A few years back, whilst visiting the War Memorial in Canberra, I purchased a tiny packet of poppy seeds reputedly from Flanders, and although we have moved several times since then, I have fortunately managed, due to the profuse tenacity with which these plants flower and seed, to retain some of the plants to add to the new garden...because I also have Irises flowering at the moment, my flower for Croatia, I was able to use a couple of my own photographs for this weeks inchies...
The mat layer for this first inchie, Belgium, is from an interesting academic paper attempting to describe another aspect of the changing language-ideological debate in Belgium, from the Journal of Multicultural Discourses, a few years ago...
The mat for Croatia is part of an image of the Baska Tablet, one of the first examples of the Croatian language, dated about 1100. This tablet is found on the island of Krk.
The national name for Croatia appears for the first time in written form on this white limestone tablet, which measures 199 × 99.5 × 9 cm.
I decided to use the kōwhai image, as I remember studying a tiny Maori dictionary my sister had sent me, and I still have, somewhere, and trying to get my tongue around the pronunciation of the Maori name, which from memory sounded something like "cow-fie"...but don't quote me on that...it was one of my first introductions of the complexities of language...
The mat used is a part of an image of the Treaty of Waitangi (Māori: Te Tiriti o Waitangi). This treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and Māori chiefs (rangatira) from the North Island of New Zealand, is a document of central importance to the history and political constitution of the state of New Zealand, and has been highly significant in framing the political relations between New Zealand's government and the Māori population. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)
The thing I dislike intensely about moving is the sheer energy expenditure that is required, both in finding another suitable place, always stressful, especially as dates grow closer, and then the actual transferal of everything, and the rearranging of ones life and belongings to the new environment...ho hum, I need to think about one day at a time just now...
Hollie has come to stay for a few days, Chris and I took her for a nice long walk this morning...she is a funny little dog, always eager to go "walkies" before one actually starts out, but pulls on the lead and looks quite disgruntled and lacking in any enthusiasm the whole time she is out...I think she really doesn't like wearing her harness much. She is sleeping it off in a sunny spot now though, and we know we have done our duty to her, whether she likes it or not!
The following are some images from our walk this morning...
Bye now,
Di