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Weeding

If you were expecting an article about your garden, then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Our Friends of the New Ulm Public Library annual used book sale is just one week away on November 2-4. We are grateful to all our Friends for the time and energy they put into the sale to make it successful in support of the library. We’re also grateful to all of you who willingly donate your books and come to the sale! We hope you’ll stop by the sale and have a lucky find or even join the Friends of the Library. Some books in the sale, and the books on our regular book sale cart, have ...

Storing Tender Bulbs

Some of our favorite garden flowers in Minnesota are tender bulbs and have to be dug up in autumn so we can overwinter the bulbs and replant them next spring to enjoy the blooms again. This will save the gardener some money also. Tender bulbs include caladiums, calla lilies, cannas, dahlias, elephant ears, freesia, gladiolus, oxalis, pineapple lilies and tuberous begonias. The general rule of thumb is to dig your tender bulbs out of your garden after the leaves begin to dry up or they are killed by frost. Using a fork or spade, dig them carefully to gently loosen the soil from around ...

Seven backyard improvements that make a differe

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – The housing market always has its ups and downs, and home renovations appear to be hitting some record highs in the last few years. With more people staying home to work, relax and play, many homeowners have chosen to renovate rather than move to a new home to obtain their dream house and have it work better for their family. But what about extending those enhancements outside, into the family backyard? According to a recent survey commissioned by the TurfMutt Foundation and conducted online by The Harris Poll among over 1,000 Canadian adults, a majority of ...

Puzzle mug a fitting piece for George Ohr

seen as traditional, even old-fashioned, but there is plenty of room for eccentricity. This puzzle mug by George E. Ohr is an unusual piece by an unconventional artist. There are holes in its sides; if you try to fill it and drink from it like an ordinary mug, the liquid spills out -- probably onto you. Puzzle mugs usually have a hollow portion, often in the handle, that works like a drinking straw. The trick is to know which holes to cover and which to drink from. A puzzle mug is a fitting piece for George Ohr, who had a flair for the unusual. Ohr, known as “the Mad Potter of ...

Halloween reads from the children’s room

At the time of printing this article, it should be about 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 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, ...

Upcoming ‘Sesame Street’ season stars Ariana DeBose, Brandi Carlile, ASL and an octopus chef

NEW YORK — The upcoming season of “Sesame Street” features an octopus as a chef, an exploration of American Sign Language and Quinta Brunson giving Cookie Monster a little bit of attitude. The 54th season of the iconic children’s show debuts Nov. 9 on MAX with a gentle satire of Brunson’s hit mockumentary “Abbott Elementary,” mimicking that show’s single-camera style and confessional cut-aways. “It was really fun to kind of zoom in on Cookie Monster making a joke about eating a cookie and Quinta Brunson giving him a little bit of side-eye,” says Executive Producer ...