Wednesday 1 April 2015

Blogging from A to Z in April - The Letter A - Wednesday 1st April 2015


<a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/"><img alt="" src="http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n547/Jeremy-iZombie/A2Z-BADGE-0002015-LifeisGood-230_zps660c38a0.jpg" title="Blogging from A to Z April Challenge" /></a>



My A to Z for 2015 is inspired by Tina Downey's Postcards from Sweden from 2012. I am looking at English and Swedish words that I like and that have a special meaning for me.


Wednesday 1st April 2015 - The Letter A.

















A is for Angels. The Swedish word for angels is änglar.










http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%B6jtspelande_%C3%A4ngel
Flute-playing angel by Carl Milles

















In most alphabets-books, the letter 'A' is often represented by 'Apples'. But after a long deliberation, I finally decided that 'Angels' should lead this year's A to Z. 

Angels. Those wonderful celestial messengers and good-deed-doers, who are usually dressed in white and have wings.

Don't laugh. How do you know for certain that angels don't exist?

Have you ever been saved from disaster by the efforts of some anonymous, invisible source? Was it just a coincidence? Without knowing it, you may owe your life to an angel. I image angels as an army of goodness.  When I was very little, I dreamed that I visited angels.

Maybe you can image having a Guardian Angel? Skyddsängel is the Swedish word for Guardian Angel. I really like that pithy Swedish term for the condition of being watched over by angels; of having a guardian angel: Änglavakt.

What's that tiny voice that whispers in your ear that you should to be more careful or kinder or more patient? It's a soft voice that comes with quiet suggestions when you are at your wits' end. No screaming or coercing.  Just a gentle question: 'Why not do it this way...?'

To illustrate today's word, Angel, is a photograph of a sculpture, Flute-playing angel (1955), by the Swedish artist, Carl Milles (1875 – 1955), who often had angels as one of his themes. Carl Milles lived and worked as a sculptor in the United States for many years, before returning to his native Sweden in 1951, where his last home, on the island of Lidingö, is now a museum. It is a lovely place to visit for anyone interested in sculpture (with a lovely garden, fountains and a beautiful view). You can look at Milles' work as well as his wonderful private collection of sculptures from Greek and Roman antiquity, that inspired him. (Bring your sketchbook and/or camera.)

This what Carl Milles looked like:


















More of Carl Milles' angels.











Thanks for visiting!

Best wishes,
Anna











First Commenter:
Alex J. Cavanaugh

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/




This is how April will be for the A to Z in April Challenge:


http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/to-z-badges-and-banners.html


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