Purple people eater angel trumpet plant seeds

I have been so bad at getting myself into the computer room and writing like I should. Before I write more and forget it, you can use whatever you want of the emails I write you for your pages. I feel honored that you find what I write interesting enough for your publication. I love reading your work. 
 I wish I could send you some of our tropical rains that we have here at least every week. It rained this morning and also 2 mornings ago and we are due for more off and on all day tomorrow. The roads around here will have a huge reduction in traffic tomorrow for the island people hate to venture out during rain storms but add the fact that it is Friday the 13th. and the 'bad mojo' paranoia kicks in big time. Forget appointments and work, they will not budge outside for sure.
 I am currently bolstering myself up to sharpen my pencils and get to work on our income taxes. UUUGHHH!!
 I went out to weed and check out my purple people eater angel trumpet plants yesterday afternoon and one of them is blooming true to its parent plant. I have saved the seeds and anyone who would like some seeds can send me a self addressed stamped envelope and I will try to pad the seeds so as not to crush them in the postal machines. If anyone is not interested in waiting for seeds to germinate and so forth can get the plants sent to them from www.michiganbulb.com #06167 for $3.99 each.
 An interesting side issue that happened on that trip across my front yard to that side flower border was the discovery of a 357 magnum HOLLOW POINT bullet or round, as the news people call them, there in the grass. The glint of the metal in the sunlight caught my eye. One of the neighbors down the block was walking by as I picked it up and she and I just looked at it with dismay. What is this world coming to!!!!! Jeb Bush is our governor and his administration has passed a law in Florida that anyone can use a gun and shoot someone else if they fear for themselves and not be prosecuted. With all the 'grumpy old men' that we have living down here, I am afraid that law is not a good one. I for one do not want to get caught in some crossfire.
 I got more than I bargained for this Christmas. I had just set dinner on the table and sat down when I suddenly got a slight pain in my left eye and bright flashes of light like a strobe light going off in my head in rapid succession. I then suddenly saw a spiral helix of black rise into the center of my vision and my sight in that eye start to blur. We rushed to the hospital emergency room and waited there to be seen by an ophthalmologist but none showed up and after 8 hours sitting there was sent home and told to call my HMO doctor in the morning and have him give me a referral appointment. Well needless to say, once I got to see a doctor for my eyes, I was told that the now glob circle in the center of my eye would be that way for life. There was nothing they could do for me and this only happens to less than 10% of people. I again won the draw. Too bad it wasn't the lotto. Alas that never is my luck. I now am finding I am not able to judge distance nor see any small print any more. I have turned into my grandfather with a big magnifying glass in hand. Life full circle!
 Give my love to all,
Donna

I guess it must depend on the territory about the butterflies I was referring to. These were the monarch butterflies that we picked out of our front grill and scraped off the windshield and in the northwest part of Ohio.
 I was out talking to my neighbor this morning about her beautiful display on her home. She edged the front with red curtain lights and outlined the windows with multicolored lights that were shaped like big bells. All the palms are encircled all the way up their trunks with multicolored twinkle lights and the fronds and outlined with the same. Along her circular driveway are multicolored candy canes and big lit lollipops at the entrance and exit of the driveway. Even the carriage-house lights are large red light bulbs. Hung along the edge of the porch in four places are bali-style wind chimes that sounded so beautiful. I sat out on the porch around midnight last night and enjoyed the sounds and sights and the warm balmy breeze from the ocean. That really put me in the Christmas mood. I guess it is time to do some shopping for some new lights and retire those 50 year old relics I have out in the garage.
 Well had better get this letter out before I get disconnected again from my dial-up connection. Since Wilma it has been giving me fits. Things are still a mess in many areas of service down here since she gave out area a direct hit. Not even does the drinking water look as clear and taste as good as it used to.  People are also really ticked off at FEMA to put it mildly. Every rainstorm brings with it more destruction and emotional devastation since the blue tarps are not really working that great and ceilings are collapsing in greater and greater numbers. Many businesses are still closed, robberies seem to be on the increase and all in all people are still very edgy and nervous. The mental climate of those you see out and about is not the rosiest to say the least. Not that many smiles going around for sure.
 Take care

I had some thoughts that came to mind when I was reading about the Texas Bluebonnets along the roadways. I used to think that this was such a wonderful thing until this summer when we went north to Michigan. On our way we passed through an area that had some gorgeous patches of wild flowers and I was oohing and aahing until all of a sudden it was like we were in a rainfall but the hits on our windshield weren't the pitter-patter of raindrops but the pitiful death of beautiful butterflies and bees and who knows what else. I felt sick about this and now don't look with glee at those patches but wonder how many beneficial insects and possibly birds are being lured to an untimely death by windshield in these areas. We should instead encourage public land spaces away from roadways be the recipients of these plantings. [ Just my personal feelings on the subject for what it is worth.]

Donna