Grandma makes promise she'd like to keep

By LINDA D. COLE and INGRID L. KOHLER
© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 24, 2001

Help! Almost 11-year-old Victoria Miller is waiting patiently for Gran (Bette Smith) to come through with a possibly foolhardy birthday promise of a harp and harp teacher. (After all, a harp without a teacher would probably be useless, unless you're an angel.) Gran doesn't yet know if talent abounds in the aspiring harpist, but interest certainly does. Please call (727) 367-1338 if you can provide a clue as to harp music or harp teachers in Pinellas County. What's next, Gran? Maybe a small trailer to transport the harp to Victoria's concerts?

Christina Levine has discovered that a less verdant economy means she will have to curtail expenses in laying out her new butterfly garden. So she is hoping that another butterfly gardener might have some surplus coral honeysuckle, passion flower vine (Passiflora incarnata variety) and butterfly weed (a form of milkweed) she can plant. Christina has a large assortment of clay and plastic garden pots she can barter for plants; she also would like to know which inexpensive local sources other butterfly gardeners use to stock their grounds. If you can lead Christina down the butterfly garden path, please call (727) 724-2953 or e-mail clevine@tampabay.rr.com.

Regina Potenza, our reader in Guadalajara, Mexico, needs the instruction booklet for Oster Instant Steam, a two-layer electric steam unit for vegetables, fish and what have you, and juicers for a group of volunteers called the Organic Gardeners, who are teaching organic gardening to young Mexicans. Those learning the techniques then set up community gardens and can enrich their families' diets. The volunteers have opened the Country Store, a juice and salad bar, and could use a couple of juicers to increase kitchen efficiency.

If you wish to respond to Regina's requests, please contact her by e-mail, regina@laguna.com.mx, and send her your name and phone number and/or e-mail address. She will be in Florida from Dec. 25 to Jan. 25; during that time she will contact everyone who sent her an e-mail and make arrangements for picking up the items.

We have had some past requests for stained glass and tools, and a reader writes in to offer some that are no longer needed. Please call (727) 856-0506.

Chris Dohrmann is hoping that among the presents under your Christmas tree this year you'll find a new PC. That may mean you'll be looking for a good home for your old working system, and he has such a home to offer. He so enjoys WebTV that, at age 79, he is ready to upgrade, with your help. Please contact him by e-mail, FAChrisDohrmann@webtv.net, or call (813) 949-2122.

Lucie Somers needs paper items for albums she makes. Some examples of things she can use include jokes, recipes, cards, stickers, postcards or any oddities that will fit on an 8-inch by 10-inch page. Please mail them to 47 Harbor Oaks Circle, Safety Harbor, FL 34695-2831.

After more than 30 years as a teacher, elementary school principal and college instructor, Joyce Guenther has plenty of professional materials that may be useful to folks working with students and teachers. Joyce may be reached at (727) 862-7333.

May Dahlem needs instructions for a mystery cooker that was given to her several years ago. She thinks it may be a jet stream oven or have a name somewhat along those lines. The only words on it are Galloping Gourmet and Perfection-Aire. If this provides enough clues that you can help May out, please give her a call at (727) 894-5224.

Dorothy Norton of Clearwater needs the name of a repair service that will come out and fix her Sears turntable. If you have a service you can recommend, please send the information to Dorothy in care of this column.

Last November, Catherine Bauer of Tarpon Springs taped a K.D. Lang special that aired on A&E. Unfortunately, she accidentally taped over it, so Catherine is hoping that another reader, who taped the show but didn't erase it, will permit her to copy theirs. Catherine's number is (727) 934-0873.

Gayle Ell is trying to locate a book she saw advertised in Parade magazine. She clipped the item and misplaced it, so she asks if a reader has the information she needs to order the book, or has a copy of the book he or she no longer wants. Gayle has no title, but she does have a description: The book was a compilation of all the old Dick and Jane books. Call Gayle at (727) 736-0471 if you have any information.

-- Send requests to Reader Exchange, Newsfeatures, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com. Only questions of general interest will be answered. Requests will be accepted only by mail or e-mail; no phoned requests, please. Except in unusual circumstances, readers must agree to publication of phone numbers (please include the area code) to be considered for the column.

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