I’M JUST CURIOUS: From the Book of Answers & Others

by Debbie Walker

Yes, I found another book and read some things I wanted to share. The name of the book is The Book of Answers by Barbara Berliner and another. I got a kick out of the title so of course I had to have it.

Now you may very well know what the answers to some of these are and the worst to happen will be you’ll know how naive I am.

SO…

How accurate are groundhogs at predicting weather? Sixty years of recording of groundhogs have only been 28 percent accurate. Possibly you or your grandfather did a better job of predicting!

Did you know James Bond (1908-1964) was an agent himself during World War II ?

Do you remember the lucky charm, the rabbit’s foot? (Wasn’t too lucky for him.)

The rabbit is born with eyes open, suggesting wisdom. It spends most of it’s life underground, suggesting a connection to a mysterious underground, and it is prolific (did you ever raise rabbits?) suggesting wealth and prosperity.

Yes, there really was a Mother Goose, a New England widow who married Isaac Goose, adopting a family of 10 and later she had six children. In 1719 she wrote Mother Goose’s Melodies for children.

Okay, now since we are days away from Christmas and the New Year, I have a few questions and answers about traditions for the holidays. (When I was a kid my mom got really frustrated with me and said, “Do you always have to ask so many questions?”) The answer ‘til this very day is “Yes, Mom.”

Traditions create a bond in families, a connection to other family members, the people participating in the present and members who long since passed. You very likely have not actually met some of the creators of your own family traditions.

All this year as we explored the ‘crazy holidays,’ we would have to include these as different families ‘traditions,’ in fact you may have adopted some of those holidays for your friends and families.

And we start the Christmas traditions:

December 24 was observed as Adam and Eve Day. We are talking about 1561 and the forerunner of the forbidden fruit tree was replaced by the modern Christmas tree.

The “12 Days of Christmas” would net you 364 gifts.

The best one to me was: Did you know Santa has a brother? His name is Bells Nichols and he visits homes on New Year’s Eve after the children are asleep and will fill empty plates set out for him with cookies and cakes.

Have a wonderful holiday and Merry Christmas!