American Heirlooms - April 2021

American Heirlooms - April 2021

302-653-2411

APRIL 2021

I recently read “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis for the first time. In fact, this was my first book by Lewis. However, after reading this novel, I have plans to read others in Lewis’ collection. I had long heard friends quote his work, and I was interested in the way Lewis, a Christian who was known for creating allegories that reflected his faith, would tell “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” If you don’t know the story, it follows the adventure of four children who are sent to live in an English country house to avoid the dangers of World War II. There, they find a mysterious wardrobe that transports them to another world — Narnia — where they meet a great lion named Aslan and agree to help Aslan fight against an evil witch who poses a great threat to Narnia. I particularly enjoyed the parallels Lewis drew between his make-believe world and the story of Christ. The plight of Aslan, who is killed and comes back to life, reflects Christ’s experience, while the witch who held the world captive in perpetual wintertime mirrored the work of the devil and the opposite of Christ’s power. The story was engaging, and I enjoyed the way Lewis wrote it. After reading this classic tale, I’d like to see how Lewis continues to draw these parallels. I now understand those quotes from my friends! I don’t prioritize reading as a hobby, but I do enjoy it when I can make time for it. And while I may take breaks in between each book, I read to my two older boys every night before bed. In fact, I just finished reading “A Charge to Keep” by Isabella Macdonald Alden. The story follows a young boy named Reuben who is tasked with caring for his widowed mother and young sister while overcoming obstacles that test his faith. Reuben relies on prayer and his trust in God to help him persevere. It’s a great rags-to-riches story, but what I enjoyed most were the lessons the book provided my boys. The overarching theme of the book deals with the choice between good and bad and the relationship we have with God. The book poignantly paints this picture with good storytelling

and various challenges that Reuben faces. I like to see my boys — and all my children, for that matter — learning these lessons through stories like this one. I believe it fosters a sense of right and wrong, which can help them make the right choices in the future.

If you'd like a copy of this book, send me an email with subject line "A Charge to Keep," and I'll send you a book at no charge.

There’s tremendous value in books and other forms of recreation that don’t provide shallow storylines and baseless plots. I may not be an avid reader, but when I choose a book for myself or my boys, I try to find one with a lesson or purpose. It may not always be as powerful as “A Charge to Keep.” In fact, we just began reading an older book about the histories of states across the U.S. It offers a good history lesson, even if it’s not profound. Now that I’m a fan of his work, I believe my focus on greater purposes in our recreation can be summed up by this C.S. Lewis quote: “Aim at heaven, and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth, and you get neither.” –Ethan Zimmerman

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Interestingly, Scrabble experts don’t necessarily have the ability to rattle off little-known words in everyday conversation. They just know the point values of the tiles and how to maximize the points by placing them on the board in the correct order. The highest points ever scored in a single game totaled 850 in 2012. More recently, at- home players have been scoring big, including Betty Kuchta of Ontario, Canada, who scored 365 points on a single word — “quizzers.” However, many masters have a different approach than at- home players. For example, while it may appear foolhardy to use your turn to replace all of your tiles — thus resulting in 0 points for that round — longtime Scrabble aficionados know that it may be key to longevity, especially when a player is dealt tiles that are primarily vowels. Those are sure to send a shudder down any pro’s spine. While you may not have the vocabulary skills of the world’s Scrabble geniuses, the best way to improve your game is to practice by using their techniques. Second, give the Pomodoro method a try. Named after a tomato-shaped timer that its creator used, the Pomodoro method has gained a lot of attention over the years as a brain workout, and it’s a great way to slowly expand your attention span while accomplishing tasks. To get started, think of a small task. Then, set a timer to 25 minutes (or longer, if your attention span will allow). Work on your task for 25 minutes straight. Then, take a five-minute break. After the break, repeat the process. After four rounds, take a break of 15–20 minutes. Congratulations, you’ve used the Pomodoro method, which you can repeat as many times as you want. It’s very handy for getting your tasks finished in a flash, despite any attention span issues! Third, pray, work out, or adopt new educational interests. Anything that keeps your brain, body, and spirit engaged can help you learn to focus better. There’s plenty of research that shows the benefits of exercise for your focus — the trick is exploration. Not every exercise routine or hobby will work for you so don’t give up right away! Stay curious and keep exploring. We’re living in a technological age where we can learn almost anything and reach almost anyone at the tap of a button, so we have to learn how to create opportunities for ourselves. We hope these tips help you get started!

