Category: Family Fun

Kiddie Pool 26/04/09

Family fun for whenever

A con for kids!

Kids Con New England, the annual comic book and pop culture convention for kids, will take place Sunday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Sheraton at 11 Tara Boulevard in Nashua, and feature comics, workshops, children’s books authors and illustrators, games, costumed characters, gaming, a kids and family cosplay contest, a scavenger hunt and more, according to a press release.

Guests for this year’s event include Jeff Kline (publisher of Darby Pop comics and a TV writer/producer), Rick Keene (cartoonist and comic artist for Disney and DC Comics), Richard Maurizio (cartoonist and comic artist “known for work on Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, Space Jam, Tom & Jerry and more”), Adam & Makana Wallenta (father and son creators of the Punk Taco graphic novels), Tim Jones (cartoonist of Sour Grapes), Mark Parisi (graphic novelist and cartoonist of Off the Mark), Jennifer E. Morris (graphic novelist and children’s author and illustrator of the Flubby series and Maud the Koala), Gina Perry (children’s author and illustrator of The King of Books, Aven Green Sleuthing Machine and the Let’s Draw book series) and Dave London (graphic novelist and cartoonist of Pet Peeves), the press release said.

See kidsconne.com for tickets (kids under 5 get in for free) and for a list of all the artists, vendors and guests. The website also offers a schedule of the planned workshops (such as “Draw Monsters with Chris Gugliotti” at 11:15 a.m.; “Puppetry Workshop with Julio Robles, the Mainer with the Muppets” at 1:30 p.m., and “Manga-Me! Draw with Jack Purcell of SHP Comics” at 2:15 p.m.). Performances scheduled for the day include School of Rock Nashua concert at 10:10 a.m., “Saber Guild: Chandrila Temple Padawan Training Initiatives” at 11:50 a.m. and 1:35 p.m., and Sages Entertainment Magic Show at 11 a.m. and 2:10 p.m., the website said. The day includes a cosplay contest at 3 p.m. and a cosplay parade, the website said. The School of Rock will also host a musical instrument petting zoo and the event will feature a sensory-friendly space, the website said. A games room will feature tabletop and indie games and Gamers Sanctuary will have its mobile video gaming trailer on site, according to the website, where you can also find information about on-site food concessions and nearby restaurants.

Music and a parade

• Ralph Waldo Emerson School for Preschoolers is hosting a Week of the Young Child Parade and Celebration on Sunday, April 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the statehouse lawn in Concord. The event will feature a Teddy Bear & Stuff Parade with musical performer Mr. Aaron at 11:30 a.m.; a free concert and dance party with Mr. Aaron at 11:45 p.m.; storytellers after the end of the concert and more, according to a press release. See emersonschoolnh.org.

Big screen, less noise

• Chunky’s in Manchester, chunkys.com, will host a sensory-friendly screening of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Tuesday, April 14, at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. See the website for tickets.

• O’Neil Cinemas at 16 Orchard View in Londonderry also hosts sensory-friendly screenings where house lights are higher and there are no loud noises, according to oneilcinemas.com. Next up is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Saturday, April 11, at 10 a.m.

Tendies at bat

The NH Fisher Cats become the Manchester Chicken Tenders for the Tuesday, April 14, game against the Chesapeake Baysox at 6:03 p.m. The game is the first in a six-game run against the Baysox, which a game on Friday, April 17, followed by fireworks and a Saturday, April 18, game when the Fisher Cats become the New Hampshire Space Potatoes for the afternoon. See milb.com/new-hampshire.

Treasure Hunt 26/04/09

Dear Donna,

Does anybody buy and use Depression glass anymore? When cleaning out my mom’s home I accumulated quite a few pieces. I brought them to a consignment store and got most of them back. Things have changed so much. I never thought I would get them back again. Any advice on what to do now?

Thanks, Donna.

Ellen

Dear Ellen,

First let me say you are right.

Things have changed a lot in the past years. Items that were popular for collecting and displaying are being unloaded as people want simplicity and less clutter now. I do think that some Depression glass is wanted; I also think that as always the best, rarest pieces, and those in the best condition, will always hold high value in the collectors market.

During the Depression era lots of glassware was made. So much of it is still around today. Common pieces seem to now get pushed back.

I think now I would donate it to a fundraising sale or possibly a yard sale yourself. But for value I don’t think I would price it more than $1 or $2 apiece. If there was any more value to them I think that would have been the pieces you didn’t get back.

Good luck, Ellen. Thanks for sharing with us.

Donna

Note: Ellen, if any of the glass is chipped or heavily scratched, toss it!

Kiddie Pool 26/04/02

Family fun for whenever

Showtime

• The Hispanic Flamenco Ballet will perform for students on Friday, April 3, at 10 and 11 a.m. at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St. in Concord, according to theaudi.org. Call 305-420-6622 for tickets.

• Ovation Theatre Company will present The Addams Family Musical, primarily featuring performers ages 13 to 19, on Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4, at 7 p.m. as well as April 4 at 2 p.m. at the Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway in Derry, according to ovationtc.com, where you can purchase tickets.

• Cinderella will be presented by Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet as their spring show on Saturday, April 4, at 1 and 4 p.m. See snhdt.org for tickets; the show takes place at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, whose website says the show is 75 minutes long with a 15-minute intermission.

Easter fun

• Hunt for eggs at the Lions Clubs of Pinardville and Goffstown’s Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4, with 9 a.m. (for ages 1 to 4), 9:45 a.m. (ages 5 to 7) and 10:30 a.m. (ages 8 to 10) start times at Roy Park in Pinardville. Find the clubs on Facebook.

• Carriage Shack Farm, 5 Dan Hill Road in Londonderry, will hold an Easter Bunny Party at the Farm on Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to carriageshackfarmllc.org, where you can purchase tickets.

• Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St. in Candia, will wrap up its Egg-citing Egg Hunt, geared toward egg hunters ages 2 to 12, this Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, with entry times from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to visitthefarm.com.

Science!

• Retro-priced $3 admission continues at the SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St. in Manchester, through Saturday, April 4, to celebrate the Center’s 40th birthday. The center opens at 10 a.m. (with a last admission at 3 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m. on weekends) and is closed Sunday, April 5, for Easter, according to see-sciencecenter.org.

• The monthly Super Stellar Friday at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord on Friday, April 3, is all about the nocturnal world of caterpillars and moths: “The Caterpillar Lab will present a photograph and video packed talk that explores the nighttime world of caterpillars, moths, and how to find them. … This special lecture will include time to meet a few special caterpillar specimens up close, try out blacklight flashlights, and chat with Caterpillar Lab educators about all things local caterpillar,” according to starhop.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. presentation, and a sky viewing will take place at 9 p.m., weather permitting, according to the website, where you can purchase admission tickets for the program as well as add-on tickets for the 8 p.m. planetarium show.

Treasure Hunt 26/04/02

Dear Donna,

This small vase has been in my family for years. My parents got it for a wedding present back in the 1940s. They were both antique collectors so we have a few different pieces from them. It always sat on our dining room server. In the spring my mom would get flowers for it. Now it is mine and I have all the memories that come with it.

Can you give me any information on it? I will pass this on to my son and hopefully give it a new home.

Thank you.

Heidi

Dear Heidi,

First I want to say thank you for all the photos and information.

Your lovely Arts and Crafts Era vase is a Rookwood pottery piece. It dates back to 1912. All this information is imprinted in the bottom of the vase.

Rookwood is an American company out of Ohio. It has an interesting story (worth researching)and some extremely talented artist pieces. It was so popular for its Arts and Crafts matte finishes and patterns.

Rookwood values are based on condition, age, size, artist, and rarity of pieces. Your vase is 5” and a pea pod pattern in good condition with no damage. It’s in the range of $150+.

Heidi, I just want to say I think your memories of it are so important in passing it on. Just a tiny piece of paper inside will go a long way. Making family pieces important is all in memories!

Thank you for sharing with us and putting a smile on my face.

Treasure Hunt 26/03/26

Hello, Donna,

I have several boxes of old bottles. They are dirty but otherwise in good condition. I think my uncle and dad dug them up years ago. Can you tell me what to do with them? Thank you.

Christine

Dear Christine,

First thing I would do is soak them in the sink with dish detergent. Don’t scrub. Just get the dust and debris off. Letting them sit overnight sometimes helps with this. Bottle collectors will do the rest of the cleaning if deemed appropriate.

Old and antique bottles are in a field of their own. There are plenty of experts out there. They can help in the determination of values. Lots of the items have just a decorative value but some can be rare and in the thousands for resale. So before you just toss them it’s a good idea to have someone look at them.

Send group pictures to a bottle expert online. They can spot valuable ones even this way. Or bring them to your local antique shop and ask if they could peek at them. Either way, Christine, a quick check is always advisable with anything you have questions with. Thanks for sharing with us. I hope you found a treasure!

Treasure Hunt 26/03/19

Dear Donna,

I found this nest blowing around in my front yard over this past month. It was like a dried grass ball. I brought it inside and it actually was, I believe, a bird’s nest.

I was going to toss it and thought maybe I would run it by you first. Is there any value to this? It’s a big one and very full.

Thank you in advance.

Coreen

Dear Coreen,

I’m willing to bet lots of nests didn’t make it in trees. This year was so windy.

Birds’ nests and wasps’ nests are collected for interior decorative reasons. The bigger and cleaner, the better. I have seen huge wasp nests go for a couple hundred in great shape.

As for a bird’s nest I would say the value is in the $20 range. I think if you brought it even to an antique shop you could get half that.

I hope this was helpful, Coreen. Good luck finding a new home.

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