Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Chaplet

my A to Z - every day of the challenge I will find a word by flinging my finger into my American Heritage Dictionary and then riff on it. The posts may be essays or poems or stories or memories. Who knows what will happen when we give Serendipity her wanton way?

Chaplet - I'm really trying not to cheat here but chaplet! Oh well - here goes... first the definition:

chaplet - A wreath or garland for the head.

I'm not sure how you are supposed to make these flowers actually stick together without...uh...glue or string. I know from girls I've seen wearing them that they just find these flowers, like Chamomile or something wild, and make them all chain together and then plop them on their heads and look ever so fetching. I want to be a hippy-chick. I mean I am one but some of the stuff around it eludes me man! I've got my berry-picking dress on - I found it at the Sally-Ann and it is sprigged all over with lavender flowers and it is way too big for me and I know that is right. I took my shoes off and put them in the knapsack I made out of Raven's old blue jeans. He won't notice even though the front pocket is embroidered, Embroidery that I did for him. He's not noticing me much these days. Probably because I'm not groovy enough for him. We're all at People's Park which is pretty grotty and not all that park-like but it is the best we've got. I guess they chose this place because it was central but I think it's kind of lame considering all the green areas of Ottawa. Lebreton Flats is its real name. I wonder who Lebreton was? Some poor old joe-farmer I guess and now there's all these people all over the place smoking weed and listening to music and just hanging loose.
And me? I'm down in the lower field where it hasn't been totally trampled - yet. And I'm gathering up clover blossoms which aren't the best but they're the best I can do. Clover and buttercups and I'm looking for something that will hold them together so I can make this chaplet thingy. That's what they're called. No one knows that and I better keep my mouth shut because no one wants to know anything like that. I read it in this book I'm reading about Anne Boleyn. She was Henry the Eight's second wife. The book is called Brief Gaudy Hour and it is all about how she had to really fight and struggle to be accepted against all odds and pretend she didn't know anything about anything and just lah-di-dah around the court playing card games and making costumes for masques. I feel for her. I do.
Ah, here is some stuff my mum calls bind-weed - it is all twisty and twirly and I think it might keep the other flowers well-behaved. It's working! Cool. Now I'm just going to set it on my head and walk over to where Raven is making eyes at that girl in the head-band. How yesterday is that? Wish me luck.


me a year or so past People's Park days...no flowers, little hair...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jan - I love the intensity in that 'photo! Thanks for sharing it. And I love that story! It's really out of sight, man! I can truly feel the setting and times and the characters. I love it!

Liza said...

Lovely. I was right there! This is the second word I've learned via A-Z today! Well done and I love your picture.

Clare said...

Thanks for sharing. I love the picture of you. And the story was excellent. I really felt like I was right there with the character. The voice you gave her was fantastic.

Laura S. said...

Hello, Jan! This is a cool idea for an A to Z Challenge theme! Chaplet reminds me of one time when I was 7 or 8 at the Renaissance Faire with my family, I wanted a beautiful big chaplet to play princess or fairies at home. It was kind of expensive (for us in those days!) so my parents wouldn't get it unless I also wore it while we were at the Faire. But I was too embarrassed to do that so I didn't want it then! Silly me. I should've just worn it since lots of other people were!

Nice to meet you and happy A to Z!

Tracy said...

What a cool A to Z theme...I love learning new words!

Laura Barnes said...

I learned a new word! Great theme.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

A great post for C word and a most imformative write.
Thanks I have learned something today.

Yvonne.

Unknown said...

Neat word. And I'm with everyone else, I love the photo!

Patricia Stoltey said...

I haven't thought of chaplets since the last time I saw "Hair", Jan, and that was a really, really long time ago. This is such a great idea for the A to Z challenge.

Patricia Stoltey

Sue said...

Chaplet! what a lovely word - we used to make daisy chains for our heads when we were children. I haven't thought about them for years, they sell fancy ones at markets near here.

What a great theme Jan, and your post on trees is spot on. Feeling icky, yes trees certainly help.I might go out now and lean on one and breathe deeply.

Sue: An A-Z of Climate Matters