Paper Towels

Around the house* When going on vacation, remember to stop delivery of the newspapers; have someone pick up your mail; set timers for lights, radios and TVs; lock all doors and windows and hide empty trash containers.* Remove mineral deposits that have accumulated at water level in the toilet. Try rubbing stain with "wet" sandpaper available in hardware stores. Or, pour one cup of bleach into bowl; let sit for a few hours and scrub off stains.* Strain fat from broth by pouring through a paper towel into container.

As we come to the close of another challenging year on the economic front for many, local nonprofit groups throughout the area are struggling to make ends meet and address growing needs in the community. These groups and the people they serve need our help more than ever. Below is a listing of local helping organizations seeking donations of either money or items, or both. In this season of giving and Thanksgiving, please share your blessings, by giving to those less fortunate.

Newspaper. A roll of paper towels. Wooden mallets and plastic pitchers for cold drinks. The elements of a traditional Maryland crab feast could not be simpler to gather. Or more uninspired. Crab feasts are family affairs in Maryland. The adults linger at the table, talking and picking, while the kids play in the yard. Dusk arrives and empty crab shells and corn husks are rolled up in the soiled newspaper and dropped neatly in the garbage. "You are meant to get your hands dirty," said Andrew Zill, design director for Feats Inc., an event-planning company in Baltimore.

Bottom of the Bay, the venerable (since 1972) crab joint-cum-seafood restaurant on Route 1 in Laurel, is not easy to describe. It's a one-story, two-room structure that defines what Maine lobster purveyors up "nawth" call "eating in the ruff. " That is, shoes and shirts are required (we think), but that's about it. Boasting about 60 seats, according to manager John Knapp, the main dining room and the bar are roughly equal in size. If you're seeking intimacy, forget it. Individual tables are set up on two sides, against the walls.

In less time than it takes to shred cheese, you can fix these crispy cheese wafers in your microwave oven.Use them in place of shredded cheese and croutons on salads, as a cracker topper, or serve with fruit. Fat may come out of the cheese cubes as they cook, so have paper towels handy to wipe the pie plate between batches.Cheese Crisps6 1/2 -inch cubes Jarlsberg, Swiss, or Cheddar cheese, about 1 1/2 ouncesAll-purpose flourNon-stick spray coatingToss cheese with enough flour to coat. Spray nine-inch microwave-safe pie plate with non-stick spray coating.

TORONTO -- Scott Paper Ltd. and Procter & Gamble Co. have reached an out-of-court settlement over claims that P&G's "quicker picker-upper" advertising for Bounty paper towels in Canada are unfair.The companies said they agreed to clarify advertising claims and how Canadian products will be differentiated from those in the United States. Further details of the confidential agreement were not disclosed. Company officials could not be reached for additional comment.Scott had been seeking damages of more than $725,900 in its suit.

Around the house* Store out-of-season clothes easily. A clean, plastic garbage bag can be stored in attic, beneath bed, at the top of closets or in the basement. A bar of soap placed inside will keep garments sweet-smelling.* Keep a baby food jar of paint on hand for touch-ups.It the garden* If there isn't a water spigot near the garden or tool shed, keep a roll of paper towels and a can of shaving cream nearby. You can clean your hands without water.* Keep lawn well-watered. Lawn and gardens should get about an inch of water a week.

The following is a list of several area organizations accepting donations that will make Christmas brighter for some people. These groups responded to a recent Sundial invitation to list their needs.* Christopher Place, 709 E. Eager St., a shelter serving homeless men in Baltimore city needs new underwear, toiletries, canned goods, paper towels and toilet tissue. Call (410) 576-0066.* Catholic Charities is collecting donations for the homeless and the needy at Hunt Valley Mall. Take donations of non-perishable food, new clothing, toiletries, canned goods, paper products and new toys to the empty store next to Lane Bryant near the Food Court (on the second level of the mall)

Around the house* Repair torn holes in which curtain hooks are threaded at top of shower curtain. Apply clear, waterproof tape to top of curtain and make a new opening with a hole puncher.* Remove wax from glass (not crystal) candlesticks; Place holders on folded paper towels in microwave and turn on low for one minute. Wax will melt onto paper towels.* Prepare interior walls for painting. Be sure the area is free of dust and dirt. Fill holes with spackle. Record the amount of paint you use and the name of the color.

Around the house* Keep bedspread clean. When making bed, pull up the spread halfway and fold it over on itself. The spread will be protected from daily wear and will still look neat.* At least twice a year, vacuum pad and the floor beneath area rugs.* Remove white spots on hardwood floors that have accumulated after waxing.Pour liquid wax over stains, rub gently with fine steel wool, following the grain, then polish area with a clean cloth.* Store cast-iron skillets -- without their lids -- between paper towels in a dry space.

