By Their Fruits Shall You Know Them

When Sue and I purchased an upside-down tomato plant hanging thingy, I was pleased. Very pleased. I had seen them advertised on TV and they sure looked great. The principle was simple. The plant grew downwards and so gravity pushed everything down, and before you know it you have a healthy plant, bursting with succulent and brilliant red tomatoes, just like the amazing plant they showed on TV. I remember hanging it up and imagining them all over our backyard, so that we could have the joy of taking big red tomatoes to the neighbors.

It’s now two months since we purchased our first plant. With good soil, just the right amount of Southern California sun and regular watering, we now have our tomatoes. Both of them. They are hanging on a plant that has branches that look like the bent wart-laden nose of a really ugly witch (pictured). The two tomatoes are green, and I have a feeling that that’s they way they will stay.

I once saw an infomercial that said that back pain was caused by the spine being out of alignment. I bought special inserts for my shoes, because I had a bad back. I was naturally skeptical but I was in so much pain I thought the risk was worth the $20. I was amazed to find that they worked! After years of horrible pain, the inserts fixed it immediately, and I haven’t had any trouble since I put them in. So I guess the one success offsets the stack of stupid stuff that I have purchased over the years, that sit on a high shelf in our home.

Still, it shows that most times it’s best to stay with the old maxim, "In God we trust. Others pay cash."