AAA Im ports, Inc. 407-884-0078 October 2004 Page 1 AAA Imports' monthly publication for the premier dish garden, lucky bamboo & bonsai grower Volume 4, Issue 10 - October 2004 Hurricanes I have never really experienced a hurricane since I moved here, like lots of Floridians. This time we had a bunch of them! During a fi ve weeks period, we welcomed Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne into our homes. They all came in succession. Among these four storms, three actually traveled through Orlando and Central Florida. In the past, I thought Orlando was far enough away from the beaches, hence, we should be safe from these hurricanes - looks like I was wrong!!! The hurricanes killed people, brought severe damage to homes and structures, cut down trees and knocked-out power - people s lives were severely disrupted. Nurseries in Apopka area were hit hard by the Hurricane Frances and Jeanne. Lots of greenhouse roofs were blown-out by the high winds, and some nurseries did not have power for days. All of this contributed to extreme fi nancial hardship. As a member of this community, all of us in AAA Imports are concerned and would like to relay our sympathy to all our friends who suffered from the hurricanes in nursery industry. AAA Imports will make a donation to FNGLA Hurricane Relief Fund. I believe these hurricanes will have a signifi cant impact in the way Floridians handle life and business in the future. For example, the nursery people might think whether they should continue in the foliage business! Some residents may think about moving-out of Florida. For the people up North who plan to move to Florida, they may have a second thought. How many people are thinking about securing their homes and getting a generator for future hurricanes? Hurricanes certainly leave so many questions for us to think about and answer. All things have two sides: positive and negative. What have we learned from hurricanes? When Hurricane Charley came, I saw people's faces with worry and panic, not knowing what to do. The stores were out of food and water, and almost all the gas stations were out of gas. This time, before Hurricane Jeanne came, I saw people at the grocery stores with calm faces; the stores had enough food and water, and you could get gas at most gas stations. I think people realized that hurricane are a part of life in Florida, and that they should know how to deal with it. I believe that after the hurricanes we become more mature, stronger and better at dealing with emergency situations. I think there is some positive things to get from hurricanes. Bob In this Issue: Hurricanes 1 Planter of the Month 2 Halloween Myths 2 Fresh Off the Boat 3-4 TammyS's Recipe 5 Photography Needed? 5 Critter of the Month 6 Announcement 6
AAA Im ports, Inc. 407-884-0078 October 2004 Page 2 Planter of the Month 10% and 20% Off Wholesale (as indicated) AAA00353 Color Bowls 12" (4Asst)[Pack4] WAS $3.40 $13.60 Unit Price Case Price Sale Ends October 30th AAA00354 Color Bowl 14" [Pack4] WAS 10% Off 10% Off $5.50 $22.00 Unit Price Case Price $3.06 Sale Unit Price $4.95 Sale Unit Price $12.24 Sale Case Price $19.80 Sale Case Price 133 cases 710 cases AAA10470 AAA04012 Flower Lattice Planter 6", 8" & 10" Seasons Greetings Drop-In 5" [Pack6] (4Asst) $7.80 Unit Price Unit Price WAS $46.80 Case Price WAS $1.35 $16.20 Case Price $7.02 Sale Unit Price $1.08 Sale Unit Price 10% Off $42.12 Sale Case Price 20% Off $12.96 Sale Case Price 175 cases 74 cases Halloween Myths Halloween is the time of year where scary tales, myths, omens and superstitions come to life. What is superstition? The Webster dictionary states it is a belief that is inconsistent with the known laws of science or with what is considered true and rational. Such as Beliefs in omens, supernatural. Here are a few superstition and myths that are interesting. Black Cats Back in the middle ages many people believed black cats were connected to evil. It was also believed that they had a supernatural omen. Since then it is considered bad luck to have a black cat cross your path. Broken Mirrors (seven