Our Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is in full bloom in the front window with a good Southern exposure. Charmaine accounts for it's general good health because it spent the summer outdoors on the patio.
It's a beautiful plant that makes a good alternative to the Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima.)They are originally forest cacti, growing at elevations between 3280 to 5575 feet above sea level in the Organ Mountains north of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil. There they are called "Flor de maio." (May Flower)
Christmas cacti can be propagated quite easily by removing a single segment and planting it a quarter of its length deep in a pot filled with slightly sandy soil. Place the pot in a well lit area (but not direct sunlight) and keep the soil moist. The cutting should begin showing signs of growth after two or three weeks. If you're coming over this Holiday, feel free to bring a small pot of dirt with you and we'll break off a hunk.
Just like the blooms on our Christmas cactus, President Bush sprouted a thumbs-up on his way to a Rotary meeting in Fredricksburg, Virginia. W spoke at the Yak-A-Doo's restaurant inside a Holiday Inn. The White House wanted to keep the flavor of the local Rotary meeting, so there was no banner or backdrop. Bush was not even introduced; he just showed up. The president watched silently as club members offered a shortened version of their normal business routine, offering the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. The Christmas muzac wasn't cut off until someone pointed it out. The Administration thought Rotary would be a good friendly audience to prop up the economy, plus take some shots at the Democratic Congress.
"We've had a pretty good economic run," the president said in a speech intended to show he is aware of the public's edgy mood these days. Consumer confidence has eroded as turmoil in the housing and credit market have battered the economy. Bush tried to position himself as an advocate for working families by taking aim at his favorite target: the Democratic Congress.
"The Congress cannot take economic vitality for granted," Bush said. "The most negative thing Congress can do in the face of economic uncertainty is to raise taxes on the American people."
It appears that the bloom is definately off his rose. The audience of roughly 80 people listened with respectful SILENCE. A line that normally gets him applause — "I'll veto any tax increase" — drew no reaction at all.
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