Everything's Coming Up Flowers

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.
~Rabindranath Tagore

We had a very overcast day yesterday.  The morning was almost like beach weather - cool and cloudy.  I think we saw the sun for about an hour.  The clouds continued through the rest of the day.  So strange!  We have been about 15 degrees below normal for our high for this time of year.  I'm not complaining but it feels so odd to still be in my sweatshirt all zipped up in June - and even with the hood up first thing in the morning!  They are predicting normal temps by the end of the weekend.  That means we will be in the low 90's.  I'm not looking forward to it at all.  This has been one of the longest springs that I can remember.  Am I complaining?  Not one bit.  Now I know why people cram themselves into the Los Angeles basin - it's to enjoy the temperate weather.  The farmers are not happy as this is not good crop growing weather.  However, my hydrangeas are absolutely loving it and so am I :D

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Roses

June is National Rose Month.  Have you been enjoying roses in your yard or neighborhood?  My Dad used to have 52 different varieties in our yard when I was growing up.  Here are some fun facts about roses:

* Roses are valued for their romantic symbolism but their blooms are also edible. No, they don’t taste like chicken. Rather like the flavors of green apples and strawberries.

* The rose family also includes pears, apples, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, and almonds.
* The rose is named as the favorite flower of 85% of Americans.
* A fossilized rose - over 35 million years old - was found in Florissant, Colorado.
* Rose hips contain more Vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable.
* The oldest rose in the world has flourished for over 1,000 years on the wall of Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany
* There are more than 15,000 different types of rose species and cultivated varieties worldwide
* Among the 50 U.S. states; Georgia, Iowa, New York, and North Dakota list the rose as their state flower
* The most expensive privately developed rose specie is the Juliet. An English breeder spent 14 years and $5.5 million dollars to cultivate this apricot colored variety

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SWAP FLOWERS

Yesterday I managed to make one of two flowers for my swap partner.

Jane, my swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap, asked for modern fabrics for the petals with a white center.  Would you consider the fabric modern?  I'm always confused about the term "modern".  She also requested that all the petals be the same.  I still have to make one more flower for Jane before putting this one in the mail.

Last week I received two flowers from my swap partner......

Marina made these two beautiful flowers for me!  I especially like the blue flower made with the sweet rose fabric.  Thank you so very much, Marina!

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ANOTHER FLOWER FOR TODAY

Yesterday I also made a hexagon flower for One Flower Wednesday....

Remember that wonderful fat quarter I received awhile back for my birthday?  This is one of the flowers I have created from that bright, wonderful fabric.  Takes me back to the psychedelic colors of my teens - lol!  I love the little paw prints in each of the paisley shapes. 

If you would like to see more hexagon flowers being created out there in blogland, Karen of Journey of a Quilter has provided us with a link up page to make this search easy.  Thanks again, Karen!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I would like to make one more swap block.  And, if given the time, I hope to start stitching the binding onto the road way quilt.

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GIVEAWAYS

Ruby Slipperz is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Quilter's Cookbook.  This giveaway ends Friday, June 10, at midnight.

Gen X Quilters is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a Fat Quarter bundle of Honey Child from Swell Cloth.  This giveaway ends Saturday, June 11, at 11:59 pm EST.

Fabric Worm is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win Mosterama in Fat Quarters.  This giveaway ends Monday, June 13, at 8:30 am PST.

1 Choice 4 Quilting is having a "super Awesome" giveaway.  Shawna is giving away a Swell Everyday Bag from Moda filled with lots and lots of wonderful, awesome things.  This giveaway ends Monday, June 13, at 10:00 pm EST.

The Quilting Pirate is having a Manic Monday giveaway for June.  Toni is giving away two each of 24- 5" charms of Batiks.  This giveaway ends Sunday, June 12.

My Patchwork Life is ready to send the Traveling Stash on its way.  The box is filled with all sorts of goodies.  This giveaway ends Friday, June 10, around dinner time.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Have you ever wondered what goes on in your dog's or cat's minds?  Do they think we are some super beings put on this earth just for them?  Sometimes I will look over at either Weasley or Snickerdoodle and they have a look on their face of such delight that says "Really?  Are we going to do something fun?"  Or, if I've accidentally disturbed their sleep they can both give very perturbed looks.  And then their is always what we call the "Evil Eye" look.  When they look at you with total disgust of "How could you do that again - was that really necessary?".  Then there are the dreams - with little barks and running feet.  Are they chasing a cat out of the yard or, in Snickerdoodle's case, is she chasing that ball just one more time?  I would love to know what goes on in my two pups minds.  Oh, to be a mind reader - or maybe I would be disappointed - best not to know and just wonder.

They never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation.
 ~Jerome K. Jerome