The pink will still look good even if the blue buds have faded. It (the mother plant) will not bloom again so there is no hurry to cut the stem off. Just a matter of when you tire of it. The pups will have the next bloom. From what I can see it looks like it could be Aechmea fasciata. tj This post was edited by tsugajunkie on Tue, Sep 24, 13 at 19:21

I liked being an owner and the intense joy that my incredibly loyal following enjoyed from my hard work. I had many people who just stopping by my garden center could revisit the feelings they had when they walked in their grandmothers garden. Some came as a form of therapy. Others came at night when I advertised in advance about the opening of the Night Blooming Cereus. Still others loved the fragrances, oh how I loved finding new and aromatic plants. Hummingbirds loved my place for they knew dozens and dozens of tasty plants awaited them in all sorts of colors not just red. For some I was the home greenhouse they wanted but could enjoy none the less. The joy I felt in treating the poorest customer just like I did the customer who (literally) was a millionaire and founder of a NYSE listed company. Being in the greenhouse in the quiet of January and feeling warm and seeing beauty all around me. Working harder than I knew I could work and feeling pride and fulfillment. Sharing moments of excitement with a customer who for the first time saw an American Goldfinch or Red Breasted Nuthatch at a feeder I sold them with the correct food to attract them. Being well known in a 6 parish area(county for those of you not from Louisiana) for the fantastic diversity and quality of the plants I sold. I had the pleasure of dining with the late J.C. Raulston of North Carolina. Knowing the late Dr. John Griffin of Louisiana Tech University, a man who made you feel like the most important person in the world,at least to him, every time you visited with him. It was about me but it was also about connecting with all kinds of people.I have been out of the business as an owner for 7 years and I miss the people the most.

Hi Rhonda, You might be paranoid, I can't quite tell from your photos but usually scale that comes off easily is soft scale, spiders eggs or mealy bugs, most don't do too much harm unless it is a serious infestation. Hosing off with a jet of water usually clears these problems away, good air circulation helps keep unwanted pests off them. Cheers, Rick

Is this outside? Could they be eggs laid by a frog?