Christmas Cactus

Reading Val's post today and seeing her photo of Christmas Cactus reminded me of "ours".
Of my Late-Mother's, originally, and then mine.
Years ago LM tired of her old CC and being unable to *kill* anything off she decided to pass the death sentence on it by giving it to me! (famous for not being able to keep anything green for, well green for LONG!) It hadn't flowered in years, was over large and looking slightly peaky but showing no signs of fatal collapse, she couldn't bear to compost it as it had been in the family, so to speak, for years being originally her own Mother's.
I had it. (I can't remember why I agreed to have it.) (I suspect I didn't agree, I expect she just gave it to me and somehow I got the idea I wanted it!) (she was like that, LM).
And then forgot about it. Possibly put it outside the patio door, intending, maybe, to bring it inside when I found space? Anyway, I didn't find space and after remembering it I felt slightly guilty at having left it outside, neglected, all summer, and brought it in and HID it! in a darkened corner on the landing behind the wallpapering table and stepladders. Hoped that LM would have forgotten about it - perhaps because she half wanted it *finished off* she DID, apparently, forget to ask about it and then imagine our surprise when we DID find it!
hurrah! it was full of FLOWER!!
Which was what reminded me when I saw Val's photo! super little pinky-red flowers!
LM was green herself! I thought she might have wanted it back! she possibly did, but didn't say it and I had here for years and having read somewhere that this was in fact the BEST thing I could have done for the CC, I managed to have wonderful flowers all the time.
Eventually, however, I did manage to kill it off. Its been long since gone now. I don't know if its really true, or not, but LM reckoned it was 50yrs old or so, not sure if plants can live that long, maybe it was never the actual original that my Grandma had all those years ago? but I like to think it was the original.