Wednesday, January 11

A Little House That Sings!

One of my favorite books as a child was Heidi by Johanna Spyri. It is a story about a little orphan girl who goes to live with her grandfather in Switzerland and nurses her friend Klara back to health.



It's hard to say, but perhaps I could identify with Heidi when I was a child? Maybe this book is one of the reasons I always wanted to become a nurse? I don't know...

There was a real Swiss cheese factory in the Ohio town where I lived. The family that owned the factory were from Switzerland. They bought fresh milk from the nearby Amish farmers to make their cheese. Their Swiss cheese is the best I have ever eaten. Every year the town had a Swiss Cheese Festival.

I have never been to Switzerland. Sometimes I think it couldn't possibly exist because it is so beautiful! The closest I've ever been to a place like it was the mountains of North Carolina.

We were camping there. The kids and I went for a walk up one of the hills. When we got to the top I remember having a flash back to the Sound of Music where Maria sings "the hills are alive with the sound of music." My children probably thought I was crazy but I started spinning around and singing the song myself! I remember that day like it was yesterday...



When I found this little Swiss chalet house on Ebay, I just had to make an offer! It brought back these lovely memories.


The house measures 4 3/4" x 3 1/4" and plays "Laura's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago. Isn't it cute!?

I guess I got such a great deal because it is missing one of the front feet? I'm sure I have a little block of wood around here that I can use to replace it. :D

So soon, I will have a little Swiss house that sings! It may become the inspiration for another dollhouse project too? I have a half-scale house that I may use to make my own interpretation of Heidi's grandfather's house?

For now, I will just wait until this little house arrives and listen to the songs it sings to me...




5 comments:

Lucille said...

Such a beautiful anecdote, Kathi. The little house is adorable. It would be a project close to your heart if you did decide to do the grandfather's house. Heidi is among one of my favourites also. Have you seen Shirley Temple in the role of Heidi? I always felt that she was born to play that role. If you haven't seen it, you must try to get a copy.

Petra said...

so nice, you brought memories to me!
i was in switzerland, when i was a child with my parents and i got a very similar house like this. i loved it and i loved the musik it played. i was in switzerland a few years ago and it was so great. it is a really beautiful country, very special people are living there :-)
Do you know that Annina is from Switzerland?
Best wishes to you!

Fabiola said...

I also like the story of Heidi. When I was a child I saw the cartoon.
The little house is adorable.
Bye Faby

Troy said...

I remember my mom reading Heidi, and Tom Sawyer to me and my sister when we were little. The Sound of Music is one of my all time favorite movies. Congrats on the chalet ! There used to be a Swiss themed restaurant in Las Vegas called Alpine Village. It had a mini village on high shelves all around the room and little chalets. It also had miniature trams that moved on long cables up high across the dining room. I loved going there as a kid and grew to appreciate the food as I got older.

A. Wright said...

Kathi, don't let the 96 steps for the Dinghy kit scare you off. Those are all tiny baby steps. The instructions are just SUPER detailed, which is fantastic.

What an adorable little house. I'm sure you'll find a way to fix the "issue" with the missing foot, though that's almost a non-issue in my books.