MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR

Downtown Marcus Hook

Although I don't celebrate the holidays like I did as a child and I miss the warmth of the season gathered around a relatives Christmas tree and I don't decorate the house much any more,  it is still my favorite time of year. I have always wanted to experience a white Christmas again. I know those who live in colder climates would rather be in a warmer one when there is 2 feet of snow on the ground, but I haven't had a white Christmas since I was in my 20's and we visited my husband's relatives in Pennsylvania for the holidays.  I remember how cold it was and walking around Marcus Hook when it was in the 30's. I didn't have a proper warm coat but one more suited for a chilly spring day rather than one with snow underfoot. 
I love old historic cities, the older the better. So while we were there in the late 70's, and even though it was cold, my husband took me on a tour of the little borough. One of the places I found of particular interest was the little plank house supposedly once belonging to Blackbeard's mistress. 

 Home of Blackbeard's Mistree,  Marcus Hook, PA

It is also said to be haunted. I do believe in spirits by the way. I've no doubt they do exist though we can't always see them. There have been times when I've been in a some old place when I'd feel a chill go through me and it was a warm day or the room was warm. Whether it was a spirit or not, I don't know. I can' imagine being trapped on this Earth unable to communicate with those who are standing right next to you but can't hear you speaking. It's said that paranormal investigators can sometimes pick up the voices (an EVP) of those in "limbo" but whether that's true or not, remains to be seen. I do not doubt they heard something, especially when no one else is speaking and it is clearly a voice that can be heard. But how is it that a voice recorder can pick up the sound and not the human ear? 

I do love to explore old graveyards too to gaze on the tombstones and ponder on the life of those

St Martin's Episcopal Church  Marcus Hook

who are buried beneath the head stones. St Martin Episcopal Church in Marcus Hook has graves dating back to the founding of the village in the mid 1600's. The irony is that, though I like to explore graveyards, it also creeps me out. I refuse to walk on anyone's grave even though they've been gone for many years, sometimes centuries, I feel it's disrespectful to trod on their final resting place. I have yet to visit the Arizona Memorial for this exact reason. To ge to the other side of the memorial you have to walk across it's length which hovers over the ship. While I'm not physically "walking" on the graves of those brave men who are entombed in the ship exactly, I just feel that I am disrespecting those fallen soldiers if I walk over their last resting place. Yes, I know I'm being superstitious an it's nonsense but I can't get over the fact that I am dishonoring the deceased.  I hope though, that eventually I'll get over this
superstitious phobia of mine as I would truly like to visit the memorial. I did go to Punch Bowl but that didn't require walking over graves. 

In The sultans bought bride, I haven't progressed very much further than yesterday. They are still at the desert fortress. I don't have that many more pages to read before I'm finished with the book. I'm on page 144 and the book is only 185 pages long. 

The paper doll for today is another one by Lucy Eleanor Leary.  I am unsure what the exact date on this one was, but it is from 1952.  I really wish they still ran paper dolls in the Sunday papers. I'd probably buy it just to get the paper doll every week. 

Til' next time....                                                 ALOHA!!!