take time to smell the roses

my housemate, jason, works w/ both taro & flowers (heliconias and gingers, primarily). he sells them by the stem, in a bundle, or in an arrangement. it's a wonderful art and i had my first go at it the other day. behold, my first flower arrangement.

it's not too bad, if i do say so myself.  (and, yes, that is a portrait of reagan on the wall, in case you're wondering ;)


here are a few flower quotes for your enjoyment :)

*Earth laughs in flowers. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

*The temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers. ~Basho

*The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks. ~Tennessee Williams

*When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other. ~Chinese Proverb

*Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~The Koran

*We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. ~Abraham Lincoln

*In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends. ~Kozuko Okakura