letters

co n n ectin g

My best friend

and I saw beautiful red hydrangeas in

bloom on a neighborhood walk. Soon after, I received a coupon

from a nursery, then your June issue with the Q&A on hydrangeas

landed in my mailbox. Excellent timing! I once killed a cactus, so to

be inspired to try to plant anything is a milestone fo r me.

Cheryl B. Lemine

I a p p re c ia te

Stephen Saint-Onge’s

stylish yet accessible approaches to

room design. His “House Calls” from

July will join one from April 2008 that

I’ve preserved in my notebook of ideas

for arranging the living room in the

home my husband and I will retire to.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Jeanne Julian, South Hadley, MA

I tried

the Tilapia Puttanesca

recipe in the June issue’s “Good and

Healthy” food section. I’ve lost 40

pounds with Weight Watchers, so

I’m always looking for recipes that

are low in fat and still very flavorful.

This was perfect. BHG is a great

source for healthy living.

Lourdes Garcia, Palisades Park, NJ

I

have b e e n o v erw eig h t

for

nearly 20 years and finally decided to

do something about it this year. I

started to walk on a treadmill and

could barely go over a mile. I

received my February issue in which

the “Healthy You” section suggested

signingup for a race several months

in advance to keep motivated. That

article was life-changing for me. I

signed up for a 5K in April and

finished the race. I’ve lost 50 pounds

and walk 6 miles a day. Thank you.

Ann Davies, Lehi, UT

T h ailk

yOU for the realistic bath

renovations in the May issue’s “Bath

Notebook.” We live in a 1950s ranch

where the two haths are 8x8 and

5x8. Most decorating magazines

offer ideas for baths the size of our

living room or that require a second

mortgage or a major addition.

Beverly Harris, Rome, GA

I n e v e r th o u g h t

of myself as a

BHG reader, although I love maga-

zines. It wasn’t until I saw chef Scott

Peacock making his chicken and

dumplings on the

Today

show that I

bought an issue. Then there was his

pound cake and now ice cream! As a

man with Alabama roots, I swell with

pride. Mr. Peacock’s dishes are

indeed “American Classics,” and as

a new subscriber I look forward

to more.

David Crossland, Washington, D.C.

I

loved th e b e a u ty

of your

“Hanging Gardens” article in the

May issue and especially how

economical the ideas were. I saved

even more money by buying baskets

on sale and starting my plants from

seeds. Thanks for all your tips.

Jodi Duty, Tigard, OR

W e a s k e d : H o w

W

B

C

a re y o u k e e p in g

I “

I

in t o u c h w it h

f r ie n d s a c r o s s t h e m ile s ?

My good friend Sandy sends out

the equivalent of an “infomercial”

with monthly e-mails. She includes

photos, recipes, books she likes,

and funny family anecdotes. I

respond with news of my

projects, grandsons, and a reading

list of my own.

Lynn Castille, Broussard, LA

When I was in third grade, we

were told to bring a quarter to

class the next day to purchase a

pen pal. I drew Teruyo in Japan.

We're both 6o now and still

exchanging letters. We describe

the changing of the seasons and

how we celebrate holidays. We

have been there to comfort each

other and make each other smile

all these years. Who would have

thought 25 cents could have

bought such a wonderful gift?

Renee Glos-Block

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SEPTEMBER 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS