Aka - 'Jimsonweed'. During the Revolutionary War, the starving militia at Jamestown ate Datura leaves out of desperation. They became very ill and tripped out big time for days! It was called Jamestown weed...and over time the name became Jimsonweed. Datura likes to grow in hot, dry places and prefers sandy soil. They like access to water, but need good drainage. I guess that is why they grow wild along sandy river banks and valleys and down in arroyos. Some catalog and nursery companies erroneously sell it as 'Angel Trumpet' flower, especially the purple and white one. Thus the confusion to some people. However, it should be noted that Brugmansia is commonly called 'Angel Trumpets, while Datura is known as 'Devil's Trumpet' - maybe because all parts of it contains an alkaloid poison. Perhaps they are aptly called Devil's Trumpet since they grow best in hot, forbidden places! :) Growing up in So. California, Jimsonweed grew wild throughout the sandy valley of the Santa Margarita River. My family used to camp down there near the river in the summertime and at night the air was swimmingly filled with the sweetly intoxicating fragrance of their blooms. They were hell on bare feet though. When the moon was full, those 'Moonflowers' glowed like lanterns, which came in very handy when you needed to go potty at night and had to watch out for Diamondback rattlers! You do not want to moon a rattlesnake!. I grew the white variety for several years. Still have seeds. I have photos of them somewhere. I was just as jubilant the first time they bloomed. I took gobs of photos. I have seeds for the purple and white variety too. I got them in a trade. They were labeled as 'Angel's Trumpets'. Just never get around to sowing them. (bad girl, BAD! ) Every year I tell myself that I am going to grow them and then always forget to do it in the spring rush to get my veggies going. You have all inspired me to dig them out and do it! Lord knows it is hot enough right now that they will love it. Thanks for the post, Tom. ~Annie

Used to be an early adopter on most things, including tech and fashion (lived in NYC as a single person), but have turned into a luddite slug wrt anything but a few areas. pesky, you're behind the times with a big-screen that doesn't hang on the wall? LOL we still have our 1993 27" Toshiba CRT tv as our only one! We periodically shop for a larger new tv but we just can't seem to get rid of this one since it still works. Would be a shame to waste it. We figure when it dies, we'll get whatever is best (within our price range) then, as we did back in 1993. Don't think the new item will last as long, though :( -- that's what ticks us off about buying new technology these days. Funny thing: I got a DroidX the day it came out (replacing years of free craigslist phones). I was looking at it one day recently at the gas station, trying to navigate my little corner of it, and the gas station attendant came up excitedly -- he'd just gotten a DroidX the day before and had it *completely* customized -- he'd downloaded wallpaper, put tons of music on it, had each home page completely arranged and connected the way he wanted it...his excitement at encountering a fellow Droid owner turned to disgust when he saw that I use *one* home page and only the very basics there...

Boy, does that sound like a fun program! Here is a recipe I LOVE. I love cabbage, apples, and caraway together, so I searched for recipes on line and finally selected this one, printed it, made it, and filed it away with my own comments and changes. Then I forgot I had it, and went through the process all over again a couple of weeks ago, searching, selecting, and printing. When I went to put the new recipe in the file, I laughed to see that it was the SAME one I had printed out last time -- and I had made the SAME notes and changes! Both times I had felt the dish needed both more caraway and some sweetness, for which I added concord grape wine, which made it perfect, in my opinion. It made the flavor much more complex. I will give you the recipe as I found it, with my changes in brackets. This recipe doesn't have bacon (no recipe you ever get from me will!), but you can probably add some if you like. Warm Red Cabbage, Red Onion, and Apple Slaw 5 T extra-virgin (only) olive oil 3 T balsamic vinegar [I like more] [a good splash of very sweet red wine, or maybe try some grape jelly or brown sugar] 1/2 head red cabbage [I used white once and it was fine] 1 large red onion [I used white once and it was fine] cut into 8 wedges [I cut it smaller] 1 t caraway seeds [I think it needs a lot more] 2 Granny Smith (or any tart) apples cored and cut into 8 wedges [I cut it into smaller pieces] salt and pepper to taste 1. Cut out the core of the cabbage and cut the cabbage into small pieces [I shred it] 2. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. 3. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. 4. Add the cabbage, apples, caraway seeds, and vinegar [and wine or sugar]. Stir well. 5. Cook, uncovered, 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 6. Season to taste with salt and pepper when the cabbage is soft. 7. Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately [I found it just fine serving it later].

Snidely claims, "New appliances are more capable, MUCH more energy efficient, and usually more reliable. " Just this past December, Hubs and I bought a new KitchenAid 'fridge because he decided we just HAD to get a new one. I refused to give up the old one, so it's in the garage. The new fridge has more cubic feet of storage space, both in the 'fridge part as well as the freezer. Even so, we simply cannot get as much food in the new unit as in the old unit. And the old one is still working great! I bought the old fridge, brand new, in July 1971. It was originally a Harvest Gold type color (although the name was not Harvest Gold), but I had it professionally re-enameled about 25 years ago. The thing works great. It has been serviced exactly once, in 1991, when some part needed to be replaced in the unit in the freezer. I know that it is absolutely NOT energy efficient at all, but neither am I. I'm not going to throw myself away, so I won't do it to that 'fridge, either. :-) I disagree with Snidely's statement that new appliances are more reliable (even though he did qualify his statement by adding "usually"). My old 'fridge has needed servicing once in 44 years and it's still going strong. I'm willing to bet that it will still be going when the new 'fridge conks out. They are not built to last. As Lucille said, "But it was hard to beat the reliability of Grandpa's ice box. "