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In 2017, I adopted a gorgeous Thanksgiving cactus. (Wondering about the difference between Thanksgiving and Christmas cactuses? Me, too! It’s the shape of the leaf.) I’ve had limited success getting seasonal plants to rebloom, but recent success with my amaryllis bulb collection gave me hope. 

My Thanksgiving cactus is huge and looks very healthy, but it hasn’t bloomed since our first Christmas. I did all kinds of things to keep it cool,  in the dark, limit water, etc. No luck. All leaves, no blooms for the last three years. So this past summer, I put it on our covered front porch. Lots of light but no direct sun. Not in a place where it gets a lot of water. I ignored everything I had read about getting a Thanksgiving cactus to rebloom. I remembered that one of my plant friends brought a similar plant back to life on her porch.

And guess what? I was rewarded. It’s blooming!  It doesn’t have a ton of buds, but it has some, and they are just starting to open up. My plant-loving heart is overflowing with joy. 

I know that we aren’t doing much traveling these days. But sometimes there’s an emergency, and you have to pack your bag and go. A couple of years ago, I created a packing checklist with key items to take (or think about taking. Sometimes, you don’t need a bathing suit, but you don’t want to forget it.)

I’m sharing my hers/theirs and his/theirs packing lists via Google Docs. You can download a copy of these lists to Word or copy it to your Google Drive and edit it to suit your own packing needs. It can be a lifesaver — especially if you are tired, stressed out, or need to pack fast.

Be careful out there. Wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands a lot — and most importantly, assume positive intent and be kind. 

Photo by Andy Beales on Unsplash

Who am I? Maybe it’s the unending quarantine, maybe it’s just a periodic existential crisis but I’ve been thinking about this a lot. 

Figuring out who I am is an ongoing process. Who I’m not is easier:
Fancy. Ambitious. Talkative. Selfish. Busy. Exclusive. Name brand. Low tech (mostly). A snob. Extroverted (mostly). A traveler. A specialist. Set in my ways. Polished. A dress and skirt person. Gourmet. Perfectionist (recovering). Particular (mostly). A broccoli eater. Lazy. 

How about you? Who are you? Who aren’t you?

Photo by Max Saeling on Unsplash