Shaun I live just north of the Tampa area and I've found that Walmart seems to stock up for the strawberry season. They are starting to really come in now so you should be able to find more supplies. I've canned for years and if it can be canned, I've probably done it. I entered our county fair some years back and won the grand champion ribbon. I just wanted to see if I could do it. Never entered again. The thing I like best to can is green beans. We used to grow them but now the deer usually eat them all. But my DH keeps trying. The joke is now when he wants me to order seeds, I ask him what he wants to feed the deer! I honestly don't know how our ancestors kept them out. We have lived here for 35 years and never even SAW a deer until a few years ago. A couple of years ago they ate everything but a beautiful row of blackeyed peas. I was beginning to be hopeful but, alas, one morning I could see where they had nibbled. I ran to Sams and bought a big bottle of cayenne pepper because I heard they did not like it. Next morning they were mowed down! I guess they like their peas spicy! With the economy like it is, we are going to have to try in earnest to keep critters out. We have deer, rabbits, and gopher tortoises all poised and ready for the first shoots to peek through. We can plant early here, usually beginning in late Feb. As far as equipment, if you want to do any veggies at all, you need a pressure canner. I found a nearly new one at a garage sale for about $30. It was one like coconut linked to on ebay. I really like that size. I have a larger one but it is more difficult to handle. I use the magnetic wand and an old jar lifter that uses the weight of the jar to grip the jar. I don't know if they can still be found. I think the Ball Book is an excellent resource, though I have some old ones I like better. I have an old Ball Blue Book that belonged to my grandmother that is marked 10 cents on the back! I wash my lids and put them in the crockpot, pour boiling water over them and they are ready when I need them. I always understood that the problem with smooth top ranges was that an uneven pot would cause hot spots on the cook top and could damage the rangetop. Garage sales are a great place for jars. They shouldn't cost more than 10 - 25 cents. Canned items can last several years, 2 or 3 at least, if properly stored. Don't store them in a shed in South Florida! Put them in boxes and stick them under the beds or somewhere cool. BTW, you really do not have to use salt in your canned vegetables. That is only for flavor. So if you have someone on a low salt diet, reduce it or leave it out. Anyway, happy canning. Carol

I found this site from a THS Sponsor link. "Welcome to Candle Making Techniques. Candletech.com offers candle making instructions and project ideas. After perusing through the instructions, you may also wish to visit our growing candle making message boards where you will find many quality posts from fellow candle makers of all skill levels." Look like a site that will answer just about any candlemaking questions! Here is a link that might be useful: Candle Making Techniques

Hi, Tracey. First, what sort of "kit" did you buy that had no info regarding wicks or molds? Sounds incomplete to me. That said, there are on-line tutorials. Candlewik.com is one. They're located in PA and are very prompt about answering questions. If you are using gel wax, you will want to use a zinc core wick with a long neck clip on the bottom. The long neck keeps the wick from burning down to the glass container and perhaps causing it to break. Other waxes use other types of wicks. Also, a lot of candles are not made in molds but are in containers. If your craft store doesn't carry books on candle making, do go to your library. They have tons of craft books. Just try to get one that's been published in the past couple of years so there will be info on the newest products and techniques. My own personal tips: NEVER try to melt candle wax in the microwave no matter what the label says. Also, never melt the wax directly over the heat source. ALWAYS use the double boiler method. That is, put the wax in one pot then place THAT pot in another pot that has water in it. As the water heats, it will cause the wax to melt in the inner pot. ALWAYS use a wax thermometer. The last thing you need is a pot of flaming wax. Which is why I always have a BIG open box of baking soda on the counter when I'm making candles. So far, I've never had to use it, but one never knows..... So - read up on candle making, check out the web sites. The more you learn, the more you'll want to know - and make! cora

Mtn, some types of luggage are better at repelling water than others. I follow a load of travel websites. I have seen a number of complaints where luggage has been left sitting on the ramp or on a luggage cart in the middle of a deluge. Not only does the luggage get soaked but so does the contents of the suitcase. And obviously, soft-sided luggage is more prone to absorbing water than hard-sided. Regardless of the composition of the body of the suitcase, I think the frequent weak spot is the zipper. I had a friend who consistently used ziplock-style bags for packing. She told me it was because once she found herself with a suitcase of wet clothes when she reached her destination.