Newspaper. A roll of paper towels. Wooden mallets and plastic pitchers for cold drinks. The elements of a traditional Maryland crab feast could not be simpler to gather. Or more uninspired. Crab feasts are family affairs in Maryland. The adults linger at the table, talking and picking, while the kids play in the yard. Dusk arrives and empty crab shells and corn husks are rolled up in the soiled newspaper and dropped neatly in the garbage. "You are meant to get your hands dirty," said Andrew Zill, design director for Feats Inc., an event-planning company in Baltimore.

MADISON, Wis. - I do my part for the planet. I recycle, and I've been known to bring a canvas bag to the grocery store. Yet I'm starting to find all these messages on greening hard to take. The advice is often impractical. For instance, I should walk, bike or take the bus to work. Sounds great in a perfect world, but my job requires trips to a city 70 miles away, a compromise for my two-career family. I'd drive a hybrid car, but they're still a bit pricey for the likes of young professionals such as me. I'd ride light rail, if they'd build it, and if cities offered reliable public transportation, I'd be there.

What, besides the food, comprises a good "restaurant experience?" Service and decor are important, of course, but very near the top of my list is the state of the restaurant's bathroom. First there are sins of omission - management's failure to keep the bathroom clean. But what drive me crazy are sins of commission - the bad decisions that restaurants make that ensure an aggravating restroom experience. One problem is not stocking enough toilet paper. If a restaurant hasn't invested in a toilet-paper delivery system that includes reserve rolls, and it has not charged its staff with constantly monitoring the supply, then it owes it to the customers to simply store extra rolls in the bathroom itself.

An item in a recent column by Laura Vozzella on Page 2B of The Sun - with the heading "The rich are just like you and me department" - describes a casually dressed Mayo A. Shattuck III buying paper products at the discount Target discount store in Towson. The Shattuck part of Vozzella's column, which is designed to be a lively and irreverent mix of politics and people, was accompanied by a photo illustration of Shattuck, the CEO of Constellation Energy Group, carrying a large package of Brawny paper towels.

Mention coupons to a regular grocery shopper and you're likely to get intense reaction. Some love coupons and will boast about the hundreds of dollars they save with them. Others sneer, saying their time is too valuable to be wasted on the meager savings. The key is to use coupons wisely and disregard the ones that aren't worth the effort. In round numbers, an American family of four annually spends $4,800 on grocery-store food, $800 on housekeeping supplies, $400 on personal-care products and $130 on nonprescription drugs, according to government figures on consumer expenditures.

NEW ORLEANS - When their homes began to sink in Katrina's floodwaters, elders in the quarter here known as Uptown gathered their neighbors to seek refuge at the Samuel J. Green Charter School, the local toughs included. But when the thugs started vandalizing the place - wielding guns and breaking into vending machines - Vance Anthion put them out, literally tossing them into the fetid waters. Anthion stayed awake at night after that, protecting the inhabitants of the school from looters or worse.

Every summer my husband and I spend a long weekend on Cape Cod, just a few hours' drive from our home in western Massachusetts. Although we enjoy browsing in the many bookshops and antiques stores there and are dazzled by the breathtaking views of the ocean, we are even more enthusiastic about the fresh seafood. My spouse, an avid fan of lobster, could have it at every meal, while I love the fried scallop rolls served in many of the restaurants. In fact, each year I insist that we travel to Orleans' Rock Harbor where a modest spot on the water serves these incredible sandwiches.

What, besides the food, comprises a good "restaurant experience?" Service and decor are important, of course, but very near the top of my list is the state of the restaurant's bathroom. First there are sins of omission - management's failure to keep the bathroom clean. But what drive me crazy are sins of commission - the bad decisions that restaurants make that ensure an aggravating restroom experience. One problem is not stocking enough toilet paper. If a restaurant hasn't invested in a toilet-paper delivery system that includes reserve rolls, and it has not charged its staff with constantly monitoring the supply, then it owes it to the customers to simply store extra rolls in the bathroom itself.

Janet Henry, 61, of Glen Burnie, was recently chosen "Maid of the Year" by The Maids Home Services, which employs more than 3,000 maids in the United States and Canada. I like my job. It's going to sound brazen, but I'm good at what I do. When I go into a house, I want it done right. I'm the team leader. We work in teams of four. If something isn't done to my liking, I'll tell the person who's doing it: 'You've got to do it better.' " Today one of the women was vacuuming a laundry room.

Every summer my husband and I spend a long weekend on Cape Cod, just a few hours' drive from our home in western Massachusetts. Although we enjoy browsing in the many bookshops and antiques stores there and are dazzled by the breathtaking views of the ocean, we are even more enthusiastic about the fresh seafood. My spouse, an avid fan of lobster, could have it at every meal, while I love the fried scallop rolls served in many of the restaurants. In fact, each year I insist that we travel to Orleans' Rock Harbor where a modest spot on the water serves these incredible sandwiches.