I have mentioned my best friend, Patti, in numerous newsletters, because she has been such an important person in my life for almost 60 years. Our friendship was featured in the "My Favorite Harp Coincidence" article in January 2025, and her gecko watercolor painting was in the November 2025 issue.

We have always been big Winnie the Pooh and Disney fans. Whenever I visit her in California, we always go to Disneyland. This photo of us was taken there in 2017.

Patti recently told me about something so heartwarming that I want to share it with you. I asked her to write the following article for this newsletter. I'm sure it will make you smile.

-- Sylvia

Last December, I sent Sylvia a Christmas card featuring my watercolor painting of a bear wearing a flower lei. This note is printed on the back of the card.

"This is one of the many teddy bears that live in the church pews at the First United Methodist Church in Redlands, California. They invite you to hold them or just sit alongside one for comfort. This bear is decked out for our unofficial liturgical season of Aloha, which is observed each summer."

About two dozen teddy bears live in the church year-round, and each bear wears a card around its neck with this message:

I am a friend who lives at this church and I wait for you to visit.

You can hold me as you worship, or beside you I can sit. 

I like to sing along. You can hold me as you pray.

Then gently leave me when you go so I can worship with you another day.

Some people have a favorite bear and always sit with it. A few people have brought a bear in from home to live at church - to sit with them on Sunday, or for others to enjoy. Children will often hunt for a particular bear they like and take it to their pew.

My least-favorite bear is this big, floppy, shaggy white one. It is my grandson's favorite, and he always brings it back to join us. Then it sheds all over my clothes! I'm considering bringing a Pooh Bear to sit with instead.

I asked several long-time church members how long the bears have lived in the church. Most agreed it had been about 10 to 15 years, but no one quite remembered how the tradition started.

The bear with the lei on my Christmas card is the second bear I have painted, and I plan to do a different painting each year for a few more years. The note cards with my paintings on them are sold at our Missions Faire in November, and my husband Alan's Caring Ministries group also uses them to write to shut-ins or people recovering from illness. I think having a series of five will be good - so three more bears will become subjects of my paintings - or perhaps two bears and a bunny.

-- Patti

P.S. from Sylvia.
I asked two of my friends, a minister and a priest, if they had ever heard of something like this. They both said no, but they thought it was a wonderfully caring idea. Thank you, Patti, for sharing this with all of us!

And . . . speaking of Pooh . . .

My student and good friend, Charlotte Turner, made this Pooh and his harp for me several years ago. Patti and I made a Pooh from the same McCall's pattern when we were in college. But Charlotte made her Pooh with movable arms and legs, which makes it much easier for him to play his harp. Charlotte also made his beautiful harp, and her husband, Eli, made the stool he is sitting on.

My former harp store employee, Rachel Jones, gave me the cute plush Piglet with his harp in about 2005. She stayed up until 3 am one night to make sure she won the eBay auction for it.

These two fine harp players have a place of honor in my living room. I think they play duets at night while I'm sleeping.

Back in 1983, I started printing and mailing my Harp Center News, the precursor to today's newsletters. This paragraph was in the first edition.

Any of you who subscribe to the Disney Channel on cable TV may be aware of a new harper in our midst. Yes, on a recent episode of "Welcome to Pooh Corner," Piglet played a small harp! He tried to teach Pooh, Owl, and Eeyore how to play, but Piglet was definitely the most talented of the bunch. Keep up the good work, Piglet, and let us know when you'll be giving your first recital!

I just found the entire 1983 "Welcome to Pooh Corner" Doin' What I Do Best episode on the Internet Archive site. It was lots of fun to watch. Piglet mostly plays glisses and a few chords. He also gives great advice: "The secret to playing the harp is to put your heart and soul into your playing."

Here are some of the PDFs I've recently added to harpcenter.com.

Sharon Thormahlen

Folclore de Honduras - Sharon's arrangements of traditional music of Honduras. The PDF is available in English or Spanish.

Joy Slavens

Mountain Moods - An original composition for lever or pedal harp.

Please note: The PDFs in this section are not part of the monthly sale.

Favorites from the 50s

including (Let Me Be Your)

Teddy Bear

by Sylvia Woods

PDF or Book

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

House at Pooh Corner /

Return to Pooh Corner

by Sylvia Woods

PDF or Sheet

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

76 Disney Songs for the Harp

including Winnie the Pooh

by Sylvia Woods

PDF or Book

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

Fairytales on the Harp

including The Three Bears

by Anna Dunwoodie

PDF

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

The Nordic Harp #2

including The Bear Tune

by Erik Ask-Upmark

PDF

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

The Wizard of Oz

by Sylvia Woods

PDF or Book

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

A Walk in the Woods

including

Secret Agent Super Bunny

by Kathryn Cater

PDF

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

A Bouquet for Young Harpists

including

Carrots for April the Bunny

by Bonnie Goodrich

PDF or Book

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

Small Tunes for Young Harpists

including Sneezing Rabbits

by Bonnie Goodrich

PDF or Book

15% off with Bears code

------------------------------

15% off select sale items when you use the code word Bears

Our newsletter promo codes are redeemable online and are only valid for the products listed above in the monthly sale section. They are not valid for phone or email orders. This month's code word is Bears.

Here's how to get your newsletter discount at harpcenter.com:

#1. Put the items you want to purchase in your cart.

#2. On the page where you view the items in your cart, type this month's code word Bears in the "Enter Promo Code" box and click "Apply."

The actual price of the featured sale products on this page will then automatically change to reflect the discount. For example,

   Unit Price: $9.95 (the original price)

   Total Price: $8.46 (the discounted price)

You'll also see a note below the Promo Code box stating the name of the promo code you entered and the percentage discount amount.

REMEMBER: You must enter this month's code word Bears in the Promo Code box and click "Apply" on your shopping cart page by February 28, 2026, to get the discount!

If you forget or have trouble adding it to your order, email Sylvia immediately.  

This offer expires at the end of the day on 2/28/26.

Sylvia Woods Harp Center

Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii