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Rhubarb comes to life — Season of Eating just around the corner

I took a photography class in college. On the first day, Brother Zarr informed us that he didn’t want to see any photos of old people or kids. Anyone can shoot a picture of an old guy on a corner or a kid on a swing. It doesn’t take any creativity. Writing about spring is like that. Whatever blogger or columnist you read is writing about spring right now. It’s such an amazing season of transition, green exploding everywhere, life rushing back to a comatose landscape. It doesn’t take any creativity. So, I’m writing about spring. Brother Zarr would be disappointed. Spring ...

Old motel bill shows need for sustainable approaches

I found an interesting surprise this past week in one of the paperback books at my house, a surprise that truly shows how much the world has changed. It’s a 1976 motel receipt for a room at the Fresno Hilton. It’s from a complete stranger, but the interesting part was the bill. It came to only $22.26. In those days you could have gotten a room, utilities, water service and I would guess a chance to try out the pool all for what in 2024 is hard to imagine. Now you can hardly get a restaurant meal for the same total. It’s from almost a half century of corporate profit taking, ...

NU Film Society offers the privilege of screening ‘Privilege’

NEW ULM – The NU Film Society’s debuting it’s mockumentary film series with “Privilege,” one of the earliest examples of the genre. The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 at the New Ulm Public Library. “Privilege” was released in 1967 and is presented as a documentary about a British pop singer named Steven Shorter, played by Paul Jones, who is uncomfortable with his fame and what it is being used to promote. The film is set in the near future where England’s main political parties have created a coalition government that is pushing uniformity. The State ...

Loss, recovery and tough family choices

Dear Annie: I am also a parent of a child who lost his battle with addiction in 2022. There are so many of us with difficult stories to share. My son found alcohol and drugs at 15 and battled those demons until his death at the age of 30. I have come to know that there are some types of brains that truly do not know how to turn off that switch. We did all we could do as a family, and as a mother, I was taken into a series of events that I was neither prepared for nor able to combat effectively. I have come to view those years with my son as a time where I examined the fragility of ...

Collecting condiments

Dear Heloise: Over time, my family and I have collected a number of packets containing ketchup, mustard, mayo and other sauces. They’re all in the refrigerator, but some are about 1 or 2 years old. Some don’t have any dates on them at all. I don’t know if these are still good enough to use or if we should through them out. What are your thoughts on this matter? -- Elizabeth A., San Jose, California Elizabeth, when in doubt, throw it out! Maybe it’s time to reevaluate all those condiments and sauces. Some might be in excellent shape, but why take that chance? If you took them ...

All’s well

Of all the essential infrastructure that we take for granted — I’m including Taylor Swift here — perhaps none is more important than soft water. I’m among those who says a prayer of thanks every time I turn the tap and water comes out. This is because running water wasn’t always a part of my life. The farmhouse where I grew up lacked running water until I was 5 years old. I was potty trained in a privy, which, during the bitter winter months, teaches one the value of such things as focus and expediency. When indoor plumbing was finally installed in our house, water was ...