Poppies!

It all started with this one!

I make no apology for blogging about poppies again!

I told you last year how I intended to make crochet poppies in time for this years Remembrance Day and in my last post I mentioned how busy we (my friend, Ashlie and I) were in honouring the orders we were receiving - that was an understatement. I could never have imagined how popular the poppies would be. We have been absolutely unindated with orders and if it had been physically possible we could have quite easily have doubled our sales. The proceeds from the sale of the poppies, less a small amount for the purchase of the special buttons, will all go to The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal. I am pleased, no ecstatic, to report that I will be sending a cheque off later this week for £250.00!!!! Isn't that fantastic and it's thanks to all of you who bought a poppy for £2.00, that means 125+ poppies. People are already ordering for next year, I think we will have to start making them in June!!!

The lovely girls of Spellbound Beads in Lichfield, proudly wearing our poppies!

When I send the cheque to the Poppy Appeal I am going to write and tell them all about the reasoning behind the poppies and enclose a photograph. I really hope that they look upon our little endeavour favourably and don't see us as a threat and let us continue raising funds for such a worthwhile charity.

Today my family and I all attended the local Remembrance Service and my youngest son and I actually joined the parade through the town to the cenotaph on our local park. The turnout was very good, unfortunately a sign of the times I fear, coupled with the lovely sunny day, although there was a definite nip in the air! We found it a rather poignant service today, and upsetting at times, because today was the first Remembrance Day since my dear Grandma, Granny Franny, had sadly died.

I know a few of you that read my blog and know me either personally or elsewhere on forums etc. are already aware that my Grandma passed away a few months ago. But, for those of you who only know me through this blog, Granny Franny was in failing health for some time, but at the beginning of the summer her health deteriorated quite rapidly, but she fought to the end! She was 99 years old on 4th August, I'm not sure that she was aware that she'd reached this milestone, but I did make a point of telling her that she'd equalled the age of her Dad, my Great-Grandad, and she did have a chuckle, we're made to last in this family!!! She clung on for a few more weeks, but couldn't fight anymore and she passed away on 23rd August 2009! She was a popular lady which was reflected in the size of the congregation at her funeral and everyone sang with real gusto. People were invited to give a donation rather than flowers and the collection raised a staggering £900+, as my Mum said 'Her last fundraiser was a total success'. The monies were shared between Cancer Research UK and The Salvation Army.

Granny Franny, on her 85th Birthday!

I would like to think that Granny Franny, finally reunited with the love of her life, was looking down on us today, as we all congregated around the cenotaph, and I know that she would be chuffed to bits at the success of our poppies.

Grandma and Me.

Newly promoted to SSgt, Remembrance Day 1990!