Generations-Updated

(The stand is one that my grandma had for YEARS and was always in her little house-the little bird is one Mike got for me last week when we went to the next town to pick up prescriptions)



This is her "bare" side that I have turned to the light-she is having new growth and starting to pull in the direction of the light to cover the "bare part"




Here is my mamas HUGE Christmas cactus that I inherited...for years she tried to get me to take it home...One year, dad gave it a HUGE haircut (hence the heavy stalks within it's maze of leaves)...
One sister suggested we put it on the auction!!!! WHAT!!! No!!!!!!! It came home with me!! I had heard it was best to keep in a dark place, so we had set her downstairs but when Megan was here to visit, she went down and when she came back up said, "is your Christmas cactus dying!!??) OH NO! I sent hubby down after her and we found a place for her in the dining room corner...not the best, but a bit warmer up here (was too cold in the basement in the summer) and even though it wasn't BY the window, could get some light...still, she didn't look good, was dropping leaves, was a light green, etc...a VERY sad girl. I talked to her but to no avail..
THEN...when son was gone, I moved her into the spare room...two tall south facing windows where she could bask in the winter light. I also got some information from a small floral shop (which happened to have the most beautiful blooming Christmas cactus in it...it wasn't for sale, just lived there.) She said every few weeks to mix a bit of the "flower freshener" you get with a bouquet and mix with water...ALSO, our friend Casey had mentioned how to water her which was TOTALLY different from we'd always been told...
So, there you have it...today, she is feeling better...I have her "sparse" side turned toward the light, and you can see her new growth (she grew crooked after dad had given her the haircut)...
I talk to her and tell her how pretty she is...she missed mom too, I just know it, so we talked and I think we are both feeling just a little better thsee days...not there yet, but working on it.
One step at a time...one day at a time...that's all any of us can do...even my plant "Etta" (oh come on, don't tell me you don't name YOUR plants too!!! LOL)

Just a p.s. to my post as I promised. Two days after Christmas, we went over to our oldest son's house to spend "Christmas" with them (he, his wife and two granddaughters)They have been married since '98 and before that had dated since around'94. They graduated college together in '96 and she got a job a few miles away from where my parents lived and got an apartment in the same town and drove over to work. During this time, my mom had taken some cuttings and started them for DIL. Over the years, she has had the plant and it kept growing and she would take it to her classroom each year. For whatever reason, it stayed home this year when school started, and when I walked in, there was the plant...it had never even bloomed before, but there they were: FLOWERS!!...the first time ever! I could have cried and we were all so excited. Could mom/grandma had said "Merry Christmas, I'll love you forever" any louder? Perfect moment.

This is what greeted me in the entry way-