Vlynn

I just finished drying some mashed sweet potatoes and put it in jars. They have such a nice bright orange color, I think I'll leave them out on the counter for a little while for a fall decoration. The dehydrator is going again. This time I put in some sliced apples, dipped in O.J., and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.

All nine trays of my Excalibur are loaded with tomatoes, and when they're done I have another load waiting to go in.

Diaper Genies

and

leaf blowers

Great ideas! I like the lip balm idea. Here are a few I know of:

1. Swish white paint inside an empty (clean) mayo jar. Let it dry, then put your cash inside. Replace the cover and stick in the back of your cabinet of fridge.

2. Wrap valuables in freezer paper, label it "liver" and stash in the freezer.

3. Pry off a strip of wood floor trim inside a closet. Carve out a strip of drywall that was behind the trim. That gives you an empty space between the studs to hide small items or money. Then put self-stick velcro on each end of he wood, with a matching piece on the drywall, so you can stick the wood back on. You can just pull the wood off again when you need to get at your stuff.

I have to wonder... I know everyone says to pay off unsecured (credit card) debt first, but if the time comes when you can't make your payments, what would happen? A lower credit score? they can't take any of your possessions away. If you had the $$ to pay off debt, and used it to pay off secured debt, that would save you from losing your house or car.

I'm thinking it might come down to: Do you want to keep your house, or your credit score?

We once bought a $3,000 car on a credit card. It was one of those 2.9% for life deals. We didn't use the card for anything else - treated it like a loan, so never had to worry about the "we'll apply your payment to the lowest rate charges first" clause. We paid less interest than a car loan, and had the title free & clear.

I kept a dwarf lemon tree going for years in Wisconsin. I kept it in a pot - on the deck in the summer and in the living room in the winter. I got about 6 lemons a year. Not much production, but it was a beautiful plant and the blossoms smelled wonderful!

My garden has finally coughed-up enough ripe tomatoes so I could make a batch of Annie's salsa. I made it this morning, and now I see what everyone is raving about. It's wonderful! Judging from the moans I hear coming from the kitchen, DH and DS have found the bowl of left-overs (not enough for another pint). This one is a keeper.

NO FROST here this morning! That was a close call, but all my little green babies made it through the night. Thanks for your concern.

They say the frost will be mostly north of here, and scattered. I covered as many plants as I could with plastic sheets. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I am so jealous of all of you making salsa! I still don't have enough ripe tomatoes! I have hundreds of green ones, though. AND - they're predicting possible frost here tonight. UGH!!