November 1988

EDITOR'S LETTER

Every five years or so since 1972, we've asked you to take some of your valuable time to help us put together a comprehensive report on the condition of the American family.

PLAIN WHITE AND LOTS OF LOOKS

TABLECLOTHS BY THE YARD

PUMPKIN SOUP BOWL

MAKE IT YOURSELF

LEMON TREE

HEIRLOOM PRESENCE

MAJOLICA MADNESS

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO AMERICAN FAMILIES?

In the early 1970s, the divorce rate was skyrocketing. Many young and not-so-young adults wildly embraced a philosophy of sexual liberation. Middle-income wives and mothers stormed the gates of corporate America in search of equal opportunity employment. Trend watchers grimly forecast the demise of the American family.

BANKING ON GOOD GRADES

COME SATURDAY MORNING

CLOSING UP SHOP

FASHION GETS AN F

STUDYING THE AMERICAN RESOLUTION

IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THANK TV?

WHAT TO DO ABOUT A BAD REPORT CARD

It's report card time, your child's grades are in-- and they aren't good. Some are downright awful, in fact. You ask for an explanation, but all you get is a sheepish look, a shrug, and "I don't know." What do you do now?

THE ABCs OF HOME HEALTH CARE

Hospital care is coming home-- and with good reason. Chances are you'll get well faster (and for less money) in a familiar setting with family and friends nearby. Here's how to find quality home care.

CHEAP THRILLS

Hope is alive and well on the shelves of your local discount store. That's where you'll find enough cheap exercise equipment to outfit a gymnasium. But are these devices, replete with promises of quick fitness, worth their small cost? That was the question I set out to answer.

Beecham Inc.

HOME TEST SAVVY

READING A PRESCRIPTION

Your good health may depend on a few hastily scribbled notes on a prescription pad. Here's how to decode that crucial message so you can compare it to the instructions from your doctor and druggist.

JUST SAY, 'DANCE!'

WANTED: MEN FOR AEROBICS

MEDICAL ALERT PRODUCTS

In a medical emergency, seconds count. Medical alert devices can buy a little extra time for you or for someone you love. Although some are expensive, many of these useful products cost very little.

COMBINATION SPACES

Make the most of your time at home by combining eating with socializing, work with relaxation, and bathing with dressing. Here are three logical layouts that show you how.

5 GREAT LOOKS FROM 5 GREAT GALLERIES

FURNITURE SHOPPING is idea shopping today. New galleries, each showcasing a manufacturer's furniture and accessories in homey settings, offer more than merchandise. The bonuses:

GREAT LOOKS, GREAT GALLERIES

Are you ready to shop for some furnishings and decorating ideas for your place? Take a look at this listing of gallery-style furniture stores near you; many of these have duplicated the room settings shown in the decorating story beginning on page 103.

THE NEW TELEPHONES

New technology, stylish design, and a wide choice of features make the new phones ideal gifts.

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

Four-wheel drive (4WD) is no longer just for brawny off-road vehicles. More and more manufacturers now offer the option on sedans and station wagons, and the trend is growing. But 4WD can be costly. Know what you're buying-- and why.

DESERT IN A DISH

Capture the spirit of the Southwest with a desert garden of cacti and succulents. Perfect for a sunny tabletop or counter, your miniature desert will require almost no care to keep it in top form this winter.

GROW YOUR OWN ELEGANT ORCHIDS

PERSONALIZED MAILBOX

GET READY FOR WINTER

STEINHARDT CONSERVATORY

READER TIP

BROTHER & SISTER DOLLS

Christmas comes but once a year, but our rag-basket pals bring loads of fun yearlong. Make Sally and Sam now for Christmas giving from plain old muslin and bits of yarn. With just a few basic patterns and scraps of colorful fabric, you'll get a whole wardrobe of clothing.

THE MEXICAN RIVIERA

That golden California sunshine doesn't end at the U.S. border; it gets better as you head along Mexico's west coast: Palm-lined beaches extend for over 1,000 miles. The sleepy villages along this coast may remind you of the real Riviera. But the luxury hotels down this way offer bargains you'd never find in Europe.

MUSIC TO SOOTHE THE SAVAGE BEAST

PET PERFUMES

PICKUP DOG INJURIES

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.

HOW TO ORDER

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

Flattery, says the Rev. George Hall, is a lot like junk mail: Most of it is worthless, but you just can't help looking through it in the hope of finding a surprise.