Yes, Rose, that's a lovely plant. Reminds me of Aloe cryptopoda. It certainly is a keeper.

It depends on what you want to plant. I planted my carrots and onion seedlings last month. As well as lettuce transplants and seeds. Like Robin says, you can get all of your cool-weather crops in now or even weeks ago. But tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc. will need to wait. I am nearly 100% certain we will not get another frost where I live. We haven't in 10 years had a frost past April (although some list our last frost date as May 15 or beyond). But that is not the entire issue. Plants can be protected from a freak frost by covering with blankets at night, etc. But what tomatoes, etc. don't like is the generally too-cold growing conditions. Sure days in the 60s are fine, but with the nights dipping into the 40s they are not happy campers. They will live, but they will not grow and can even be set back. In my garden, their leaves turn a purply color when they've been planted and it's still too cold. They just sit there and sulk until the temps are consistently in the 70s + during the day and not below 50 at night, preferably not below 60.

Well, I did one once where I did an embroidery backstich for the shaft,,the head was a small bead...or you could do a french knot....

I am in the Christmas business as a season flower grower and wholesaler. Can you just imagine what Easter, Christmas and Memorial day is like for me? LOL. Add to that my son's birthday a week before Christmas, our anniversary two days before Christmas, and my daughter's anniversary a two weeks after Christmas. This year? The lowest key and most relaxing in twenty years or more. My beautiful new daughter-in-law insists on doing the Christmas meal at the farm herself, and this with a full time job and a new baby in tow. I am in semi-retirement now and kept our orders very modest this year for poinsettias and greenery. The immediate family has started the draw a name gift exchange and that makes the hoardes of gifts redundant. Hubby and I buy for each other sometimes or get a joint gift, and we slip a little cash to the kids and g'kids in a card in addtition to the one name each of us pull for the exchange. I started baking early and I gave them out early. Already done and consumed. LOL. I did every iota of Christmas shopping online and hopefully early enough it'll all get here. I have the cards done and mailed including those going to England. My tree went up the first of December. I love Sharon's attitude. So many years everything seemed to land in my lap for the holidays. Don't get me wrong, when I was a young thing, the challenge was exciting.....but somewhere the fun turned into stress. That's not what Christmas is about.