Who Needs an Alarm Clock?

I do have an alarm clock plus my phone alarm and a cat or 2, but I've been awakened, or at least startled, 3 times since Christmas by our neighbor's car alarm. The fact that their car sits probably 10 steps from my bed makes it even more effective. I'm sure they're unhappy about it too; after all, they're the ones who were whispering and trying to be so quiet one Saturday morning last summer getting ready for a yard sale until I went over and told them they could be noisy.

Not much happening today - I hope. Below are the good, the bad, and the ugly of my plant life around here.

GOOD

This little African violet makes me so happy. It sits in the kitchen window and just blooms all the time. Sometimes it will take a rest and then come back prettier than ever. I found it at Bruno's one day when I ran in for "just one thing." I never stop long and look at grocery store plants because I think I've killed a few, and of course it's because of them coming from a grocery store. Anyway, the African violets were on sale for $1.50, and this one was just different. It hasn't disappointed.

On the other hand...

BAD
I'm not sure what's going on here. This is (was) a jade plant that has happily lived with my neglect for years and moved from house to house with me. All of a sudden, it started dropping its leaves and just lay down. So sad. I'm trying to root some of the leaves before it completely dies.

UGLY

I believe I may have committed crape murder. I hope not. This is my favorite little crape Myrtle, the color of watermelon, that I can see from my kitchen window. I hate to see these trees chopped down during the winter; in fact, I've had to hide the pruners from Mike in the past to keep him from getting too aggressive with them. In December, I simply went out to trim some branches for a front porch Christmas decoration. When I was finished, it looked a little uneven, so I trimmed some more, and then kind of kept on shaping and pruning until - well it looks like this. I think it will be okay though. Keeping my fingers crossed. Not much bothers crepe Myrtles. (Both spellings of this look funny. Crape is the official English spelling, and crepe is the southern term - I think.)
I'm cold and miserable and ready for spring.