I think you're looking at the wrong appliance. I don't see the problem with the new, front loading super-efficient washing machines. In fact, they're just the ticket for composting cotton clothes. I can say with some authority, having witnessed a week long trial involving teenage son, damp clothes, and forgetfulness.

Melissa, You're welcome. Here's the list of vegetable varieties suitable for growing in containers. This is not an all-inclusive list but it does give you several options for each type of vegetable on the list. With certain vegetables, like bush beans, for example, literally any variety available can be grown in containers. With tomatoes, literally any variety can be grown in containers, although the larger the mature size of the plant, the larger the container it will need. This year, I had several varieties of tomatoes, including Chocolate Stripes, Momotaro, Tropic and Red Defender reach 7' in height in molasses feed tub containers, which probably hold about 20 gallons of soil. Many other tomato plants, including Scarlet Red, Glacier, Sophie's Choice, New Big Dwarf and Red Defender reached about 3 to 4' or so in 7-gallon containers. Still others, including Ildi, Sioux, San Marzano Redorta, and Yellow Ball reached a height of 5' or taller in kitty litter buckets that hold about 5 gallons of soil. All of the container-grown plants produced heavily all season long. So, matching your plants' ultimate size to a container of the right size pays off. If I know where the seeds are usually offered online, I mention the company. However, some companies haven't updated their websites for 2010 so I can't say that they'll have the seed for 2010, just that they usually have it. Dawn Here's the abbreviations for the sources: BCHS = Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds www.rareseeds.com BURP = Burpee Seeds www.burpeeseeds.com CG = The Cook's Garden www.cooksgarden.com CON = Containerseeds.com (I only listed broccoli for this company but it probably has many of the varieties on this list) JSCH = John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds www.kitchengardenseeds.com NIC = Nichols Garden Nursery www.nicholsgardennursery.com PARK = Park Seed www.parkseed.com PINE = Pinetree Seeds www.superseeds.com VS = Victory Seeds www.Victoryseeds.com SSE = Seed Savers Exchange www.seedsavers.org SESE = Southern Exposure Seed Exchange www.southernexposure.com TGSC = Tomato Growers Supply Company www.tomatogrowers.com TT = Totally Tomatoes www.totallytomatoes.com BEANS: Roma II (BCHS, VS, BUR) Contender (BCHS, VS, BUR) Top Crop (VS) Gina (romano type) (NIC) Provider (PINE, SESE, SSE, BUR) Tendergreen (PINE, SSE) Bush Blue Lake (BCHS, BUR, PINE, SESE) Sequioia Purple Roma (BUR) Royalty Purple Pod (BCHS, NIC, PINE, SSE, SESE) Golden Wax Improved (VS) BEANS, LIMA Thorogreen (NIC) Henderson Bush (BCHS, PINE, SESE) Bush Jackson Wonder (BCHS, SESE) Fordhook 242 (SESE) BEETS Red Ace (PINE) Golden Globe (BUR, SSE) Cylindra (BCHS, BUR, NIC, PINE, SSE) Ruby Queen (PINE, VS) Burpee's Red Ball (BUR) Bull's Blood (highly ornamental foliage) (BUR) BROCCOLI Early Dividend (Territorial Seed used to carry it but I haven't bought it in several years so don't know if they still do.) Small Miracle (PARK, CON) Packman (NIC) CABBAGE Gonzales Mini-Cabbage (PINE) Red Acre (SESE, VS) Golden Acre (VS) Savoy Express (JSCH) Primero Red (JSCH) Caraflex (JSCH) CARROTS Adelaide Baby (JSCH) Short 'N Sweet (BUR) Thumbelina (BUR) Little Finger (PINE, VS) Minicor (JSCH, NIC) Mokum (PINE) Parisian/Tonda di Parigi (PINE) Red-Cored Chantenay (BUR, VS) Improved Nantes (VS) Scarlet Nantes (VS) Parmex (JSCH, CG) CAULIFLOWER: Early Snowball (SESE) Igloo (PINE) CHARD: any---they all get about the same size CORN (SWEET): Early Sunglow (BUR, NIC) Blue Jade (dwarf) (SSE) Quickie (PINE) Golden Bantam (BUR, SESE) CUCUMBER: Salad Bush (NIC, PINE, TT, BUR) Spacemaster (PINE, BUR, SESE) Bush Champion (BUR) Fanfare (TT) Picklebush (BUR) Bush Crop (PINE, VS) Homemade Pickles (PINE, VS, TT) Muncher (PINE) Bush Pickle (TT) Ellen's Family White (pickling) (SESE) Arkansas Little Leaf H-19 (pickling) (SESE) EGGPLANT: Bambino (BUR, CG) Fairy Tale (BUR, NIC)) Long Purple (BUR) Slim Jim (PINE) Raveena (PINE) White Fingers (PINE) Applegreen (BCHS, SESE, SSE) Casper (SSE) Diamond (SSE) Neon (CG) LETTUCE: any, but here's some of the more compact ones Tom Thumb (heads get tennis-ball sized) (NIC, SESE, VS) Little Gem (VS) Tennis Ball (SESE) This variety was grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello Bronze Mignonette (VS) Buttercrunch (SESE) MELONS: These would need large containers--nothing smaller