Happy Groundhog Day

Happy What?

If you’re not from Pennsylvania or surrounding states you may never have heard of Groundhog Day.  However, that’s a little hard to believe since even the national news networks get excited every February 2nd, the day we here in Pennsylvania call Groundhog Day.  What exactly is Groundhog Day?  Every February 2nd, since 1886, a groundhog rubs his sleepy little eyes, stretches out his legs, and lumbers to the door of his hutch.  Or, more realistically is awoken from a sound sleep at dawn by a bunch of human beings making a lot of noise and shinning Kleig lights in his face.  Poor little guy, can you imagine how he feels about all this pomp and circumstance.

This beloved little creature is known as Punxsutawney Phil, named after the town in western Pennsylvania where he lives. Not one to type big words of which I don’t know the meaning, I looked up Punxsutawney.  All of the translations were pretty much the same.  Punxsutawney, prounounced “ponksad-uteney” or my version Punk-so-tawn-e, was an Indian village originally settled by Delaware Indians in 1723 before Europeans came to America.  The name Punxsutawney means “sand-fly place” or  “town of the sandflies.”   The vermin were so small they couldn’t be seen and their bite as hot as sparks of fire.  Neither of those translations does the town of Punxsutawney justice.  I have never seen any sand in Punxsy (as we locals call it) or a sandfly for that matter.  What is there is a charming town that still has a busy main street, lots of community pride, and polite inhabitants who say hello to strangers.

Back to Phil…Phil is the big celebrity in Punxsy because he has a very important job.  He is the most famous of all weather forecasters, at least in Pennnsylvania, and it’s his job to let us know whether we are going to have an early spring or six more weeks of winter.  If you know western Pennsylvania, you know you don’t need to get up at dawn to watch a groundhog tell us we going to have six more weeks of winter.  And so, I have never bothered to get out of bed in the wee hours and drive to Punxsy in freezing weather to watch a rodent meander around his fenced yard.  Yes, I’m sorry, a groundhog is a rodent, “of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots.”

I love this statement taken from the Groundhog Day website.  “This is the main event where Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, the Prognosticator of Prognosticators, the worlds most famous groundhog and the only real weather predicting groundhog will greet his true believers and will reveal to Bill Deeley the president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club his prediction for the end of winter.”  Don’t know about Bill, but I wouldn’t hold that varmit too close to my face!

On February 2nd, with the members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club dressed in tuxedos and top hats, and thousands of “true believers” standing around watching their breath freeze, it’s time for the little guy to make his appearance.  Some years this is fast but most of the time, like any smart Pennsylvanian, Phil does not want to leave his warm little hut.

Cameras roll, speeches flow, breath continues to freeze, and eventually they coax Phil into doing his thing.  Legend has it, that if Phil sees his shadow (I never really noticed how much attention Phil paid to actually looking for his shadow), he will scurry back into his hole and we have six more weeks of a typical Pennsylvania winter.   If, on the other hand, Phil does not see his shadow he may stay out and frolic with his faithful followers and we might get lucky and have six weeks of milder weather, but it is still going to be winter.  Frolic?  Don’t count on that.  At any rate, Punxsutawney has certainly made the most of ancient folklore.

There are variations of the legend but they are all basically the same, “if the sun comes out on Candlemas (also known as Imbolc) the hedgehog will see its shadow and as a result six more weeks of winter will follow.”  Early German settlers brought the practice over with them and used groundhogs rather than hedgehogs.  Here’s a tidbit about Pennsylvania, we are not short on groundhogs!

Punxsutawney has done a great job marketing Phil’s forecasting abilities and building an entire weekend of celebration around his early morning prophecy.  There are breakfasts, banquets, crafts, food vendors, chain saw carving, story telling, any multitude of things to do.  You can visit the Groundhog Museum, listen to music, and even taste a little wine (I’m pretty sure there’s actually a lot of wine tasting going on).  Not to be forgotten are the ever-present souvenirs including adorable stuffed Phils to take home to your friends and family who preferred the comfort of their homes to stamping their cold feet on a mountainside in Western Pennsylvania.

This extraordinary event became so well-known that a movie entitled, what else, “Groundhog Day,” was made in 1993 featuring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.  You better like this movie because it airs non-stop the week before Phil’s party.  I love the movie but have to tell you, I’m very disappointed it was not actually filmed in Punxsutawney.  It was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, which I’m sure is also a very nice town.  The big news, however, is that the film was selected by the National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress in 2006, and added to the United States National Film Registry  being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”  Now that’s cool!

 

So, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend you need look no further thanks to the citizens of Punxsutawney.  Bring the family and come on down, up, or over, to visit “Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, the Prognosticator of Prognosticators, the worlds most famous groundhog” and celebrate the 129th year of Groundhog Day at Gobblers Knob, Monday, February 2nd 2015, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania!

Not really a groundhog!

