May 1981

EDITOR at large

You or I would probably be surprised to get a battery-powered corkscrew in the mail, but not Kim Garretson. Kim receives items like that all the time. He recently got a sample of a new kind of glue designed specifically for fastening worms to fishhooks. The accompanying message argued that skewering worms is inhumane.

Remodeling Money

Soaring interest rates, tight money markets, and escalating labor and material costs make it more important than ever to plan home improvement projects carefully, borrow wisely, and protect your investment. There also are some new tax wrinkles and financing opportunities for energy-related projects.

Keeping Kids Fit What Parents and Schools Can Do

Evidence is mounting, say medical scientists: People who are physically fit perform better, enjoy life more, and may live longer than those who are out of shape. The millions of adults who have started to exercise regularly and have trimmed extra pounds seem to agree that fitness pays off.

JOINT PROPERTY OWNERSHIP

Many couples simply assume they should own property jointly to symbolize their economic unity and to avoid the delays of probate. But joint ownership should not be entered into automatically. You must consider which form is right for you, or whether you should own property in your name alone.

SUMMERTIME SPECIAL

Bypass the vacationing crowds and enjoy your best summer ever, right at home. On these pages, you'll find outdoor living projects to help you protect your privacy, entertain your friends, and just relax in your backyard.

DECORATING WITH THE NEW NATURALS

Textures, woods, and colors that seem to have been plucked right out of nature have become decorating classics.

Ride Sharing

More and more people who once drove alone to work are learning firsthand about the advantages of ride sharing in car pools or van pools. Saving money is only the beginning of the benefits.

How to Keep Cool With Fans

With high temperatures and high energy prices in prospect for summer, you're probably looking for a way to cut back on air conditioning. An electric fan, even one of the smallest, can be a surprisingly effective means of keeping cool. And a household fan, even one of the largest, will cost far less to operate than an air conditioner.

"Down Home" Dining Spots

Although country-style furnishings have their roots in the past, their simple, functional styling suits today's casual life-styles as well. Here country-look pieces add warmth and charm to three dining areas.

Candle-Making Safety Rules

Candle making is a great at-home craft activity, provided you take precautions. By observing the following safety tips, you can help make your hobby as hazard-free as it is fun.

Compact fitness machine

Indoor greenhouse

Cost-cutting tools

Tough glasses

Unique family tent

Tension Rod Tricks

Collector's teapot

Furniture replicas

High fashion for the table

Carpet deodorizer

Kitchen color coordinates

SHAPING UP A STANDARD ONE-STORY

In recent years, one of the most popular features in Better Homes and Gardens has been the "What you can do. with a house like this" series. Each article has explained in words and pictures how homeowners transformed an ordinary house with an overall remodeling.

REVOLUTIONIZING AN ORDINARY RANCH HOUSE

For almost 30 years, this home looked like every other ranch house on the block. And that's still the case-- on the outside. But inside, the modest little house has been transformed into a dramatic new living space. Only the skylights peeking through the roof give you a clue that changes have taken place indoors.

LANDSCAPING WITH ORNAMENTAL GRASSES

Rippling, swaying ornamental grasses can give any landscape a delightful country air. They provide textures, colors, and shapes that "garden variety" flowers, shrubs, and lawn can't match.

32 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR KITCHEN STORE MORE

If you're short on storage space in your kitchen, take a good hard look around you before you embark on an expensive remodeling. Your kitchen may not need the major work you think it does. Instead, poor organization may be the space-gobbling culprit in your work area.

Spring time TABLE WARE

Green grass, lawn furniture, and fresh berries are all harbingers of spring-- and so is the urge to spice our everyday lives with a little variety. One way to do just that is to acquire some pretty new tableware.

Appalachia to the Mid-Atlantic Coast

Taking a family vacation minus the family car can add a footloose-and-fancy-free dimension to your travels. This month, we propose j earless holidays in the middle-Atlantic states and in the Old West, Parts IV and V of our seven-part Leave-Your-Car-at-Home travel series. The Pacific Coast will be featured next month.

The Old west

The Old West, with its sky-tickling peaks and endless vistas, seems too vast to be enjoyed without a car. But you can experience the best of this colorful region at guest ranches all over Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Colorado. Or stay in colorful cowboy towns or at resort hotels nearby and do all the things that make Old West vacations special: explore remote ghost towns by jeep, hook trout in sparkling mountain streams, ride rafts on white water through towering canyons, hike wildflower-sprinkled meadows above timberline

A Sunshiny Breakfast Room

Steel Wool Know-How

How often have you said, "I wouldn't mind washing dishes if it weren't for those awful pots and pans?" You can put an end to procrastination by arming yourself with steel wool, a product that makes short work of countless grubby jobs. Here's a rundown on what's available.

What's What in Peppercorns

If the only pepper in your kitchen is the packaged, ground variety, it's time you discovered what whole peppercorns can do. Unlike ground pepper, peppercorns hold their full pungence right up until you use them. With a few turns of the pepper mill, you can add a burst of fresh flavor to a host of dishes.

Serviceable Screens

Although folding screens have been around for centuries, they're more useful than ever in today's homes. Screens can serve as movable "walls" that separate various areas within an open-space room, or as decorative backdrops in other settings. And screens are easy to make.

Safety Tips For Hobbyists

With the number of at-home hobbyists on the rise, there's bound to be an increase in the number of craft-related accidents. Here's how to play it safe and keep hobby shop accidents to a minimum.

Do-It-Yourself Kitchen Storage

Here's a good-looking way to boost kitchen storage space and gain a work surface at the same time. This easy-to-build freestanding unit has stashing room for all your kitchenware, as well as a slide-in butcher block table to provide extra counter space. Here's how to construct the handy unit.

PET EMERGENCIES How you can help

When an emergency threatens your dog or cat, every second counts. That's why it's important to be prepared to take the right action fast. Here's some basic information that can make a big difference when your dog or cat needs help.

Gardener's log

The exotic lotus has fascinated man since the days of the pharaohs. Its elegant flowers, seedpods, and leaves have been depicted for centuries on fabrics and china in both the Orient and the West.

Heat Pump Basics

You've probably heard that a heat pump can be an efficient means of heating and cooling a house. But maybe you don't understand exactly how heat pumps work and how their efficiency is measured. Here's what you should know before you go shopping for one.

Painting Pointers

One of the quickest ways to dress up a house-- inside or out-- is to apply a new coat of paint. But to get professional-quality results, you have to know how to handle problems that sometimes arise when you're painting an older home. This question-and-answer exercise can make you more knowledgeable the next time you tackle a painting job.

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 1 delighted, each company will happily refund your money.

TheMan NextDoor

"If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence," advises my friend Bill Norman, "your yard probably needs more fertilizer."