Reader Exchange

Take a break from those tax forms

By LINDA D. COLE and INGRID L. KOHLER

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 15, 2000

Is your brain fuzzy from the calculations associated with this day? Well, pour another cup of coffee, put up your feet and, before you handle another tax schedule, get back down to earth for a few minutes with our readers' requests. Your math skills and your comprehension of government jargon will be keener after a respite.

As usual, intriguing letters have arrived at Exchange Central. The first two have a social aim quite at home in our community of transplants from other states. A retired Pennsylvania snowbird wants to know if any groups of Pennsylvanians meet in the Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Clearwater or New Port Richey areas. Please send your replies to Pennsylvania Snowbird in care of this column.

We hazard a guess that Rita Jedinak of Clearwater also hails from the Middle Atlantic states, for she is seeking a New Jersey club in the area. She would be equally happy to locate a Clutter Buddy's club or something similar. If you have information to share with Rita, please write to her in care of this column.

The interest in pop tops that erupted a few weeks ago seems to have stimulated a rush of similar inquiries. For example, Flossie Uzenoff of Tampa, (813) 975-5758, wonders if individuals or groups out there collect Campbell's soup labels, Helen Seese of St. Petersburg, (727) 321-2825, would like to know of any schools that still collect General Mills box tops, and Carol Smith of Hudson (727) 863-2605, has a quantity of Betty Crocker catalog points to give to anyone who wants them.

And here's the ultimate snipper and coupon saver -- a refunder -- offering her stash. Rita Bellaire of Valrico, after years of satisfying returns, has raised her kids and, no longer a stay-at-home mom, has developed a social life. Now she keeps missing expiration dates, so she's ditching her old activity.

Rita has thousands of coupons, at least half of which are sorted by brand and alphabetically stored. If your group or organization could profit from this landslide, please give Rita a call at (813) 684-3059.

If coupons aren't your thing, we have a couple of other giveaways. Jenny Dickinson of Hudson is giving away 64 patterns, girls' sizes 3-8 and misses 10-16. Please call (727) 863-4503 if you are interested.

Mary Davy of Seminole has six pairs of wood strips that fasten together to form various sizes of frames for working needlepoint. The frames keep the canvas from stretching while it is being worked on. She also has two embroidery hoops, one 12 inches and one 4 inches, available to anyone who cares to pick them up. Mary may be reached at (727) 393-5661.

Mary Connell of Hudson is not concerned about needlepoint or embroidery, however. Crocheting and knitting are on her mind, and she hopes that one of our readers has the pattern for a knitted or crocheted one-piece child's poncho. If you're the one, please give Mary a buzz at (727) 856-0371.

Agnes Silberman of New Port Richey is happy to report that her church was given a Farberware Electronic Convection Turbo Oven, model 467, but she is unhappy to add that the instructions book has been misplaced. If a reader has this booklet, Agnes would love to make a copy of it, or, if someone has the company address, she would like to learn that. The church could be putting this oven to good use. Contact Agnes by e-mail, aosgfhs@juno.com, or by phone, (352) 688-2884.

Lynne Caulkett of Spring Hill wants the eyeglass lenses you no longer use. She paints miniature scenes on them and turns them into brooches for family and friends. Any lens size is fine, but bifocals won't work. Call Lynne at (352) 684-2191.

A cute little bunny is sketched on the letter from Sage Chaney of Clearwater, who writes, "Like the pink rabbit, I keep going and going in search of the Jan.-Feb. 1991 issue of Eating Well magazine. It is the single one needed to make our health-care professional daughter's collection complete." Please call (727) 536-8897 with issues or suggestions for finding this elusive periodical.

. . . Now back to those taxes.

-- Send questions, answers and tips to Reader Exchange, Home & Garden, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com. Requests by mail only; no phoned requests. Readers must agree to publication of phone numbers (please include the area code).

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