Hi! In early 2015, some of you may remember I posted photos of my amaryllis bulb being propped up by a Fisher-Price palm tree. I kept the bulb after I clipped off the dead blooms and when the leaves started looking pitiful I clipped them off and stopped watering the bulb. I left the bulb in a shady spot in our hallway and just glanced at it from time to time and wondered...would it bloom for me again around Christmas?
Two weeks before Christmas I moved the bulb in it's original pot onto a sometimes sunny windowsill and started watering the bulb. Within a few days a new stem started shooting up! Buds appeared! Four of them! Household members started exclaiming about the bulb's growth, but three-year-old, Joy was beside herself with excitement and has buzzed into my room numerous times to proclaim the bulb's progress. I wish I had written down all the versions of her proclamations :) The last I remember was, "Gramma Gracie, your flower is all growd up!" Indeed!
In 2015 we had just a few flakes of snow down here in the valley near Mt. Hood, but 2016, has started out with about an inch of snow...and...ice!
Our mailbox was knocked down. Then a truck slid into our driveway and it took several days for it to be rescued. My youngest son-in-law's truck slid into the building where he works. He and his truck were ok, but the building needed some repair; then while dealing with that when he was trying to spread deicer on the parking lot he fell backwards and whacked his head and has a mild concussion and sore back :( Because four of my five granddaughters were getting over coughing colds they did not try to go sledding, so all in all the storm was pretty and exciting for us, but not much fun.
However, those of us who were able to stay inside, enjoyed finishing a puzzle, and gazing at our idyllic snow village. We had good food, read, watched some TV, played some board and computer games and I even got some stitching done, including a doll clothes bag I crocheted for Joy.
Most of the ice had melted in time for us to safely get my oldest sister from the airport on Thursday. When we got home from the airport, I found a package had arrived from my blogging friend, Wendy, who lives in Australia! She is in the throes of hot weather, but she very kindly made a pretty set of red yarn mitts to help my hands keep stylishly warm :)
Thank you again, Wendy!
As I type this, the sky is gray and we had a bit of rain this morning, but thankfully no more ice! We are still exclaiming over how pretty the amaryllis is and we enjoyed our weekend.
Are blooming and sliding a part of your New Year?
Gracie xx :)
Don't know about blooming and sliding but jigsaws featured heavily over Christmas, I got a couple of new ones for Christmas, I do love a good jigsaw! Happy New Year Gracie, hope 2016 is good to you :)
ReplyDeleteJillx
Believe it or not due to the mild December we have had a lot of spring bulbs in the garden are starting to bloom. Unfortunately the temperatures are predicted to drop drastically over the next couple of days with frosts and snow in some areas forecast so I despair of my poor bulbs. Sounds like you are having a fun couple of days.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to actually watch your amaryllis go from what seems to be a dead state to such beauty. A perfect lesson for your girls in God's grace and love and how He cares for even the flowers. I'm so sorry about all of the problems the storm caused you and your family. How smart of you to stay inside and enjoy the family, safe and warm. I hope your son-in-law is completely healed form his fall. I'm sure that was scary. We have gorgeous blue skies today but it's cold. Love your completed puzzle too. You are such a gift to all of us Gracie. Thank you for your sweet spirit.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Hi Gracie, I'm sorry to hear about the troubles after your ice storm. I hope your son-in-law is okay! Your amaryllis is very pretty and what a cutie your granddaughter is. Thank you for sharing her sweet thoughts on your plant. I hope you're all doing well. Take care and have a good week.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I kept an amaryllis bulb from last year - started watering it when some new growth appeared. It shot up 3 very long leaves and nothing else. then 2 of the leaves snapped off. I was SO disappointed and I'm not sure what I did wrong!
ReplyDeleteJoy sounds like such a little cutie....I am awaiting the arrival of one now.....
ReplyDeleteSo happy you love the mittens and that your son in law is alright and sending healing vibes with warmth to you all xoxo
I sure hope your SIL is all better.. that is scary. My friend Shirley told me today that her husband broke his fibia and tibia on the ice! Poor guy. I'm very impressed with your Amaryllis coming back. I feel a bit bad as we put our spent one outside to fend for itself. I hope you're having a good time with your sister and see you soon! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteThat was very lucky for your son in law, that he was not more seriously injured. The snow is beautiful, but can be treacherous to get around in.
ReplyDeleteOh the story of the flower! How sweet is she! I love the puzzle! We never seem to have a good place to leave one out around here.
Lovely mitts from your friend in Australia! I am thankful to be feeling better now, and eager to get to some of those things I love to do.
Hugs to you dear Gracie.
