Christmas cactus at 75

Just after my parents got married (this week in 1943), my mother's
grandmother gave her a Christmas cactus, a clone from her own. Giving it to
her, she said, "I wouldn't give this to your mother [her own daughter]
because she'd kill it! But you have a green thumb."

Mom kept it growing all her life, and most of us eight kids got slips of
it, too. When she died twelve years ago, I got her main plant.

She always said hers bloomed every Christmas (or every anniversary, if you
like) plus every Easter. I don't think mine blooms with any reliability at
Easter, but most Christmases it does. This week it started up again.