For some reason I've decided that I am going to can some vegetables & fruits, so that we can have them over the winter. We buy at a Farmer's Market during the summer & usually freeze a lot, but then there doesn't leave much room in the freezer.

There are 2 items that my Mom would like me to can, these are:

A 6 lb. can of tomatoes and a 6 lb. can of fruit cocktail. If she opens the tomatoes, she would have to freeze what she doesn't use right away. The fruit cocktail, she would open for the holidays (she adds other fresh fruit to it & her own syrup)

I'm okay with the process to can the tomatoes, but the fruit cocktail I have questions about.

Can I use the syrup in the can to each jar, or should I be adding something else?

I will be using the heat process for the canning (not the pressure cooker).

I'm sure one thing, will be his inability to pronounce anyone's name correctly:

Lech Walesa will be pronounced "Letsch Waleesa".
He will make a remark about Poland in WWII, not realizing that Free Poland was an ally.
He will make a Polish joke

What else do you think he will do?

2 different words, with different meanings. Help.

I had my mom sit at a picnic bench, while I took some things to the car. Across from the bench was a husband and wife, in their early '70's. I had on a political button, it's pink and states Solidarity and Women's Rights. Mom's button she was wearing, has Rosie the Riveter and states "I am woman and I vote." When I returned to collect my mom, the man looked at me & the pin (I began to cringe, because of what I expected to hear). But I didn't hear that, the man said "I paraded in Chicago, in the '70's for womens rights." He further added that he didn't understand why the ERA wasn't law by now.

We talked for a few minutes, learned he was a union stalwart, and Obama was getting his vote. The President was in town last week, I told the man I had gone to see him. Both he and his wife got the biggest smiles, which got even bigger when I showed them the pictures I had taken on Friday.

What I learned, what you expect, is often not what you get.

Mom is 82, lives with me & still enjoys cooking. Here in PA, if you're 60 or older the state gives you $20 in coupons to be used at PA farmers markets and stands. What we bought today:

90 yellow sweet banana peppers. Mom will make 50 stuffed peppers, she stuffs them with ground turkey sausage, and sauce. We will keep 10, she will give 10 each to my 3 brothers. The remaining 50 I will cut into strips and then freeze them to be used later.
Cost for peppers $8

20 tomatoes, most will be frozen & used for soups this winter. Cost $4

30 cucumbers for pickling Cost $4

2 dozen corn, 1 dozen we will eat over the next week. I will cut the corn on the other dozen & freeze it for soup. Cost $10

6 beets Cost $2

Total cost to mom $8