What if there were a cup that was always full, no matter how much we drink from it?
Every time a flower opens, a new cup of beauty is created.
Can you see the life force working its magic? The mysterious doings inside the protective coat of green?
poppy bud opening
What if, as we drink this cup of beauty, it were transformed into a cup of kindness or a bowl of compassion we gratefully share with others?
three poppies
What would our world look like if all children learned to tend a garden, not only to feed their bodies with vegetables but also to nourish their souls with flower beauty? Would our prisons be less populated places? Would our elderly have more visitors and feel less isolated? Would our landscapes be greener? Would our physical and emotional health look different?
What if, instead of a school prayer or the pledge of allegiance, children would have the option to meditate on a flower, or write a poem about it, before their school day began?
dreamy pastel poppies
Might we gain a different perspective on things?
poppy upside down
Get to the heart of the matter in a different way?
heart of poppy
What if each flower were a Cup of Beauty?
This post was created in response to Ailsa’s Travel Theme: World Cups.
The Beauty Along the Road 
LOVE the photo of the poppies! Gorgeous!!
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Very beautiful.
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I love poppies and I’ve never looked at the heart <3.
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Wonderful Poppy photos…and an interesting back ground which makes me think of raindrops on windows !!
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You’ve got an eagle’s eye, Seonaid. These poppies grew in my greenhouse and the day I took the pictures, there were raindrops on the plastic covering! The light was really dreamy.
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You’ve outdone yourself. I can’t stop looking at heart of poppy and dreamy pastel poppies. The message is carried in the photos as well as the words.
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Thank you, Aggie, glad both words and pictures are in alignment.
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Reblogged this on Yarn Around My World and commented:
Beautiful concept on flowers, beauty, life.
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Thank you, Glenda, I so appreciate your support.
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questi scatti più che fotografie sono splendidi quadri!
thank so much!
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Grazie mille per la visita e il commento!
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Love poppies, you did such an amazing job capturing their beauty.
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Thank you, Charlie. They “volunteered” in my greenhouse early this spring. I didn’t recognize the leaves because I didn’t expect to see poppies in my greenhouse. Luckily, I left a few just to see what they were. Taking pictures was a pleasure, too, because there is no wind inside the greenhouse…
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Annette, this is the most beautiful post ever, your images are georgious and your thoughts are brilliant!!! Thank you for sharing
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Cornelia – that is the highest compliment….means the world to me, coming from you 🙂 Vielen lieben Dank.
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What if??? Beautiful post! I’ll go to bed tonight and dream of poppies. 🙂
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Please do and tell us about it tomorrow morning 🙂
BTW, please tell me your first name… I couldn’t find it looking around on your blog, so for now I call you “R&R in Nica”
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Debbie…but I’ll answer to almost everything. 🙂
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Thank you – it feels so much more personal, with a “real” name. Nice to meet you, Debbie, of R&R….:-)
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sigh, so much truth and beauty here ….
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Echoing what everybody else had to say, Annette. So gorgeous. I am inspired to once again try poppies in my garden. XXX
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Your words are so inspirational, Annette. A collective daily meditation on the beauty of flowers, could surely change the world. Gorgeous images for the challenge.
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Pingback: Travel Theme-World-Cups | WoollyMuses
Love pictures! 🙂
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Stunning Poppy images. Thankyou.
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Thank you, Francesca.
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Simple and profound words, beautiful, meditative pictures. Great post!
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I like how the third photo appears to be a collage of watercolor and Japanese silkscreen. I hope my fabric store carries prints like that soon, I only have seven kimono jackets made and fall is right around the corner!
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I was intrigued with your description of making your own kimono jackets…very creative and practical. Do you have a blogpost with your home-made clothing featured?
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These photos are absolutely stunning, Annette. I can almost feel the soul of the poppies through my computer screen. I agree that the world would be a different place if people interacted with flowers. We have more in common with them than we tend to think.
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I love your expression “the soul of the poppies through the computer screen!” As stilted and artificial as Victorian times were, they were on to something with their extensive flower language!
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