On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 17:10:00 GMT, Robert wrote:

My Christmas cactus (schlumbergera truncata) which I got in 2004 bloomed
nicely in this past December, its second Christmas, and is now about to
have a secondary bloom with fewer and paler buds.

Is a secondary bloom common? My usually reliable houseplant book says
nothing about them reblooming.

Yes, they can bloom 2 or 3 times especially if given good care.