The Christmas Cactus

It's blooming! I'm thrilled that my birthday present from my mom (who got it from my grandma) is showing signs of THRIVING!. The Christmas Cactus lives for generations and it is my goal to pass it along again to my daughter...with the good Lord willing, as my grandma would say. Here's what I found written about this really wonderful plant....This beautiful little plant is native to Brazil. It lived in the Orgon Mountains just north of Rio de Janeiro in the southeastern part of the country, where the temperature is a constant 60 to 70 degrees. It grew wild nestled among the roots and cavities of the large trees where the soil was all naturally composted matter. It was named the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesi) because it bloomed in December and the leaves resemble the cactus. The Christmas cactus - which is not a cactus at all, but a tropical - was brought to the United States in the early 1800s.

This is my greenthumb grandma with Sarah circa 1995. She would be proud of my blossoming cactus!

And January continues....

Frozen Fog Alert? Had no idea what they were talking about until my feet were in the air over my head which was on the ground under my Smart car. Ok- maybe they should mention that smooth surfaces will be similar to an ice skating rink! On the bright side - the trees did look pretty.

Nothing like beating the grey, damp days with a COUNTDOWN to SUNSHINE and BEACHES!

Even if you aren't planning on visiting the Caribbean anytime soon, you can enjoy the pictures to give the winter blues a respite!

Winter Wonderland!

Even though a SNOW DAY was not to be had for the household students, it was a very fun snow day for mom! After exercising with Kevin for an hour to start the day, we were really warmed up and ready to shovel! Actually, while Kevin's preferred method of removing snow is with his technoshovel, I decided the leaf blower would do the trick! The snow was so light and fluffy (thanks to single digit temps), it literally blew away. Of course, a big thanks to Tom B. for taking care of the rest of the driveway for us....we weren't really THAT motivated! With the wind whipping around out there right now, I am sure we will get to do the whole routine again tomorrow. Something about the white flufffy stuff just makes the world a more beautiful place! Hope you got to enjoy your day too!

Happy 2010!

Wishing you all a wonderful 2010! Make it all that you want it to be! We rang in the new year quietly this year after enjoying a lovely dinner at The Cobblestone Grill with our dear friends, The Roederers. As we watched Eric scurry around the restaurant bussing tables, we agreed that in a quick BLINK of an eye TEN years had passed! Remember the New Millenium hype? Oh the fun we had ringing in the year 2000! A horse drawn carriage surprised the children for a ride in the crisp night air to end 1999. An arcade complete with Karaoke was set up with care, not to mention the great food, and special t-shirts! To think the girls are now college students!

What do I take away from this? Life happens a moment at a time. Be sure to enjoy each one!