Red Poppy Necklaces

June 15, 2015

Red Poppy Necklace

Shelter

Lampwork by Beads by Katie

Vintage buckle part

vintage button

 

I've been wanting to do a couple of other blog posts about my recent trip to the Bead and Button retreat in Milwaukee, but I wanted to get into my studio more than I wanted to write.  So, these two necklaces are the result.

Red Poppy Necklace

Poppy Medallion

Lampwork by Beads by Katie

Vintage buckle part

vintage button and chain

 

Each year I create poppy jewelry to honor our veterans and their families.  My goal is always to have them ready by Memorial Day, but I missed this year.  However, to me this is not a one (or two) day event to remember.

 Each morning when I read the newspaper I read about war and know that there were promising lives lost amongst the evil.  

I hate that there is anyone starving or suffering while we, as a world, continue to spend unbelievable sums of money and time on killing humanity and destroying property.  I think our world needs that money to invest in the saving of our planet.

But that doesn't affect my appreciation to our veterans and their families for heeding the call of our country, because there is evil in the world.  That they are willing to risk their lives and health to protect us is not something I take lightly.

We as a country, with all our faults, have not been able to watch passively as others suffer under tyranny.  I can understand and struggle internally with the arguments for both sides of the ethical question:  whether it's worth risking innocents to solve a problem we likely do not understand fully.

Whew... we could talk about this all day, couldn't we?  So... I give you my red poppy necklaces not only for their beauty , but for all those that selflessly serve.