It’s been 90 years since architect Alfred M. Butts created Criss Cross, a game inspired by anagrams and crossword puzzles. Today, Butts’ initial concept continues to exist like the popular board game Scrabble, which is found in many homes and at the tables of national and international competitions. It continues to test the wits of novices and masters, but it’s the professional Scrabble players, who have practiced over hundreds of games and memorized thousands of words, who show its depth. William Herkewitz highlighted this phenomenon in his November 2019 Popular Mechanics article, “How Scrabble Pros Bend Words to Their Will.” According to the article, Scrabble is big in Africa and is recognized as an official sport by many countries. It also features Jared Omolo of Kenya and his tedious task of becoming a Scrabble pro. Omolo says it all begins with memorization, particularly the 127 two-letter words and the 1,347 three-letter words that are internationally recognized as legal plays. Knowing these words helps advanced players snag more points off parallel words. Once those are mastered, Omolo says learning seven- and eight-letter words is also key. These can grab the most points, but understanding how to use their roots offers a Scrabble player more variety. Since the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world last year, many things have gotten shorter, like school days and our patience. But perhaps the main thing that’s grown shorter for all of us is our attention spans. In 2019, researchers from the Technical University of Denmark reported that our collective attention span is indeed narrowing — and it may be because we’re bombarded with tons of information that we don’t want to “miss out” on. Unfortunately, a poor attention span can affect us in many ways. It may impact our performance at school or work or cause communication difficulties in relationships. It may even result in poor health related to self-neglect and an inability to practice healthy habits. How do you fix it? Is it even possible to improve your attention span? Yes, you can! But it will take time. Here are a few ways you can get started. First, accept that you may make yourself a little mentally uncomfortable while expanding your attention span. It simply won’t feel natural to focus on a single task for a longer period of time than normal, but, with a routine, it’ll get more comfortable as time goes on.

2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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INGREDIENTS • 2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends trimmed • 12 slices bacon • ½ cup light brown sugar

• ½ cup butter • 1 tbsp soy sauce • ½ tsp garlic salt • ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Divide the asparagus spears into 12 bundles. 2. Carefully wrap a piece of bacon around each bundle of asparagus, starting about ½ inch from the bottom of the tips. 3. Secure the bacon-wrapped spears with a toothpick, then lay the bundle in a low-sided casserole dish. 4. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper.

5. Bring the mixture to a boil, then pour the hot sugar mixture over the asparagus bundles. 6. Roast for 25 minutes at 400

degrees, or until the spears have begun to wilt and the bacon looks fully cooked.

7. Remove the toothpicks before serving. (Makes 6 servings.)

Photo credit: Heather Brooke Zimmerman

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Brought to you by KCS Builders of American Heirlooms and Penns Creek Furniture 291 Blackiston Rd. • Clayton, DE 19938 Phone: (302) 653-2411 • Email: [email protected] The Swiss Craftsman

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Inside this Issue

Why I Read With a Purpose Page 1

How to Improve Your Attention Span!

Scrabble Masters Offer Insight Into the Popular Game Page 2 The U.S. and Canada’s Biggest Triumph in Cooperation

Asparagus Bundles Page 3

The Origins of Pennsylvania Dutch Page 4

People often assume American culture isn’t as rich as other cultures, but that simply isn’t true. Americans have developed unique values, mannerisms, art, music, and even languages across their diverse nation. One great example of this is Pennsylvania Dutch. The language didn’t evolve from Dutch, interestingly enough. It started when early German immigrants needed to escape from the Holy Roman Empire regions of Europe to avoid religious persecution. Many of them escaped to Pennsylvania, which is still 29.9% German today. These immigrants generally didn't bring many belongings; however, they did bring a rich dialect. So, why is it called Pennsylvania Dutch? Rather than a mistranslation, it’s a corruption of the Pennsylvania German endonym Deitsch , which means “Pennsylvania Dutch/German” or “German.” The terms Deitsch, Dutch, Diets, and Deutsch are all cognates of the proto-Germanic word piudiskaz , meaning “popular” or “of the people.” The language flourished safely within German immigrant communities and religious sects; however, while 10% of the original Pennsylvania Dutch settlers were Amish and Old Order Mennonites, today over 250,000 people speak the Germanic language, mainly in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

You might be wondering how this language is different from German, considering its roots. It’s entirely different, as it turns out. Pennsylvania Dutch shares the most similarities with the Palatine German dialect, a small southwestern region of Germany where most Pennsylvanian settlers came from. If you can speak Pennsylvania Dutch, you can likely converse with Palatine Germans to a limited extent.

Can you write in Pennsylvania Dutch? Yes! However, not many speakers read and write in it, so it doesn’t have standardized spelling rules. If you’re curious to see it in print, however, look at the only Pennsylvania Dutch newspaper in the U.S.: Hiwwe wie Driwwe. Scholarly efforts have also been made to advance the language, such as the Pennsylvania German Studies minor program at Kutztown University.

We hope you enjoyed learning a new fact or two about American history! Enjoy your April!

4 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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