Kris
Sorry about the ice storm but thankfully the damage wasn't much. Your flower is looking great!! Sometimes plants are fussy, if we care too much they don't give any returns and when we start ignoring them, they try their best to please us :)
ReplyDeleteHello Gracie. So glad your s.I.l is OK. The amaryllis is lovely - how clever of you. No jigsaws, ice or snow. We have bulbs etc blooming due to mild weather !!! If it does turn colder as predicted then they will not fare well! Take care. Hugs Anne x
ReplyDeleteOh no! Your SIL sure didn't have any luck with the ice. So much more dangerous than snow. Hope things are clearing up now. Amazing that the bulb did so well. I've never grown anything from a bulb so must give it a go at some point. I've started wandering the neighborhood on my walks but am not seeing as many flowers as last year. Not sure why that is. But am always happy when I do find some especially when they are covered in bees. Which reminds me that I haven't seen many butterflies this season either. The red handwarmers are pretty. I must start another pair soon as I'm trying to build up a supply to sell at a market on the 23rd though I'm not sure I can make enough for it to be worth my while. Take care, Tammy
ReplyDeleteThe blooms are beautiful, I tried that with my amaryllis from last year and all I got ws leaves this year, no bloom. Such a disaster all of that ice! Hope you SIL is doing better, you have to watch those concussions.
ReplyDeleteMeredith
Im thrilled for your second time around blossom !! Even more exciting than the first time I bet
ReplyDeleteMany of the posts I am visiting tonight feature snow! I too remember the excitment when my amaryllis flowered for a second year. Your jigsaw puzzle looks as cosy as your home. Hope your family take care if you have more snow! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteHi Gracie, I hope that you and your family are all doing well. So sorry to hear about your SIL fall on the ice; I do hope he is doing OK. I just read Teresa's post about meeting your beautiful new granddaughter. How exciting! It's always a joy to read your blog and see your lovely photos of your home and family. I do hope your week is going well. Hugs, Pat
ReplyDeleteI want an amaryllis! Unfortunately, so do our cats -- and they are not interested in the blooming part!
ReplyDeleteYour house feels like home to me. My MIL has a snow village that takes over the entire house. And Keith and I recently got into jigsaws. It was so much fun with my daughter when she was home for break, but we're going to do more, even though it will make me miss her!
I love that the bulb grew and became such a lovely burst of color for you to enjoy. It is very pretty. I hope you don't get anymore ice. We get ice a lot, too in Kentucky...usually it's ice, then it snows onto of the ice. Not fun to have to be out in, but it is pretty to look at. I am enjoying reading your blog. Wishing you much joy and many blessings. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful amaryllis. I have some crocuses coming up in a bowl - somehow God reminded me a few days ago that I had planted them and stuck them in the shed! Here down in the valley of Glasgow we have merely had icy pavements (sidewalks) but I believe there is snow higher up all around us. So sorry about your son-in-law's fall - I hope he makes a quick and full recovery.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing my amaryllis 'All growd up'. Eleanor bought me a bulb for Christmas and I've just set it going but they don't take too long to flower once they get going, do they? Goodness, the snow and ice has certainly caused havoc where you are. I do hope your son in law is now on the mend. We had some snow flurries yesterday but it didn't stick, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about all of the slipping and sliding troubles / I don't have an amaryllis this year but have enjoyed them in the past. I just love that shot of it and the cheerful houseplants on the window sill!
ReplyDeleteWe had a dusting of snow like you today but it was all wet and gone by lunchtime. I didn't get an amarylillis this year so I will just admire yours. (I haven't spelled that quite right!! ) Jo x
ReplyDeleteThere's no blooming here yet. The daffs and bulbs that have started shooting up over the last month due to the mild winter weather have had a shock this weekend with freezing temperatures and snow. Hopefully they're ok. And no sliding either. Fingers crossed it will not be icy when we do the school run tomorrow! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and I hope your amaryllis continues to do well.
ReplyDeleteMarion
What a wonderful post, Gracie, bursting with the very best of winter cosiness.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
No snow or ice in my part of the UK, we're too near the sea to get much. I'd love a little snow but the ice, no thank you. It's so dangerous. I'm glad it's all melted where you are. That amaryllis is so beautiful. x
ReplyDeleteLove the look of your snow. I'm guessing it's probably best looking through a window from your cosy home. Your amaryllis looks fantastic. Ours didn't flower this year but we were successful for a couple of years. Barbara
ReplyDeleteBlooming, yes. Sliding, no. We have had rain, though! Yay!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful celebration of winter joys, and lovely to see so much blooming there as well as sliding! And thank you dear Gracie for your kind and touching comments to me recently they mean so much x
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a very happy cosy weekend.
Helen xox