than the size of a half-whiskey barrel or child's wading pool. Old stock tanks are great for growing melons too. Minnesota Midget (BCHS, SSE) Green Machine (BCHS) Sleeping Beauty (BCHS) OKRA: Little Lucy (NIC, PARK) Baby Bubba (BUR) Pitre's Short Bush Red Cowhorn 3' tall (BCHS) Vidrine's Midget Cowhorn Okra (BCHS) Choppee (SESE) Dwarf Green Long Pod (VS) ONION: any short-day or intermediate types or any bunching types PEAS: Little Marvel (SESE) Sugar Bon (BUR) Snowbird Snow Pea (BUR) Knight (PINE) Lincoln (aka Homestead) DeGrace Snow Pod (BCHS) Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea (BCHS) Wando (BUR, SESE, VS) Laxton's Progress No. 9 (VS) Sugar Ann (SESE, VS) Dwarf Gray Sugar (BUR, SESE, VS) Tom Thumb (SESE) Oregon Trail (NIC) Sugar Spring (NIC) PEPPERS: almost any pepper can be grown in containers, but these few listed here are especially compact Hot: Biker Billy Jalapeno (BUR) Pizza (NIC, TT) Super Chile (TT) TAM Jalapeno #1 (TT) Thai Demon Red (NIC) Medium: Tangerine Dream (BUR) Blushing Beauty (TT) Redskin Red Bell (TT) Mini Belle Mix (TT) Mini Bell Choc (TT) Mini Bell Yellow (TT) POTATOES any fingerling type like Russian Banana, Austrian Crescent, etc. Red Pontiac or Red Norland any other potato can be grown in very large containers PUMPKINS Cheyenne Bush (SSE) Orange Smoothie (semi-determinate) (BUR, PINE) Jack-B-Little (trellised) (BCHS, NIC, PINE) Wee-B-Little (trellised) (NIC, PINE) RADISHES: any type excet the very large winter radishes or the very long Daikon types Cherry Belle (PINE, NIC, SESE, VS) French Breakfast/Early French Breakfast (BCHS, NIC, PINE, VS) Easter Egg II Blend (TT) White Hailstone (BCHS, PINE, VS) Pink Beauty (BCHS, BUR) Purple Plum (BCHS, SSE, VS) Early Scarlet Globe (VS) SQUASH (Summer): Peter Pan Green Scallop (BUR) Sunburst Scallop (PINE) Saffron (PINE) Eight Ball (NIC, PINE) Greyzini (NIC) Ronde De Nice (PINE) Cocozelle (NIC, PINE) Early White Bush Scallop (VS) Yellow Bush Scallop (VS) Papaya Pear (NIC, PINE) SQUASH (Winter): Bon Bon (NIC) Butterbush (BUR) Autumn Glow Butternut (BUR) Bush Table Queen (BUR, SESE) Bush Buttercup (BCHS) Early Acorn (BUR) Cornell's Bush Delicata (NIC, PINE) Blue Baby Hubbard (BUR) TOMATOES: You can grow some ultra-small tomato plants in containers as small as 4" (Red Robin or Micro-Tom), in hanging baskets (Tumbler, Tumbling Tom, Florida Basket) and in larger 5 to 20-gallon containers, taking care to put Determinates in 5 to 10 gallon containers and Indeterminates in 7 to 20+ containers. Here's some varieties that do well in containers. Micro-Tom (TGSC) Florida Basket (TGSC) Elfin (TGSC) Small Fry (TGSC, TT) Tiny Tim (TT) Tumbler (TT, BUR) Tumbling Tom Red (PINE, TT, TGSC) Tumbling Tom Yellow (PINE, TT, TGSC) Balcony (CG) Red Robin (TT) Orange Pixie (NIC, TGSC) Canary Yellow (TGSC) Totem (TGSC) Patio VF (TT) Patio Princess (BUR) Window Box Roma (NIC, TGSC) Bush Early Girl (BUR, PIN, TGSC) Better Bush (PINE) Bush Big Boy (BUR) Bush Goliath (PINE, TT) Bush Beefsteak (TT, TGSC) Bushsteak (BUR) Martino's Roma (PINE, TT) Sweet Baby Girl (BUR, NIC, TGSC) Lime Green Salad (BCHS, TGSC, VS) New Big Dwarf (TGSC) Southern Night (a rare black determinate since most black tomatoes are indeterminate) (TGSC) Green Grape (TGSC, VS) Glacier (SESE, TT, TGSC) Husky Red (TT,TGSC) Husky Cherry Red (TT,TGSC) Mountain Princess (BCHS, SESE) Sophie's Choice (SESE) Green Zebra (NIC, VS) Black Sea Man (TT) WATERMELON: You should grow these in containers no smaller than 20 gallons, such as whiskey half-barrels, children's wading pools, trash cans or stock tanks. Melons (and pumpkins too, in fact) need a lot of water and have very vigorous root systems so the large containers are necessary in order for them to do well. Bush Sugar Baby (BUR) Sugar Baby (BUR) Blacktail Mountain (BCHS) Golden Midget (BGHS) Yellow Doll (NIC)

My goodness, we needed this. You guys are incredible. Look at all those things you do every day you don't even recognize! Pollying, Painting, vacuuming, caring, choosing, stocking, washing, (stop me) all without losing your sanity for falling over dead. Of exhaustion, I mean, right? Today I went to get a new social security card. Unfortunately they moved without notifying me. The NERVE. So, what's a girl to do? [Gimme a Hell YA!"] Go thrifting. Visited H4H in Riverdale (MD) and the antique/2nd hand/junk store next to it. They also took a break and didn't notify me. The sign said to come back later, but NO, this chick's on a roll! Off to Baltimore (MD) I charged. 