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NU Film Society explores history, folklore with screening of ‘The Buccaneer’

NEW ULM – Take a little trip with the New Ulm Film Society down the mighty Mississippi with a screening of “The Buccaneer” 1958. The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the New Ulm Public Library. The movie is the second film in the Film Society’s America at War series. “The Buccaneer” was released in 1958 and tells the story of the final battle in the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans. The story focuses on pirate Jean Laffite, played by Yul Brynner. In the lead up to the battle, Lafitte controlled the bayous surrounding New Orleans. Andrew Jackson, ...

Supporting widows and building connections

Dear Readers: So many of you wrote about the widow columns that I printed recently, and made some interesting points, so I wanted to share a few of these letters with everyone. Dear Annie: Oh, wow! I just saw this in our paper and pointed it out to my wife. She didn’t believe it at first, and I was just as surprised. Widows being shunned by their friends out of fear they will lose their husbands to them! What troubles me most is that we’re already facing an “epidemic of loneliness” in this country, and that kind of attitude -- rooted in fear or mistrust -- only makes things ...

Stock up on batteries for Christmas

Dear Heloise: Don’t forget to stock up on batteries for Christmas. Most gifts that need them don’t have them included. You want to be sure that folks will be able to use the item as soon as they unwrap it. This is especially important for children’s gifts. -- Carolyn M., in Canaan, Connecticut TOUCH SCREEN SENSITIVITY Dear Heloise: Touch screens have transitioned from being pressure-sensing to capacitive. Because of this transition, the moisture of your fingertip determines the sensitivity. I find that I need to occasionally lick my fingertip to get the screen to detect my ...

The endless winter

We had a fabulous autumn weather-wise, nothing to complain about although that didn’t prevent many of us from doing so. First it was too warm and too dry; then, when it started to rain, it was too cold and too wet. There’s no pleasing some people. In our neck of the woods, every snow-free day in November is a bonus. We were in the fourth week of the month before we saw our first flakes and they only amounted to an annoying dusting. This was a generous bonus indeed. If you live in my area long enough, you’re going to experience a winter that comes early and stays late. So late ...

Picking up the pieces after a betrayal

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 14 years. He is 9 years younger than I am, and when we got married, we each brought three children into our blended family. For the past two years, I was the primary caregiver for my mother after she had a stroke. Even before that, I spent a significant amount of my time caring for my elderly parents. My husband has always had his own hobbies and keeps busy with work. He had always said he understood and supported me in devoting so much time to my parents, especially since our youngest child is now almost 17. I thought we had an ...

Keeping art tools in place

Dear Heloise: I recently learned a hint that artists or kids could use while drawing. Cut out a placemat-sized piece of bumpy rubber shelf liner and place it beside your work area. Place colored pencils or crayons on the shelf liner, and your art tools won’t roll off the tabletop no matter what! No more chasing or losing coloring tools under furniture. -- P.W., via email FOOD SAFETY Dear Heloise: Many food items that are refrigerated or must be refrigerated after opening have an expiration after they’re opened. For example, spaghetti sauce has an expiration date, but if you look ...