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Off the Shelf: Books on the Go

In honor of June, Audiobook Month, we need to talk about listening to books. I am a longtime audiobook enthusiast, so I may be a little biased, but if you haven’t started listening to your favorite books yet, what are you waiting for? Give audiobooks a try! Everyone is once again on the go after the past year of staying close to home. Listening to an audiobook is an entertaining way to get your reading in while driving somewhere. New Ulm Public Library has a whole section of audiobooks in the upper level in the nonfiction area. You will find both fiction and nonfiction selections ...

Antiques & Collecting: Furniture styles evolved during Victorian era

Victorian furniture was larger, heavier and usually darker and much more ornate than the mid-century or even modern pieces used today. The houses were large and dark. The electric light was not invented until about 1805, and the candles and oil lamps used for light could only illuminate a small area. Big carvings could be seen, dark wood covered some of the flaws and wealthy homeowners who bought the expensive furniture had large homes with big rooms and the furniture was styled to show off the size and wealth. The best furniture makers and designers in New York favored George ...

Family Living Focus: Overcoming Depression

Everybody feels "down" or "blue" sometimes. If these feelings are very strong or last for most of the day nearly every day for two weeks or longer, they may be due to a medical illness called depression. The good news is that depression can be treated. You do not have to face this challenge without help. Here are some warning signs of depression. Changes in the way you feel: • You feel sad, hopeless, or guilty most of the time. • You feel tired or lack energy. • You have thoughts of suicide or death. Changes in sleeping and eating habits: • You sleep either too ...

Canton china with its blue and white decoration has been a popular collectible for many years, but few can distinguish it from the other early or modern Chinese blue and white china. It has been popular for centuries partly because cobalt blue coloring was safe to use when decorating dishes. Red ware and pewter contained dangerous lead. By 1710, the Chinese made at least four patterns of Chinese export porcelain that included landscape designs. Two of the most popular were Nanking (1770-1820) and Canton (1785- 1853). Nanking was decorated with a willow tree, boat, teahouse, birds and a ...

Off the Shelf: Check out an e-book on the Libby app!

New Ulm Public Library patrons have access to the Libby app, which allows you to access e-books and audiobooks from Overdrive. It’s simple, fun, and free to use! Libraries pay for a subscription to the Overdrive platform, which allows their patrons to download e-materials at home from their phones, tablets, or computers. New Ulm Public Library subscribes to the service through the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative. All the materials are available to borrowers within the nine counties of the Traverse des Sioux region. The Libby app was released by Overdrive a number of years ago. ...

Antiques & Collecting: Tussie mussies helped cover the smell of the streets

By Terry and Kim Kovel Is it a tussie mussie, a bouquetiere, a porte-bouquet, a nosegay or a posey holder? This funnel-shaped metal object was a fashionable accessory with an important purpose. In medieval times, the streets smelled from garbage and horses and other animals and lack of toilets. Women carried small bouquets of herbs and spices to cover the foul odors that they thought carried diseases. By Victorian times, the bouquets were bunches of sweet-smelling flowers or tussies. The stems were kept moist in damp moss and they were named tussie mussies. They were held by the long ...