August 1982

School Closings WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

These days, public schools are being shut down almost as frequently as they were built in the 1950s and '60s to educate the baby boom generation. In all, almost 7,000 public schools in communities throughout the U.S. have closed their doors during the past decade because of budget cuts and declining enrollments. ...

Buying Stocks: WHAT AN INVESTMENT CLUB CAN DO FOR YOU

One good way to try your hand at buying stocks without much risk is to join an investment club. You won't get rich overnight, but you will learn some important basics about investment research and decision making-- while enjoying the congenial atmosphere of regular club meetings. What's more, over the long haul many investment clubs have brought members an excellent return on their money.

Tool Up For Homemade Pasta

Gardener's log

"My garden will never make me famous, I'm a horticultural ignoramus, I can't tell a stringbean from a soybean, Or even a girl bean from a boy bean."

Designing Your Own Crafts

Have you ever thought it would be fun to design your own crafts projects? All it requires is a little confidence and a lot of experimentation. Here are some step-by-step procedures to get you started.

Great GARAGE PROJECTS

Whenever remodeling is the topic of conversation, someone is sure to bring up garages. One family may be turning theirs into much-needed living space, while another may be building a new one to protect a recent car purchase. Whatever the case, a garage project can give you big value at surprisingly low cost.

DOWN-HOME Table Settings

Needlework and Crafts From America's Historic Homes

Ever since our country was founded, crafts have been interwoven into our daily lives and history. To celebrate this rich heritage we've taken time-honored styles, techniques, and designs, then adapted them to modern materials for you to craft today. Here begins part one of an armchair tour that lets you sample the bounty of crafts around our nation.

AWARD-WINNING SOLAR IDEA HOUSE

Do all houses that trap the sun's energy have to be fronted by a vast array of futuristic glass panels? Definitely not. Take this two-story Victorian-style charmer, for example. Eye appeal is one of the features that won this house top honors in a recent design competition sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens, Progressive Architecture, BUILDER magazine, and the American Plywood Association. There are no sprawling greenhouses or protruding rooftop collectors here-- just a pleasing blend of today's practical materials and yesterday's gracious styling.

NEVER-FADE BOUQUETS From Dried Flowers and Wildings

Let bouquets of dried flowers brighten every room of your home this fall and winter. Plants such as bells-of-Ireland, statice, strawflower, honesty, ammobium, and globe amaranth are easily air dried and will retain their colors for months after cutting. If you

A '50s HOUSE Restyled FOR THE '80s

Giving a 1950s tract house the livability, style, and open look of its 1980s counterpart doesn't have to involve backbreaking reconstruction or budget-breaking expense. You can update a has-been home without upsetting your budget by using a mix of new finishes and furnishings --and a little old-fashioned elbow grease.

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, each company will happily refund your money.

The Man Next Door

"Someone once wrote a song about the last rose of summer," muses Dot Dresch, "but nowadays we cherish the season's last vine-ripened, homegrown tomato even more."