May 1977

Is something wrong with your sense of taste or smell?

One of the things most of us notice when fighting a head cold is that foods-- even our favorites-- don't taste or smell as good as usual. Fortunately, in most cases the ability to savor and sniff returns within a few days.

1977 SENSIBLE GROWTH AWARD WINNERS

Each year the National Association of Home Builders and Better Homes and Gardens cosponsor a Sensible Growth Design and Planning Awards program. Listed below are this year's winning communities, deemed outstanding in neighborhood planning, concern for the environment, architecture, and overall excellence.

Opening up an outdated old house

One great addition off the back of this 150-year-old house enabled it to live young once again. With one fell swoop, the smart new add-on eliminated three familiar problems that plague many venerable houses: a frumpy kitchen, a stuffy dining room, and insufficient access to the backyard.

Which home improvements pay off best when you sell?

The gold medals go to a new kitchen, a new or remodeled bathroom, a third or fourth bedroom, and a new family room. These are by far the most attractive features to today's home buyers-- the improvements most likely to bring a good return on your dollar.

Air fares: what you need to know to get the best deals

Confused about air fares? You're not alone. These days, most travelers can use some help deciphering the befuddling conglomeration of air fares and flight options.

GARDENING IN MAY

Do April showers bring May flowers? That depends on whether you did the proper groundwork last fall. If you did, you'll see the promise of spring fulfilled as the early perennials-- iris, peonies, Oriental poppies, bleeding heart, and creeping phlox-- show sprouts and start unfurling.

EPILEPSY: An update on treating brain disorders that can afflict anyone--anytime

Just look at the Epilepsy Foundation of America's (EFA) 1977 poster child, Suzy Berge, above. According to her father, epilepsy means nothing more to 12-year-old Suzy than taking three pills a day. Suzy's a trouper in the truest sense of the word.

Twosome Groupings

A FIREPLACE ADDITION THAT FITS THE SPOT

This particular fireplace addition was designed by the owners of a typical split-level home. They wanted a fireplace, and they also wanted a tasteful way to separate the living room from the stairs leading down to the entry.

Houseplant Pronunciation Guide

When you talk to your plants, you'll make them lots happier if you pronounce their names correctly. And you can, by keeping this pronunciation guide handy.

Easy-to-Master Stitchery Painting

You don't need a degree in art to create a dramatic "painting" for your home. Using simple embroidery techniques, you can transform yarn and fabric scraps into striking wall hangings like the colorful examples shown here and on the following pages.

Shade-loving plants and how to grow them

Do you think of your shady yard as a gardening problem? Reverse your thinking and start looking at the lack of sun as an opportunity-- a chance to grow some of nature's most beautiful plants in scenic settings that only trees can create. Then, too, it's far more pleasant to tend a garden that's out of the blazing sun. Of course, even shade-loving plants must have some light. If trees are so thick that even grass won't grow, consider cutting some of them down or thinning the branches.

CASUAL FURNITURE for INDOORS & OUT

Now is the time to gear up for comfort with casual furniture you can really enjoy. To help you find it, we've selected some goodlooking styles for patio, deck, or porch. Note: Prices listed are approximate and subject to change.

Front-End Costs of Building

You've found that special spot where you want to build your dream house. You know the price of the land, but do you know what else you'll be paying for before building begins?

FENCE IT IN!

SUMMER SHAPE-UP 5 SURE WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT

If you've resolved to lose weight before the start of the swimsuit and tennis-shorts season, then join the crowd. Americans spend at least $10 billion each year on reducing efforts and still one-third to one-half of us are overweight.

Step-by-step project scrapbook

Air charters for price-conscious travelers

Recent changes in air charter rules and regulations have opened up a treasure chest of bargains for vacationers. It's no longer necessary to be a member of a club or organization to qualify for a charter fare that could cost 25 to 50 percent less than a regular coach seat.

Remodeling HOW TO MAKE AN ORDINARY HOUSE SOMETHING SPECIAL

Who'd buy a neglected old house, pump hardearned money into it, and spend over two years fighting drywall dust, lost belongings, and mass confusion Just to make the place livable? Beth and Harold Bexton, to name a couple-- and they have lots of company. More and more families are salvaging restorable dwellings, rather than watching them fall prey to a bulldozer.

