African Violets

When we lived in Texas, I had many of these plants. I loved these more than any other plant I tended (with the possible exception of the gorgeous clumping bamboo I planted to shade our house).

Alas, when we moved to NY 3.5 years ago, I knew the plants would not survive a week in a hot moving van. I gave them to friends at the hospital who would care for them as well (if not better) than I did. It sounds so silly, but my plants were among the things I missed most when we moved.

The first house in NY had terrible light and storage space. So my shelf fitted with grow lights was enlisted to store "stuff" instead. In our new place, the shelf served as poor excuse for a pantry. For Christmas, James got me a new shelf for the pantry so that I could grow violets again. I have had 4 plants for a month now and they are growing beautifully. They make me smile every time I walk in to our office.

That said, though, what makes me even happier is my cat resting beside my arm on my desk. She constantly amazes me with her new social skills. I had a great day at work today because I saw five really nice cats. Although I do love flowers, I am really a katgirl.