...tell me about your datura. These daturas are double yellow from passalong seed, very fragrant at night. I had the two taller ones last year, they returned and I planted three more. The smaller ones should catch up by the end of the month. How long does (tithonia) bloom for you? It's just started blooming from direct seeding. Last year it bloomed until frost, kept deadheaded. saliva Navajo red -- I haven't planted S. Greggi, but S. coccinea freely reseeds, there are some new seedlings in the bed in front of the tall verbena. In some areas it's considered a thug, I just rogue out the misfits. A mass planting of it gets impressive by late summer. ... some thyme around the feet of the tall verbena ... Is that dianthus beneath yours? There's dianthus barbatus which bridges a time in spring when there's not a lot for butterflies, and reseeds. Nearer the stones is Bath's Pink dianthus. The front of the rocks has alternanthera which will be red in the fall. In the bed is 'Chartreuse' alternanthera which has been slow to grow from teensy cuttings, but I'm confident it will catch up. Alternanthera is hardy here if well protected and makes a great show en masse. I was out there earlier this morning deadheading the daturas and clipping off ugly leaves, after I examined these photos, LOL.

Here are a few ideas........ You don't mention anything about having a cell phone, just two land lines. Usually a cell phone has free long distance. It may be cheaper to use this instead of a land line with unlimited long distance. I have a cell phone plan with T-Mobile that lets me call for free in seven Great Lakes area states but charges up the ying-yang for long distance to other states. Since I don't know anybody on the East or West Coast or in the Mountain states I never pay the higher rates. You will have to check and compare cell phone companies in your area to see if something like this works for you. They have other tailored plans too. Not all cell phone companies serve all areas either. When checking around tell tham what YOUR needs are and see if they offer a package that suits those needs. If you do it the other way around and just call and ask them "What they have?", they are likely to only mention their expensive top of the line packages that are high profit for them. Do not let them upsell you. Note: be sure to check out 'free roaming' or at least find out the roaming area around you. Sometimes the lines are drawn right through neighborhoods and you pay roaming charges to call your neighbors from the mall! You may have to change the way you are used to doing things, to save money. Instead of all that long distance phoning, could sending a few emails suffice? Most people have computers these days and can receive emails. Snail mail is still around too BTW. Instead of a dedicated line for your computer maybe just go with one line and get something like 'Catch-A-Call'. This will put your omputer 'on hold' and let all calls come through. I understand that your needs may be different and this may seem disruptive if you need your computer for work but if your computer is used mostly for entertainment you can get used to it. I have MSN. A while back they were offering a $15.95 price for new subscribers. There was an outcry from longtime loyal subscribers paying a MUCH higher rate. I saw on another board I am on that if you call them up and *just ask* for the $15.95 rate, they will give it to you. Everyone said it worked and I tried it and lo and behold I got the $15.95 rate *just for asking*. You say you have MSN. It doesn't hurt to call tham and say "Hey, everyone I know is paying $15.95/mo. Why am I paying $21.95 for the same service??" Another thing I have read, and also found out for my self is that if you threaten to CANCEL your service at a company and go to another company they will offer a new and better rate. I have heard of this being used as a tactic to get a better rate but I have never done so. I think that type of thing is a bit devious and I wouldn't feel right pulling a stunt like that. I did find out by accident, when I actually really WANTED to cancel my DSL because I was trying to save money, that they just OFFERED me a rate at *HALF* the price I was paying. I was amazed. If you call your cable company to cancel your premium service and just stick with basic, they may suddenly "remember" they have a special. :) A question to you would be, are you just trying to 'save a couple o'bucks' or are you in dire financial straits?? If it is the later cancel everything that is not necessary. This means your Showtime and HBO and even your cable altogether. I've seen friends 'go under' who kept their luxury items like cable right up to the end when the bank forclosed on them. This means only one land line and let your friends and family call YOU long distance to chat. Hope this helps. I would try calling MSN right away to get the $15.95 rate.

We paid them for years. Then we changed companies a couple of times and it was more expensive so we switched back. Apparently our phone company says we "have" to have a LD provider. You don't have to pay a fee every month. I say this as to where I live, I know there are differences in different areas. Go online at AT&T and look at their plans. We have a plan that doesn't cost any monthly fee and the rates are reasonable also. We only use it rarely as we have a free weekend cell phone plan or we use the Sams/Walmart calling card 3cents.

Way back in 1990, I traveled occasionally on business and got a Master Card (credit card) that was also an ATT calling card. I could pick up any land line phone, call an 800 number on the card, enter a 4 digit PIN to get me into ATT's phone service. Once in, I could call any number in the US for the cost of a local call. Since cells phones arrived, I have not used this card to make calls so do not know if it still works. In its day, it was convenient. One time, I had a Sprint cell phone, was at my sister's place and tried to use it to make a motel reservation. It found a cell tower but would not complete the call. I had to resort to my credit card calling service. (It turns out that Sprint stretched the truth in advertising a bit - claimed to have nationwide coverage - nope. Turns out it was nationwide only within 15 miles of the interstate system.) After that trip, we changed cell phone service. Today, I know nothing about Sprint's coverage.