Free-range Amaryllis

Last Thursday I got a note from my friend Anna wishing me happy birthday and hoping that I'd enjoyed the gift she sent.  Gift?  Oh dear, how awkward.  I may be terrible at remembering other people's birthdays, but I'm pretty good at remembering when people send me things (especially Anna -- she's one of the best gift givers I know; so good at coming up with interesting, thoughtful and totally unexpected ideas). 

Turns out, when I moved into my new apartment back in June, I'd managed (with help) to update my address with my magazine subscriptions but had failed to fill in the rest of the world.  Which means that Anna's package went to my old address.  My former residence and I aren't on the best of terms (thanks, flood), but I thought the concierge might just be incompetent enough to accept delivery of a package for a person who didn't live there and then leave the package in some lost corner behind the desk -- and I was right!  Not only had he accepted a package for a non-resident, but he'd been completely unconcerned by the fact that emblazoned all over the box in giant letters were the words:  OPEN IMMEDIATELY!! LIVING ORGANISM!! WOULD YOU DO THIS TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER? WHAT ABOUT PUPPIES?!!  (Okay, I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist.)

Mortified, I rushed home and opened the box, discovering the maddest looking amaryllis stump I'd ever seen.  I watered her, trimmed her curling brown ends, and set her free under a spotlight.  We aren't on speaking terms yet (she just sits there ignoring me), but I'm hopeful that with some diligent love and attention (or, at the very least, Miracle Gro), I'll be able to get her to open up.  I'll keep you posted.