Meet Arabella

Hello Friends,

It’s been a week that feels like a year, and I wanted to add some lightness to your day with this video introducing Arabella, my long-time plant companion. Arabella is a Schlumbergera plant in the language of science, a member of a group of plants native to southern Brazil who are commonly called Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus, even though these sub-tropical epiphytes are not cacti at all.

(Oops: Schlumbergera, I just learned are indeed cacti—thank you, David Richman, for the correction! My knowledge of tropical plant taxonomy is in error. Christmas cactus(es) are part of a group of epiphytic cacti that include the only cacti native to Africa. More info here from Wikipedia.)

By the way, if you are wondering why I call Arabella “she” and “her” instead of “it,” stay tuned for the next newsletter on pronouns and objectifying living beings.

Arabella in full bloom, with holiday lights and ornaments. She likes to dress up for the winter holidays!

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Remember that we are not powerless, and that one crucially important thing we can do in these times is add our light and love to the world. If you missed last week’s short call for action on that, click here.

Thank you for joining me, and blessings to you all! Susan