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Antiques & Collecting: Coffee grinders were part of full service groceries

In the 1950s, there were still A&P grocery stores that only sold bags of coffee beans that had to be ground in a large iron grinder in the store, even though there were other brands of ground beans in bags. The customer chose the type and could grind it or ask a clerk to help. Some health food stores today still sell customers freshly ground coffee. The Enterprise Manufacturing Company founded in Philadelphia in 1864 was one of the leading makers of both large store grinders and small iron grinders to be used at home. They also made juicers, Mrs. Potts sad irons, banks, tobacco cutters ...

Off the Record: Read for Your Mental Health

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. It is a reminder, especially in the stress of a pandemic, to be aware of our own state of being and to be compassionate to the inner struggles of others around us. There are many well proven methods to provide boosts to your mental fortitude. Regular exercise is consistently shown to boost important chemicals in the brain to contribute to our mental and emotional wellness. Sleep is another important factor in maintaining awareness of and motivation for our moods and attitudes. A healthy diet provides the brain with the necessary nutrition ...

Antiques & Collecting: Similar liquor containers had different functions

Antiques are given many names, often changed to be written in a new language or used in a different way, and there can be confusion. Is a “cave a liqueur” the same as a tantalus? Both have decanter bottles; both have drinking glasses; both can have locks; and both are used to serve liquor to guests, one usually before dinner, the other during and after a meal. In the past, formal service of alcoholic drinks, especially at banquets and special-occasion dinners, was important. The tantalus bottles held liquor, a distilled alcoholic drink like scotch. And it should be easy to remember ...

Off the Shelf: Data Privacy Week

The weekend caps off Data Privacy Week. It was first observed by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom in 2010. This initiative invites library users and patrons into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. We’re living in a new world. When was the last time you unplugged from your devices? I have to admit, for the first time in my career as a public librarian, I have more books checked out in my Libby app then I do physical books on my library card. If you find yourself constantly online, you’re not alone. There’s a ...

Family Living Focus

Watch Your Weight From Gail Gilman Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Being overweight increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Your physician can tell you what you should weigh for your height. To stay at a healthy weight, you need to balance the number of calories you eat with the number you burn off from your activities. You can get to your healthy weight and stay there by doing two things: eating right and being physically active. Eat Right Eating the right foods and the right amounts ...

Antiques & Collecting: German town of Mettlach well known for pottery

Mettlach, Germany, is a town known for manufacturing beer steins at the Villeroy and Boch factories since about 1842. They made all types of pottery. It started in 1809 when Pierre-Joseph Boch established a company in the remains of a cathedral built in 786 A.D. To avoid destroying the trees used for the factory’s fuel, a coal-burning kiln was developed by 1816. Famous artists were hired to create the designs. There were eight V&B factories making ceramics. In 1836, Mettlach merged with Villeroy & Boch, forming a company run by Eugene, son of Pierre-Joseph. Modern improvements ...