Is this just beginner's luck?

First of all, the winner of the $10 Starbuck's gift card. It goes to the writer of comment #11, which is Cristie Glasheen. Cristie, if you'll email me your mailing address, I'll pop this in the mail this afternoon -- email lili.mounce@gmail.com

Now on to today's post

Last June, I told you about my taking a cutting from a Christmas Cactus plant in late winter, and that it had rooted after a couple of months. (that post is here)

I later discovered that it's a Thanksgiving Cactus, not Christmas (the pointy leaves are the giveaway). But they're all part of the same plant family.

Anyways, take a look at what's developing on a couple of the leaves -- blossoms!!

I began the cutting just short of 1 year ago, and now I have blooms. Beginner's luck? Maybe!

This made me very happy to find blossoms developing, and motivated me to take another cutting a few weeks ago. I hope this next cutting does as well as the first.

Closely related to taking cuttings from my Thanksgiving cactus . . .

I took several more cuttings from my African violet. But beyond those cuttings (and this attests to my scrounging nature), a few weeks back, at one of the teas where I serve, they used African violets as the table centerpieces. Well, there were a few new to me colors on the tables. When I was asked if I'd like to take one home, instead I suggested that we let one of the other ladies take mine home, but could I please have a leaf cutting from each of the different variety/color plants. I think I took 5 cuttings, to add to the soil where I already have some rooting. I just put my plucked leaves into a zip loc baggie, then plunged them into the soil once I was home. And now I wait. I'm hoping for a couple of new colors to add to the one I already have.

Jars, jars and more jars

I've stumbled upon and reclaimed/repurposed a bunch of nice jars, lately.

A while back, I mentioned the small square jar that I snagged out of the recycle bin at a charity tea I was working. Well, very recently, I got another 2 of those jars, plus these 2 larger square jars, also from a recycling bin.

In addition, when I was checking Goodwill for goblets, I came across 4 of these jars, for 20 cents each.

I already have plans for some of these jars. The small round jars are lovely when filled with jelly or jam. I have juice and fruit in the freezer, for jam-making this month. I would like to make a batch of jam or jelly to give as gifts this Christmas.

And for those square jars, I'll be filling a couple of them with loose tea, for Christmas and hostess gifts.

I seem to have an attraction to glassware of all sorts. We opened 2 large and 2 small bottles of sparkling cider for Thanksgiving dinner. Those small ones are so cute. I can't bear to part with them. I was thinking that they would make nice votive holders for the patio, if cut them off just below the neck. I may give glass-cutting a try with a few of my saved bottles, this spring.