Walking in a Christmas Wonderland

I've come to the realization that it's the Christmas season for real now. How do I know this? It's hard to avoid the constant Christmas music on the radio and in the stores. The Salvation Army volunteers are ringing their bells. It's cold outside and there's snow on the ground. A nearby city had a Christmas Walk on Saturday. Yes, Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...and all that. We even have a Christmas tree in our family room with lights and ornaments and everything.

Mom asked me to go on the Christmas Walk with her, so Saturday morning I bundled up and made the short trip to her house. From there, we picked up our friend Sue, and before we started the official walk, we went to a local business's open house.

Wiseman Designs and Window Specialties

Wiseman Designs and Window Specialties is located in what has long been my favorite house in all of Van Wert. Oh, there are many other beautiful homes in the area, but I've been in love with this one for as long as I can remember. It has something that speaks to me in a way that none of the others do. Until Saturday, I'd never set foot in it, but I knew it was something special.

Inside, I met the owner, Penny Wiseman, who told me the home has been owned or inhabited by artists from the time it was built. This didn't surprise me; the house "looks" like an artist's house. Penny herself is a gifted artist who had several of her works for sale this day. She offered to give me a tour of the house on a different day when it wasn't filled with decorator items for sale and people shopping for them. I look forward to that!

I purchased a silk amaryllis in a green pot. Readers know that I'm a "hippie" at heart (Hippeastrum is the botanical name for amaryllis), and that I've got a large collection of bulbs that I plant out in the summer and bring in for all their beauty in the winter. The artificial one I bought is a deep red, looking very realistically like 'Black Pearl'.

We continued on our way, visiting a total of nine homes and businesses, all decorated in their Christmas finery. It took us until 3:00 p.m. to see all of them. Here are more images from the day:

Kitson

Kitson

Kitson

Kitson

Newly renovated greenhouse at the
Marsh Foundation School

I love seeing clay pots en masse. These are in the
greenhouse at the Marsh Foundation.

Another view inside the greenhouse. Cute little poinsettias!

The students at the Marsh Foundation decorated the
gingerbread men for the visitors and gave us a tour of the
living quarters.

Snowy view from the stairway at the Marsh Foundation,
Clymer Hall

Niswonger Performing Arts Center, site of recent Amy
Grant concert, and soon, Kenny G.

NPAC

NPAC

Keysor

Schroeder

Schroeder

I think Santa lives here!

Schroeder

Dougal

Dougal

Dougal

Sisters Bridal Boutique

Sisters Bridal Boutique

Sisters Bridal Boutique