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Planning for spring

Lifestyle Columns

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” — Leo Tolstoy As I’m writing this, the weather outside is sunny and 80 degrees. It is one of those spectacular bonus days we sometimes get in early spring. The shorts and sandals have come out, and everyone is outside enjoying the weather. The promise of spring has me thinking about gardens, so here are a few of the new library books about growing flowers and vegetables. Step by Step Greenhouse Gardening for Beginners: Easy DIY Setup Anywhere, Eco-Friendly Tips to Grow and Protect Plants in Every Season, and Harvest Produce Like a ...

A spirited production hits State Street

Lifestyle Feature

NEW ULM — Sometimes “till death do us part” is a hilarious lie. That’s what novelist Charles Condomine finds out in the comedy “Blithe Spirit,” and it will soon be what theatergoers realize as the play prepares to hit the stage at State Street Theater Co. “Blithe Spirit” ...

Recent Reads

Lifestyle Columns

I recently enjoyed these books and think you might, too! Annie is seeking a fresh start after being dumped by her boyfriend. She moves to rural New York, settling in Rowan. The first person she meets in town is Sophie. Sophie is beautiful, a wonderful cook, a skilled seamstress, and a whiz at making lotions and other potions. She makes the small town fun and magical for Annie, even though the other citizens of Rowan seem wary of Sophie. But strange things seem to happen when Sophie is around and Annie can’t help but wonder what Sophie really is . . . and if she and Annie may be more ...

The wonderful world of monarchs

Lifestyle Feature

Last month, Deb Steinberg and Julie Gartner of New Ulm took an early spring break to Mexico for a trip of a lifetime. The two first traveled to Mexico City. From there, they traveled four hours to Central Mexico to visit the largest monarch butterfly sanctuaries in the world. Mexico is home ...

Cinderella with music

Lifestyle Feature

Director George Hirschboeck said “Cinderella”, a folk tale with thousands of variants told throughout the world, helped shape his appreciation for theater and the sense of community it creates. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella: Enchanted ...

Cloisonne develops global appeal from artisans

Lifestyle Columns

Cloisonne gets its name from the metal “cloisons,” French for “partitions,” that are filled with enamel, creating the multicolor designs. Despite the French name, the technique has been used in many parts of the world. It was revolutionized in Japan in the 19th century, when artist Kaji Tsunekichi, working as a metal gilder to supplement the stipend he received as a former samurai, deconstructed a piece of Chinese cloisonne to develop his own techniques. He soon began training other artists in cloisonne, which exploded in popularity in Japan, where it was called shippo. Many ...