a faithful cactus

This is my Christmas cactus. I have had this plant for many, many years. It sat in the garden window above my kitchen sink. I would guess for about 15 years. My friend in Colorado gave it to me and I have loved watching it bloom every year. Usually, just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, it starts to show its small buds and then without fail the week before Thanksgiving it blooms. And it usually blooms for several months. Looking its best during the Christmas season.

After moving to Arizona, it had a little set back. It had been blooming when we made the move and with all the trauma of putting it in a laundry basket in the back of my car, most of the blossoms and buds fell off. Then, last year, it was late to bloom. It was after Thanksgiving before I noticed some buds. And it didn't bloom nearly as long as it faithfully had all those years before.

So, with anticipation this year, I looked for the little buds as Thanksgiving was nearing. Not the normal several weeks before, but just one short week before the day of thanks, I noticed the little pink buds. It didn't quite make it before Thanksgiving, but now just one week later, the first blossoms are there!

And it is looking quite lovely.