A Bear Called Paddington

By Michael Bond

Copyright 1958

If you’ve never read A Bear Called Paddington, I suggest you find a copy at your local library, make a pot of tea or cocoa, a plate of marmalade sandwiches, and sit down to enjoy a delightful story.

Paddington is the name given to this friendly, naive bear upon his adoption by Mr. and Mrs. Brown.  As he is from darkest Peru, his real name is too difficult to pronounce, so he is renamed after the train platform on which he is found.  Paddington unwittingly finds himself in all types of trouble, yet his good nature and friendly disposition always pulls him through.  We discover quickly that Paddington’s favorite treat is marmalade and he likes to carry a few extra marmalade sandwiches in his suitcase, but he thoroughly enjoys all his food as we see when Mr. Brown buys him his first treat of tea and sticky cakes.  It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t realize climbing onto the table and digging in with both paws may not be polite.  He really didn’t mean to get cream and jam all over the taxi and driver.  And when he took his first bath in a tub, bailing the water out onto the floor with his hat seemed like a perfectly reasonable solution.

The whole family, even the housekeeper, finds life more exciting and fulfilling with a bear in the house, as does most of the neighborhood.  Paddington develops a close friendship with a local antique shop owner, Mr. Gruber, who always offers Paddington elevenses.   Elevenses is a wonderful British tradition of enjoying tea and biscuits around eleven o’clock in the morning.  Mr. Gruber usually had a bun and cup of cocoa around that time, and Paddington agreed with him that there was nothing like a nice chat over a bun and cocoa.  If I take anything away from this book, it’s that there is nothing like elevenses.  In fact, I’ve decided to make it my own personal tradition!  After all, I am 1/16^th British.

I’m looking forward to seeing this adventurous, mischievous bear on the big screen.  Later in 2014, a movie is being released based on Michael Bond’s Paddington books.  Colin Firth will voice the Computer Generated Paddington, with Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins as Mr. and Mrs. Brown.  Until the movie’s release, I’ll have to be content with the classic books, my cup of cocoa, and some delicious marmalade sandwiches. 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

By C.S. Lewis

Copyright 1950

 If I remember correctly, this was the first chapter book I read aloud to my oldest daughter.  She would have been five and I would have read it to her as she lay in bed before falling asleep.  Since her sister was only two, she wouldn’t have been able to listen quietly like a big girl of five could.

In this story, two sisters and two brothers are sent away from war torn London to stay in the English countryside.  They had the fortune of staying in an expansive old home owned by an old Professor and looked after by a housekeeper.  The children were largely left alone to play and explore.  The youngest child, Lucy, is the first to come upon the wardrobe that takes her into the world of Narnia.  I can imagine how nice it would have been for her to have tea with her friend Tumnus the Faun.  Her older and wiser siblings did not believe Lucy at first, but fortunately, the teasing stopped when they eventually came to visit Narnia together.  

There are several lessons that I have taken from this book.

Always listen to the youngest – they are most likely telling the truth!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a beautiful allegory of love and mercy – and the triumph of good over evil.

But the most important lesson I learned from this book was brought home to me when I had the opportunity to see the actual wardrobe that inspired the tales of C.S. Lewis at Wheaton College.  Here in front of me was a sturdy, handmade old wardrobe – one that could be found in any fine home in the English countryside.  Yet just beyond that ordinary looking door was found the magical world of Narnia.

What seems so ordinary can be a doorway to the miraculous.  Not only that, but these wonders are accessible to the most common, ordinary person.  Another world exists so close to ours that it can be accessed by the opening of a door.  Our lives are full of doors.  One never knows what wonders lie beyond them if we dare to look. 

The Lüscher Color Test

“The remarkable test that reveals personality through color”

Translated and edited by Ian Scott

Based on the original German text by Dr. Max Lüscher

Copyright 1969

I recently acquired this copy of The Lüscher Color Test through Amazon Used Books.  Childhood memories of playing with the color cards prompted me to look for my own copy, since the one that had been on the basement bookshelf in my childhood home is long gone.  I was probably nine or ten when I would take out the eight cards out and follow the directions inside the front cover to determine what my color preferences could tell me about my psycho-physical state.  Of course, the book also cautions that the color test is not a parlor game and should be conducted by a professional.  I just thought it was fun to sort the cards in order of preference and then, after referencing what that meant, resort the cards until they told me what I wanted to hear.

This afternoon, I decided to retest myself to see if I could get some new revelations about my psychological health.  

Happily, I am, for the most part, a “healthy, normally balanced individual who is free from conflicts and repressions”.  I say for the most part because, since I put green after the first five, I have a tendency to feel slightly “reduced in stature” by the lack of recognition I sometimes perceive.  Is that a comment about my height?  I just thought it was a really strange shade of green.

My strong preference for the bright yellow and red cards shows that I want to live life to the fullest and enjoy new experiences.  If I had preferred gray and black, my outlook would obviously not be as optimistic.

While I am not a psychological professional and I did treat this activity as a game, I do believe it is true that colors can have a profound effect on our moods.  Surrounding oneself with with calming blues and greens will inspire different reactions than immersion in brilliant reds and yellows.  It follows logically that a strong preference for one color and dislike for another could shine the light on personality traits.  

As this brutal, frigid, snowy winter we are experiencing continues on, a walk through the colorful fresh flower section at Trader Joe’s does wonders for my mood.  Next time I go, I think I’ll indulge in some brightly colored tulips to offset the grey skies and dirty snow.  I’ll even appreciate the green of the leaves!

Little Bear

books by Jane Hissey

In anticipation of my youngest daughter's 21st birthday, I've asked her to write a guest post including some of her favorite childhood books.  Imagine my surprise when I woke up in the morning and discovered that she and Little Bear had stayed up late to play.  Happy birthday, Michelle!  I'm glad I don't need to remind you to always remain a child at heart!

I recently had the opportunity to think back as to what my favorite childhood stuffed animal was, and opposed to many other people, the answer was difficult.  Besides my blue baby blanket which has become less blanket-y and more rag-like over the years, there wasn’t one clear toy I was attached to – until I remembered my connection to Little Bear.

Maybe it was the VHS tape that made me love that stuffed animal – with all of the Jane Hissey characters trying to find costumes out of household objects found around (spoiler alert: Little Bear became a ghost that scared all of the other characters before they realized it was him) or throwing surprise a birthday party for Old Bear.

Or maybe it was two simple books:  Little Bear’s Day and Little Bear’s Bedtime.  I swear I read these books for longer than I should have.  It was an easy read that literally just went through the things Little Bear did throughout the day.  But I didn’t read these books for a challenging literary experience.  Instead, I remember countless nights where I wanted to follow this routine, whether it was giving Little Bear a bath in a bowl or reading him a bedtime story.  I remember always making the plan to follow his daytime routine – eating breakfast, painting, naptime - the next day, but I always managed to forget.  This same thing would happen night after night.

Until, one fateful night, the worst happened.  I LOST LITTLE BEAR.  The house was frantically searched.  He was nowhere to be found.  Who was going to make sure he brushed his teeth? WHO WAS GOING TO MAKE SURE HE PUT AWAY ALL OF HIS TOYS AT NIGHT?!

I’m not exactly sure how long he was gone.  It almost felt like years, but maybe it was just a couple of months.  He was finally found zipped up in a tent.  He was obviously gone on a camping trip.  By this time, the novelty of the whole routine had been worn out.

UNTIL NOW.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up and remember to paint with Little Bear; but then again, maybe not.

If there is one lesson I have learned from Little Bear, it is that brushing your teeth is important.  And I guess other cool things, too.