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| Marion McDonnell - the Blue Poppy Lady |
These days I enjoy looking at my large Rhodoendron augustinii ‘Marion McDonnell’. I immediately know that this cultivar was introduced by my New Zealand friend Alleyne Cook. When I think of Cook I know that 2 June 1953 when he was working for Constance Spry School for Girls she had him cut flowers as they were going to decorate Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. From there my thoughts navigate to me in on that date in Buenos Aires when my mother told me to wash my hands and knees for lunch. I told her I could not as I was listening to the coronation of my queen.
From above think of Marion McDonnell and know that she was called the Blue Poppy Lady. She propagated Meconopsis betonicifolia (or grandis) in her greenhouse. Because of my advanced age sometimes I cannot remember the word propagate and can only think of procreate.
On a lark (I had to find out its origin):
Possibly a shortening of skylark (1809), sailors' slang for "play rough in the rigging of a ship" (larks were proverbial for high-flying). Or perhaps it is an alteration of English dialectal or colloquial lake/laik "to play, frolic, make sport" The phrase "on a lark" originated from the verb "lark," which meant to frolic, romp, or play pranks. The expression suggests doing something for fun or as a lighthearted endeavor, rather than for any serious or practical reason. The word "lark" itself is thought to have evolved from a British slang term, possibly related to the skylark bird, which was known for its high-flying antics, suggesting a playful or carefree nature.
On a lark I decided to look up the word propaganda in my on-line Diccionario de la Real Academia Española– RAE – the best on line dictionary in my opinion. There I found out (and was I startled):
Del lat. mod. [Congregatio de] propaganda [fide] '[Congregación para] la propagación [de la fe]', congregación de la curia romana encargada de las misiones, que fundó Gregorio XV en 1622.
That translates to the Latin and it stands for Congregation for the propagation (that word!) of faith. It was an organization from the Roman Catholic Curia in charge of missions in the new world.
Now I know where the word in Spanish and in English – propaganda comes from.
On a lark I decided to find out the origin of the expression of On A Lark Ascending:
The Lark Ascending is a short, single-movement work by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, inspired by the 1881 poem of the same name by the English writer George Meredith. It was originally for violin and piano, completed in 1914, but not performed until 1920. The composer reworked it for solo violin and orchestra after the First World War. This version, in which the work is chiefly known, was first performed in 1921. It is subtitled "A Romance", a term that Vaughan Williams favoured for contemplative slow music. Wikipedia
And from there I ended in remembering that in Mexico City before 1975 my Yorkshire-born friend Andrew Taylor and I would listen to my records of Vaughan Williams.