years of bad luck) Many years ago our ancestors believed that the image you saw in the mirror was your soul. By breaking the mirror it meant your soul would become astray from your body. In order to break this spell, you must wait seven hours. (One for each year of bad luck.) You are not to touch the pieces until the seven hours are up. You are then supposed to bury the broken pieces outside under the moonlight. Good Luck Omens: Horseshoes. A horseshoe will only bring you good luck if the horseshoe is lost by a horse and found by you with the open end facing your way. You are then supposed to put the horseshoe on your door with the open end up. This is so the good fortune will not spill out. Wishbones. A wishbone is the dried bone from a turkey or chicken. Many people believe that if two people take one end of each bone make a wish and then pull, the person with the longer end would have their wish come true. Common Myths If the fl ame of a candle fl ickers and then turns blue, there s a spirit in the room. If your palm itches, you will soon receive money. If you itch it, your money will never come If a person experiences great horror, their hair turns white. Eat an apple on Christmas Eve for good health the next year. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Tammy P
AAA Im ports, Inc. 407-884-0078 October 2004 Page 3 Fresh Off the Boat AAA02215 AncientLimestone Square Drop-In 6" AAA02406 SplashGlaze Leaf&Patterned Round 5.5" AAA02563 Pedestal Stoneware 5.5" [Pack18] AAA02565 Pedestal Stoneware 6.5" AAA02801 SplashGlaze Tapered Round Drop-In 4.75" [Pack36] AAA02804 SplashGlaze Flaired Square Drop-In 4.25" [Pack36] AAA03010 Reindeer & Sleigh Drop-In 6" AAA03269 Pine Cone Oval Planter 8" & 10" [Pack4] AAA03270 Pine Cone Round Planter 8", 10" & 12" [Pack4] AAA03271 Pine Cone Tea Pot 8" AAA03280 Autumn Leaves Round Planters 8", 10" & 12" [Pack4] AAA03570 Poinsettia Curved Drop-In 7" [Pack8] AAA03571 Poinsettia Oval Planter 10" [Pack8] AAA03572 Poinsettia Round Planters 8", 10" & 12" [Pack4] AAA03573 Poinsettia Water Pitcher 9" AAA03851 Holly Berries Round Planter 8", 10" & 12" [Pack4] SOLD OUT AAA03852 Holly Berries Goblet Pot 8.5" [Pack8] AAA03853 Holly Berries Water Pitcher 7" AAA03855 Holly Berries Tea Pot 10" AAA03856 Holly Berries Sugar Bowl 6.5" AAA03857 Holly Berries Sleigh Planter 11" [Pack8] SOLD OUT AAA04000 Harvest Drop-In 5" (3Asst) AAA04023 OvalWhiteHolly&PineCone 8"&10" (2Asst)[Pack4] AAA04024 AAA04031 Round White Holly & Pine Cone & Holly Planter 5" PineCone 8-12 (2Ass)[Pack4] (2Asst) AAA05132 Cornucopia Pumpkin Planter 5" [Pack24] AAA08108 AAA08119 Rectangle Bonsai 15" [Pack8] Deep Oval Bonsai 8" (2Asst)[Pack24] AAA08127 Large Oval Bonsai 12" AAA08130 Rectangle Clover 8" [Pack14 NOTE: Prices and availability of items in this newsletter are subject to change without notifi cation. Sale items are for the calendar month of this newsletter only. Product status changes greatly within the month due to the huge savings offered to our customers. Please contact our friendly sales representatives for an update of product availabilty and pricing.
AAA Im ports, Inc. 407-884-0078 October 2004 Page 4 Fresh Off the Boat AAA08139 AAA08249 Rectangle w/ Octagon Corner Rectangle Bonsai with Hole - Bonsai 6" [Pack 36] 10" [Pack18] AAA09102 Jack-O-Lantern &Cauldron Witch (2Asst)[Pack 12] AAA09106 Santa w/bell & Deer (2Asst) [Pack18] AAA09108 Corn Planter 7" AAA09110 Fall Leaves Planter 7" [Pack18] AAA09323 Garden Critters Frog Drop-In 7" AAA71100 Fall Harvest Drop-In 4.5" [Pack192] AAA71101 Fall Harvest Drop-In 5" [Pack192] AAA71102 Fall Harvest Basket 4.5" [Pack144] AAA71103 Fall Harvest Basket 5" [Pack144] AAA71104 Fall Harvest Basket 8.5" [Pack72] AAA71105 Fall Harvest Basket 9" [Pack72] AAA71106 Fall Harvest Drop-In 4.5" [Pack24] AAA71107 Fall Harvest Drop-In 5" [Pack24] AAA09200 12" Relic Rectangle Planter Four Assorted Colors 8 pieces per case silk design compliments of Apopka Florist 407-889-4512 Participants at a teacher's luncheon make dish gardens at Central Florida Community College. "Yeah, I did it!"... "There's nothing to it!"
