A recent Tribune article written about magazines prompted me to review the periodicals making their way into the Kosey mailbox. The article dealt with what that newspaper’s Tempo staff considered to be the 50 best magazines, not to be confused with the National Magazines Awards decided by a panel of judges who review the over 17,000 periodicals filling newsstands and magazine racks. That’s like a full-time job! I know each person doesn’t read all the magazines!

So I read the Tempo staff list and discovered out of their 50 choices only two, sometimes six, of their choices find their way to the table next to my Lazy Girl chair.

I must tell you there were quite a few I never heard of nor have an interest to run out and purchase. For example there is Armchair General. I thought that whoever had the remote for the evening gets to be the armchair general. Turns out it’s about various battles in history.

Or there was Absolute. A magazine devoted to vodka recipes? Nope. In actuality its subject is New York.

The Robb Report has as its readers the nouveau riche, which isn’t me, so no subscription there. Lincoln Lore would not be bad to peruse. After all, don’t we live in “The Land of Lincoln”?

Outside is certainly outside my realm since the thought of mountain climbing or river rafting gives me the chills. I like this one, though, the Whole Dog Journal. Frankly, I feel it should be called The Complete Dog Journal, if you know what I mean. The ever-popular Mad magazine made its way to the list which leads me to believe there are some young people on the Tempo staff. What, me worry?

So which magazines stuff my mailbox? Nothing real exciting, but I like them so here is our list: Mary Engelbreit Home Companion, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies Home Journal, St. Anthony Messenger, People and PC Photo (Husband Joe). This does not include the magazines that are sent from various wildlife and nature societies as part of our memberships.

Since I believe magazines tell a lot about the reader I would assume you are thinking, “Hmmm, she must be quite the Suzy Homemaker.” Nay, nay I just enjoy the magazines, and I do get ideas and recipes that I cut out, put in a pile and go through at my leisure (and more often than not throw out).

I’ll tear out the pages of a worthwhile story and maybe put it in my purse (if there’s any room) and have it handy just in case … well, just in case I need to be ready with something to read.

One magazine which surely hits every list is National Geographic, which is excellent. We had a subscription once and, for some odd reason or another, we felt we couldn’t toss the issues out when we were through reading them.

I know some of you out there have thought the same thing. But they do pile up and no one seems to want them; schools have their own stacks. So reason stepped in, and we decided we can always go to the library and read their copy, which also absolved us of the guilt of throwing out issues of the magazine.

Magazine-related questions: If you are reading a magazine in public, do you feel it has to be something of an intellectual caliber as opposed to a newsmaker periodical? And does your mailman read your magazines before delivering them or just the Sports Illustrated swim suit edition? Just kidding, Bruce! (He’s our mailman, nice guy!)

So Landmark readers what are your favorites; bet Sports Illustrated makes the list? Read on!