Blooming Amaryllis

There's something amazing about this house. My brick bungalow in Mandan was the worst possible place to try and grow something green I have ever lived in. No kidding. Even the current owners have mentioned that things just don't grow in bungalows.
But have no fear, this house in the country has light galore and south windows and a sun porch and plants love sun... so imagine how surprised I was in December when my lipstick plan put forth a bloom. Deep red and double layered, it was beautiful. Earlier in the year, one of my funky cactus grew a white bloom from it's center and I had to divide and replant at least four more cactus... it's incredible. And it's fun.
But nothing surprised me more than after my studio cleaning project, I moved my amaryllis bulb into that room. I don't see it every day and about four days ago I found this extra leaf, or two and then a long slender stem about 6 inches long. I gave it a drink of cold coffee and lo and behold the next day it was at least 2 or 3 inches longer. WOW.
Here's what it looked like yesterday.
The bulb was a gift from Pastor Bob and Karen Nordvall. They left Bismarck and moved to Minnesota ... well, I won't comment on that right now, but I am missing them. There were instructions as to how to force this bulb to bloom and I most certainly didn't follow them. I expected the bulb to continue in its four-leaf state for the rest of its days... Now, I'm so excited to see what comes from the stem. I check on it every day, give it water and delight in its gift to me this winter. It reminds me every day of my dear friends the Nordvalls... and I just wanted them to know.