February . . . a busy month!

Almost one week into February and the month is off to its usual winter pace with the Ground Hog predicting another 6 weeks of winter. Burr!

Super Bowl is over and I am always glad to see the underdog win. Go Eagles!

 

  

As this month progresses, here in my household are several celebrations.  Starting with Monday, our Cockatiel “Jazz” turned 23 years of age. That is 92 in people years. He can’t fly anymore but he certainly takes his place in our family, letting us know in no uncertain terms what he wants. Happy Birthday, Jazz!

My husband’s birthday is next and is also on President Lincoln’s Birthday, so we celebrate it with a homemade Log Cabin cake and of course, lots of candles, now numbering 78, and gifts.

Then comes Valentine’s Day. What does this day mean to you? For me and my family, it is a good day to acknowledge each other in a loving way with perhaps a box of candy, some fresh flowers, maybe a pizza? How about a bottle of Champagne with that slice of pepperoni pizza? Sounds good to me!

Next is Mardi Gras. Purple, green & gold beads, King Cake, Beignet & Chicory coffee! If you go to New Orleans, want a special occasion it will be.



On February 16^th, a new Chinese Year begins, this time it is the Year of the Dog. If you like astrology, Chinese predictions are fascinating. https://chinesenewyear2018.com/

In essence, whatever animal sign you are, it is the spirit of that animal that lives in your heart. I should know because my family is an eclectic group of animals: hubby is an Ox, methodical and stubborn. Me, I am a Tiger, there is not much more I can say here. Our daughter Tiffeni is a Dog, and this is her year, so watch out world, here she comes. And Charlie is a Rabbit. At 6’2 with eyes of blue, he is gentle and fun. I will offer a bit more on Chinese astrology later.

 

Then the weekend of the 17^th to the 20^th, Tiffeni will be giving a lecture on Friedrich Froebel at High Point University in High Point, NC. Froebel is the founder of Kindergarten and Tiffeni is a pedagogue and dedicated to bringing his educational methods back into our schools. When you have the time, check out this website to learn more about Froebel.  http://historyofkindergarten.com/

While she is there, I will be making a visit to the Reynolda House Museum in Salem, NC.  http://reynoldahouse.org/ 


This is where I got my inspiration to create my Family Museum. I explained the entire story in my book, available on https://www.amazon.com/Create-Family-Museum-Save-History/dp/0788457640/ref=sr
or from the publisher https://heritagebooks.com/ Hopefully, I will be able to have my book offered in their museum store.

 

 

And as this month unfolds, we will soon launch our website Goesel Woodshop. In several of my past blog posts I have mentioned how my husband makes toys and other fine wood products. When the website is finished, I will announce it here on my blog and then you can see our wonderful products.

 

 

That’s it for now, so Happy February to you all. And don’t forget, each holiday offers a memory to save and do so, whether it is a gift or photograph, put it in your Family Museum. Haven’t started it yet? Now is a good time as ever to do so.

 

 

 

February Fun

 

This month has been one hectic month due to all the holidays. First one was Ground Hog Day. Then came Lincoln’s Birthday which was also my husband’s birthday. Then came Valentine’s Day with all its hearts and flowers. Then President’s Day a national holiday. After that came Fat Tuesday known as Mardi Gras a holiday filled with parades, colorful beads and yummy goodies to eat. Right on its heels came the Chinese New Year; the Year of the Sheep. WOW! So now that all these holidays and festivities are over for a while, todays’ blogpost will focus on each of the aforementioned holidays.

Ground Hog Day came and went, leaving us with another six weeks of winter, and boy did it snow, especially in Boston. Some people still can’t find their cars. And you can bet your bottom dollar that when Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, he retreated back into his warm burrow to wait winter out. Smart guy! And though I would like to have had and kept something from Ground Hog’s Day in our Family Museum, the only thing we have is the movie. And this is by far one of my husband’s favorite movie. He even watches it when it isn’t Ground Hog Day!

Lincoln’s Birthday is a special day for our family because it is also Keith’s Birthday, and this year was a special event because he can now retire, but of course, he won’t. Of the gifts he received, I doubt any of them will go into the Family Museum, except more shelving which he will make using his new router.

