Ok, I finally have peace and quiet so I can post my great news! I attended and joined my first AV club meeting! I have been excited about joining since the AV Sale in Ann Arbor LAST year! This is the Wayne/Washtenaw AV group. They were affiliated with the sale that several of us went to in Ann Arbor a few weeks ago!

The members made me feel genuinely welcome. I had the most amazing time! Have you ever been somewhere for the first time and wished it didn't have to end???? That is how I felt. And I finally have real people in person to talk to about violets/gesneriads!!!! I know all of you are real people and I treasure my gwf friends, but this is a real place! (and I did get lost trying to come home from the meeting. No sense of direction and got a little panicky,,,but I finally figured it out!!!!! hahaha)

Any way,,,,as a new member I was given a couple violets and leaves and,,,,and,,,,,and,,,,,,OH my,,,,,,a CHANTACLEER!!!!!!! A start of a violet that I have been wanting forever!!!! It was one of the first violets that I had and she is an old friend of mine. I know some of you have heard me talk about her whenever I would stroll down Memory Lane.

The very nice lady next to me didn't bring any cups of violet babies to separate, she just brought 2 little pots with an av in each one but I couldn't see the name on the tags. And she gave me one of them as a gift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And a couple others gifted me with some leaves also! I almost teared up, I did choke a bit,,,,but I managed to maintain dignity. I didn't cry, I promise. BUT my chest was tight!!!

Someone else brought in baby streps in solo cups, strep leaves in baggies and av leaves in baggies. They were for sale to earn money for the group. Well,,,,,guess who bought herself some of those things??? Ok if you can't guess I will tell you,,,,,,ME!!!!!!!! lol

This particular night we were supposed to bring our cups of babies that needed to be separated. Everyone was busy doing that and as they finished potting them up you could hear someone say "does anyone want to trade for this? or that???" I only had one little cup to bring that needed to be separated but I did manage to trade some of them for other babies! I came home with some nice trades!!! Not to mention the gifts and what I bought!!!! YAY!

I paid my membership that very night. I am happy to be part of this group of very nice ladies and gents! I hope to learn more than I know now and maybe I can even offer a few hints!

Too soon, far too soon it was time to clean up the wonderful potting mess we all made, finish our trades and, as far as I am concerned, wait in breathless anticipation for the next meeting!!!!!

I had such a nice time, it was good to find a group and actually see faces and find out names. I am sure I haven't met all of the members yet. I think there may have been about 10-12 of us there. It seems as though a good time was had by all. I am anxious for the next meeting.

Well, it is Sunday and little violet reservoirs must be tended to. Happy Violetting to everyone!!!!! Rosie