Houseplant Adoption Agency + Edit

My new profession.  Drop off the houseplant or even the overgrown annual you can't bear to dispose of, and I will find a new home for it.  Or hope to find a new home.  Yesterday a large jade plant that had spent the summer with me in the greenhouse at work, was finally relocated to a new owner.  It involved "therapeutic" phone calls to the "owner" and then a handover to the new owner a few days later.   The photo at the top is of some sort of begonia I think--rooting in water.  Looking for a home. The shelf above has a large 60 year old coleus specimen which was shoved into my arms by it's owner.   I refused the second huge pot.  One was MORE than enough.  The owner of the coleus (given to her by her fifth grade teacher), had been kept alive all these years by taking cuttings and starting new plants each spring. Now I am expected to take cuttings and keep the coleus alive for another 60 years.  Actually, what she wanted was for me to propagate it for sale in the annual house in 2013 and beyond.

I wish that I worked in that sort of greenhouse.  I don't.  Propagation is discouraged.

A customer (president of my old quilting group) came by yesterday to let me know that a day time quilting group meets at the Baptist church (one town over) from 1 to 3 each Monday afternoon.  I cannot define the amount of anxiety and confusion this little piece of information has caused.  I know I am trying to be open to new things, but this new thing has too many variables to feel safe, the first being the Baptist church.  Equal only to the first quilt group meeting I attended at the Elks Social Club.  I returned home with nicotine embedded in every fiber of my clothing and the quilt I was working on, but at least I had been invited and was expected.  I have not been invited to the Baptist church nor am I expected at the Monday group.   Walking in "COLD" and introducing myself feels awkward.

It's supposed to be warmer and wetter today.  G dug up the two large lavender plants and I need to repot them for the winter in the house.  The citrus is looking good out on the unheated sunporch.  So far.  Riley has misplaced his flea and tick collar.  My library books will be overdue tomorrow so I have to choose what books to renew and keep.  I have enough onions to make onion soup for dinner (and I found a good recipe which includes all the stuff I have in the cupboard).  Riley is asleep next to my chair with his paw alongside my foot--he can sleep knowing any movement on my part will alert him so he won't miss out on any activity.  Riley will be six in April.  He is slowing down. Sleeping more.  Observing rather than chasing any (all) animals trespassing our (his) yard.  He has a stronger dog odor.  Less of the sweet puppy smell.  I see a comparison to my own aging in his.  I just hope I don't smell.

Edit:  I was going to mention the onion soup--but I had already done so.  I also made four servings of SF raspberry jello.  The box says 8 but I think four is better.  I like to have a dessert available in case I need sweetening in the evening.  I also looked online for a SF cranberry sauce recipe.  None of the recipes make the smooth jellied version.  Only the chunky one.  I happen to ADORE the canned stuff.  Anyone know how to make a "homemade" version of the canned stuff?