2nd Chance, here I come. Oh, my are they putting in new furniture all the time. No Orphan beaded inset cabinets, so I passed on that. I did find some side lights to accompany my other side lights I picked up before. I'm going to make closet doors out of them. Way cool. I also couldn't resist a pair of 30" doors with horizontal grids on their glass. They're gonna need some work, but that's just fine. What am I going to do with them? I have no idea if I tell you I'll have to kill you. Picked up a face frame delivery from [drum roll] Brian and The Cabinet Joint.com. I am SO psyched about this. Beaded inset, of course. Met with a Garden Web Mid-Atlantic Gardening member who is going to lease an acre of my land (A whopping $100 a year for water) to grow ... PEONIES! She is opening a nursery needs a place to grow them. PEONIES! Managed not to spend my Multi-purpose Fred's drywall money. My MBR looks great with all skim coated drywall. I am Hap-peeeee! Now, I'm gonna take a nap. I should mow the lawn, since I never go to it, but it's gonna be there when I decide to hack it down.

I went through my stuff and came up with a list that might satisfy the glampers. :) Pot holders/trivets/oven mitts/bbq mitts--Don't over do, but don't short yourself. Too easy to grab a damp towel and get burned. I like silicone ridged grabbers which can be pot holders, trivets and non-slip pads for bowls and cutting boards, and are flat and easy to store. Scrubbie/sponge/dish cleaning device Dual veg brush, soft and stiff parts Tea towels--bulky. Expect to wash often rather than having more. Silicone mat for work surface Sieve-mesh strainer The flat drum kind (no handle) is the real deal, and easiest to store. You could also make an even lower sided one yourself, or even use a spatter screen, especially if you might want to use it for spatter, as well. Lettuce drier/colander old fashioned fold flat wire. Cutting board + skins for meat, fish, etc. The super thin skin mats on top of a proper cutting board help contain cross contamination while your knives are protected. Not sure if this is a gimmick or great. Nesting prep and mixing bowls--no lids, use plastic wrap or foil. Lids are a mess to deal with, even if they fit inside the nest. Pretty ones that can be used for serving. Collapsible silicone funnel Folding digital scale Frying pan Dutch oven Hotel pan (perhaps two) to fit oven and be sheet pan/ roaster/ lasagna/ brownie/ pie/ bread/ pizza Paddle grater. Some have two sizes of holes on one paddle. There are folding box graters, but they take a lot of room. Do you need a masher? They make fold flat ones. Can (rotary)/bottle opener. Make sure there's a bottle top puller as well as a pointy "church key" can piercer which can also loosen jar lids. Or get a smaller plain can opener and a flat, stamped military style church key. Whisk--I haven't used the kind that twists flat, so I can't guarantee how well it works, but storing a whisk is a pain. Peeler Tongs Rubber (silicone) scraper Solid cooking spoon Slotted spoon Wooden spoon Ladle Turner Cork screw Measuring cup/spoons There are collapsible dry measure cups, but I don't know that they actually save any room, and I'd think they'd be less accurate. I'd probably get an OXO one cup liquid measure jug and use it for everything. Scoop that can be used for ice cream or meatballs. Nesting plastic cutters for biscuits, cookies, ravioli etc. Plastic won't cut the silicone mat. 1" dowel rolling pin. You can roll anything you can fit in your oven with one, and it's easy to store. Papers for muffins/cupcakes/potato puffs, etc. They can be made hotel pan, or silicone "papers", which are easy to store the way a muffin tin is not. Pitcher with lid, pref. rectangular. Bulky, but one always seems to be needed. Parchment Foil Plastic wrap Food storage bags Mop--depending on your storage availability, telescoping may be better, or solid. Broom--ditto Bucket--a good solid, multipurpose bucket is a joy. Stuff can be stored in it. They make collapsible, which may or may not work better (see telescoping mop). Wet sponge etc. holder. The sink is going to be too small to just leave the sponge in, and you'll have more important things to safely store in the sink while traveling. A disposable container is sufficient, but there might be a specific to the task one that you prefer (and is prettier). Chef's knife, paring knife, serrated knife, with edge guards Plates, bowls (cereal size and shape), mugs, tumblers, knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks, for 4. Unbreakable if possible. More guests, use disposable. Wash up after every meal. Mixing bowls and sheet pan, cooking spoons, can double as serving pieces, but if they're all employed in making the dinner you might need to add a few bits.