B: Have you ever had a cookie that was so good you wanted another one right away, and maybe another? I’ll give you a seco … K: Yes! Yes, I admit it! I have. Why do you ask? B: Have I got a book for you. K: It better feature oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. B: Funny. And no. ...

It’s important to keep up with what is changing in the world of art and collecting. Fool-the-eye (trompe-l’oeil) is a popular theme in a new type of art. Today, copies of machines, pieces of buildings, a huge hanging light bulb or an enlarged comic strip or stamp pad are displayed as ...

University of Minnesota Master Gardener, Brown County Why are there so many invasive insects on the TV news, in newspaper reports and magazine articles? Since we are a ‘global society’ and import/export to and from almost every country around the world, experts do not see an end to the ...

One of the common issues that caregivers have to deal with on a daily basis is the need to dispense their care recipientís medication in a safe and timely fashion. Navigating the dangerous waters of different pill sizes, colors and dosages can be an intimidating experience as most family ...

Walking is a wonderful, healthy distraction and a way to recharge mentally and physically. Mentally, walking can help manage stress and improve focus. Research has shown that if one walks five minutes out of every hour, mood improves, hunger lessens and energy levels increase. Five minutes ...

The University of Wisconsin-Superior has named Alexa Nicole Weiss of Sleepy Eye to the Dean’s List for academic achievement during the Fall 2017 semester. To be named to the Dean’s List, students must have completed 12 degree-seeking semester credits and achieved at least a 3.50 grade ...

I memorized “Garden Song” years ago and still find myself singing the refrain, “Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow.” As the March winds blow and the snow begins to melt, many of us are starting to think about our gardens. We are paging through the seed catalogs and ...

Famous mascots, logos and characters from books and songs are being tossed aside in this modern, more politically correct world. The Aunt Jemima of today doesn’t resemble the original. Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians baseball team will be banned from the uniforms in a year. But has it ...

University of Minnesota Master Gardener, Brown County Will the salt used to melt snow on the sidewalk hurt my perennial flowers planted right by the sidewalk? To reduce the amount of salt needed to melt snow and ice, shovel first and then spread the salt. This also keeps the shoveled snow ...

Did you know that it’s now legal for a driver to pass a bicycle in a “no passing” zone if it’s safe to do so? In 2017, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a new transportation bill, which included the change to an existing law. The new update not only makes passing more convenient ...

Up to 30 percent of seniors today face partial vision loss at the hands of macular degeneration. The retina gradually declines with age in macular degeneration, and impairs the vision used to read and look into another person’s face. The macula, which is the center of the retina, ...

Have you listened to audiobooks yet? You don’t have to give up reading “real” books, I promise, because audiobooks are real books! So just think of audiobooks as another way to enjoy a good book. Here are five reasons you might want to give audiobooks a listen. 1. Audiobooks let you ...

Once in a while, an unfamiliar design shows up in an auction. At the beginning of this year, the Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches listed a tea set, two cups and a teapot with an Art Deco look and unfamiliar marks. The set was white with black and red blocks of color. The teapot had a ...

When it comes to hardy houseplants, few species can compare to the Aspidistra with their ability to tolerate dismal lighting conditions and murky air quality. The cast iron plant was originally introduced as an ornamental and typically served as a parlor decorative plant.  It is no wonder that ...

Arthritis. The word literally means joint inflammation and includes more than 100 different diseases, all of which center around bodily aches and pains and the aggravations that accompany those wretched symptoms.† For the individual, what was once daily routine threatens to become the daily ...

NUAF thanks donors The New Ulm Area Foundation would like to thank the following donors for their 2017 gifts in-kind, funding, time and talent. Patrice Abbe, Carol Ackerson, Allen Affolter, Steve & Deborah Akre, Joel & Rheeta Albrecht, Dr. William & Julie Baumgartner, Daniel ...

The following students have been named to the 2017 fall semester Dean’s List at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the university announced today. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3.66 grade point ...

Our shelves are overflowing! With recommendations, that is. The Adult Winter Reading Program gave you a chance to tell us which books you are reading, and boy did you ever! At the time that I am writing this, the library has received more than 300 book recommendations from library patrons, ...

Marks on antiques, especially silver or ceramics, can lead a collector to history and age. However, the mark’s information can sometimes be confusing. A date may be the year the pottery business started. A name may be the name of the seller, not the maker. And sometimes, especially with ...

University of Minnesota Master Gardener, Brown County Occasionally, I am asked why I use botanical names for plants and shrubs, rather than simply calling them by their common name. To answer the question, let me ask you a question.... Have you ever fallen in love with a plant at first ...