The Lancaster Marionette Puppet Theater

During our Pennsylvania trip to Hershey Park and Koziar's Christmas Village, we made one more stop--the Lancaster Marionette Puppet Theater.  Admittedly, the city of Lancaster itself, a college town, has lots of cool restaurants and small businesses to explore; I was disappointed that my two boys (Big Lew and Little Lew) voted to return to the hotel rather than visit the area.  Still, we made it to the Theater, which 1) taught me more about the art of marionette puppetry and 2) inspired me to see how the owner, Robert Brock, has turned his passion and talent into his livelihood.

Our tickets to the theater, $15 per person, were to see "Cinderella's Christmas."  We were advised to come early for seating, so we arrived about 20 minutes beforehand and were pleasantly surprised to be given a backstage tour.  The owner showed us his studio (filled with marionette puppets) and explained how he was not only the one to write, memorize, and perform the play but also the one to make the puppets (crafted from recycled water bottles and cardboard Lean Cuisine boxes).

Before coming to the theater, my only exposure to marionette puppets was in The Sound of Music, where the Von Trapp children performed "The Lonely Goatherd."  This part of the movie was fun, entertaining, and whimsical.  So, to see such puppets up close and personal was quite unique.  Mr. Brock explained how he used his hands to control the puppets' mouth and arm movements, admitting that sometimes the strings will get caught, which can be frustrating but also part of the entertainment.

After the visit backstage, we all took our seats in the theater (Little Lewie and the other children had their own seating upfront) and the lights dimmed.  Mr. Brock wasn't kidding about being a "one-man" show.  He coordinated all the puppets' movements with his hands while simultaneously doing all of their voices and controlling the background lighting and Christmas music.  The show was enthralling and funny.  We (the audience) belly-laughed multiple times--first at the ugly step-sisters and their vanity and then at the Fairy Godmother and her celebrity-like persona.  The lines were humorous, all made-up by Mr. Brock himself.

I was sad when the 45 minute show came to an end.  We were allowed to take pictures after the performance, so I snapped a few more pictures of "the cast," and then we exited the theater, knowing a lot more about marionette puppets than when we first arrived.

In my mind, the "charm" of the theater was really Mr. Brock himself.  He explained that he always loved puppets and putting on puppet shows as a kid and now, forty+ years later, he is still living out his childhood dream.  He LOVES what he does, and he's talented at it too.  (He has an amazing singing voice.)  He asked his audience to leave good reviews of the theater on Trip Advisor, so he could stay in business another 30+ years; now that's what I call passion!

New Year's Resolutions 2018

Happy 2018!  This year, I still want all the same things I pined for in 2017-- a healthier lifestyle, quality time with my son, more date nights, increased time with friends, and a larger bank account.  Still, this year, I want to focus on something more...

For once, my New Year's Resolution is to be me.  I think every spouse, parent, sibling, and employee can identify with me when I say that I've spent the last decade pleasing people.  (I think moms can especially relate.) I spend my valuable time at work, and when I'm not working, I'm helping my son with his homework, driving him to after-school activities, planning den and pack meetings for Cub Scouts, scheduling play dates, playing doctor, filing paperwork, planning budgets, grocery shopping, doing laundry, and keeping the house tidy.  (I'm sure I can add other burdensome chores to this list.)

The point I'm trying to make is that when there is always so much to do, I put me, the authentic me, on the back burner.  I forget who I am or what makes me happy.  This year, I'm coming back out, and my family needs to either learn to love some of the activities I enjoy or else let me have free time to enjoy them without making me feel guilty.  Of course, they really don't make me feel guilty--I'm the one that makes myself feel guilty.  So, my first resolution is to stop the guilt and let go...

What do I want to do in 2018?

1.  Bike, hike, walk, and be out in nature.  (My family can do this with me, and I'm going to request an outing at least once per week; during colder temps, it may need to be twice per month.)

2.  Read - I honestly can't remember a time I finished reading an entire book.  I'm going to dedicate at least 15 minutes per day to allow myself to read a favorite article, and on my car rides to and from work, I'll be listening to audio books.  During the summer, I'll try to squeeze in some reading days also...  Even better, I'll schedule in some family reading time.

3.  Blog - I need to get back into the groove of posting once per week and responding to my friends weekly, too.  Sharing our life and reading about others is just good for the soul.  I love my bloggy friends.

4.  Coffee Dates with Friends - I need to schedule at least one day per month to spend time w/ a friend--in-person.  Each month when I put together a calendar, I will schedule a "date" with a friend--even if it's just for an hour or two.  (I also want to plan a trip to visit my best friend, Mary Ann, in NJ.  She moved to her new home three years ago, and I still haven't had a chance to see it.)

5.  Date Night - Ideally, I would like for my husband and I to go on two date nights per month, but at this time, I'll even settle for one.  This is true time to connect by either spending time outdoors or going for dinner and a movie.  I'll begin by setting a date on the calendar each month.

