Oh My

In Memory of Mom and her Village

By Shar Ann Packard

When I think about Christmas traditions, I think about my mom’s Christmas village. It all started back in the 70’s when she and I were shopping and we came across a store that had so many houses and town pieces. After admiring it, we both decided to pick a few to start a village of our own. If you knew my mom, her first purchase was a beautiful church and a bakery. I bought a barn and a farm house with a few animals and people. Each time we would shop we picked up a few little things to make our little village just perfect. I added to my collection over the years, and had a nice little village that fit around my tree and expanded just a bit into the room. My mom, however, became so involved over the years creating a huge city and countryside that expanded through several rooms in her house. She even went as far as to paint her living room sky blue, and painted a background of mountains and clouds where her village would sit. Most would think it was strange, but if you knew Mom you knew what the scenery was even for in the hot summer months.

Everyone who gave her gifts would bless her with new pieces, even on her birthday in May. My goodness she always was so thrilled. My brother Fred took this gift giving to a new level with the most extravagant village pieces I have ever seen, including a full fair with rides and ticket booths...his gifts were always amazing. I looked forward to getting her phone call every year telling me to come down and see what Fred gave her!

Mom would scour the garage sales and second-hand stores to make purchases all year long and would share each treasure she would get with everyone with such excitement that you would think she had found a piece of gold. I truly think in her mind she did. So many of her friends would pick up something special, or share what they had with her. She loved each piece and could tell you where she got them or who gave them to her.

She started “building” her village in October with at least 7 sheets of plywood laid out on bricks brought into the house to help hold the weight of her collection. Each piece had to be unboxed and unwrapped for this main

event. Every house, store and church was placed each year with so much thought. Mom would sketch out her village to make sure she could fit everything she had into her display. The village had roads, ice skating rinks, town squares, city building, houses, trees and to top it off country sides with children playing and carolers singing. Mom was in her 80’s and would crawl on her hands and knees to line up her beautiful treasure, and it took her months and countless hours. Her back, knees and arms would ache but she would get up every day and start all over again until it was all just how she envisioned it to be! I tried to help her one year but it was too hard for her to let anyone help...everything has a place that only she knew. After I left, she rearranged every piece I had put out. I made extra work for her, I understood and never helped again.

Once the village was complete, she would put out the invitation to everyone she knew from family, neighbors and church members to pass the word that “Loretta was ready to have guests visit her Christmas village.” She kept a notebook by her door and folks would “sign in” when they came through her threshold. If I remember correctly one year, she had over 250 visitors! She was so proud, and loved to share her Christmas gift with all who would grace her doorstep.

One year the local newspaper did an article about her village and took pictures. Oh My! She was so proud and so excited that more than just the people who came would know about her beautiful, treasured masterpiece! She gave us all copies as well as some to share...it was a really big deal! She was a local celebrity, she had made the news!

Two years ago, Fred and I spent several days pulling all the village pieces out of Mom’s garage, and with heavy hearts, we sorted and divided the village. We each picked some special pieces as well as some for my sister, Katrina. There were people who loved her village, and we shared some of her collection with folks we knew would want to have a “little piece of her heart.” There were so many things collected that it was just so hard to know what to do with it all. I do believe Fred took several truck loads to his house, and several loads to family members to share. I placed all her village treasures with mine after she passed. In my heart, I knew that I could never put on such a magnificent display like she did. I contemplated the year after she passed and didn’t put up the village. It broke my heart and as she spent her first Christmas with Jesus, I didn’t put up my part of her priceless, beautiful village. I have it in my garage and every time I get out of my car, I see it all stacked up nicely, and I shed a silent tear as I close the door behind me.

This year will be different, as I will honor my Mom, as she would want me to do...I am going to make a village to display that she would be proud of. I know it will not take up my whole house, and it will not shine like a beacon in the night. But it will be my beautiful village, a village I will share with my family, friends, and all who would love to see it. I will take the time to point out each piece to my grandchildren I have of hers, as well as the pieces I have collected over the years. My heart will be full and my love for her will shine in its own beautiful way. I will sit like she did after it is all done...make a few phone calls, and say a prayer for everyone who will be traveling to see my beautiful village. In my heart I know she will be looking down from heaven and saying “OH MY!”