The Ultimate Question

Today, I have serious questions about when life ends and death begins.  Specifically, when is a plant definitively dead?  Kathryn and I have been trying to root an heirloom saucer magnolia for about a year.  I started out with 13 cuttings and ended up with one plant that survived the winter indoors with about a dozen healthy green leaves.  About a week ago, I noticed that it was droopy and covered with webs.  I took it outside and sprayed it with plant insecticide and removed all the leaves showing infestation, but slowly each remaining leaf crumpled and turned brown.  So, I gave up and took it out of the pot and threw it away.  When I removed it from the pot, though, I could see that the roots were well developed and didn't look moldy or otherwise distressed.  I cut the stem and it was still pliable and green.  So, I retrieved it from the trash, thoroughly washed the pot, filled it with new soil, rinsed the roots thoroughly and replanted the poor thing.  I guess we'll just wait and see -- but I wonder how long to keep hoping.    

This is my new hat and mitts made from the wool I bought in Ireland, Studio Donegal's "Donegal Irish Tweed."  The hat is in the Double Crossed pattern and the mitts are called One Cable Mitts.  I had just exactly enough yarn to make both of them out of three skeins.

As for my new angora/merino blend yarn, last night I started on one of Lucy Neatby's cool patterns for a short scarf called The Emperor's New Scarf.  I'll post some pictures as I move along, but I'm barely past the cast on at this point.  The angora is starting to fluff up already very beautifully and the yarn feels like butter.