Valentine’s Day is one holiday that is filled with emotion. I feel this day serves up good intentions for all to recognize, be it one special person or many, that they have a special part in your heart and to express those feelings, be it with a box of candy, beautiful flowers, a wonderful dinner, and cards and letters of loving words.  Love is important and should be acknowledged every day, not just Valentine’s Day.   

President’s Day is another day of recognition for our esteemed presidents. When I grew up, we didn’t have this holiday. We had Lincoln and Washington Days of which I can honestly say meant that we got those days off from school. I can’t recall it being celebrated any other way, except we had to read and write about our American President’s as school assignments. But we do have something in our Family Museum that shows our respect for our country’s leaders.
My husband has a Ronald Ragan Doll. I bought it for him on a Presidents Day. The talking action figure has a 4 minute audio chip that speaks 33 different phrases in the President’s own voice, such as this quote. "I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts."     



Mardi Gras is a holiday and often serves as a festive occasion. It is also known as Shrove Tuesday, as it is the last day before the long fast for Lent for many Christians. It is also known as Fat Tuesday and features large festivals and celebrations across the United States. The Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans is typical of the masquerades and dancing in the streets. Being raised Catholic, I remember how my family had to fast during Lent. Not wanting to give up anything, I did not enjoy not having any candy. And I wish I knew the holiday was celebrated in New Orleans. So to make up for all that I didn’t know, our family enjoys making King Cake and a casserole of beans, rice, and sausage. YUM!

Chinese New Year! Now this is a lot of fun. I am really surprised how many people I meet are not aware of this form of astrology. They all seem to enjoy reading their daily horoscopes in the newspaper, but that is only one type of many astrology’s. To help understand it, the essence of this divination is how the character of the animal who governs the year in which you were born is the spirit that lives in your soul. Just by observing that animal, I bet you could pick up some of its traits that are similar to yours.

Such as I was born in the Year of the Tiger. I am very protective of my family and can be quite ferocious if I need to be. My husband was born in the Year of the Ox. He is steadfast and strong. My daughter was born in the Year of the Dog. Defender and protector of her home and family. And Charlie, born in the Year of the Rabbit, is lovable and at times playful. When you put us all together, we are a hoot and a holler. With a snort, a roar, a bark and a thump of his foot, we make great music together.

So for this last week this month, I hope things will be a little less rowdy and I can get some work done, like blogging a bit more often.

Till next blog, have fun in February!

 

Monday Memories

Happy Ground Hog Day to you!

Groundhog hibernation gave rise to the popular American custom of Groundhog Day, held on the second of February every year. Tradition dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow that day, there will be six more weeks of winter, though such a prediction seems a sure bet over much of the groundhog's North American range.

 So it looks like there will be another 6 weeks of winter. But that’s ok. Why? Because as the winter winds blow and it’s too cold for outside activities, this is the best time to create your Family Museum. And since today’s theme is Monday Memories, I would like to share with you our family’s museum “Honey Bear.” He is a close to a Ground Hog we can get.

Made in Korea by Daekor Designs DI I and distributed by the Hudson Bay Trading Co., Ltd., NY, our Honey Bear’s original name is “Pot Belly Bear.” He is 18” high from the tip of his fuzzy ear to the tip of his foot, with a 16” wide hug. I gave him to my husband and he would use Honey Bear as a pillow behind his head when he drove long distances. As time went on, Honey Bear was adorn with a band of cowrie shells and chocolate brown color ipil seeds taken off of an old Panama hat.  

According to African legend, if you are attracted to cowrie shells you could be family to an ocean spirit of wealth and earth. It also represents Goddess protection which is very powerful and connected with the strength of the ocean. Throughout Africa, and South and North America, the cowrie symbolized the power of destiny and prosperity. 

The Ipil seeds are used for many crafts in the Philippines and come from Acacia trees.

After our son Charlie was born, he received a Baby “Chicago Bears” Jacket. It did not fit him, so we put it on Honey Bear and to this very day, wears it proudly.

Honey Bear loves being in our Family Museum. We regard him as the museum guard watching over our family heirlooms. Do you have any Honey Bears in your museum?

 

Tuesday Post:  Tuesday Treasures