6.  House Tours, Garden Tours, Historical Museums - These are all things I LOVE to do in my spare time.  I need to start scheduling days to do this with family, friends, or by myself.

7.  Time to Daydream - I need to set aside time each day/week to daydream.  What do I want to do this year?  Next?  In five-years?  I usually do this during my afternoon walks, which I hope to resume at work.  For a while, I was working through lunch to get things done.  I need to stop this trend and give myself back this hour of "me-time."

I love peace, nature, and beauty.  I love reading, writing, and learning.  I love instilling confidence in students, friends, family, and loved-ones.  I love green drinks at New Morning, plays in the park, movies at the beach, bike rides on the board walk, hikes in the forest, board games in the evening, star gazing at night, s'mores from a campfire, hot chocolate after sledding, and ice-cream at Rich's farm.

When it comes down to it, I just need to take time to "smell the roses."  I need to let go, savor the moment, be present, and forget about my "to-do" list.  If I can accomplish this in 2018, it WILL be a beautiful year...

The Greatest Christmas Display in the U.S.A.

During our Pennsylvania trip to Hershey Park, I deliberately made sure our last night would be spent at Koziar's Christmas Village in Bernville, PA.  Koziar's Christmas Village has been dubbed, "The Greatest Christmas Display in the U.S.A.," and as a fan of the Christmas holiday and Christmas lights, I made sure we would someday go to this place, especially while Lewie was still young.

Koziar's Christmas Village has a website, which describes the attraction, but I honestly didn't understand what it would be like until we went there.  I had questions.  Did the Christmas Village have stores?  Did people enjoy the light display while going into little shops and restaurants?  Would there be rides?  I was so used to commercialized attractions that I thought this one would have the pomp and circumstance of a mini theme park.

I couldn't have been more wrong.  The Christmas Village started in 1948 when a young couple, William and Grace Koziar, began decorating their farmhouse for their four children.  They ran a farm, Koziar's Spring Lake Dairy Farm, and back in those days, they "had to wait until the cows were milked to turn on the lights as [they] did not have enough electrical power to do both at the same time."   Each year, more and more lights were added to the farm so that it became a local attraction called "The Christmas House."

As "The Christmas House" attracted more and more visitors, the narrow road leading up to the farm was no longer safe.  The Koziar family added a parking lot and then started turning their chicken coops into mini houses with different Christmas themes for people to see.  For example, there are small buildings like "The Old School House," "The Post Office," "Santa's Workshop," and "Christmas Under the Sea" that people can peer into to see different scenes.  (Many of these displays were created by the Koziar children themselves.  They donated their own toys, which adds to the charm and authenticity.)

Soon, "The Christmas House," came to be known as "Koziar's Christmas Village."  With all the lights and mini houses on display, the Koziars then started adding train displays, "the Kissing Bridge," a refreshment shop (which is more like a stand), and a gift barn.   Today, it is just like this.

We pulled into a grassy parking lot, paid for our tickets at a little booth, and then followed the path of lights, which brought us to the train displays, mini houses, wooden displays, and "Santa's Headquarters."  It was a little chilly but not too bad.  "Lewie, do you want to meet Santa?" I asked.

He looked at the line and responded, "Mommy, I know that's not the real Santa in there.  You know there are many Santas."

How could I argue with him?  I felt lucky that this nine year-old still believes in Santa.  I could never try and convince him that this particular Santa was "the real one."   He knew we were at a former dairy farm--not the North Pole.

We proceeded to follow the path that led to more little houses (chicken coops), the refreshment stand, and the gift barn.  With both Little Lewie and my husband not being fans of shopping, they voted to leave me at the gift barn while they went back to the car to warm up.  There were tons of ornaments and Christmas decorations for sale--I was in love with a few of them.  Still, keeping to my budget, I bought a Koziar's Christmas Village ornament and a little book that discusses the history (which has helped me with this blog post).

Inside the gift barn...there were tons of Christmas decorations for sale.

Koziar's Christmas Village attracts many people, but it is not commercial.  It is a former dairy farm with classic decorations from the 1940's, 50's, and 60's.  The allure is in its history and in its replica of a simpler time--a time when children played with rag dolls and wooden toys; a time when children spent days using their imagination; a time before TV, the internet, and cell phones.

I'm glad we went.  There is no question that the most amazing part of this place was the light display seen from a distance.  The description is captured well in the book: "Driving through the darkened countryside and coming over that last hill on the unlit road is like driving into a fairyland.  Suddenly you find yourself in a dazzling valley set aglow with more Christmas lights than you've ever seen before."

We stopped on the windy, narrow road, so I could get this last picture of "the Christmas Village."

The Magic of Christmas (2017)

Where do I start?  This month has gone by quick in the wake of our quick Thanksgiving vacation and then getting prepared for the holiday.  I can bore everyone with the mundane tasks of work, school, budget planning, and holiday shopping, but instead here are the highlights of our December and Christmas weekend!

