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Lifestyle Columns

Horses featured in Chinese culture, no matter the year

In 2026, the Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, begins on February 17. According to the Chinese zodiac, it is the Year of the Horse. Horses are important animals in Chinese culture and mythology, and they have appeared in decorative arts since prehistoric times. As in many cultures, there ...

Wordless Picture Books

Did you know that sharing a wordless picture book can be a powerful way to build important literacy skills? Wordless picture books are books without text that rely solely on the pictures to convey the story. They are often dismissed as being too easy for any age reader. But they are outstanding ...

Foot warmer warms hearts as well as toes

Ever since humanity moved into temperate climates, we have faced the problem of how to keep warm in the winter. Our extremities are especially challenging. Throughout history, people have come up with various types of foot warmers, and many of the old types are collectible today. One of the ...

Putting a price on a memory (jug)

Can you put a price on memories? This memory jug sold for $1,125 at Slotin Folk Art Auction. Memory jugs like this one, with decorative items embedded into the surface, are a famous African American art form. They are believed to have originated in Central and West African traditions, where ...

A Bicentennial Year

2026 marks two hundred fifty years since the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. As countries go, we’re relatively young in culture and identity. On the bright side, our form of government has endured for two and a half centuries – much longer than many other modern ...

Color combinations make for fashionable vases

Two-toned glass where one color shades into the other was fashionable in the late 19th to early 20th century. It started with amberina, which shades from red to amber and was made by reheating part of a piece of amber glass. Many companies made it, but usually under different names, since ...