January 1985

Editor At Large

All of us who work on Better Homes and Gardens love to hear from you, our readers. And, I must say, we do hear from a lot of you. We get several thousand letters a month for a variety of reasons, and many thousands of responses to our various contests, like our "America's Favorite Room" contest.

BE PREPARED!

On July 24-30 of this year, 30,000 boy scouts from 20 to 30 countries will converge on Fort A.P. Hill near Fredricksburg, Va. The occasioi is a jamboree marking the Diamond Jubilee of the Boy Scouts of America.

WILDFLOWERS OF THE WORLD

FAREWELL TO THE CAB

HELP WILD ONES ON THE MEND

MINI DRYERS

SLICKED-UP CHIC

WRITE A NURSERYMAN

DARN IT!

TUBE FOODS

"SMALL MISCHIEF" AT LIBRARY

SWEET QUESTIONS

ADULT EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

No matter what you yearn to learn-- be it break dancing, archaeology, Chinese, or beekeeping-- it's probably being taught somewhere at this very moment.

Home Computers

Careless handling can ruin any computer software. The most common villains are dust and dirt, especially for floppy disks and cassette tapes, whose magnetic surfaces are exposed. Improper storage, abrupt temperature changes, and equipment misuse can wreck software, too.

When You Should Refinish, And When You Shouldn't

Refinishing a fading piece of furniture is sometimes not the easiest or the wisest course. That banged-upladder-back chair you found at a garage sale might be an imitation that simply isn't worth the elbow grease it would take to revive it.

Tips, Tools & Techniques

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

Antiques & Collectibles

Designed to be purely decorative, American art pottery was a backlash development protesting the proliferation of shoddy, mass-made ceramic wares in the late 19th century. The new pottery represented a rebirth of interest in quality design and materials. Today. its artistic value and intriguing history again make it popular.

SUPER SOLUTION FOR KIDS' ROOM CLUTTER

Kids are into lots of things these days; familiar things like stuffed toys and coloring books, and brand-new things like action figures and cassette tapes.

8-MM VIDEO SYSTEM

LIGHTER CHARGER

UP-UNDER CONVENIENCE

HANG-UP CANISTERS

PORTABLE LADDER

GAS AND TOOLS

In-the-Wall Pot Rack

SECONDHAND CHIC

Adding one-of-a-kind personality to your borne is fun and easy on the budget when you use the un expected. Secondhand finds and "found objects" will save you money and make your decorating especially lively and creative.

Step-by-step--A multipurpose media center

Pay-As-You-Go DECORATING

Truly terrific rooms-- spaces that please the eye and answer day-to-day needs-- evolve slowly. It may take months or years, but by decorating in stages you can:

AT HOME SPAS

Going to a health spa Used to be the only way to enjoy a good, long soak in a steamy whirlpool bath. These days, though, you can have your own spa just by adding a whirlpool tub. Here's how four families are brightening January with their new spas.

Better Homes and Gardens

How to Borrow Against Your PENSION

Your pension may be one of the most economical sources you have available for borrowing money. Thanks to a change in the tax law a couple of years ago, all corporate pension and profit-sharing plans-- but not Individual Retirement Accounts-- are now eligible to lend money to plan participants.

How To Order Material From The Magazine

Better Homes and Gardens Reader Service has selected the products shown below to help you re-create the ideas shown on our editorial pages in your own home. You save time because we've done the shopping for you. And you can be completely confident the kits, blueprints and books presented on this page are of the highest quality and meet our strict standards of excellence.

Pedestal and table how-to

Gardener's Log

In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.

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

It seems people are forever battling the elements. Ages ago it was wind, rain, and fire. Now it's electric, water, and gas bills.