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letters
CO N N ECT W ITH US
WHEN I SAW
“Budding Romance” in your February
issue on forcing branches to bloom, I just had to try it.
I cut some
“
sticks” from my quince bush, and within
10 days I had delicate pink blossoms. Thanks for the
early touch of spring.
Maureen Wheeler, Canon City, CO
“TAILORED FOR FUN”
in the March
issue was just w hat this antique-
rich amateur decorator needed for
inspiration. The ideas were
economical and young and fresh.
Thank you.
Leslie Jelacic, Annapolis, MD
I TRIED
chef Scott Peacock’s
“American Classics: Meat Loaf” in
the March issue, and it was such a
h it that the fam ily meat loaf recipe
has been retired. M y 92-year-old
m other also agreed it was the best
she had ever eaten. We make extra
Ketchup Topping for dipping.
Diane Mayer, Los Angeles, CA
I LIVE
in the Netherlands and
receive your magazine as a gift
from my mother-in-law. Last
weekend, I had an im promptu
girls’ night. After seeing the
Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake
recipe in your February issue
(“Sweet Comebacks”), we hastily
gathered the ingredients. We had to
visit the neighbors for sour cream,
and ended up substituting rasp-
berries for the cherries, but we
absolutely loved the result. Thanks
for the recipe and a fun night.
Denise Detweiler
WE ASKED: Do you
mark the start of spring
with a tradition?
MY HUSBAND AND I
go to Orlando
each year on our wedding anniver-
sary in March to watch our Atlanta
Braves play a spring training game.
H ot dogs, peanuts, lemonade, and
baseball— it doesn’t get any better
than that.
Beverly Hempen
Bonita Springs, FL
BASEBALL
opening day is the
beginning o f spring for our fam ily
and one o f our favorite days o f the
year. I give m y boys gifts, usually a
baseball book or movie. We have
hot dogs and popcorn for dinner
w ith our favorite sodas and watch
the games on TV.
M ary Carpenter, Richmond, VA
SPRING STARTS
when we see the
neighborhood soft-serve ice cream
shop is open for business. It always
brings smiles and laughter to get
that first cone, even if it’s cold and
snowy that day. We know more
sunny days w ill be coming soon.
Jackie Stein
Grosse Pointe Shores, MI
TO MARK
the start o f spring, my
friends and I go into the woods to
observe the frogs and salamanders
return to their breeding pools, or
vernal ponds. We go at night w ith
our w arm coats, boots, and
flashlights, and the sound o f the
singing is deafening and exciting.
I t ’s a great way to introduce
children to the wonders o f nature.
Nancy Olson, Gloucester, MA
WHEN I WAS 7,
after my fam ily
moved from Kansas to upstate
New York, M om and Granny
developed a tradition to see who
could find the first violet o f spring.
They w ould tape a violet to a card,
noting the date it was found, and
send it to each other. Sometimes
the cards crossed in the mail. M y
9-year-old daughter has declared
she wants to be in the competition
this year. Since M om and I live in
the same area, we now have to note
the date and
tim e
we find our
violets. I beat her by tw o hours
one year!
Karen Tyson, Lititz, PA
We’d l °v e to know.
— Let’s fire up the grills. W]
your best tip or technique «
your worst grillin g mishap
?
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MAY 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
