It's one of those assembly-required numbers with holes in the "trunk" to stick the branches into. I was all ready to call it quits with this tree this year, to be honest. It's older than dirt, a pain in the butt to put together, and my attempts at forming it into the right shape have for sure been subject to more than their fair share of yuletide scrutiny ;)
But then my mother helped me put it together, and broke out with the classic line from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" when Linus realizes Charlie Brown's tree isn't so bad after all. "Maybe it just needs a little love."
So, I decided to keep it around awhile longer.
I recently discovered that decking the halls is taken to a whole different level in Elmira every December. Annual Holiday Home Tours here feature some of my favorite qualities about the city, the gorgeous Victorian architecture of and history behind so many of its homes.
The Near Westside Neighborhood Association and Historic Maple Avenue featured tours on two consecutive weekends this year. I participated in the Near Westside's this time around, which included five amazing homes, the 4th Annual Gingerbread House Competition of New York State at the Ernie Davis Community Center, and a Dessert Reception and Open House at the Arnot Art Museum.
The tour is a great community event; tickets are sold at, raffle items are donated by, and tour volunteers come from local organizations.
There's also an element of storytelling to this tour that I really enjoy. A booklet is available to participants that tells about the background of each place, its architectural features, and highlights the decorative choices of the owners, all of whom put a tremendous amount of work into not just decorating, but repairing, restoring, renovating and maintaining these unique older homes.
So check out these feats of holiday grandeur:
528 West Water Street. Previous residents of which include Ida Langdon, the niece of Olivia Langdon Clemens and Mark Twain. She resided there from 1935 until her death in 1964.
627 West Gray Street. Built in 1868, and has radiators that have been sandblasted to imitate an original look.
424 West Church Street. This one featured some upstairs apartments as well, and was a church parsonage for the Christ United Methodist Church from 1914-1970.
A 12-foot tree decorated with antique cards. Had a bear skin rug tree skirt.
Yule Log!
I would have sat down and regaled my fellow tour participants with a tune, but I only have about four songs from my piano lesson days committed to memory. Zero of which are worthy of an 1876 Steinway & Sons Parlor Grand Piano that's only one of 250 in the U.S.
360 West Church Street. Full of apartments, and featuring its original circa 1876 porch boards, ceiling and banister, all restored.
318 West Clinton Street. It's a Stick Style Queen Anne painted in a Pacific Northwest color scheme. There was lots of talk of MacKenzie-Childs pieces here, which you could see throughout the house.
There were even Christmas trees in the bathrooms!
Loved the light fixtures.
The 4th Annual Gingerbread House Competition at the Ernie Davis Community Center. Voting involves placing money in a container for the house you like the best. The house with the most money wins a prize, and all of the money collected goes to charity.
A whole different type o' architectural celebration going on here:
Yes, that IS the Wicked Witch of the East under that house.
Compliments of the Katie's Café team.
Compliments of the Katie's Café team.
The Arnot Art Museum. (P.S. If you're looking for a last minute gift, the Holiday Art Market 2011 continues in the museum's Reading Room through December 30th.)
This sled belonged to the Clemens family.
If you didn't get a chance to sneak a peek inside some of Elmira's most beautiful homes this time around, this marked the tour's 27th year, so be sure to catch its 28th! Tickets usually go on sale around mid-November at various area businesses, and it's a great way to support the community and get in the holiday spirit.
Please enjoy this Yule Log as a token of my Happy Holidays wishes to all.
Near Westside Neighborhood Association
353 Davis Street, Elmira, NY 14901
(607) 733-4924, http://www.nwnainc.com/,
The Arnot Art Museum, 235 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901
(607) 734-3697, http://www.arnotartmuseum.org/
