December 1984

Editor At Large

Call me a sentimentalist if you will, but I get all choked up at this time of year. It's in the air; in the decorations, in the music, in giving and receiving gifts, and in this season's messages of charity, hope, and forgiveness.

PINT-SIZE CLOWNS, FULL-SIZE HEARTS

GARDEN FRESH

HOMESHARING

"I KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH"

JOBS FOR VETS

A SERIOUS MISSION

THE JOY OF DISCOVERY

AN OPEN HOUSE

Ten-year-old Sixto Cruz, from Manheim, Pennsylvania, has his own family but calls William and Carolyn Buck "Second Mom and Dad." Through a local program called Shared Holiday, he's been visiting the Bucks and their nine-year-old twin boys, a few days at a time, for four years.

BLOOMIN' ACRES

READING FOR OTHERS

A SANCTUARY FOR ALL

"A FLAIR FOR LIVING"

Don't try to make plans with Jo MacLeod on Thursday nights. She has a standing dinner date with Todd Benjamin, a 33-year-old correspondent for Cable News Network. The two met through Village Visiting Neighbors, a nonprofit organization in New York City that matches volunteers with neighbors over 60 who are in need of either aid or companionship.

SHARING RESOURCES

"ALL MY LIFE I'VE BEEN TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE."

SKI AMTRAK!

CLUB MED ON THE GROW

THE SPORTING LIFE

SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS FEST

HIGH-FLYING PHONES

Your place for mine

Travel info to order

Convenient car-train vacations

Winter fest

Easy lodgings in Georgia

THE SIX BEST BIG-CITY HOLIDAY VACATIONS FOR FAMILIES

AMERICA'S cities are at their festive best during the holidays. A tingly excitement, reminiscent of your Christmases as a kid, fills the frosty air, as busy streets become twinkling passageways through urban wonderlands.

"Is There Really A Santa Claus?"

Billy, aged 5, has his annual Christmas portrait taken on the lap of a roly-poly department store Santa Claus. Then Dad helps him compose a "Dear Santa" letter addressed to the North Pole. On Christmas Eve, Billy dutifully leaves Santa some sugar cookies and milk on the hall table.

How to Jump-Start Your Car Safely

The time-proven way to start a car with a dead battery is to get a jolt of energy from another vehicle's live battery through special "booster" cables. Called jump-starting, the procedure is simple and quick, but potentially dangerous.

Entertainment Center Tips

With the flick of a few switches, we can turn our living space into an electronic playground, but sifting through all the options and combining them into a workable system can be a challenging project. Here's some fine-tuned advice on how to get the most from what you buy.

Multipurpose Kitchen Storage Wall

Leftover space outside the work core of the kitchen can do much more than channel traffic or display miscellaneous knickknacks. With careful planning, you can make this area work as hard as the rest of the room.

Do-It-Yourself Faux Flagstone

CAPTURE THE LOVING SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS! Merry Olde English Style

At the heart of English life is a rich heritage of treasured traditions and family pride. So many of our Christmas customs have come from the British Isles that celebrating in Merry Olde English style is very much American, too.

GREAT GIFTS For Pets And Pet Owners

For that special dog or cat-- or dog or cat owner-- on your holiday shopping list, here's an assortment of gifts guaranteed to make a hit on Christmas morning. Each one is designed to make that pet or pet owner's life safer, simpler, or more fun. If your local pet shop doesn't stock an item, contact the manufacturer listed for a nearby store or for details about mail orders. Mailorder information is included for items not widely found in stores.

Christmas Packages Getting Them There On Time

Will your soldiering son in Europe get his Christmas presents before the Big Day? Can you ship that bubble barbecue to your sister without spending a fortune? Here's a rundown of timely Christmas mailing tips.

How To Order Material From The Magazine

The lovely nosegay designs shown in this issue are easy to craft when you start with the patterns, pre-printed fabric, or charts we've created... available only from Better Homes and Gardens Reader Service. Cookware To Make Christmas Special. Each of the five specialty cookware items listed below compliment the Cooks Who Make Christmas Special feature beginning on p 94.

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

This holiday season finds me counting my blessings. I have good health, a loving family, and 30 days before interest charges start accruing on our credit card bill.