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Thursday, March 2, 2017

Bloom



"Bloom where you are planted."  -  Mary Engelbreit

This is the first time it has happened in several years...my Christmas cactus bloomed. 


I am not the greatest with house plants, I tend to forget about them.  With my reputation as a plant killer, my family was surprised this Christmas cactus survived so long...even wondering if it was a real plant.  

About six months ago or so, I decided to schedule a weekly day of watering for my plants.  I watered every Monday, usually.  The effect on my several plants was noteworthy.  I could see growth on some and even less leaves falling off one.  There was a definite change for the better.

Then a few weeks ago we noticed a flower bud on the Christmas cactus.  The hardy little plant survived the neglect and now with a few months of regular watering and a little light, it has one beautiful bloom. 

This got me thinking...

What part of myself have I been neglecting?  What part of myself could bloom if I give it just a little more attention? 


On the first Sunday of the month I will be joining Sarah at PaisleyRain Boots and Lee at Sea Blue Lens for Scene and Story sharing a favorite photograph of the month and the story behind it.  (I am a little early posting)  Give them a visit and check out the other stories while you are there.


Thank you so much for stopping by!
Have a great day!
Michelle



18 comments:

  1. I love that you are early, especially since I still have to work on mine, that's tomorrow's project :) I am terrible with houseplants too. My problem now is that my daughter has been caring for them the last two years and now that she has moved out, I have to take over again. Yikes!

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  2. You can be proud of the effort made and results achieved! :)
    I like that minimalist look of your image and those questions you ask... well, good to think about the answers. I'm sure I have many parts that would profit from better care!

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  3. Such a lovely story behind your gorgeous photo, Michelle !
    Love the way you captured that cactus flower !
    Have a great weekend ahead,
    Sylvia

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  4. This is a stunning image, Michelle! Love how you were able to display the silky, sheen of the bloom. :) Beautiful!! These cactuses love sunlight - you can happily place them in full sun and their leaves won't burn. Mine is in full bloom right now too. And, definitely, schedule time to take care of yourself. You are worthy of your attention. :) Sending love!

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  5. Michelle, your Christmas cactus is such a beautiful color. I don't do well with indoor plants either. I'm so glad your plant bloomed for you. Love Mary Engelbreit, and get her calendars every year. : )

    ~Sheri

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  6. What a wonderful capture of your beautiful cactus flower bloom. I see that tender loving care to your house plants is paying off and I love the question you ask yourself at the end: "What part of myself have I been neglecting? What part of myself could bloom if I give it just a little more attention?"

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  7. Beautiful shot! Life is full of responsibilities and to-do lists. It's easy to dismiss doing something for ourselves {basic maintenance,even}. Over time, we will wear down and it's often difficult to get ourselves back in shape {physically or mentally}. I think it's vital that we make sure we {family and friends as well} are not over looked and to keep ourselves healthy {in every aspect}.

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  8. I'm not really good with house plants either (to the point that I don't have any) and therefore I can understand how thrilled you must be about this bloom. I also love to what questions it leads you (and very good questions indeed).

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  9. Such a great thought process to come out of that single bloom. I am terrible with house plants as well & you have reminded me that I need to make doctor's appointment.

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  10. The color in this shot is brilliant. At first I thought this would be a lovely backdrop for adding a quote into the frame, but I like that you kept the words out of it. What appeared to be such a simple, bold picture at first revealed so much light and texture when I re-examined it.

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  11. Makes me wonder where I could use a little self care.

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  12. I'm terrible with houseplants - and have a few right now that I'm really trying to take care of. Some are doing okay... Your photo is stunning! I am pondering, now, whether there are things in my life that need some more attention.

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  13. I love the simplicity of your photo that so perfectly captures and vivid color and the delicate texture of the flower. I think your analogy with your own life is very true. Christmas cacti will seemingly survive any neglect, but given a bit of regular care they thrive and blossom, truly living up to their potential. People are like that, too.

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  14. Your Christmas cactus has given you a beautiful reward for your work. I too, had to mark on my calendar a certain day to water my plants. They've survived years of neglect, now I need to tend them better! My day to water is Sunday, right after lunch!

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  15. I'm right there with you...learning the discipline and joys of caring for house plants. It's never been my forte - but hey. I'm loving the current rewards, so I'm gonna try and keep going. This whole "the christmas cactus actually bloomed" thing was a total shock! I really LOVE this photo - simple, bright and cheery - elegant!!

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  16. I am in love with this shot...it should be on a greeting card or something! I remember my mom having a Christmas cactus and she got excited whenever it bloomed. I like your analogy too. What are you going to "water" to let bloom?

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  17. Such a beautiful shot of your one flower! I used to grow them in my work office since I had great window light for them. They always bloomed well there. When I retired I gave them to my boss and now he tends them and they bloom well in his home, but I miss them. Love your analogy!!

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  18. I love the color of your Christmas cactus. They are such forgiving plants. A really nice post to remind us all to tend to ourselves each day.

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