From John in England, March 2017
Dragon King by Jon Hodgson
Postcrossing card from Russia, March 2017Unicorn and other magical/mythological creatures
From John in England, February 2017
'The Traveller's Joy Fairy' from 'Flower Fairies of the Summer', 1925
(Cecily M Barker)
'The Traveller's Joy Fairy' from 'Flower Fairies of the Summer', 1925
(Cecily M Barker)
From Jarina in The Netherlands, February 2017
"Catching the train" by Molly Brett (1902-1990)
"Catching the train" by Molly Brett (1902-1990)
In the shadow of the terror attack yesterday in Sweden's capital Stockholm (Friday 7th April at 14:53, our time) * - in which at least four people were killed, and several more injured - I still feel I want to share some "postcards for the weekend" on the theme set by Maria: Whimsical and/or Magical.
Because... All through human history I think people have felt a need of stories, including fantasy and mythology, to help us deal with our feelings about important life events - both bad and good.
When choosing the four cards above for this post today, my thoughts go like this: The dragon may represent our worst fears of destruction, while the unicorn & co may stand for the good forces coming to help. The flower fairy looks like she's bringing blessings of peace; and I'll let the last card represent the determination to "get on with our lives" and help and support each other in the midst of chaos, which was also shown after the event yesterday.
* (If you haven't heard about it, I'm sure you'll be able to google and find the latest updates at any major international news site.)
Monica, my heart froze when I heard about the attack yesterday. Of course, YOU were my first thought. I was so relieved to hear it was Stockholm. How far away from there are you? This is just so wrong! Sweden has always been the most peaceful place, never angering anyone or joining any wars. These terrorists are like fire ants, getting everywhere and killing people. How are you doing? It seems they only go for the big cities, so maybe Boras is small enough to leave alone? My very favorite is the last card, so much to see. Cute little animals boarding the train. They even have luggage. Blessings to you, my friend, I was so worried.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ginny for your concern. Stockholm is like 400 km (4+ hours by car) away from here. I haven't been there in years but I have some friends living there, and even more who visit frequently. Those who use FB were rather quick to mark themselves as "safe" though so I did not need to worry for too long about close friends. But the attack and its consequences has of course been the focus of the media all weekend here. (See my next blogpost.)
DeleteTry as I might I cannot understand the mindset of people who do such horrible things. Thank you for your post, we need more magic and whimsy in our world, less hate and envy.
ReplyDeleteNo Janet, I do not understand either. I'm glad that at least this time the police were able to make an arrest within a few hours and seem very sure that they caught the main perpetrator - the driver. Even if they are not yet sure if there were others involved as well.
DeleteI'm so sorry for what happened in Stockholm. I was stunned upon reading it in the news. We're on opposite parts of the world but since I've been there 2 years ago, the gravity of the situation feels a lot more closer than it is geographically speaking.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts that go with the cards you picked for this weekend are of resilience, hope, and optimism for better days to come! Hugs to you from Singapore and warm thoughts for people and families all over the world affected by these abominable actions.
Thanks Maria. Yes, these kinds of events do seem to come a lot closer to us as soon as we know someone living in that country - even if it is on the other side of the globe!
Deletethese cards are stunning, I love them, my most favorite of all your postcards and they fit perfectly. As I type this I hear CNN talking about another terror attack yesterday, a Christian church was blown up in Turkey with 21 known dead, I am so sorry your beautiful country has been attacked. and so happy you are OK.... about the cards, I am thinking these should be framed and hung.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandra. Through blogging (and postcards!) our whole world somehow seems to come closer, doesn't it...
DeleteQuite right to focus on the creativity of people with these lovely cards rather than mindless destruction of lives. My thoughts are with you and your country.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joy. I'm glad to say people here (and especially in Stockholm) have been showing a lot of creativity this weekend in how to deal with what's happened, deciding to react with manifestations for love and solidarity instead of just anger and fear.
DeleteI didn't hear of the Stockholm attack until at least two days later - that's what happens when I miss the main TV news. Not that it would have made any difference :-(
ReplyDeleteCecily M. Barker's fairies have been firm favourites of mine all through my childhood and teenage years. I remember I used to have a set of sheets and envelopes with her drawings printed on them. Those were precious and reserved for my best friends or thank-you-letters to grandparents!
Meike, I sometimes manage to avoid listenting to the news for a whole day as well - and I dare not even guess how many times I may have totally missed world news that were overwhelming in the country where they occurred, but perhaps only mentioned very briefly here.
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