I am so glad that it got there okay and that you like it. The tibouchina grandiflora (Princess Flower) will have large round leaves (up to 9 inches) that are have silvery fur on both sides. It has the same purple flowers as the regular Princess Flower and same growing requirements. Yours will look like the one in this photo. They are frost tender. http://centralfloridagarden.com/favorites/tibouchina.html The Strictocardia (Hawiian Bell Vine) is a vigorous grower and makes pretty hot pink flowers with a yellow center, my mother plant has buds on it right now, so it likes to bloom the most in the fall but sometimes will bloom sporadically the rest of the year. They will need protection if it freezes. I would prob. wait till spring to plant in them in the ground. They will both need afternoon shade in TX. The raccon village figurine is from my dd. She saw them and wanted to get it for you and bought it with her own $ lol! She thought they were so cute. Then I had to also get her a redneck xmas cd because she wanted one too when she saw yours LOL! I plant those pink and white sweet potato vines under the brugs for ground cover. They look especially good with pink and white brugs and will climb up the trunks with a little coaxing. They are frost tender so I usually bring in a few cuttings in the winter to keep them from dying out. ~Lenette Here is a link that might be useful: Stictocardia beraviensis

Yikes! I'm so sorry Janet! Having had a car totalled and a front porch damaged by hit-skip drivers, I'm always sympathetic by people who try to do the right thing and get nailed by the letter of the law. Admittedly, I've skated thru more than my share of mishaps. Just out of college, I got pulled over for going 45 in a 25mph zone. I explained to the cop that I'd come back from the Middle East and was having trouble with speed limits. He thought that was funny and let me off with a warning. Here in Columbus I was making a left turn on red (from a one-way street to a one-way street, perfectly legal.) But I wasn't watching and nearly hit a pedestrian. I was pretty shaken up, so when he started to yell at me I yelled back. He backed down and told me to be more careful in the future -- it wasn't until I was three blocks away that I realized the guy was a uniformed cop -- and we'd been right in front of police headquarters. A few years ago in July I was driving behind an SUV on a narrow downtown street with construction. The driver was on a cell phone and weaving back, and I felt very morally vindicated when a motorcyle cop pulled up behind us and turned the light on. Until I realized he was signalling me to pull over. With a sinking feeling, I realized my tags had expired on my birthday in January. (I apparently have issues with timeliness.) As I handed him my license I realized that my recently replaced license was also expired. I got my ticket and had to go to traffic court. (Renewed my tags and license before my day in court.) You sit for a few hours, then get 30 seconds with the attorney; sit back down and then get 30 seconds with the judge. The attorney said, because both had been expired six months, there would be a $250 fine and I would have to take the driver's test again. In the interlude before I went before the judge, I counted up on my fingers, and realized I had renewed 1 day short of six months. I explained that, took my $30 fine and was feeling pretty smug as I went out to my car. Where I found a $30 ticket on the windshield for an expired meter. If bad catches up with you, I think good should, too. Hope your lucky break catches up with you soon, Janet!

Yeah Gina fess up where around here did you get that turkey sculpture. If River says the linens are good, I believe her. She has cred on that one. Can't wait to see if she sends another Garnier Thibault tea towel. Hey Gina I noticed you sent two napkins and two rings. Is that a hint to the parental units or to the BF? Ann, that was very nice of you to post her pix.

I used to see black squirrels in my old neighborhood - a northwest suburb of Chicago. First I saw them in a neighboring town, then I saw them in our neighborhood. There's a town in Illinois, Olney, that pegs itself "The Home of the White Squirrels" I've heard that they will move any other colored squirrel out of town. I've included a link below that talks about 5 towns that boast of their white squirrels, including Brevard, NC. I now live in Florida, coincidentally, in Brevard County, Florida. The squirrels here are very ratty looking, pun intended - no lush tails. Here is a link that might be useful: White Squirrels