A LOCAL, AUTHENTIC, PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOLK FESTIVAL FEATURING LIFE IN THE 18TH & 19TH CENTURIES

(MERRY and ME)

Something on Facebook or perhaps in a random email that I received, mentioned the GOSCHENHOPPEN HISTORIANS 52nd ANNUAL FOLK FESTIVAL this weekend. It's in PERKIOMENVILLE in Montgomery County, only 45 min from me. 

WHO KNEW?! Sounded quirky enough, so I sent an email out to a few girlfriends to see if anyone wanted to join me.

(ANNA and MARIANNE)

AUTHENTIC PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOLKLIFE of the 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES.

MERRY, ANNA, MARIANNE and I were all quite surprised and impressed with the QUALITY of the exhibits, the KNOWLEDGE of the exhibitors and the HUGE amount of EFFORT it took to present this FESTIVAL. The variety of CRAFTS and SURVIVAL SKILLS demonstrated was amazing. After 52 YEARS of doing this, I guess they know what they're doing. 

BROOM-MAKING - MERRY couldn't resist taking one home with her!!

ANNA was NOT TEMPTED to buy any handmade TIN PRODUCTS.......

MEDICINAL HERBS and other foods were typically grown in their well-kept GARDENS.

CHILDREN were kept busy SEWING STUFFED, FABRIC DOLLS

ARTISTRY, TOOLS and BOWLS were carved FROM WOOD

CLEANING and SPINNING WOOL

STRAW for HATS and BEEHIVES

HAND- ROLLED CIGARS

VERY LOW ALCOHOL BEER was made for BREAKFAST (can you believe that?!). They also made "HIGHER OCTANE BEER" for the ADULTS to enjoy later in the day. All was stored in small wooden casks. Naturally, the HOPS were grown in their GARDEN.

RE-CREATING DAILY HOUSEHOLD TASKS

 

THE HISTORIC HENRY ANTES PLANTATION HOME on the property has an OUTDOOR BRICK OVEN (bread waiting to be baked).

The PERIOD CLOTHING was OUTSTANDING and ABUNDANT

HOMEGROWN and HOMEMADE PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOODS

("POTATO CANDY" made mostly with CONFECTIONERS SUGAR)

               


Before we left, we relaxed and enjoyed some HOMEGROWN PEACHES OVER HANDMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

An INTERESTING and ENTERTAINING experience for ADULTS and KIDS. Maybe you can enjoy the 53rd ANNUAL next year?!

JOAN

BOOK - THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS by JAN-PHILIPP SENDKER (2002) - (NO SPOILERS)

Sometimes you find a book that just flows.......... easy reading, no need to look up vocabulary, not too many characters and you have a good feeling at the end of it. THIS is one of those books. I wasn't ready for it to end...... Even the TITLE is SOOTHING.

• Pg 128 - Only a few days earlier he had explained to her that he did not merely read books but traveled with them, that they took him to other countries and unfamiliar continents, and that with their help he was always getting to know new people, many of whom even became his friends.

Several years ago, JOANIE, a friend and Book Club member suggested that I read this. With her EYES WIDE OPEN and NODDING HER HEAD, she said "You will REALLY REALLY like it!" It took me awhile, but I finally picked it up and am SO pleased that she shared it with me. It's MY turn to share it with YOU.

VERY BRIEF SUMMARY - 

• After just graduating from law school, Julia's father disappears. She, her mother and brother were able to track down his travels to Burma - the place of his birth. But WHY did he leave? And WHY so abruptly, and WHY without explanation? Julia is determined to find out - by traveling to Burma  and delaying the start of her career.

I never like to share too many DETAILS of the book, hoping that instead, you'll pick it up and be just as surprised as I was throughout. It's truly a DELIGHTFUL story.

PASSAGES TO PONDER:

Pg 23

     And so there must be in life something like a catastrophic turning point, when the world as we know it ceases to exist. A moment that transforms us into a different person from one heartbeat to the next.

