Tag: Heidi

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Oopsy Daisy

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June is #flower month for the characters of JANE EYRE GETS REAL. This week’s post has been compiled by Heidi, the classic little girl originally created by Johanna Spyri. A child of nature, Heidi loves the name “Daisy” (the 162nd most popular girl’s name in 2020) and has decided to share with you her favorite females, real or otherwise, with this moniker. (Finding anyone named oopsy is a bit harder…) Daisy Buchanan: famed belle depicted by F. Scott Fitzgerald in #THE GREAT GATSBY Daisy Ashford: pen name of nine year old girl who wrote 1919 British classic THE YOUNG VISITORS, … Continue reading Oopsy Daisy

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Who Was That Masked #Easter Bunny?

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Heidi, the youngest character in Jane Eyre Gets Real by Annabelle Troy always looks forward to Easter. The holiday matches her own innocent, optimistic and spring-like personality. So she was especially proud to learn that in her home country, #Switzerland, you can buy chocolate bunnies wearing masks, a sweet response to #Covid19. Made in the tiny Baeckererei Bohnenblust Bakery of Bern–say that 3 times fast!–the little rabbits, each equipped with a spun sugar mask, are hopping off the shelves. To add to their charm every sugar mask is topped with a bright red heart. Bohnenblust may have been the first one to … Continue reading Who Was That Masked #Easter Bunny?

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Gretel and Hansel: A #Grimm Tale

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Heidi, the youngest character in Jane Eyre Gets Real by Annabelle Troy, has always been something of a child icon. Therefore, she was eager to see Gretel and Hansel, a new movie based on the legendary fairy tale siblings. Spoiler Alert: review below does contain ending of film. Directed by Oz Perkins and starring Sophia Lillis, the film is beautifully shot. You instantly feel that you are trapped in a black forest, dark to the core. In this version Gretel is older than Hansel and, after their poverty-stricken mother goes insane, throwing an ax at her children to make them leave … Continue reading Gretel and Hansel: A #Grimm Tale

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Already Broken #NewYearResolutions

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The characters of Jane Eyre Gets Real by Annabelle Troy may be better known for their whimsy than their stamina. Below are the resolutions of the famous nine, which have proven to be a tall order: Hester Prynne: stop compulsively embroidering Alice in Wonderland: don’t follow strange rabbits Heidi: trade that dirndl for some North Face Emma Bovary: clip coupons Jane Eyre: don’t become engaged to already-married men Sherlock Holmes: no more mansplaining, even to Dr. Watson Mr. Darcy: never marry a bookish girl with an irritating mother & ineligible sisters David Copperfield: step up and be the hero of my own life … Continue reading Already Broken #NewYearResolutions

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Heidi & #GretaThunberg: No Shirley Temples

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Heidi, originally created by Johanna Spyri, is the most beloved character in Jane Eyre Gets Real. A bright, outgoing and optimistic child she really looks up to Greta Thunberg, Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Heidi mourns the loss of Swiss glaciers, for which two separate “funerals” were held in 2019. Greta mourns the potential loss of our planet through failure to react to climate change. Heidi is an animal lover who eats mainly bread and cheese; Greta is a vegan. Like Greta, Heidi has never been afraid to speak her mind and believes in action over words–remember how she got Clara to walk? … Continue reading Heidi & #GretaThunberg: No Shirley Temples

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It Could Be Wurst

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The youngest character in Jane Eyre Gets Real by Annabelle Troy, Heidi,  is excited for #Halloween, yet wild for #Oktoberfest. She has fond memories of celebrating it in Germany, where she once went with Grandfather (though that was omitted from her book). After a few beers Grandfather could be a lot of fun and they danced, sang and ate wurst all through the night. Here are some fun wurst facts: Popular knackwurst is made of ground pork in a short, thick shape. Vampires should beware as knackwurst can be heavily flavored with garlic. Hearty bratwurst can go gourmet if served with baked camembert. But most Germans enjoy … Continue reading It Could Be Wurst

