Breaking News

Life

Waiting for snow

Lifestyle Columns

I’ve been waiting for snow. I am not a winter sport enthusiast or anything like that, but I do enjoy walking in the snow with my dog. She loves snow. If it’s snowing when we go out she tries to catch the snowflakes in her mouth as they flutter and fall. She can barely contain herself and pulls at the leash to get into the yard to play in it. Watching her roll around in the freshly fallen snow reminds me of my favorite picture books about snow, so I thought I would share some with you. A book my dog would love is called “Snow! Snow! Snow!” by Lee Harper. One night a cold wind ...

Collectors place high value on antique displays

Lifestyle Columns

It’s difficult to escape holiday shopping, whether you’re buying gifts, stocking up for dinner parties or just taking advantage of a sale. And stores make sure to entice you with flashy, tempting displays. Even if you’re not a fan of the commercialization of the holidays, store displays can be works of art. But collectors of antique advertising have known this for a long time. Window displays often have the most interesting images, the cleverest ideas and the latest technical effects. Look at this automaton, which sold for $1,560 at Potter & Potter Auctions. It originally stood ...

‘World peace through understanding’

Life

Named after the city of Ulm, a twin city of Neu-Ulm in southern Germany, New Ulm has proudly worn its German heart and heritage on its sleeve — or Lederhosen — since it was founded in 1854 by the German Land Company of Chicago. Never a city to let its rich history or roots fade, New Ulm ...

Holiday Lights in Motion takes a break

Lifestyle Feature

Sleepy Eye Holiday Lights in Motion, a Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s event that grew to a display of 500,000 LED lights on 110 trees in Sportsman’s Park is taking a year off to reorganize. “We are in the process of reorganizing the set-up process with hopes of recruiting ...

Gift prepping at the library

Lifestyle Columns

Are you wondering about gift ideas for the holiday season? Here are some great ways the library can inspire you to prepare your next thoughtful gift for those you care about. You can start by checking out our Memory Lab! In the Memory Lab, you can digitize old photos, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, and more including new offerings like microcassettes and 8mm film. We’ll train you on how to use the equipment and software and provide support as needed. If you think it sounds too technical, think again. We’ve had patrons with very little computer savvy be able to complete their projects ...

Steeping saffron in tiny teapots

Lifestyle Columns

There’s nothing like a hot drink on a cold day! How about a classic hot chocolate? Spiced apple cider? Maybe a warm cup of freshly steeped saffron? That last one might sound odd to us, but it’s a popular drink across many cultures and has been for hundreds of years. Saffron, a spice made from the stigma of a type of crocus, has been prized for its flavor, color, fragrance and purported health benefits since antiquity. As a drink, it can be steeped as an herbal tea (or, as some tea purists insist, tisane or herbal infusion) on its own or with other spices or herbs; or it can be ...