This week is going really well as we adjust and settle into a new routine with our two little "chickadees". Baby Ladybugs have been just one of the many discoveries my granddaughters have made in the 'wilds' of the backyard so far, which amazes me, because they are no bigger than a two-strand French knot. I need to put on my reading glasses to even see them. But young curious eyes miss nothing!
So, are you ready for another quilt block? I hope so, because here we have another one, this time for Oklahoma. Mistletoe is common in the state, but did you know that there are about 1,300 species of mistletoe all around the world? The good news about mistletoe is that it attracts butterflies--they feed on the nectar it produces in its flowers. The downside is that the berries are poisonous to people and animals. The plant often grows on other trees as a semi-parasite, and can sometimes kill a tree. The genus name (Phoradendron serotinum) comes from the Greek word 'Phor' meaning a thief; 'dendron' means tree. It was adopted in 1893 and is the oldest of Oklahoma's symbols. (Click on the pattern image to get the correct size block.) If you are missing any, my state flower quilt block list is a handy reference.
COLORS: leaves--olive green #3346/3347; berries--yellow green #165 and cream/white; dots--reddish brown #433; letters--smoke gray #645.
