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Drums one of Civil War’s rarest artifacts

Collectors seek out military antiques to preserve veterans’ stories and honor historic heroes. Civil War drums are some of the rarest of these antiques, and they convey powerful imagery along with their historical importance. A Civil War-era drum that sold for $2,783 at Donley Auctions was previously displayed in a museum. Still in excellent condition, it features bold blue trim and is decorated with a painted eagle and shield, as well as all 13 stars representing the Union. These drums were usually painted with patriotic images; eagles were, of course, one of the most popular ...

Meal Prep for the Win

Meal prep is a popular trend these days. We’ve all been there: it’s 6 pm, everyone is tired and hungry, and there is no meal in sight. Do you resort to pizza or something that might not be very healthy? Meal Prep can be your secret weapon to less mealtime stress, eating better, and saving money. If you are just getting started with meal prepping, or are looking for some new ideas and recipes, here are some books to check out. Just the pictures alone will inspire you to add these meals to your week. First up is Damn Delicious Meal Prep: 115 Easy Recipes for Low-Calorie, ...

Art deco designs still have plenty of appeal

The first Sunday in November is the time to turn your clocks back an hour. This year, you might want to look back a century, too. The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris ended in November 1925, making art deco, the style it exhibited (not to mention named), officially antique at 100 years old. Its appeal is still going strong; dealers, decorators, and trend watchers have noticed a surge of interest in art deco in recent years. The hundredth anniversary of the exhibition may be a factor, or maybe it’s just that the sleek lines and geometric ...

Recent reads

Here are few of my favorite recent reads. Library staff would be happy to help you place requests on these or any other titles. If you’d like to place your own request, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog. All the Belles are called back to Bellerton Academy following its 150th anniversary. A discovery was made on the finishing school grounds during the celebration. As each woman returns, they will have to reckon with their shared past and the once-tight ties of sisterhood. The Belles is an atmospheric, eerie suspense novel with a strong sense of place and time. ...

Skull steins are a creepy way to toast the season

What could be creepier than drinking out of a skull? Porcelain manufacturers in Germany have been making skull-shaped steins for hundreds of years. The one pictured here, which sold for $343 at Fox Auctions, was created by Ernst Bohne Sohne. This company started as a decorating studio in 1848 and was taken over by Gebruder Heubach, famous for their porcelain dolls, about 1919. (Although skull steins were among their most popular designs, no, “Bohne” is not German for “bone.”) As popular as skull steins were, they were traditionally meant for a different occasion than Halloween ...

Halloween reads from the children’s room

It’s less than a week away from Halloween. I loved the night as a child. I loved all the preparation that went into finding or making the perfect costume for trick-or-treating each year. As a young mother I think I had even more fun dressing my children for their school parties and a night of scouring the neighborhood Halloween night looking for the house that gave out full size candy bars. I remember reading at least one spooky, or not so spooky, story before bed each night the week before Halloween. Here are some favorite picks for spooky, sometimes kooky, Halloween reads Room on ...