A CUSTOM KITCHEN YOU CAN BUILD YOURSELF

Great kitchens don't have to be as big as a ballroom or as costly as a luxury cruise. This kitchen is only ten by 12 feet, and its cost is a pleasant surprise because you do the building yourself. But what's most important, you'll get a whale of a kitchen for your money. This custom kitchen is a model of clean, functional design, with a place for every appliance.

How to order material from the magazine

HOW TO CONNECT A SECOND WALL SWITCH TO YOUR CEILING LIGHT

If you're tired of running upstairs to turn off the light you left on, why not solve the problem-- in just a few hours-- by adding a second switch downstairs? The job isn't as difficult as you think. Just be sure to ask your local code authorities which procedures and materials are approved in your area.

Garden critters worth cultivating

Many creatures inhabit your garden. Some are harmful; some are not. The surprising fact is that you need both types in order to maintain the balance of nature. It is only when the vegetarian insects become numerous enough to damage your garden yield that they become pests.

Fail-safe clock radios

Hidden fresheners

Tiny track lights

Garden-size tiller

Do-it-yourself blood pressure kit

Super safe lawn mower

CANADA Vacation Discoveries In Canada's National Parks

You don't have to travel far afield in Canada's vast parklands to discover entirely new worlds. Take even a well-known spot like Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta. ...

Driving tips for experienced drivers

The secret of safe driving is to build very simple "seeing" habits, so you can read the traffic picture accurately and make quick-- and automatic-- decisions. Here are some techniques guaranteed to make you a better driver-- and to help you protect yourself from other drivers' mistakes.

Check out your credit rating

You may not have a loan application in the works right now, but it's still a good idea to see that your credit standing is up to date. Although the 2,000-plus credit reporting bureaus in the country generally do a good job, they have been known to make damaging mistakes. What counts is that their reports not only influence people who may lend you money; they also can supply information to prospective employers, and injurious errors in your credit report could cost you a much-wanted job.

IS IT APPENDICITIS?

If that pain in your abdomen begins to get worse and you lose your appetite, start to vomit, and run a temperature, one of the first thoughts to cross your mind is probably "appendicitis." You may also think about peritonitis and the other serious problems that can result from this common yet largely misunderstood disease.

Do-it-yourself DYE JOBS

With so many colorful fabrics available in stores today, you might wonder why anyone would tackle a do-it-yourself dye job. To save money, for one thing. Consider, for instance, those draperies or bedspreads you stashed in the attic because they clashed with your new color scheme.

Nostalgic Annuals to start from Seed

Many plants can inspire thoughts of people and occasions long gone by. A spired bed of hollyhocks might bring to mind your grandmother's garden, or a bright bed of cosmos could revive memories of a special garden or wedding.

Growing young gracefully

Does your dog have heartworms?

Whether you think he needs it or not, Fido deserves at least one visit to the veterinarian every spring. "Why?" you say. "He's looking great." Even so, your pet may be harboring one of the deadliest canine parasites-- heartworms.

HOW TO REPLACE Window screens

One of the most unpopular rites of spring is replacing damaged screens. Here are a few tips to make your job a little easier.

HOUSEPLANT HOW-TO

Dracenas have come a long way. Their natural home is in the Asian and African tropics but now you find these marvelously adaptable plants in countless American homes. Such popularity is understandable because dracenas are easy plants to keep happy.

STEPS TO FOLLOW WHEN HOUSE SHOPPING

Since buying a house is the largest investment most families undertake, it makes sense to shop carefully and knowledgeably. These tips can help you avoid the pitfalls and reach the right decision.

BARGAIN BUS FARES

Even if you haven't been on a bus lately, you can't help but notice as you drive the interstates that the long-distance buses have gotten downright snazzy. And the change is more than skin-deep. Long-distance bus fares are the lowest they've been for 30 years.

Shopping editor's choice

cover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own one with complete confidence. If not delighted, ... company will happily refund your money.

The Man Next Door

Aunt Opal phones that her new young doctor doesn't seem to be very competent. He never bothers to look at tongues.