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#BacktoSchool the Swiss Way

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Heidi, a character in Jane Eyre Gets Real and in a famous book created by Johanna Spyri, also starred in Heidi Grows Up. In this novel published in 1938, she once again leaves the Alps–this time to attend an exclusive boarding school. Upon arrival, though she tells the headmistress she isn’t hungry, she is ordered to eat her dinner as instructed. In spite of her chipper personality the other girls ostracize her–partly because she insists on keeping a wheel of smelly Gruyère in her room. You can take the girl out of the village but… The most expensive boarding school in the world, … Continue reading #BacktoSchool the Swiss Way

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Here She Is–Miss Goat 2019

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Beauty pageants may well be considered a thing of the past, when women were judged by their ability to provide ornamentation–like a graceful fern or a well-designed couch. However, Heidi–a character in Jane Eyre Gets Real–has always had a soft spot for goats and therefore delights in Lithuania’s annual goat beauty pageant. Held in the village of Ramygala, sometime in late June, goats both male and female compete for the title of “most beautiful”; there are generally seven or eight contestants and at least five hundred spectators. Incidentally, a goat is the symbol of Ramygala, adopted in the 16th century. Nobody … Continue reading Here She Is–Miss Goat 2019

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Let It #Snow Globe

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Heidi was “conceived” in 1880 just in time for the snow globe craze.  The first snow globe probably appeared at the 1878 Paris Universal Exposition; a local glassware company took the paperweight one step further with an objects like “paper weights of hollow balls filled with water, containing a man with an umbrella.” When you shook this ‘paperweight’ white powder fell in imitation of snow. What fun! Austrian inventor Erwin Perzy is, however, considered the father of the snow globe. Trying to perfect the lightbulb–make a brighter version to be used in medical surgeries–he happened upon a better way to … Continue reading Let It #Snow Globe

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Swiss Bread People: Not Just for Christmas Anymore!

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Heidi, the youngest character in Jane Eyre Gets Real, is perhaps also the wisest. She knows just how to beat the winter blahs–by baking a batch of grittibanz, the traditional “bread” people of Switzerland. Similar to gingerbread cookies, these little bread people will bring a smile to anyone’s face: take that, pancakes!!! Though it is traditional to serve them on December 6, Saint Nicholas Day, Heidi sees no reason they shouldn’t be enjoyed all year long. These would also be good to serve for the first day of school or a birthday. Here’s what she does: In a cup, mix 1 … Continue reading Swiss Bread People: Not Just for Christmas Anymore!

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The Burning Tree: A Swiss Miss #Xmas

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Little Heidi, the youngest character in Jane Eyre Gets Real by Annabelle Troy, loves Christmas in NYC. She also fondly recalls how the holiday was spent in her 19th-century Alpine village. Christmas was a month-long event back then, in which Saint Nicholas appeared on December 5th to fill Heidi’s stocking with small gifts; since St. Nick was really Grandfather these were very small indeed, like an orange or a whistle carved from wood. (Presents in Switzerland today, even for children, still favor practicality: books, socks, funny tasseled hats rather than extravagant toys). On Chrismas Eve the entire village might gather on the … Continue reading The Burning Tree: A Swiss Miss #Xmas

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If Victorian #Toys Could Talk

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Heidi, the youngest character in Jane Eyre Gets Real, already knows what she wants for Christmas. Of course, the toys themselves may have their own opinions. Dear reader, what would YOU most like for #Christmas? I’d Really Prefer No Strings Attached  Trust Me, Kid–Together We Can Drive Your Parents Crazy I Intend To Be An Engineer When I Grow Up Rock Me All Night Long Somebody Forgot To Tell The Unicorns You Know We Move Around By Ourselves When You’re Sleeping, Right? I’m A Great Catch Have You Lost Your Marbles? We Can Help! Continue reading If Victorian #Toys Could Talk