Since we don’t have pets, having poinsettias throughout the winter is not a problem for us.

With lessons learned over the years, I have been able to keep poinsettias beautiful for several months after Christmas. One year, our plant lasted until Easter.

There are a few tricks to keep your poinsettia flourishing.

First, keep it away from heat sources. The plant likes it a little bit cool.

Second, water from the bottom once a week. It should be dry before watering. I put the pot in a large bowl of cold water in my kitchen sink. After an hour or so, I remove it from the bowl and let the pot sit in the sink to drain off excess water. Then, I return it to a plate in the middle of our dining room table, which gives the plant a lot of indirect light that it seems to like.

As time passes, the plant begins to drop its red bracts and then the green leaves. The actual flowers are the tiny yellow center that grows inside the bracts.

A third point is to try to keep the humidity up around the poinsettia. I have never concerned myself with this, but I might consider having a pretty bowl with florist stones and water sitting near my plant.

One tip I just learned: Gently wipe off any dust from the leaves so they can absorb more light. I found this interesting and plan to try it this year.

If you haven’t gotten a poinsettia yet, I highly recommend getting it from a florist or nursery. Those plants are likely to have been taken care of much better than the ones you find at the grocery or big-box stores. Florists and nurseries should be able to give you a larger variety of colors from which to choose.

Enjoy brightening your home this winter with a poinsettia.

Circle grows smaller

Since I graduated college in 1963, I have been part of a group of 10 women who have gathered at least once a year with our families to catch up and enjoy a wonderful picnic.

The first picnic was at our farm, and for several years we gathered here because we had room for the group.

During the building of our house, we had the table stretched on sawhorses through the skeleton of the kitchen and dining room. It was great fun.

As the years progressed, we moved the date to the first Sunday after Labor Day. Then it went to the first Saturday after Labor Day. After most of my friends retired from teaching, we began meeting occasionally for lunch.

The picnic has evolved into a restaurant luncheon with two tables, one for the women and one for the spouses. Our circle had one member who lives down South, so if she and her husband were in the area, we would make a special effort to meet then.

This year has been hard on our group. We learned in October that one of our single members had passed away in August. She lived alone. The rest of us are sad that we didn’t know about it at the time.

On Nov. 16, another member of our group died from cancer. She had been quite sick, and we know that she is now at peace and pain free. The rest of us are dealing with grief.

It seems the reality of being in your 80s is having to go to the funeral home more often to give your sympathies to the families of dear friends that are no longer with us.

This all makes my husband and I more thankful for the health we have. Maybe the aches and pains are reminders that there is still something that we are expected to do as we move into this new year.

Please cherish each day and seek the things you are to do to make this world a better place.

Gregg writes from western Pennsylvania. She is the Pennsylvania 2019 Outstanding Woman in Agriculture and is a past president of American Agri-Women.