AAA Im ports, Inc. 407-884-0078 October 2004 Page 5 Scary Spiderweb Cupcakes Perfect for a Halloween party, these rich, chocolaty cupcakes are fun to make. INGREDIANTS 1 package Betty Crocker SuperMoist devil s food cake mix 1 1/3 cups water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs TammyS's Recipes 1 tub Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy vanilla ready-to spread frosting 3 drops red food color 4 to 5 drops yellow food color 1 tube (0.68 ounce) Betty Crocker black decorating gel 48 large black gumdrops DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oven to 350. Line 24 medium muffi n cups, 2 1/2x1 1/4 inches, with with paper baking cups. Make cake mix as directed on package, using water, oil and eggs. Fill cups 2/3 full. 2. Bake 22 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. 3. Tint frosting with red and yellow food colors to make orange frosting. Spread frosting over tops of cupcakes. 4. Squeeze circles of decorating gel on each cupcake; pull knife through gel from center outward to make web. To make each spider, roll out 1 gumdrop and cut out 8 strips for legs; place another gumdrop on top. Place spider on cupcake. Store loosely covered at room temperature. TammyS Photography Needed? Next year is almost upon us and it's time to prepare your catalogs and fl yers. Need some help? AAA Imports would like to offer our photography and graphics service to our local Apopka customers. Here's the deal: Bring in your dish garden or potted plant that is planted in a AAA Imports' container. Give us a day or two to photograph your planted dish garden. We will provide to you with a high resolution images of your planted dish gardens on CD-ROM. The disk will contain your images in three formats: PSD format (transparent background) TIFF format (high res printable image) JPG format (ready to email or print) AAA Imports will keep a copy of your planted dish garden on record, and have the right to use the image in future AAA printed material - such as catalogs and newsletters - as a Royal-Free Image. Give Sales Rep a call to arrange for the "photo-shoot". You will be pleased with the results. Clayton
AAA Im ports, Inc. 407-884-0078 October 2004 Page 6 Critter of the Month Frillneck Dragon Lizard One of my favorite movies has always been the fi rst Jurassic Park movie. My creature pick for this month is the small dinosaurs that were featured in the movie, the frillneck dragon lizard, or Chlamydosaurus kingii. You may remember this small dinosaur as the critter that took the big computer guy out when he spat in his face and blinded him. In reality the frilled lizard doesn t spit but has another way to frighten off perceived enemies. The frilled lizard lives in Northern Australia and Southern New Guinea, and spends 90% of its time on the branches of trees. This 33 lizard gets its name because of the neck frill that lies like a cape around its shoulders. It is also bipedal, meaning it can run on two legs. When it feels threatened, the lizard erects the frill by opening its brightly colored mouth. The frill then opens up to sometimes more than 12 across! This alarming show is accompanied by hissing, standing up on hind legs, and leaping or even chasing the predator. (Yikes!!) If this bluffi ng doesn t work, the lizard runs up the nearest tree and may go into the freeze mode using its gray-brown coloring to blend into its habitat. The frilled lizard doesn t survive well in captivity and rarely displays its frill under captive conditions, making it best to observe it in its natural surroundings. I guess I ll have to wait for another Jurassic Park movie to see this awesome lizard again. Jenny AAA05032 5" Cornucopia Pumpkin Planter 24 pieces per case silk design compliments of Apopka Florist 407-889-4512 Announcement AAA Imports is preparing for the "Busy Season" by doubling our efforts to provide everyone with the best service in Apopka. It is our intention to have all of the orders pulled correctly and shipped in a timely manner. The following schedule will be initiated on October 01, 2004: Local Apopka orders placed by 12:00 noon will be ready for pickup later in the afternoon that same day. Local Apopka orders placed after 12:00 noon will be ready for pickup the next business day. Orders requiring shipment via Plant Transport and Common Carrier Companies will be ready for pickup within 24 hours of order placement. AAA Imports will endeavor to assemble your orders promptly and accurately. Thank you for your patience in this matter. Clayton