how did i do it? i don't know.

after 8 years and a couple of dead plants, i finally have a successful african violet.
amazingly, it even re-bloomed.
that has never happened.
apparently all you have to do is let your dog knock it over about ten times, mangling the majority of the leaves and breaking others off.
my other un-mangled african violet refuses to bloom.  it must be the mangling.  i really doubt that what rooms they are in plays a factor.
even more exciting, my Christmas cactus, the only Christmas cactus in the world that won't bloom again, is blooming after a two year skunk period.
exciting stuff right.