August 1992

EDITOR'S LETTER

"It's a disease," says Elin Stevens-Webb, one of the "junkers" featured in this month's story "Unburied Treasures," on page 81. She's referring, of course, to the compulsion some of us seem to have to stop and shop every garage sale, flea market, or junk store we see.

HELPING HOMELESS FAMILIES

Cottage Gardens

Nostalgia blossoms in the old-fashioned flowers of today's cottage gardens. Reminiscent of tiny dooryard borders leading to the stone dwellings of English villages, American cottage gardens fill front entries, fencerows, and backyard borders.

SUCCULENT SAVVY

TIME FOR BUTTERFLIES

THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

MAINLY MUSCADINES

BEDTIME RULES

Trying to get young kids to go to bed-- and stay there-- can drive parents crazy. Whether your child is restless or fearful, here are some ideas to help you solve your bedtime blues.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOL

Sexual harassment isn't just a workplace problem. Women's rights experts insist that America's schools are home to shocking-- as well as subtle-- forms of the abuse. Victims can suffer everything from embarrassment to physical illness. The one bright spot:

Family Reunion Fiesta

The scheduled three days in July stretched into a week of feasting, favors, and fun at the Gonzales-Corona family reunion. More than 100 people came to the suburban home of Esther Vera-Trujillo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to catch up on each other's lives and to share the family's cultural heritage with the younger generations.

Traditional kitchens DESIGNED for the FUTURE

Why limit your options to traditional or contemporary kitchen design formulas. You can blur the lines between past, present, and future, and create a room that's original and practical. These two kitchens borrow freely from the past as they blaze a trail to the future. early 1900s. One features handcrafted details reminiscent of the

Low-Cost VACATION CABIN

Pay attention, you Walden Pond dreamers. Building your own cabin in the woods just got a lot easier.

SUMMERTIME NOSEGAY QUILT

Ring around the rosie, this quilt is filled with posies. Cheery bursts of August brights cluster into the simple silhouette of an old-fashioned bouquet.

UNBURIED TREASURES

They call us "junkers." You know the type: We'd rather comb a neighbor's garage or drift about in a drizzly parking lot than stroll through an orderly mall or a bright boutique. We'll spend hours pawing through tables of this, that, and the other things-- just on the off chance that we'll uncover a special treasure that we may not even know we're looking for. Why do we do it?

QUICK RE-COVERY FOR A SECOND-HAND CHAIR

Worn fabric and thinned-out padding earmark chairs ready for re-covering. (The frames should be solid and springs sturdy.) These seven steps unveil the mystery of reupholstery. You'll need: burlap; cotton batting; muslin or scrap fabric; size 3 or 4 and size 12 upholstery tacks; magnetic tack hammer; 1-inch-thick, high-resiliency foam rubber; hot-glue gun: razor; polyester fiber; and fabric.

SORTING OUT THE MYTHS AND FACTS

Cows! Cars! A hole in the ozone! What's a person to do?

QUALITY HOME PLAN

EASY CURES FOR MOISTURE PROBLEMS

Excess moisture can cause costly damage to your floorboards, studs, walls, joists, and window frames. A few simple steps can save your home and your peace of mind. Here's a look at how to avoid some common moisture problems.

FENCE-TOP FASHION

SOLUTION FOR ONE STICKY PROBLEM

SOLUTION FOR ANOTHER STICKY PROBLEM

CHAIR-ITY CASE

BLEACH OUT BLACK MARKS

SMOOTH SNIPPING

SAVING WATER

UP ON YOUR ROOF

Little problems on the roof can turn into major damage if they go unchecked. Once water gets under your shingles, it can destroy the plywood subroof, create rot in the rafters and joists, soak insulation, and ruin sections of your walls and ceilings.

A TODDLER'S HEIRLOOM HIGH CHAIR YOU CAN BUILD

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDS

Your home may be hazardous to your pet's health. Poisons lurk in your bathroom, kitchen, garage, and shop. Playful and curious, many pets leap tall counters in a single bound, paw open cabinets, chew through childproof caps and containers, and have the judgment of a 2-year-old.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

With each recipe, we give nutrition information. We list the calorie count of each serving and the amount, in grams, of fat, cholesterol, protein, carbohydrate, sodium, and fiber.

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

Dot Dresch says there are two ways to program a videocassette recorder: Read the instructions carefully or ask an 8-year-old.