In the second week of December, we decided to get our Christmas tree from a local horse farm instead of a Christmas tree stand.  The farm offered free horse and carriage rides, and it had the cutest little dog that joined us on the ride.  It was pretty scenic since it had just snowed the day before...

During the third week of December, we went to our church's children's mass.  (During the mass, all the CCD students put their handmade decorations on the tree.)  As we prepared to leave, Lewie's CCD teacher asked us if Lewie could play the role of Joseph during our church's 5 p.m. Christmas mass.  She said that she noticed he was a good reader, and he likes to volunteer.  Considering the fact that just two years prior, Lewie was placed in Tier I reading intervention at school, I was awestruck.  (All my days of working with Lewie on his reading paid off!!)

Little Lewie spent the week practicing his lines, and in the end, it was Mommy that was shaking from nervousness, not Lewie!  He read his lines perfectly and was complimented by so many of our friends and neighbors for his clear pronunciation and enthusiasm.  (My son can be a little actor!)  They placed a microphone in front of him every time he spoke, so it was fun to hear his young, high-pitched voice booming from the speakers.  I felt proud and honored at the same time.

On Christmas morning, we woke up to this view of our yard...

It was beautiful!!  Lewie woke up at his usual 6 a.m. and woke me up, so he could begin opening Santa presents.  "Santa came, Mommy, and Daddy's awake," he announced.

I sat upright, "Daddy's awake?" I asked in wonder.

"Yes, it's a Christmas miracle," he replied.  (I love Little Lewie's humor.)

We came downstairs, and my husband was fast asleep in the recliner.  So much for him being awake!  Lewie still opened up his gifts, and I took a few pictures, which didn't come out so great in the dark.

Still, Christmas had that special magic this year...partly because we were able to celebrate it with friends and family (who still have their health--thank goodness), partly because Lewie still believes in Santa Claus, partly because Lewie had the honor of playing Joseph in the church, partly because it snowed on Christmas Eve, and partly because I woke up this morning, after celebrating another Christmas, feeling so incredibly grateful for being alive.  Even without all the presents and fanfare, the beauty is in God's grace--the love, friendship, warmth, kindness, and the rising sun.  Sending blessings to all my friends (of all different faiths) this holiday season.

After planning for two years, we finally got our Christmas Jammy photo this year!  I'm so grateful! 

A Hershey's Chocolate World Christmas

Right after our Thanksgiving dinner, Lew, Little Lewie, and I packed our bags and drove for four hours to Hershey, PA--"the sweetest place on Earth."  We had been to Hershey Park and Hershey's Chocolate World before, but we thought it might be fun to "experience" it at this time of year. 

The park transforms into Christmas Candylane with festive decorations, colorful lights, and an opportunity to meet Santa and his reindeer.  (Plus, fifty rides are open.)  After a day at the park, Hershey also has a drive-thru light exhibit called Hershey Sweet Lights.  Here you can drive on your own or make arrangements with the Hershey Trolley Works company to tour the two miles worth of light displays.  (Our favorite was The Twelve Days of Christmas--there were actually twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords are leaping, etc. etc. all on display in a big open field.)

On that Friday after Thanksgiving, we chose to ditch Black Friday and go to Hershey Park.  At night, we took the trolley to see their Sweet Lights tour.  Then on Sunday, we did a Chocolate and History Trolley Tour along with a visit to Hershey's Chocolate World.  The entire town of Hershey was busy with visitors, but I didn't think lines were much longer than those during the summer.

When planning this trip, I made a promise to myself to do the historical tour again.  I was so inspired by Milton Hershey's story and his philanthropy that I had to hear it again.  (I would suggest a quick read here: https://www.biography.com/people/milton-hershey-9337133)  The man went bankrupt twice but succeeded his third time thanks to the financial help of his aunt and a loan officer.  His first fortune was in caramels, but he spent years trying to figure out a way to make chocolate less expensive, so he could sell it to everyday people--and not just the rich.  He succeeded when discovering he could use milk in his chocolate, which was the inspiration for his Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars. 

Now, of course he would have been my hero just because he invented the Hershey Chocolate Bar and the Hershey Kiss; however, during his lifetime, Mr. Hershey spent his fortune helping others.  While rich tycoons of his time (early 1900's) bought mansions and hoarded money for themselves, he spent his money building "schools, parks, churches, recreational facilities, and housing for his employees."  Perhaps his greatest contribution was establishing The Milton Hershey School.  He put all of his money into a trust, so the school could continue serving orphans and/or students that come from poverty.  Today, the Milton Hershey School is a boarding school known for its academic rigor as well as its emphasis on teaching classic family values.  Students don't have to pay a dime to attend and live there, and they are given a stipend for college once they graduate.  What an incredible way to give back!  I'd personally love to work there and continue the mission!

While in Pennsylvania, we took a few more side trips, but I'll save those adventures for another post.  It was a fun four days, which ended as we drove home on Monday.  I'm almost certain I gained a few pounds off of eating one too many Hershey's Kisses.