Today Eloise and I went over to Loveland to our friend - Donna's - open house. Every year Donna opens her home to her friends from church and her family and friends to view the beautiful job her "personal interior decorator"(one of her sons) does decorating her home for the holidays. He does interior decorating as his career for many famous people including the governor of our state. Last year I didn't get to go to the open house due to weather but today was crisp but lovely for driving.
These are just a few of the pictures I took or could have taken of the magnificent decorations she has collected over the years. She has over 45 manger scenes - 2 0f which she brought back from her trip to Israel two years ago. Her tree has seven strings of lights and over 25 family pictures on it. The Village Christmas pieces she has were displayed in various places throughout the home and were only part of the over 100 pieces she has in that collection. Since she bought this smaller home after her husband passed away, she said she doesn't have room to display all her things.
She has over 200 Precious Memory statues her children and friends have bought her over the years. She had one display of them just as the nativity set with all the shepherds, animals, wise men, etc. It was lighted in back with a gold light and made it look beautiful. She has a lighted curio closet one of her sons built into one wall of her bedroom which holds the rest of her collection under lock and key. We got there earlier than some people did so we got to hear one of her many teddy bears recite the entire Night Before Xmas story. The church in the top picture runs by motion sensor: if you walk by it or set something down on the table, it starts playing Christmas carols very softly on an organ. Although there were many items to view in a small 2-bedroom house + one storage room where she keeps all her hobbies and her computer, everything was set out very tastefully and went together beautifully.
Donna is the lady on the left in the red sweater, Eloise - my chauffeur - is in the middle, and Naomi...another friend from the church is on the right. These ladies are the kindest, nicest ladies I have ever met. Although they all three own their own homes and have sizeable bank accounts - you would never know it by the way they treat others. Eloise still works at JCPennys 25-35 hours a week. Donna and Naomi are retired. Donna is the organizer of our bunch. She heads up the Senior Saints, is in my SS class, sings in the choir, is our church photographer, works on our suppers.....and just can always be counted on when someone needs a helping hand. Naomi is the only one who has a husband living. These were the first three ladies I met when I started going to FRBC and I love them like sisters. Donna's home will be back to normal this week after her son comes to pack up all her things and restore them to their proper resting place in the garage for another year. She is already talking about putting out her Easter things - though she assures us there are much fewer of them to do.
3 comments:
Very nice. Like the pictures! Glad you have found friends in your age bracket to hang out with. I think that is SO cool!
I am glad that you have found women your own age to hang out with. That is SO cool.
I am glad that you have made friends out there. People with the same interests and are in your age group. That's wonderful! It is a very nice looking home and she is lucky to have family to help her out.
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