Articles written by Ted Sherman in Home & Garden

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About me - Ted Sherman

After Navy service in World War II, I earned a BFA from the Phila. College of Art (now the Univ. of the Arts). I was then recalled to active duty in the Korean War. Following was a 40-year career in public relations, advertising, sales promotion, graphic

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Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Preparing your family to move to a new home: 6 of 31
When our kids were very young, we moved twice. We tried to make the transition as easy as possible, with a minimum of stress on them. First, when we had settled our ownership of the new house, which was much bigger than our original, we went for frequent visits. The kids saw the neighborhood and their future rooms, and were ... More..
Home & Garden > Home Repair (Other) Tips for finding a wood stud in a wall: 3 of 15
HUMOR: Most single young ladies "wood" like to find a stud, but not in a wall. They may want to find him climbing a wall, so the stud could do the Romeo and Juliet routine to win the lady's heart and other parts of her body. Of course, the modern lady "wood", but not necessarily "shood", seek to find a stud in a bar. The cla... More..
Home & Garden > Buying & Selling Homes How to add curb appeal to your home: 10 of 46
Wal thar, folks, the fust thing ya gotta do is get rid of that there no-wheels '54 Chevvy up on see-ment blocks right smack in front of yer house. An' don't ya ferget to haul that durn U-Haul trailer away from the front door and get it outa sight in the back yard. Ya know, maybe hide it under them dead trees ya always meant ... More..
Home & Garden > Real Estate (Other) Tips for creating a moving checklist: 5 of 23
A check list is essential for preparing to move, and if done early enough, it can also help make decisions about what gets moved and what gets tossed. Our retirement move is a good example. After our kids had left for college, and my retirement party was behind us, it was time to get out of cold, cold Pennsylvania and go spe... More..
Home & Garden > Gardening (Other) True gardening stories: Oops!: 14 of 63
I must confess. I was a drug dealer for the cats in my neighborhood. When we bought a new house, we planted various herbs in one spot in front to use for cooking. Somehow, thinking it was a variety of mint, we added catnip to the garden. Catnip makes a hardy, bright green groundcover, and it also has some other particular qu... More..
Home & Garden > Home Repair (Other) Should your tax return be spent on home repair?: 2 of 9
I assume this question is about the so-called economic-stimulus package that will pay single taxpayers $600 each, and married couples $1,200, plus $300 per child under 17. Of course, a certain percentage of people will spend it on home repair, but in an economy where inflation is rampant and getting worse, most of us will ju... More..
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) What's the best defense against burglars in your home: Alarm system or dog?: 4 of 17
We've lived in the same house for the past 15 years. On one side, ownership has changed four times, and we swear that the real estate ad every time reads: "Home for sale, must be purchased by idiots who can't control a small yapping dog." There's one there now that doesn't yap, but ... no exaggeration ... screams like a baby... More..
Home & Garden > Buying & Selling Homes Simple tips for preparing your house for sale: 20 of 80
You don't dress up for a date with shabby clothes, dirty face and soleless shoes? Well, maybe if you're still in your hippie stage, you do. Preparing to sell your house requires as much dressing up as you can manage to impress all the "dates" who come 'acalling. Our youngest was out of the house and in college, and my retire... More..
Home & Garden > Weeds & Pests Keeping cats and dogs out of your garden: 3 of 12
I don't have much of a problem with neighborhood cats and dogs in my garden. At least, any problems I've had disappear very quickly. So do the cats and dogs. The area just behind my back yard is the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona. It is a beautiful sight from our windows at dawn and dusk when the sun is low and the magni... More..
Home & Garden > Lawn A guide to basic tools for lawn care: 4 of 12
The basic tools for my lawn care are a beach chair, a sun umbrella, a small table, a tall iced glass and a good book. My home is in Arizona, at the foothills of the Catalina Mountains. My lawn consists of two palm trees, two large saguaro cacti, three teddy bear cacti, a dozen other varieties of cacti, several patches of ann... More..