Towels

Super salad worth savoringHere's a low-calorie winter salad with plenty of pizazz:1 bag fresh spinach, washed2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese1/4 red onion, sliced3 ripe pears, sliced3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon olive oilsalt and pepper to tastePut first 4 ingredients in bowl. Heat vinegar and oil till steaming. Pour on salad, toss, season to taste and serve at once.Washing with soapThere's no evidence to suggest that washing with plain old soap and water is any less effective in preventing disease than using one of the new anti-bacterial soaps.

No need for marshmallowsThis year's crop of Hayman white-fleshed sweet potatoes is almost sold out, according to Virginia's Eastern Shore producers. This is the small heirloom tuber known for its luscious sweet taste and smooth texture. One food writer described a Hayman potato "as if nature already had blanketed it in a layer of marshmallows."Fresh Fields carries Haymans when it can get them.Absorbing look at towelsCheaper isn't always cheaper. Paper towels are rated in the February issue of Consumer Reports, and premium brands Kleenex Viva and Quilted Bounty actually cost less to use than some lower-priced towels.

Soon, the Gross family will drive to the beach. Soon, they'll lean forward in the minivan, arms stretched toward the windshield, fingers fluttering, hands reaching for an imaginary finish line. First one to Dewey Beach! they'll shout as they speed past the highway sign. Soon they'll hug Gramps, bob in the surf, slurp clam chowder, spike volleyballs, laze under umbrellas, bathe in the sun.Soon. But first, and this is no small matter, they have to get there.In this, the season of beach trips -- of planning, shopping, packing and waiting -- we begin with a cautionary tale about what happens when anticipation gets the best of you. Consider the Grosses of Newport News, Va.: two parents and three kids who've been meeting their Baltimore relatives at Dewey Beach, Del., every summer for as long as they can remember.

We're remodeling a small bathroom -- so small that it contains only a shower stall, toilet and sink. We would prefer to avoid the usual cabinet/sink combination. Will it be possible to provide enough storage space for towels and toiletries if we install a pedestal sink?The photo basically answers your question. As you can see, the added ledge accommodates all the necessary toilet articles, while extra towels are stored on shelves in the small built-in cabinet.If you don't have enough space for a cabinet, the ledge can be made wider than the 6 inches seen here.

Police logWilde Lake: 10400 Cross Fox Lane: Someone entered Wilde Lake Middle School between noon Saturday and Monday morning and vandalized the hallways by unplugging machines and throwing wet paper towels in the bathrooms.Pub Date: 10/23/96

MY HUSBAND and I have vacationed every year of our married life at exactly the same spot on the Atlantic Ocean.I have tried to persuade him to visit a new section of beach -- something farther north or farther south -- but each year he repeats that he is not a "changer," the unspoken codicil being that this trait bodes well for me as his wife.He has also pointed out, quite accurately, that 10 or 12 hours in an overstuffed station wagon with the battling pre-adolescents we travel with would be no one's idea of vacation.

Only in Baltimore could a guy try to sell a woman a potted plant she already owns. That's just a hunch. I suppose it could happen in other cities -- Cleveland comes to mind, for some reason -- but I have this feeling that what happened in Fells Point the other day was, shall we say, unique. After all, Fells Point is where police once arrested a man with 21 stolen pigeons in his pants, and where else on earth has such a thing ever happened? So, call me crazy, but I'm sure it will be the next century before a guy shows up at lunch with a stolen palm.

Around the house* Place crushed paper towels inside covered containers such as thermos bottles and teapots to remove excess moisture and avoid unpleasant odors when storing.* Wash windows. Dissolve dish detergent in a bucket of hot water and use a sponge or cloth that has been lightly dipped into the solution to wipe soil away.

THE SISSIFYING OF the American bathroom hit home recently, with the alarming pronouncement from my wife that she'll be "redecorating" our bathrooms.Here is my general feeling on the bathroom: As long as it has a toilet and a sink, it's decorated just fine.Unfortunately, this sort of enlightened thinking runs counter to the prevailing trend in this country, which is to clutter the bathroom with so much decorative garbage that there's hardly room to do whatever it is you have to do.Me, I don't want to see any knickknacks when I step in a bathroom.

It is Saturday morning, and as on many Saturdays mornings, I find myself once again in the bridal registry department of Woodies. No, I'm not planning my own wedding. I'm here to buy a gift for someone else. I'm 25 now, and it seems that this is the year when all my friends are getting married.You've got to admire department stores these days. They've made shopping for a wedding gift so convenient. It's all computerized. Just walk up to the perky young woman at the counter, call out the bride's name, and out comes a printout of her gift wish list.