Pg 34

     "He wanted to explain it to me, but I didn't want to hear anything about it. It's odd, Julia, but a confession, a disclosure, is worthless when it comes at the wrong moment. If it's too early, it overwhelms us. We're not ready for it and can't yet appreciate it. If it's too late, the opportunity is lost. The mistrust and the disappointment are already too great; the door is already closed. In either case, the very thing that ought to foster intimacy just creates distance." 

Pg 77

     She hoped that Tin Win would learn what she had learned over the years: that there are wounds time does not heal, though it can reduce them to a manageable size.

Pg 115

     In essence, however, his principal aim was to pass on the lesson life had taught him: that a person's greatest treasure is the wisdom in his own heart.

Pg 124

     Tin Win didn't know what he was afraid of: it was almost always there, pursuing him like a shadow on a sunny day. 

Pg 125

     "We see that there is no place on earth where we can hide from fear, yet still we attempt to find one. We strive for wealth and power. We abandon ourselves to the illusion that we are stronger than fear. We try to rule - over our children and our wives, over our neighbors and our friends. Ambition and fear have something in common: neither knows any limits."

Pg 160

     "Be patient," he said. "Sit down and meditate. Then time will lose it's meaning."

JOAN

MONUMENT VALLEY - WOW!!

When planning a trip with my friend MARY ANN to drive part of RT 66 (since I turned 66 this year), we ran into a snag. The companion airline ticket we wanted to use was limited to flying in and out of the SAME CITY.

Our original plan was to fly to CA and drive RT 66 to ALBUQUERQUE, NM. Instead, we flew in and out of ALBUQUERQUE and I mapped out a big circular drive that included THE GRAND CANYON and MONUMENT VALLEY, both in ARIZONA. "Things Happen for a Reason", right?!

"MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK" is a BIG WOW!!! 

It was years ago when HELEN, an AUSTRALIAN friend of mine said that her most memorable and favorite place that she visited in the USA was MONUMENT VALLEY. I immediately added it to my "LIST". 

I highly recommend that you take a GUIDED TOUR with a NATIVE NAVAJO INDIAN guide when you visit. The PUBLIC road (17 miles) takes you only so far into the "Valley of Rocks", but a NAVAJO GUIDE has permission to venture DEEP into the VALLEY where the REAL BEAUTY is - truly JAW-DROPPING, AWE-INSPIRING beauty!

AND WE'RE OFF!!
These next few photos are of some natural rocks that they call "THE THREE SISTERS"!

At the end of the PUBLIC ROAD there's an area where you can buy handmade SOUVENIRS (but of course).

 

After this stop, our JOURNEY took us deep into the "PRIVATE" MONUMENT VALLEY.

 

We were invited into a HANDMADE CLAY and WOOD HOME where we watched a NAVAJO WOMAN PREPARE and SPIN WOOL used to make BLANKETS and CLOTHING.

And on we went, FURTHER INTO MONUMENT VALLEY......... 
Take a moment to imagine the IMMENSE SIZE of these ROCKS-BUTTES-NATURAL WONDERS......

We were thrilled to see PREHISTORIC PETROGLYPHS!!!

This video will give you an idea of how BUMPY the ride is - but SO, SO WORTH IT!  

Our next stop was my FAVORITE spot - an area with SPECTACULAR SAND DUNES.  Can you believe the COLORS?!!!

After several hours, we're back at the entrance where you can see "LEFT MITTEN" and "RIGHT MITTEN"..........

.......AND a view of our HOTEL from "down below".

After the tour, we enjoyed LUNCH nearby, where they had some FUN MEMORABILIA from the WILD WEST DAYS.

I hope this has INSPIRED you to PLAN A TRIP TO MONUMENT VALLEY, with a NAVAJO GUIDED TOUR, if you haven't had the OPPORTUNITY to visit there yet.


JOAN