Well, the last two years, particularly late in the year, around August-November, there have been more butterflies than ever in our neighborhood. My neighbors have even commented on the number of butterflies they've seen! I just kind of chuckle to myself (tee hee hee). But, it is harder to attract them in an urban setting, when their habitat is usually prairie, either tall or short grass, woodsy areas, and wet areas, and not an urban garden. Slowly but surely, they are stopping in more often. My neighbors around me usually let their backyards go wild, too, so maybe that helps as well. My friend Linda, in Kingfisher, though, just gets tons and tons and tons of butterflies in her garden that she grows specifically for butterflies. In fact, she got pipevine swallowtails this week for the first time ever! Hers have been planted about 3 years now. It takes awhile for the vines and/or plants to grow, and then to populate them with the butterflies you're trying to attract. But, she lives in a smaller, rural town. Here in the city, it's a different story. Last year, she helped me get started with Monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries and Silvery Checkerspots. Once I had a few eggs, it was Katie Bar the Door. I had Monarchs everywhere, and raised 100+ myself. I've had Black Swallowtails for several years, as well as Giant Swallowtails - but in small numbers. I don't get the HUGE numbers like you guys in more rural areas. But, if I had more, I wouldn't have the food supply for them either. One thing for sure. Once they find your garden, they WILL be back next year. It's like they have some kind of built-in radar that brings them back year after year. I had to do a lot of things, though, like I had to quit using even the most innocuous pesticide - like Safer soap for instance. I cannot believe that 6 years ago I was using BT on my cleome to get rid of the Cabbage White caterpillars! Oh, my - I was a butterfly exterminator! I had to plant host plants. You'll get a few butterflies with just nectar plants, but with host plants you get so many more butterflies. It has been a work in progress (still is), a lesson in patience (still is), and the best experience of my life! I would not want a garden without butterflies and moths - ever! Or, the other critters that come along here and there, too. I appreciate so much more in life by undertaking this personal journey with God's creatures. I feel a connection with the earth, the air, the sky, the water, the wind that I never felt before. Do you know what I mean? My spirit was never fed at all by working in an office. But, gardening and especially butterfly gardening, fills my spirit with such love and a realization that there must be something more out there beyond this physical existence with which I connect at a deeper level. Oh, I am getting gooey, huh? Where else are the butterflies going to go but the city, along with many other of God's creatures? We have driven them into the city by taking away their resources, their food, their water, their homes. If I can provide just a small, tiny area to help them along, then I am doing my part. What would it be like if we all did that? Susan

Levi, LOL! It only gets worse! Do you realize there are Plumaholics that have over 300?! I try to keep my addiction under control, but still it's over 50. I completely admire the person that who will come forward and say, "I have one Plumeria, and that is enough". Honestly, there is just something so magical about these plants and the fact they have such a variety of color and scent... and those darn leaves are so appealing!!! I welcome you to our ever growing club. Relax and enjoy the insanity.. it's a lifelong ride!!!! Tony

Well, I'm home - in my pajamas, having just indulged in my idea of total comfort food (DH made me a grilled cheese sandwich), and I'm just going through some things here in the home office. Today was a long day ... a good day ... but so draining. The service was lovely; I was surprised at how many attended, especially since Grannie and Grandaddy have outlived many, if not most, of the friends in their circle - still, the chapel was full. The flowers were beautiful and the photos displayed of her at the front were so precious. My favorites were her high school graduation photo (today I wore the little gold bracelet she had received from her parents on graduating in 1934 that she wore in the photo - she was the first in her family to receive her diploma - as well as her jingly charm bracelet), and a portrait taken perhaps a year or two later in which she looked like a silver screen star. She was so beautiful. Of course, I always just knew her as "my Grannie", so it's fascinating for me to consider what her life must have been like as a young woman. It was sweet today to hear stories of what she was once like. How, for instance, she showed herself to be a thoughtful sister when she got up early one Sunday morning before church and polished her sister's shoes, so their mama wouldn't find out that the sister had been out dancing the night before. She looked out for others, always. It was good to see family and friends, both old and new. It was a delight to hold my 8-month old second cousin and watch his brown eyes dance as he took in all the activity around him. It was bittersweet to hold the hand of my Grandaddy. I know it won't be too long before we're repeating this whole process for him. ::sigh:: The readings and sharing of memories during the service, both my own and the parts of other family members, went beautifully. Of course we were emotional. And it was ok. It was an emotional time, so perfectly fine. I think Grannie would have been pleased. I hope that somehow, somewhere, she was able to know that we were there today, honoring her life. Again, I cannot thank you all enough for the outpouring of love and support that you've given me here. It means more to me than I can possibly even express. You are very special people indeed.

I get a lot of ideas from blogs. Following a blog is really not that much different than following this forum. (Note: I had a New Year's resolution to learn about blogs and blogging, which was actually one of the easiest ones to fulfill!) Once you find a blog that interests you, you can sign up to get e-mail notices when the writer posts new material. Or, you can search topics online and just randomly read blogs that come up in your search. I have signed up for one blog that is about being vegetarian and following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I'm not totally following that diet, but am trying to eat more meals that meet its criteria. Below is a link to that blog. It's just an example, but if you look at the right side of the page, farthest right column, you will see an area that says, "Subscribe by e-mail." If you give them your e-mail address, you will get notices of new posts. You can also follow them in other ways. I signed up for Google's free blogging service, which allows you to create your own "magazine" if you will, with links to articles on the blogs you would like to follow. But you don't have to do it that way, you can also "subscribe" to blogs via e-mail. And if you end up not liking a blog after a while, you can "unsubscribe." Almost all blog e-mails have an option at the bottom where you can unsubscribe, or else go to the blog Web site and unsubscribe. Blogs are like little magazines. I find way more of interest these days on blogs than in actual magazines. There are lot of talented folks out there sharing their ideas via blogs. But bear in mind that there is no editorial control of the material, so you have to understand that it is just coming from one person's experience, not necessarily an expert in the field. But most good bloggers will acknowledge this, and also point out their sources. Same as with any good magazine writer. Here is a link that might be useful: Gluten Free, SCD and Veggie This post was edited by lpinkmountain on Tue, Mar 11, 14 at 14:37