Dear Sun Spots: I have a John Deere JS60 walking lawnmower to give away, preferably to a nonprofit organization. It needs a new starter pull cord. Contact me at 998-2767. — No Name, Poland.

Dear Sun Spots: For the lady inquiring about slacks which are not low rise. I know just what she is talking about! I buy only Levi Bendovers from Blair catalog. They come in many colors, plain front or fly front and are of a stretch material. Very comfortable, dressy, wash well and no elastic around the middle! Go to Blair.com or call 1-800-458-2000. They also have vests and skirts to match. The slacks are always $19.99. — No Name, No Town.

Dear Sun Spots: You have quickly found two items I requested from you and want to thank you. Now I have an answer for the lady looking for slacks that are not hip-huggers. I have been very happy with Alfred Dunner slacks and outfits that are sold at JC Penney. Currently there are some on sale. I do not know what other places sell Alfred Dunner. It would be worth asking as I believe this is a manufacturer’s name, not a store’s. — Eleanor Parker, Auburn.

Answer: In addition to JC Penney, Alfred Dunner brand clothing is available at Macy’s department store at the Maine Mall in South Portland. Alfred Dunner does not produce a catalog or offer mail-order or online shopping services.

Dear Sun Spots: Can you translate this for me, see enclosed paper.

I had a great lobster and fish casserole at the Chick-A-Dee. Would you please see if you can get the recipe and if other seafood could be added?

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Thank you so very much. Just wondering, how many letters do you get a week, a month, a year? This is an amazing service. — No Name, No Town.

Answer: Sun Spots wasn’t sure where to begin with the translation you requested, but Sun Journal Editor Mark Mogensen pointed out that it was written in Cyrillic (Russian) and we went from there. We could only find a rough translation for a portion of the message. The second and third words are “I am good” and the last word in the message is “you.” You might consider visiting your local library and checking out a copy of a Russian-English dictionary for further translation.

In response to your second request, we spoke with Bill, the owner of the Chick-A-Dee of Lewiston who doesn’t recall having this dish on his menu recently. The manager of the Turner Chick-A-Dee noted that the casserole they serve at their location doesn’t include lobster, but it has haddock, shrimp and scallops in it. The recipe is also a secret.

You might consider trying this quick and easy recipe for seafood casserole from Dan St. Pierre of Auburn, who happens to make this dish for Sun Spots’ mother and which they both enjoy! St. Pierre notes that he seasons the seafood with pepper before baking.

Ingredients: 1 pound shrimp, 1 pound scallops, 2 pounds haddock, 2 cans of Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp Soup.

Method: Place seafood in a buttered casserole dish and cover with soup. Top casserole with crushed crackers (St. Pierre prefers Ritz crackers) and a few pats of butter. Cook at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Note that there is no need to add any extra liquid to the soup as you will get liquid from the seafood as it cooks.

And in response to your third question, Sun Spots receives about five letters each day on average. As with anything, there are both busy times and lulls in the questions and sometimes we may receive no letters or up to 10 or 12 a day.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.


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