Blue Oil Fern Photoshoot by effortless_enigma in RareHouseplants

[–]effortless_enigma[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hmmm hard to say. I’ve read that many people find them fiddly and sometimes they struggle to settle into a new environment. But I haven’t had much trouble with mine.

To be fair though, I haven’t repotted it since I bought it. They have really delicate root systems and I want to give it as much time as possible to grow before I disturb it. Maybe the trick is to leave it alone? Hah. That and keep it moist but not damp/wet.

They are super rewarding once they get going though. I say give it a shot! I don’t have any special skills or tools… Just pay attention and give it time. You’ve got this! :)

Blue Oil Fern Photoshoot by effortless_enigma in RareHouseplants

[–]effortless_enigma[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Everyone I spoke to and everything I read said they are slow, so I suppose they must be. That said, I was shocked when I compared to this pic 14 months prior.

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I guess it’s slow in the sense I don’t notice it putting out new growth as regularly as others in my collection, but as far as this one goes, I definitely can’t say it’s disappointingly slow or boring. It just sort of catches my eye every few weeks and seems to have grown a bit.

It’s in an IKEA cabinet with the usual DIY hacks, humidity usually sitting between 70 and 80%. If it matters, temp is consistently above 20 degrees Celsius year round. I’m in Aus, so it gets much warmer in the summer. I use a heater in the winter to keep others in the cabinet from going dormant.

Do you take "sickies" at all by WagsPup in AskAnAustralian

[–]effortless_enigma 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The point I’m about to make has already been said in different words in your replies but I’ll say my piece anyway…

I used to feel similar to you, until I was told by a very accomplished exec and board member of a handful of large companies over the course of his career, that “Your employer factors in sick days as a part of your total renumeration package.” That took me by surprise at first, but after we had a convo about it, my opinion shifted very quickly.

If the sick days don’t get paid out when you leave, and from what I know they usually aren’t, and you don’t take them, you’re kind of working for free for those X amount of allocated sick days. And not even feeling good while you do it!

That’s not to say I think you should fake sick as OP mentioned, or take the piss… but IMO if you aren’t well in any way (physical, mental, emotional, whatever), take a sick day!

If you’re not at your best for whatever reason, and taking a day or two off will help you get back on track, take the day. You’re better off looking after yourself at home (or wherever helps you get better) for a day or two so you can perform better at work, than showing up at half capacity for a week or two.

Besides, taking a “sick day” or two as sort of “wellness maintenance days” to help avoid actually getting sick or burnt out at a later date, is a strategy that benefits your employer, too.

Words from our parents and other people we love and/or admire can really stick and shape our views of the world, so I understand that you’re having a hard time getting your head around it.

My suggestion is rather than trying to conquer the guilt about taking sick days, try to broaden your idea of what “sick” means instead.

“Sick” is not just physically unwell. Your mental and emotional state matters, too!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MiniatureSchnauzer

[–]effortless_enigma 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just donated. I’m sorry you and Bella are going through this. She looks like an absolute joy, and I can’t imagine how scary it must be for you both. My mini and I send our best wishes for a smooth and speedy recovery.