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Antiques & Collecting: Local woods made useful, long-lasting furniture

Furniture made in America during its early days sometimes used expensive imported material like mahogany with hardware from Europe. But local woods, like pine, oak, walnut and cedar, iron and even paint were available and inexpensive. The use of a local wood helps identify furniture made in New Mexico, Louisiana and parts of Pennsylvania. An early 19th-century ladderback chair from Louisiana was sold at a recent Neal auction. It was made of cypress wood, which is rot-resistant, hard and durable, has few knots, a light golden color, and, best of all, found near the furniture maker. The ...

Family Living Focus: How to boost your brain power

Do you sometimes feel as if your brain is on “empty?” Here is how to keep it in shape so you can pump up your problem-solving abilities, fight forgetfulness and think more clearly and creatively. Practice mentally. Studies of athletes indicate that imagining a tennis serve or ski run between competitions can boost performance. A possible reason for this is because mental rehearsals use most of the brain connections switched on during the real thing, so they help build mental muscle. Capture creative peaks. Experts believe the brain to be in a highly creative state just before ...

Antiques & Collecting: Crockery may take some detective work

There were many small potteries making stoneware and other ceramics for use in the kitchen, bedroom or farm. Most utensils made in America by the 1800s were made with thick pottery sides in simple shapes with almost no decoration. The most expensive examples collected today have a design or name on the crock to trace for the age and maker. But unsigned pieces are often identified when sold at auctions. That takes an expert; a family legend is not enough. Conestoga Auction Company often sells antique and vintage stoneware. Is the side curved or straight? Is there a shaped rim? Is the ...

Off the Shelf: Minnesota Book Award finalists

The Minnesota Book Award Finalists were announced earlier this month, so I would like to highlight a few of them that will be available at the library. The Minnesota Book Awards are annual awards presented for the best books by Minnesota authors that honor Minnesota stories. You can be sure all of them are worthy of a look even if they don’t win the top prize. In the General Nonfiction category is “100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars and More” by Sarah Kiefer (641.8654 Kieffer). This beautiful cookbook was also ...

Antiques & Collecting: Whirlygigs have been around a long, long time

Whirligigs were invented centuries ago. They are both toys and tools, indicators of wind direction and the weather. Sources disagree on where the first were made; it was probably in China about 400 B.C. or by Native Americans about 550 B.C. The whirligig must have a spinning part and a base and many were made in fanciful shapes. The oldest known pictures of a whirligig were in tapestries made in medieval times. There are many names and many shapes of whirligigs. Old sources call them pinwheels, gee-haws, whirlyjigs or whirlys. Vintage examples have waving arms, flags, angels’ wings, ...

Public Health Corner: Remember your heart

February is upon us and some may have those yummy candy hearts and their loved ones on their mind as this month is often known for Valentine’s Day. This month, we encourage you to think about YOUR heart as well. February is a month that we focus help Americans learn about heart disease and what can be done to prevent it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is a leading cause of death, attributing to one of four deaths in the United States. Closer to home, about 232,000 people in Minnesota suffer from coronary heart disease. Heart disease may ...