Don’t forget, if you would like to remark on this blog click on the word “comment”

under the date at the upper left side of the text .

http://www.kathleenandrewsdavis.com/

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

Meet the dollhouse lady.

  Click the arrow at the bottom to review the previous blog

for details on International Book Giving Day

coming February 14, 2015

     As many of you know, I am a latecomer to the wonderful hobby of building and furnishing a dollhouse.  I really did not appreciate the time it takes to build a dollhouse and found myself up against the proverbial wall many times.  This makes me giggle when I picture myself smashed up against one of the tiny walls of my dollhouse…  At any rate, if it had not been for the help of my friend, Mrs. Sandra Geimer a/k/a The Dollhouse Lady, I might have given up a long ago.

    The most important thing Mrs. Geimer taught me was to be patient, the joy of this hobby is the journey.  I quench my thirst for completing this project by telling myself a dollhouse is never really done.  Sounds like an excuse, well it is…kind of, except that I really do love seeing what others have done and learning from them.  Somehow, saying it’s finished seems like defeat.  I don’t want to be done.  I want to add new things, make new things, and share this experience with my Goddaughter and granddaughter for as long as I can.

     If you have ever been to one of my presentations you know I always say that I started writing to leave our grandchildren a legacy of words.  Well, the art of dollhousing (I think I just invented a new word) is also a legacy.  With each strip of that frustrating wiring tape, the hours of sanding and painting the tiny pieces of wood, and the pure joy of sewing tiny items by hand comes a memory.  I have stood in antiques and consignment stores and looked at discarded dollhouses and my heart aches. Someone made those dollhouses for a beloved child and now they sit dusty and unloved.   I look forward to the day when Emerson can help me pick out pieces to add to “her” house and pray the house will never end up lonely in an unknown store.

     I wanted you to meet the woman who helps me and learn a little about her enthusiasm for dollhouses.  Some of you will remember Mrs. Geimer’s house the Rosedawn that was featured in my very first blog.  I am happy to say, the Rosedawn has found a new home and resides with a lady who waited many years for exactly this house.

     If you have any questions about building/decorating/loving a house, please pass your questions on in the “contact” section below and I’ll get the answers back to you.

*Remember, if you simply want to comment you need to click under the date (top left) where it says “Leave a comment.”

Questions for The Dollhouse Lady

Q:  What made you decide to build a dollhouse?

A:  When we were kids we didn’t have the kind of craft stores we have today and when I walked into the first major craft store about 14 years ago my brain exploded with possibilities.  I saw a HUGE dollhouse and knew immediately I had to have it.  Chuck, my husband, did a lot of the building of that first house, but I built or bought  all the ones that followed.  Once you have completed building a dollhouse, the satisfaction is beyond belief – meaning, “my 2 hands did THAT.”

Q:  Give us an example of three things that you “learned the hard way” when building and/or decorating your dollhouses.

A:  1.  Always take your time either building the dollhouse or decorating it – never be in a rush because you will have many re-does,

2.  Be sure to have the proper tools for building and/or decorating – ie:  sharp scissors, a good paper cutter, good wall paper paste, good crafting glue.

3.  Never be in a hurry to complete a project – mistakes will be made and they WILL show.

Q:  How many dollhouses have you decorated?  Please give a brief description of each.

Best way to answer this is to go in order,  including the “name” of the dollhouse.

1.  “The Alexandria” – this house was a Victorian house – this is the house that I learned the do’s and don’ts about painting, wallpapering and basic decorating.  I made a lot of the furniture that was in the house from kits.  I gave this house to 2 little girls.

 

2.  “The Holiday House” – this house had only 4 rooms in it – each room one above the other.  The first floor was decorated as the Halloween Room, 2nd floor was The Thanksgiving Dining Room, the 3rd floor was the “Christmas Room” and the 4th floor was the “4th of July” room.

 

3.  “The Haunted House” – probably my favorite of all.  I built this house from a very inexpensive kit and installed lighting in it as well as eerie blue lights for the “scary” effect.

4.  “The Clue House” was already built when I bought it, but I did all the exterior and interior decorating, including the electricity.  This house was made by a company in England and was a high quality dollhouse.  The theme of this house was modeled after the game of “Clue”.  The house was interactive – meaning, you could actually play the real game of Clue in the dollhouse.  I gave this house to a darling little girl by the name of Sally.

This house is so unique.  Please note Professor Plum in the library, Miss Scarlet in the Parlor and Mrs. White in the kitchen.

5.  “The Lighthouse”– this was my first attempt working with a “round” house as well as working with 1/2′ scale.  This was SO MUCH fun to make and  the entire theme was based on the workings of a lighthouse.  I gave this house to my sister as a “thank you” gift because of my many visits to their summer home at the Cape.

Very sorry to say I don’t have a picture of the Lighthouse.

6.  “The Rosedawn” –  This was the biggest house I had (12 rooms) – This house was a work in progress extending into approximately 10 years worth of wall papering, making parquet floors, extensive electrical work, painting, decorating, etc.

