October 1980

EDITOR at large

The six women whose pictures appear below are some of our field editors. We used to call them scouts, but that label is inadequate. Besides scouring the country for editorial material, they assist our staff editors in a thousand other ways.

Homeowners Guide to Liability Insurance

These days, no one can afford not to have adequate liability insurance. Without it, everything you own and even what you earn in the future could be jeopardized. Such a financial disaster could occur if you or a member of your family were to injure someone seriously or cause severe property damage.

How to help make your youngster's school better

Can you make a difference in the quality of your youngster's school? You bet! After years of being relatively silent partners in education, concerned parents today are learning to apply their clout at every level of the public education system. Parents are acting individually and/or joining up with others to tackle serious issues like declining test scores, neighborhood school closings, budget cutbacks, and discipline problems.

LOG HOMES A Sensible Blend of Old and New

Time was when log houses appealed only to people who chose to live off the beaten path. Recently, though, building with logs has become popular with Americans in all walks of life. If you'd like to construct a log house but don't have friends in the lumbering business or the skills of Paul Bunyan, don't give up. You can simply order a kit, as the owners of these homes did. All your logs, cut to size and precisely notched, will be delivered by truck directly to the site of your new doorstep.

Tabletop Favorites

Ours is a melting pot heritage, and the designs shown here express the varied tastes of our population. What all these patterns have in common is enduring popularity: each pattern has been a best seller for generations and continues to win new admirers. Three patterns in particular represent America's favorites in fine tableware: Lenox's "Autumn" fine china, Gorham's "Chantilly" sterling flatware, and Waterford's "Lismore" crystal.

TIPS, TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

This feature is written by you. It's a wide-ranging collection of shop hints, installation tips, and repair shortcuts that you-- along with millions like you-- have picked up from your experience as a do-it-yourselfer. We pay $25 for each problem solver we publish. See the box below for submission details.

Buying and Building a Log Home

There's much more to buying and building a log home than getting a loan, mailing a check, and assembling a kit. Here are a few points you must consider to keep yourself out of a logjam.

Easy-access kitchen

Who says a kitchen has to be on the outer fringes of a house? This efficient kitchen sits smack in the middle of a new home, ensuring easy access to the rooms that surround it. And the U-shaped room receives plenty of light despite its inside location.

Home fix-up duo

Siding paint

Long-lasting air filter

Battery recharger

Quick stain

Nifty scoop

Slim lamps

Auto alarm

Vault door

Metal detector

How to "RENEW" Your Car

Have you ever noticed how used cars on a dealer's lot often look as shiny inside and out as a new car? That's because they've been "detailed," or professionally cleaned up. The job costs under $100, and it can raise a used car's market value 15 to 20 percent. If you're thinking of selling your old car yourself, or if you just want to spruce up the old chariot, you might consider having it professionally "detailed." It's also possible to do the job yourself-- provided you're willing to put in the necessary time and effort.

Keep Your Family Warm and Make Yourself Proud

Projects for Beginners and Advanced Alike

NOW YOU EASILY CAN MAKE COMFY COVER-UPS FOR EVERY FAMILY MEMBER

Health Problems Pets Can Inherit

Dogs and cats, like people, can inherit certain health problems or tendencies toward them. In many cases, geneticists have pinpointed which breeds are prone to which conditions. This information can save your family a lot of pain and expense by helping you choose a pet wisely and making you aware of problems that may crop up during your pet's lifetime.

Collector's ceramics

Decorating with style--by mail

Museum wing reopening

A guide to country living

Community beautification

KNIT A BETTER SWEATER

Did your first attempt to knit a sweater end in failure? Maybe you picked the wrong yarn or pattern, or mismatched the stitch gauge, or botched the blocking. Here are a few tips to help you knit a knockout sweater the next time around.

Gardener's log

"Come, ye thankful people, come, Raise the song of Harvest-home; All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin."

CANCER CHECKUPS: What's best for you?

By now, you've probably read or heard about the new American Cancer Society recommendations on cancer checkups. The new guidelines call for certain cancer tests to be performed less often, based on updated information about their costs, risks, and effectiveness.

SOCIAL SECURITY MYTHS VS. FACTS

Designed as a simple financial supplement for retirement needs, the social security system has expanded greatly over the years. Now millions of people count on it not only for retirement and survivors' benefits but also for income in case of disability and for health care payments through Medicare.

How To Choose CASE GOODS

Shopping for case goods-- those unupholstered furniture pieces such as cabinets, chests, desks, étagères, wall units, headboards, and even tables-- is less complicated than it may seem. While the framework of a sofa or chair is hidden under fabric and stuffing, the construction of a cabinet or chest is in plain sight.

America's Favorite Furnishings FROM COLONIAL TO CONTEMPORARY

Just as America is a melting pot of different nationalities, so our furniture is a mixed bag of styles. With typical Yankee ingenuity, we've taken furniture designs from abroad and given them our special stamp-- a more comfortable curve to a chair back, a sturdier stretcher, or a colorful painted finish.

Quick-to-knit CARDIGANS

When an American family set out to see the sights, what do they reach for? Cardigans, of course, because they're smart, comfortable, and easy to slip on and off. Because cardigans are American classics, we thought it appropriate to show off our special designs at Annapolis, Maryland-- home of the United States Naval Academy, so rich in tradition and style.

Selecting Stairway Carpet

When it comes to carpeting heavily traveled stairways, it pays to buy the best you can afford. Here are some helpful tips.

FAVORITE FAMILY VACATIONS FOR FALL

What's the perfect autumn vacation Opinions vary, of course, but through the years certain types of vacations have endured to earn the status of "classic." These vacations have attracted American families for generations and are still going strong.

What's What In Steam Cookers

Shopping editor's choice

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

The Man Next Door

There was a chorus of groans at the dinner table when Burt, Jr., offered his explanation of why we honor Christopher Columbus this month: "Look how far he got on only three galleons and no credit cards."