precious flowers that do grow wild there give you immense delight.

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  7. Wonderfully stitched words about a wonderful flower.

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    1. How clever of you to relate to the theme of the blog.

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  8. Neat theme and pretty flower. Very calming, indeed.

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  9. This is such a great post. I really love the Keep Calm Carry On mantra. It's just as relevant today as it was back then.

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    1. I quite like it too. If we all did that in life, it might make a difference.

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  10. I'm loving how you connect the flower/plant with an emotion...very creative! :) So important to keep calm <3 -Rebecca from www.moxiewriter.blogspot.com

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    1. I try to make the link between two things. Hehe.

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  11. I'm sort-of ashamed that I didn't know the origins of that slogan. Knowing its origin it feels all the more wrong that it's been used the way it has.

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