As a public service, we begin a crash course in Ravensology that can be easily be transferred to flash cards for memorization. Despite what the rabid faithful might say, there's no shame in being a newly minted fan of Baltimore's only winning professional franchise that plays outdoors. With everyone watching Barack Obama and the economy, it has been tough to focus on the truly important issue of our time - playoff football. But now it's time to face the music and realize that, no matter where you go this week, chances are the talk will be all Ravens, all the time.

Columbia Art Center sponsoring 'Doghouse' Columbia Art Center, 6100 Foreland Garth, Long Reach Village Center, will continue to sponsor its Doghouse of Joy through Tuesday, in conjunction with Columbia Association's 2008 "Season of Giving." Items that can be dropped off include: laundry detergent and bleach, paper towels, tall kitchen drawstring bags, disinfectant floor cleaner, antibacterial dishwashing liquid, canned dog and cat food, cat litter, bathroom rugs, cloth towels and meat-flavored baby food.

Seven months ago, Pakistanis hoped elections would usher in a brighter era. Instead, skies are darkening. As President Asif Ali Zardari visited the United Nations and met with President Bush this week, Pakistan watchers worried that simultaneous political and economic crises are pushing the country toward disaster. In response, both the administration and its Democratic critics advocate a new round of foreign aid increases. But past aid increases have failed to achieve results. If we expect different results, we need a different approach: an economic policy built upon trade and job creation for Pakistan's people, not just aid to its soldiers and ministries.

LINKWOOD -- Paula Gargano has this stop all mapped out in her mind even before she starts cramming the family van with a week's worth of summer necessities - coolers, beach chairs, umbrellas, oversized towels - along with her husband, Bill, and their two college kids, Joanie and Nick. There's no chance of bypassing the nondescript, one-story Linkwood-Salem Volunteer Fire Company along U.S. 50, not after 30 years of driving to Ocean City. Everybody keeps an eye out for a cloud of smoke billowing from two barbecue pits about five miles south of Cambridge.

When Edward Windsor married Wallis Warfield Simpson in 1936, a monogram of three gracefully interlocking WWWs was created for her, and because Edward was once the king of England and a man of great power, the royal monogram adorned her linens, towels, stationery, handbags and many other items. Monograms have always suggested that their owner is a person of taste and influence, and they have appeared on sheets, towels and linen napkins for centuries. But recently, monograms have begun to pop up in other spheres of the home, adding their note of customized luxury.

I'm writing to you after returning from Sandy Point State Park, where I did, in fact, find enough nerve to participate in the Maryland State Police's annual Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday. All proceeds went to the Maryland Special Olympics, and there had to be plenty, considering the impressive turnout. Unbelievable. And I'm happy to report that I survived the experience, and actually had fun doing it. In this case, fun included submerging my body in the icy cold Chesapeake Bay and taking home enough sand in my bathing trunks to re-create a few scenes from Lawrence of Arabia.

Book project seeks sorters and packers The Books for International Goodwill project needs book sorters and packers to assist with shipments to hurricane-damaged schools and developing countries Saturday morning. Help is also needed from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday to prepare for a book sale Saturday. The warehouse is at 1325 Marlboro Road, Lothian. Information: 443-336- 2617 or frantzich@comcast.net SPAN helps people facing eviction The Severna Park Assistance Network, or SPAN, is seeking volunteer help as it assists people facing evictions, utility turnoff notices and emergency medical or prescription needs.

Summer has brought the bugs back! No, not cicadas, but Coach's summer 2005 collection limited-edition ladybug straw boxy tote. This leather and straw designer bag, with leaf and ladybug details, will be the talk of the day on the beach this summer. So be prepared for beachcombers to "bug" you wanting to know, "Where did you get that bag?" You can find this showstopper at Coach stores, select department stores and specialty stores. It can also be ordered from the Coach catalog or by calling 800-223-8647.

When it comes to summer dresses, we know what we like: A skirt that flutters in the breeze, a natural-fiber material like cotton or linen in a fun print, a top that shows some skin without being too skimpy. We'd like a dress that can be slipped on after a dip in the pool, a dress that could take us out to dinner or out for a chocolate snowball. The dress that has our vote this summer is a pink and yellow Tahitian floral number from Garnet Hill. The dress, cut on the bias, has a circle skirt that hangs beautifully, a timeless jazzy print evocative of Paul Gauguin's paintings and a sweet taffeta ribbon belt.

While getting a haircut the other day, I asked my barber, John Micelle, who has been in the business for nearly 40 years, if he still gives shaves. He replied that not many customers ask for them anymore and that he couldn't remember the last time he had been requested to do one. He did report, however, that a friend recently visiting New York City walked into a barber shop in Pennsylvania Station and asked for a shave. "He was charged $65," Micelle said. A barber shop shave is a labor-intensive process, that when done right, can take more than an hour.