THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 31, 1994 TAG: 9407290110
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G4 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: AROUND THE HOUSE
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
``I LOVE log cabins because. . . ''
If you can tell in 150 lyrical words what enchants you about log cabins, you could be a winner in the Log Home Dream Essay Contest. Top prize is a cabin that looks more like Buckingham Palace than the home where young Abe grew up.
The 3,500-square-foot solid oak cabin in Frederick, Md., has five bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and a two-car garage. It was built four years ago as a model home and residence for the owners of OakRidge Log Home Co., a family-owned business.
With the retirement of the parents, the family no longer needs such a large residence but wants to make sure the dream home goes to someone who loves log-cabin living. Hence, the idea for an essay contest.
Only those who love log cabins an awful lot need apply. The contest has a $100 entry fee. To obtain an entry form and a copy of the contest rules, send a No. 10, self-addressed, stamped envelope to Log Home Dream Essay Contest, 1170-A West Patrick St., Suite 120, Frederick, Md. 21701.
The state-of-the-art cabin, called ``Laurel Lodge,'' is on the cover of the book ``Log Homes Made Easy.'' It was written by OakRidge President Jim Cooper. HELPFUL HINTS FROM HELOISE
Does your vacuum cleaner give off a stale, musty odor?
Heloise - who else? - has a solution.
In her column in the August issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, the woman with the solutions to our peskiest household problems, offers these alternatives:
Place a handful of potpourri or whole cloves into the bag. Or shake in some ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
Or add to the bag a cotton ball squirted with your favorite perfume, peppermint or almond extract.
Or sprinkle the carpet with baking soda or carpet freshener and then vacuum. The fragrance should deodorize the bag and freshen the air in the room until the bag is replaced. ATTACKING FRIDGE ODORS
Refrigerator odors, like the one emanating from the onion that's been hiding in the back of the crisper all summer, can be even tougher to beat. A booklet, Guide to Cleaning Appliances by Amana, gives some advice.
Here is the recommended first plan of attack:
Disconnect refrigerator. Remove all food. With a soft clean cloth and a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda diluted in 1 quart warm water, wash interior surfaces, including ceiling, floor, walls, accessories, drawers, shelves and gaskets. Rinse and dry all surfaces. Wash all containers and food items before returning food to refrigerator. Wrap foods in tightly sealed containers to prevent further odor.
After 24 hours, take a sniff. If the odor persists, try plan of attack No. 2:
Disconnect refrigerator. After washing interior surfaces again with a water-and-baking-soda solution, place crisper drawers on top shelf of refrigerator. Pack refrigerator, including doors and drawers, with crumpled sheets of black and white newspaper. Place charcoal briquets randomly throughout newspaper. Close door and let stand 24 to 48 hours. Remove charcoal and newspapers. Wash interior surfaces again with water and baking soda. Wash all containers and food items before returning them to refrigerator. Wrap foods tightly.
If, 24 hours later, odor is still there, it's time to call the manufacturer's consumer information line.
All household appliances should be cleaned regularly to extend life and enhance performance, Amana says. For a copy of the booklet, send $3 for postage and handling to Amana Consumer Information, Amana Refrigeration Inc., Amana, Iowa 52204. TREAT TEAPOT TO FLOWERS
Next time you arrange a bouquet of fresh flowers, don't reach for a vase. Instead, use an old teapot or coffeepot for a container.
Let the shape of the pot dictate the look of the arrangement, suggests an article in a recent McCall's magazine.
Don't try for a symmetrical design but make sure that the flowers look pretty from every angle. by CNB