Susi, In December 2002, Arnoskys wrote that White Popping Sorghum looked like an "improved Johnson Grass." They said that it might not sound like a glowing recommendation; however, they actually get alot of requests for Johnson grass heads!!! We didn't like this sorghum so much last year, and thought we wouldn't grow it again. Somehow though it got planted out; and, it looks much nicer this year. Sometimes you just have to give things more than a one year trial. The millet is actually taller this year than last.

'Purple Majesty' seeds are about half-3/4 the size of a BB, and mostly round. The seeds have a reddish-black paper covering, and are tightly clustered on a mature seedhead:

Garden centers, or check yellow pages all around your area for concrete sculpture.

I use the same system as others--have a large plastic ornament box with cardboard dividers and most of my standard/inexpensive ornaments go in there. As juddgirl says you can easily customize by removing divider strips if you want larger cubbies. My special and fragile ornaments go into a separate plastic bin and most of them are in their own boxes if the ornaments are glass or really delicate. If not boxed, I wrap in tissue paper. And pesky, I knew there is a reason I like ya! When you wrote this: "I have 15 large bins, all numbered and with items sorted into them by category. They get stored in the attic and DH HATES me when I ask him to get them down from the attic. I know just how many bins I have (they're numbered) and he knows he must get them all in the order I ask for them, because some aren't needed till later in the season and some are needed before we get the tree up." ...I figured it is safe to confess my own neatnik/freakishly organized secrets about holiday storage and procedures. I also keep all my holiday supplies in our loft; all are in containers with red/green color themes so it's obvious they are holiday related. I also have each box numbered; I put the same number (printed on labels) on each end of the box and on top so it's easy to see no matter how the box is stored. And then, I go one step further and keep a master list of what is in each box. I print that out using MS Word tables, so I end up with a single sheet of paper on which is listed, by box number, exactly what is in each storage box. I make 2 copies and place one in a plastic protective sleeve in the loft next to the boxes. The other stays on my desk. When it's time to start decorating it is incredibly easy! I just get my master list and ask my husband to bring down boxes by number. So, for example, when it's time to trim the tree I may only need boxes 1, 2 (ornaments), 3 and 4 (lights). Once I start wrapping gifts I'll get 5 and 6 (bows and boxes). To decorate the house 7 and 8 (knick-knacks, linens) come down. I keep my wreath in a special wreath box and gift wrap is stored in a gift wrap upright container. Gift labels, ribbon, tape, scissors and extra fine point sharpies for writing names are in one of those stackable storage box set ups. All are kept in the loft, together, and with the master list handy in its plastic sleeve right there with them. Aside from the ornaments, I also have my holiday cards organized: all cards are stored in a particular cabinet in my LR, to keep them inside an air conditioned environment so as not to ruin envelopes or get moldy which would happen in the loft. On my computer I have a file of mailing labels which I created years ago using an Avery formatting online tool. So the labels are pre-formatted and only need to be printed onto holiday labels, which I buy and keep in my office in my desk organizer. When I'm ready to do holiday cards I only need to buy holiday stamps, print out my labels, get my return address labels, and sit down for a card session. Makes sending cards a breeze. And since I'm confessing, I also keep a master Excel spreadsheet of gifts. I have columns set up with the recipient's name, the gift(s) I either am planning to give or have given, the price of the gift and who it is 'from' so in the case of someone who gets several gifts like my niece they come from different people, even though I'm the one doing the gifting process. I do this each year. I can easily track how much I'm spending and it lets me see quickly what I have gotten and still need to buy. I have my lists from past years in a folder on my computer at home so I can also review quickly to be sure I'm not giving the same gift I gave the year before for example. Hmmm, I better move on over to the neatnik topic now! Ann