The Coral Gables Times

Suburbia Today THE MAGAZINE OF PLEASANT PLACES Published Monthly

In This Issue . . .

Don't Worry, Darling . . . page 6 You wives who have to leave home for a few days need no longer worry about what your family will do to survive without you. Author Albert Brown has the hilarious answer here, in his account of how he became a successful househusband, with sample menus and his secret-formula Continuous Snack Feeder, Fluff Catcher, and Conversation Terminator included. We Visit Dr. Spock . . . page 8 Because his books and good counsel are bywords wherever there are babies—and because Baby And Child Care has now been followed by Dr. Spock Talks to Mothers, we asked to call on Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Spock, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Our editor found them warm, friendly, and very busy with their grandchildren, their beautiful house, and their many hobbies such as boating, skating, and carpentry. Charlemagne Slept Here . . . page 12 If you're planning a trip to Europe and are looking for fascinating places to stay, you may be pleased to note that many castles, manors, and chateaux are now taking paying guests. These historic hotels, many dating back to the 10th century and beyond, are reasonably priced, magnificently appointed, and equipped with all modern conveniences. A Growing Suburban Problem . . . page 21 "What Is Good Enough For Grandma?" asks author George Fielding Eliot, this month, in a report on a growing suburban problem—how to make living arrangements for older people that will satisfy everyone. He discusses the questions of privacy, the purchasing power of a retirement income, the need to find places of dignity and usefulness—and outlines steps some communities are taking to ease the problems of our elders.

Don Higgins

Our cover artist depicts a midwinter scene of contrasts—the man of the house busily hurrying to clear away piles of snow outside, so that he can get back into the warm, bright, blossomy comfort of his flower-filled greenhouse.

LEONARD S. DAVIDOW Publisher ERNEST V. HEYN Editor-In-Chief MARION LOWNDES Editor LAWRENCE C. GOLDSMITH Managing Editor CHRISTINA PAPPAS Associate Editor PHILLIP DYKSTRA Art Director JOHN BAILEY Humor Editor SUBURBIA TODAY is distributed nationally with newspapers in selected suburban communities. Editorial offices at 60 East 56th St., New York 22, N. Y. Advertising offices at 575 Lexington Ave., New York 22, N. Y. Business offices at 153 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 1, Ill. Walter C. Dreyfus, Vice President. Patrick O'Rourke, Advertising Director. Ford King, Advertising Manager. Morton Frank, Director of Publisher Relations. © 1962, Suburbia Publishing Corporation, 153 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 1, Ill. All rights reserved.

GETTING AROUND . . . to Our Pleasant Places and People

AT A MEETING between parents and the kindergarten teacher, a man from Lakewood, Colorado, was told that his five-year-old daughter was the only one in the class who could not tie her own shoelaces. Naturally disturbed, he questioned his offspring and was coyly greeted with the reply, "I don't tie my own shoes at school because the little boys tie them for me." And a Happy Valentine's Day to you, too, little girl. Fred Delong, of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, is the president of a group of sportsmen and sportswomen called The Cycling Enthusiasts. Composed of more than 100 people, this club uses tandem bicycles to give blind persons a chance for some fun and exercise. It works this way. Each bicycle is "powered" by a sighted cyclist, called the Captain, who steers, and a blind cyclist, called the Stoker, who helps pedal. It's an excellent way for blind people to get outdoor exercise, and to feel and hear the sounds of nature. There are about 500 potential blind riders in the area, according to Bill McDonald, executive secretary of the Montgomery County Association for the Blind, but there's still a big shortage of steerers and of bicycles built for two. If you're interested in being a Captain, or if you have an old tandem you'd like to contribute, please get in touch with Mr. McDonald at the Association. A De Kalb County, Georgia, reader reminds us that many families now have a second telephone line installed when their daughters become teenagers, so that the family phone can continue to enjoy reasonable tranquility. Our reader adds that one of her daughters found an even better reason for getting her daughter a phone all her own. She used to have trouble reaching Janet by voice (loud voice), and even a knock on the door would often produce mere silence. Now, she telephones from downstairs and is assured of a pleasant prompt reply every time. Her husband, a doctor, has diagnosed it as a strange case of selective hearing. A bunch of Birmingham, Michigan, youngsters, intent on helping "the poor lost animals," have instituted the Junior Humane Society, with headquarters by an orange crate in the garage of the John O. Dykstras. Inspired by appeals from Birmingham Humane Society (and with the unanimous consent of Candy, John, Jim, and Rickey Dykstra), the neighborhood syndicate has turned the garage into a collection center. It is now a refuge for an assortment of lost or abandoned birds, dogs, cats, kittens, and hamsters. So far they've raised a lot of money—at least $30—towards the maintenance of their shelter by selling soft drinks and holding a neighborhood circus. We'd like to report a piece of fan mail that a Cook County, Illinois, taxpayer sent to the Weather Bureau. It read, "I just thought you'd like to know that I spent the last two hours shoveling six inches of 'partly cloudy' out of my driveway." Continued on page 4