Patty, my Phals do the same thing, they go on that resting phase hiatus after the long blooming period. I always have them indoors and like you I dry off the leaves when I get it wet during watering, and have our ceiling fan running after I water them. One of them is busy growing a new leaf, while the others are just resting. I have learned to treat them like a cool weather loving succulent. Less water when it is cold, a bit more when it is warm. I do not have those mealy bug problems either, maybe because I keep them drier and our humidity here is really dismal.
