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Reader Exchange

Help make Tuscan kitchen dream a reality

By LINDA D. COLE and INGRID L. KOHLER
Published December 31, 2005

With the start of 2006 mere hours away, REXers prepare for another year of uniting unused objects with people who need them, recycling too much of a good thing, clearing clutter from closets, sharing bounty - and having fun doing so. May the new year be a good one for you and your family, and here's a batch of requests to get started on.

When Sandra Burns - formerly of Chicago but now a Gulfport resident - arrived here, she decided to make her dream of having a Tuscan-style kitchen come true. An important motif in decorating was the grape: Stenciling and accents featuring grapes gave Sandra a great start. But, on a shopping trip to an outlet store, she spotted the piece de resistance of decor: Plates and coffee mugs she instantly fell in love with.

Yes, the dinnerware, made by a manufacturer named Tabletops, incorporated the grape theme; in fact, the dishes' pattern was "Barcelona Grape." (And a bit of geographical leeway may be granted here: A grape is a grape is a grape, whether Italian or Spanish, if it is on pottery.) And so, Sandra lived happily ever after in Tuscan bliss with her Barcelona grapes.

Wrong! She wouldn't be writing to REX if a problem hadn't arisen. Unfortunately, the set of dishes Sandra fell in love with and bought was not complete. But since their pattern was perfect, Sandra decided to take the incomplete set home and fill in the missing pieces from the shelves of other discount stores. That endeavor failed, and a computer search led nowhere, so Sandra is turning to our readers. If you can help, please call 773 315-7915 or email sandraburns1@hotmail.com

The next request seems like a toughie, but each time we say that, our readers tear up the pea patch and fill it in no time flat: so here goes. Andrea Weaver, a teacher at Palm Harbor University High School, needs a copy of the tape of the 1996 Oprah show in which the Little Rock Nine were reunited. Andrea's 10th-grade class is studying desegregation while the students are reading Warriors Don't Cry, so this episode in the history of racial integration is particularly relevant.

A portion of that 1996 show also appears on Oprah's recent 40th anniversary CD set. If you have this set and are willing to lend Andrea the disk with the headlines about the Little Rock Nine, she will greatly appreciate your help. Andrea can be reached by phone at 727 938-8407 or (727) 669-1131, ext. 287, or e-mailed at weavera@places.pcsb.org

Dave of Seminole is looking for a working Verizon "Stick" phone (not flip-style). He particularly likes the Nokia 3589i from a couple of years ago. Please call (727) 804-3980 if you have upgraded your phone but still have this older model lying about not being used.

Starting some new craft projects with the beginning of the new year? Pearl has some grist for several artistic mills: several large bags of materials, used greeting cards, 50 wine bottle corks, 14 bottles (plastic, body-shaped) that are used to create dolls, clowns, mice and assorted artifacts. Please call (727) 360-4842. Peg is offering a medium-size box of quality cloth for quilting and 12 wooden spools. Please call (727) 576-2812. And with a different kind of creativity in mind, Elaine Cloutier submits a request for a pasta machine that she will use for crafty, not culinary, projects. If making your own pasta has lost its thrill, that unused machine can make a new career for itself; just call (727) 726-4698. Joan Mason loves to sew, but she was unable to bring her sewing machine when she flew here. If you have one that needs a good home, Joan is offering to adopt it. Please call (727) 343-1353. Alice Kirchinger of Pinellas Park is refinishing a wooden daybed, but during a move the springs went missing. She would appreciate readers' help in locating replacement springs. Please call (727) 545-2849. Gladys Beck of Lutz is gathering information about the Presto Wee-Fry skillet (model 01/WFS 1, series 1477), made by National Presto Ind. Inc., Eau Claire, Wis. She particularly would like to know the purpose of the thick glass lid. And if you have the manufacturer's instructions, information on care or use, or recipes, Gladys hopes you'll share them with her. Please call (813) 948-7940. REMINDER: If you'd like to appear in our annual list of folks wanting recycled Christmas cards, please get your name and address to us by Jan. 10. The list will appear in the Jan. 14 column.

- Send requests to Reader Exchange, Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com Requests will be accepted only by mail or e-mail. This is an exchange column, so we will not run items that are for sale. Readers must agree to publication of phone numbers, including area code. ON THE WEB: An interactive version of Reader Exchange is available at itsyourtimes.com.

[Last modified December 30, 2005, 08:46:05]