My patience is being rewarded

Around last November, I was given this orchid by a friend.

She was going to throw it in the garbage, but the gardener in me could not let that happen, so I brought it home to see if I could coax a bloom or two out of it.
After a month or two, I was excited to see a couple of buds, then as the weeks went by, I eagerly watched as they grew, and grew and grew. I thought I would never see any flowers.

Yesterday the first fat bud popped fully open, to reveal this gorgeous bloom.
I guess I do have a green thumb after all.