June 1973

What's happening to the American family?

Looking back at the distilled results of the Better Homes and Gardens survey of American family life, it is hard to point to a stark and simple set of revealed truths. The survey does not show family life in America today as an 8x10 portrait etched clearly in black and white; it is instead a lengthy mural daubed in the light hues of paradox, irony, and sometimes outright contradiction.

HOW TO GAUGE YOUR CAR'S PERFORMANCE

Imagine having no gasoline gauge in your car. Instead you have a warning light that blinks on only when you run out of gas.

On-the-go grooming

When you plan a trip, deciding what grooming aids to take along can be a problem. Cover all possible needs with specialized products and you'll end up with a small drugstore in tow. Limit yourself to bare necessities and you'll waste time searching for the nearest store when someone gets a hangnail or a sunburn.

Buying a camper? Consider all the options

There's one colossal difference between buying a camping vehicle and buying a family car. Instead of the Big Four manufacturers, there are well over 300 makes of campers. And if this does not complicate matters enough, the standardization of optional equipment that is common with cars is scanty with campers.

Are you making the most of fringe benefits?

Most people are so concerned with the size of their paychecks that they overlook the wide range of fringe benefits to which they may be entitled. These actually can add up to substantial amounts of money-- easily 12 to 13 percent of your pay, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and that doesn't even count such things as social security and holiday pay.

Can you save by renting summer equipment?

Freshening your winter-worn house and turning that scraggly brown lawn to a lush summer green can be rewarding. It can also be very expensive. Luckily, there is a way you can cut the costs of spring cleaning, summer gardening, entertaining, even vacationing. The trick: rent, rather than buy, the equipment you need.

An easy guide to real estate terms

When you're about to buy or sell a home, you'll encounter terminology that very often can be confusing. Yet it's important to understand all these terms, or you may sign an agreement that isn't what you want.

GO to a country fair

Can you remember when fair time came around, when the farmers' crops were laid by and all the folks brought their best of everything-- preserves, quilts, baskets, handwork, and food of all sorts-- and put it on display to buy and swap and sell? And high school bands played, not always in tune but with enthusiasm, while you strolled the grounds, watching the people and the craftsmen, smelling the barbecue, and stopping perhaps to buy a big piece of wet banana cake baked just for the occasion?

KITCHEN PROBLEM SOLVED

It's hard to squeeze enough counter space into the plan when the kitchen floor area is limited. After the refrigerator and freezer, cook top, oven, and sink are in place, there's scant room left free for essential work surfaces.

Backpacking basics

If you're feeling the pressures of society-- bound by the clock, frustrated by traffic, sapped by deadlines, and stifled by city smog --get away from it all. Try backpacking. It's as close as the nearest unsettled lakeshore, riverbank, wooded ridge, or mountain meadow.

Great outdoor living

How to fix up your yard for a happier summer

Outdoor storage where you need it

If you have ever muttered to yourself about the lawn mowers, fertilizer, children's toys, and assorted family gear cluttering your garage or basement, you need some outdoor storage space. You can buy a ready-made storage structure, or you can build one tailored to your needs.

GOOD NEWS

If you've experienced fumble-finger frustration while attempting to start a screw in cramped quarters, try this handy new tool. It holds a screw firmly to its tip and is used to locate and start a screw in a threaded hole.

Casual FURNITURE

casual FURNITURE buy it new, make it-- or make it new again!

OLD-FASHIONED FUN FOR FAMILIES

What happened to all those unfriendly strangers? Those rootless neighbors wafted here and there with super-jet mobility? Those fragmented families we hear so much about? To prove there's another side to the coin, Better Homes and Gardens photographed two neighborhood parties where a group of families put on the festivities and had a rollicking good time. True to the tradition of the cornhusking bee, the strawberry festival, the razzmatazz turn-of-the-century town picnic, today's neighborhood get-togethers throw all age groups into the hopper. What emerges is a delightful blend of community high jinks, good eating, a few stomachaches-- and a lot of belly laughter!

How to remove summer stains

Summertime living isn't all that easy, not if you're responsible for the family laundry. You can expect ice cream and soft drink stains on the children's clothes, grass stains on Dad's slacks, jelly-making stains on your favorite apron, and lurid spots of catsup and mustard from the last picnic on your tablecloth.

How to handle a hamburger

How to arrange daylilies

Cooking gear for outdoor chefs

It's summertime-- time to tune in to easy-living days and good informal fare like grilled foods. So gear up now for the prime cookout season ahead-- there's a gamut of grills ready to help you.

Sewing with vinyl

Sewing with vinyl isn't really difficult once you understand its characteristics and how to deal with them. Two types are available for home sewing projects-- supported and unsupported.

BACK TO THE LAND VACATIONS

There are a number of sound reasons why back-to-nature holidays are growing in popularity among American families.

GARDENING IN JUNE

June is traditionally the month of roses, and it's also a very good time for gardeners to head off growing problems before they become serious.

Fire fern isn't a fern

Topdress big plants

Accent with variegated foliage

Keep plants in trim

A screen porch goes to work

THE SILENT SUMMERTIME KILLER

Summer is the season that tightens the ties between family and family dog. Unfortunately, summer also starts the seasonal cycle of the deadliest parasite threatening your dog-- the heartworm. Unlike the hookworms and roundworms that generally cause little more than discomfort, this slender parasite can kill your dog before you're even aware he's infected.

Ladder safety begins with the ladder

A bargain ladder may not be a bargain. Buying an "el cheapo" could mean a nasty fall and a fast trip to the hospital.

Storage to fit the space

Windproof summer settings

Setting the scene for outdoor dining requires more than choosing a pretty color scheme. You also must cope with the possibility of wind, rain, and insects.

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the fun and convenience of shopping by mail! You can order with complete confidence any of the items shown: each company will refund your money if you're not delighted.

The man next door

It wasn't easy, but Christine and I have finally talked ourselves into believing that we really prefer to put our European trip savings into painting our house.