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Dear Friend,

The folks that bring you each month's issue of Southern Living are a diverse group. Each member of the editorial team has a specialty, and his or her expertise is vital to giving you what I hope is an enjoyable and useful magazine. One thing that enhances our ability to provide accurate-and interesting-content is that our copy editors (who sometimes make our stories read better than we write) share a love of the topics they edit. Take, for example, Paula Hughes, our Assistant Copy Chief. She and her husband, Andy, are featured in this month's Homes/ Foods special section, "The Kitchen: Heart of the Home," which begins on page 109. I asked Paula the other day how much work she and Andy actually did when they remodeled their kitchen. She said, "We did everything except the countertops, which we hired a homeimprovement store to install." Now that kind of experience is pretty good background for the person who leads the effort on editing our Homes copy.

Another thing Paula is known for around the office is her good food, and in the special section she also shares some of her and Andy's favorite recipes for a delicious weeknight meal. You can see the results of their hard work starting on page 110.

One of the things my wife, Pam, and I like to do is to walk around our neighborhood and look at homes under construction. Because our area was not built out at the time we moved in, we enjoyed watching the homes of our neighbors-now our friends-being constructed. On one walk we took a sneak peek at Fran and Susan Williams's kitchen just as the cabinets were being installed. I thought at the time that the finish and the look were fresh and that they would be just right for Southern Living. When Susan added an outdoor light fixture as a creative touch above the sink, I thought: "This would make a great cover photo." And guess what? That's what you see on the front of this month's issue. You can also read about it on page 116. I am so glad that Pam and I love to sneak peeks at houses.

Now, if you have a house you think we need to take a look at for the magazine, I doubt I can visit you. Still, I would love seeing your photos; just send them to me at the address listed below. Enjoy the month, and make sure you don't forget that someone special in your life on Valentine's Day.

Best regards,

John Alex Floyd Jr., Editor

John Alex Floyd, Jr., Editor

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Feb 2004
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