I suppose one could even wash and wax the car in one step? Maybe not. But I do seem to recall way back when as a young'un my mother used potato water when ironing clothes. I imagine it would be fine as a starch. I don't starch my clothes and heaven knows I don't iron them, save that slip with the soldering gun a time or two. Not sure if it's true or not but several sources have suggested that you'll save a lot of nutrition by cooking the taters in the peels. Then peel if you must and you'll keep more of the nutrition. Sounded plausible anyway. Course I like the peels myself and AFAIC I'd rather take those raw peels and deep fry or roast 'em, sprinkle with a bit of salt and cayenne and snack away! Tasty little morsels that shouldn't be put in the landfills or compost piles. Personally when I get mashed potatoes, I want mashed potatoes! I don't like my spuds diluted with the milk and stuff. Good spuds don't need them - just makes them soupy and drippy. Nice and firm to hold a good well of gravy! And no lumps either, whether in the taters or gravy.

Hi Gina and others, First - greetings all on your national birthday. I hope that you all have a thoughtful, worthy celebration. And make a major component of it having some great family time together - or, lacking family, have some fun with some other singles. And - after all the colours, band music and great speeches about how great the U.S. is are over - perhaps spend a moment or two to ponder where the U.S. is going. Not broke or near it, Gina - I wondered a while ago about buying a modest home (wouldn't feel comfortable in what my foreman when I worked for a window manufacturer called the "big shacks" - custom-built homes that the builders make the big bucks on). Could have paid cash for it, if I'd chosen - and it probably would have held its value better that a number of my stock market investments, through recent years. Another example of the concept that it's usually not wise to have all of one's eggs in one basket. Income level that many would find difficult, especially families with resident children, but frugality means that I can make annual increase in savings - against the day when, pension plans having run into trouble, they may be reduced. One, a non-contractual one, fortunately not a major one, could disappear fairly easily (but doubt that it will, in the near future, at least). It's the son who has trouble meeting monthly rental at times. And - when I choose to "help him out" - I enable him to continue to pursue his improvident ways. It's not that he's a spendthrift - he doesn't spend the big bucks. But he is rather lackadaisical about the need to provide one's self with an ongoing, stable, substantial income. Most of son's good earning times are when he works as a clown on summer weekends. I went down with him to a Ribfest in a suburb of Toronto over our national holiday on July 1 - Friday till Tuesday. He's here in London at an international festival, with ethnic music, dancing and other celebrations, this weekend. If I didn't know not only where this month's rent was to come from, but that of three or four months in future - I'd be sweating blood, especially in these northern climes where spending two or three days outdoors, let alone a whole winter, is not an attractive prospect. As most financial advisors, I recommended that clients have funds on hand to cover at least three to four months full expenses covered at all times. Some time ago I suggested that, while he likes to do his own business thing, income is sporadic, often small. In such a situation, one needs an ongoing, reasonably stable, additional income, to meet one's basic and ongoing expenses. I'd suggested that he work as a security guard, as I did for a number of years - for they allow one to refuse an assignment on occasion without dismissal, which most employers don't. He didn't out-and-out refuse - but he resisted, and didn't get other than occasional additional income sources. I told him that I felt that his willingness to let me work as a security guard, but to be unwilling to do that, or something else, himself - but to tell me that he'd appreciate me giving some of my cheques to him - was rather out of line. How would he react if his son made such an (unspoken) proposal to him? I've suggested to some labour unions that it would be well for them to offer financial adviors' counsel to their members. If, instead of something less that (possibly) ten per cent of their members having a 3 - 6 months' expense plan in place, something like half of them did, management would become aware of it - and would be much less ready to see their workers go out on strike, knowing that they could weather a much longer one with much less stress. None willing to take on such a concept. Yet. Good wishes to all for a happy holiday today. ole joyful P.S. I was done anyway - but gotta go - need to make a 125 mile run to get more supplies for son. OJ

Me too! One of your recent posts in which you talked about people who are different than ourselves really caught my attention and I was in full agreement with you. I don't think I had a chance to post that day.

What a great photo! I hope you had the best of visits! Here is a link that might be useful: We were able to spend a day with Taylor