What About May?

Sometimes I suffer from indigestion of the mind.
~Carrie Latet

This promises to be a busy week in the sewing department.  While working on my monthly mini quilt yesterday, it occurred to me that Sunday is Mother's Day!  Where was my brain?  Lost somewhere in the outer reaches of Mongolia I guess.  All the ads in Sunday's paper must not have connected to the "Alert" center in my gray matter.  It's not that I don't know what I'm doing for my Mother for Mother's Day.  It's the fact that I still have to make it.  It's just a small table mat so it shouldn't take more than two days to make.  I even talked with my daughter about her coming up for my birthday weekend instead of Mother's Day weekend and the little alarm bells still didn't go off.  Maybe it's time to get my internal ears checked for a hearing aid, or better yet, a reset of all vital control centers in my human vortex - lol!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Asparagus

May is National Asparagus Month.  Did you know that the plants are either male or female. The female produces seeds, which not only reduce the size of the stalks, but also crowd the beds with seedlings. Since the males do not expend energy making seeds, their stalks are larger and more desirable. New cultivars have been bred to produce only male plants for more cost-efficient crops.  Asparagus is one of the few vegetables that is grown as a perennial, since the plants have about a 10-year life.  Ancient Chinese herbalists have used asparagus root to treat many maladies from arthritis to infertility. The root contains compounds called steroidal glycosides, which may have anti-inflammatory properties.  The asparagus growing beds in Northern Italy were famous during the Renaissance period. These graceful spears have always been a sign of elegance, and in times past, were a delicacy only the wealthy could afford. Roman emperors were so fond of asparagus, that they kept a special asparagus fleet for the purpose of fetching it.

So enjoy this wonderful vegetable that turns urine quite odoriferous.  It is what we commonly call "pee stinkers" in our house - lol!

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MAIL CALL

Yesterday I received a squishy envelope all the way from Australia.

Lynette was my swap partner in the 6 Inch Block Swaps Australia.   She made these two wonderful blocks and included a postcard depicting wildlife of Australia.  I have never seen the blue and white block before.  Thank you so much, Lynette!!

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MUG RUG SWAP ADVENTURE 2

Leona, of Leona's Quilting Adventure, is hosting the Mug Rug Swap Adventure 2.  She is taking sign-ups now through the 14th.  I had so much fun last time that I have signed up to participate again.  This is a secret swap so your partner doesn't know who you are.  The mug rugs are to mailed by June 30th.  Don't you want to join in the fun?  Just click on one of the two links above or on the button on the right sidebar.

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MAY

Yesterday I worked on and finished my little mini quilt for May.....

This stands in my entry way for all to see.  Did you take a close look at the center of the flower?

  I think the flower is dreaming of what it would like to be when it grows up :)  I tried doing some fmq but tore it all out.  Instead I just went around the outer edges of the applique with a regular foot.  This allowed my stitches to be more even and I definitely felt more in control that way.  Whew!  Now I have a few weeks before I have to make the June mini quilt.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will make a hexie for One Flower Wednesday.  I will also begin working on my mother's table mat.

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GIVEAWAYS

Rocknquilts is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win one of three adorable patterns from B. Bumble and Company.  This giveaway ends Monday, May 16.

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is having a giveaway.  You could win a book titled Inspired by Zentangle fabric arts, quilting and embroidery by Suzanne McNeill, a pattern by Elemental Visions, designs by Wanda Nelson, and a charm wizard quilt ruler by Far-Flung Quilts.  A winner will be drawn on Thursday, May 5.

Jaybird Quilts is having a giveaway.  Julie is giving away a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3.  She will pick one winner at the end of the week.

KoolBenz is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a 10 piece half yard bundle of Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms.  This giveaway ends Friday, May 6, at midnight EST.

Happy Quilting is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win two charm packs from Burgandy Buttons.  This giveaway ends Friday, May 6, at 5:00 pm EST.

So Dang Cute is having a GO! Baby giveaway. In addition to the GO! Baby cutter they are also giving away 3 dies.  This giveaway ends Saturday, May 7, at 8:00 pm MST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

We enjoyed beautiful weather over the weekend and yesterday.  Now we are on the march up to summer.  I think it might be here by next week.  My DD#1 lives near Albuquerque and she had SNOW on Sunday!  Can you believe that?  She kept texting me how cold it was - 29 degrees around noon.  How can I convince her that summer is just around the bend when Mother Nature is still throwing winter at them?  It has gotten warm enough here that I have to close the windows in the afternoon to keep the cooler air inside.  Tomorrow I will probably have to turn the ceiling fans on.  Hopefully it will be a few more days before we have to start running the expensive A/C.  But we do what's necessary.  I don't tolerate the heat well and definitely sleep poorly if the house is too warm.  So many people say they love the hot weather.  I just tell them "You can always pile on more clothes to get warm but you can only take off so many to stay cool"!

Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while.
~Kin Hubbard

Today is Tuesday - make your terrific!!