7. “The Forever Friends House” – a cute fun little house that I found in a dumpster that was in complete shambles – it had 2 floors each with only 1 room……I made it into a dollhouse store.

8.  “The Cumberland Castle” – I got this house from a company in England and built it myself following very easy instructions.  Once the house was built, I painted it on the outside and then covered the entire exterior with over 2,000 stones.  Although Kings and Queens of early years didn’t have electricity, I installed  electric candles throughout the house.  This is truly my favorite house of all.

Front of castle, throne room and king’s bedroom.  Pretty cool!

Q:  What is the difference between a dollhouse and a room box?

A:  Dollhouses are actually “houses” with separate rooms; ie:  living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, etc.  Each room usually has a door from one room to another.  A room box is usually of a specific theme and is only 1 room.  

Q:  Why would you do a room box versus a dollhouse?

A:  Someone would do a room box if they did not have room for a full dollhouse, did not want to commit as much time, or  just wanted to give it a try to see if you really liked the hobby.  Room boxes are done very much the same as a dollhouse.  You can paint, wallpaper and lay carpeting/flooring  and then decorate it according to your theme.  I have several room boxes – all with a different theme.  (Internet cafe, saloon,  The Statue of David has his own room box,  a Christmas room box, a garden green house  and a library room box.

Q:  What is the most important thing you can tell someone interested in building a dollhouse? 

A:  The most important thing is to have patience and to take your time while working on your dollhouse.  Never be in a hurry.  Also, have the proper working tools, good glue and good lighting so you can see while you work.  Don’t be afraid of making mistakes and ALWAYS use your imagination.

This is quite a collection of dollhouses!  Remember, if you send me questions I will forward them to The Dollhouse Lady and get back to you with the answers.

Have fun!

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

Learn about The Emerson’s Attic book series at http://www.kathleenandrewsdavis.com/

International Book Giving Day

Did you know?

February 14th is International Book Giving Day…yup, it is and I think it’s great.

Here’s the gist of it, International Book Giving Day is an international program aimed at encouraging children to read by giving them their own book.

Did you know?

1.  Most children in developing countries do not own books.

2.  In the UK, one-third of children do not own books,

3.  and, wait for it….in the US, 2/3 of children living in poverty do not own books.

Photo courtesy of Book Aid International

Let’s all make an effort to participate.  It’s easy and inexpensive.  Here are three simple suggestions:

1.  Gift a book to a friend or family member.

2.  Leave a book in a waiting room for children to read.

3.  Donate a gently used book to a local library, hospital, shelter or organization that distributes used books to children in need.

It’s simple and fun.

Want to do more?

1.  Get involved all year by gathering books and giving them to the organization of your choice.  Your church may already have a missionary group, such as Books for Africa, that would love to receive your books.

2.  Volunteer at your local library.  Volunteer to read to children.  Volunteer to teach someone to read.

3.   Ask your children to place the books they have outgrown in a box and a few times a year, as a family, take the books to a local shelter.  Great example for your children of the gift of giving.

4.  Watch for reduced prices on new books at bookstores and even craft stores.  Once a year our local Michaels Crafts has a big display of classics like, Little Women, Black Beauty, Treasure Island, etc., for $1.00.  With a coupon you can get a book for 30%, 40% or even 50% off, who can’t afford to buy at least one book.  In addition to the display, they have a box for donations of these books which are then given to Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America.  Look for this display each fall at Michaels.

5.  Do it because it will make you feel good!

The library is never closed when you have books at home.

For more information go to http://bookgivingday.com

 

Visit me at: http://kathleenandrewsdavis.com

 

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

Resolution

So, it’s the New Year and for many the time to make a New Year’s “resolution.”  I don’t remember ever making a New Year’s Resolution and now that I think about it, I’m not sure what that says about me.  I know I’ve paid attention to others who take a deep breath every year, tighten their boot strings, and declare openly what it is they want to achieve in the upcoming year. Hopefully, no one remembers their resolution because studies say most people fail by the end of January.

Wanting to make sure I understood the word “resolution,” I looked it up.  There are many definitions, but here’s the one I thought was easiest to understand and most relevant to this discussion.  “A firm decision to do or not do something.”  That being said, I resolve not to make a New Year’s resolution again this year.  However, if I were to make a New Year’s resolution it would be to work on my dollhouse more often; but, since I don’t want to fail in 30 days, I’m not making that resolution.

 

Ah ha, since I just about deleted the last paragraph I have come up with a resolution I seriously need to make and that is, I will be more careful and remember to press “SAVE” more often.  There, that’s a pretty easy one, maybe I can actually stick with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emerson’s house, a work in progress.

I’d love to hear from you as to what your resolution is and how it’s going.  I hope you prove the studies wrong and are successful in your endeavor.  Belated happy New Year to one and all.

 

 

http://www.kathleenandrewsdavis.com/

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