Nana’s Christmas Village is receiving it’s finishing touches and since I seem to be answering the same questions over and over again I thought I would tell you a bit about it.

Years ago (maybe 35 or so) my mother managed the shoe department at K-mart and somewhere along the line she picked up a couple of Christmas houses…I imagine those first houses were picked up after Christmas on Clearance.

Now Mom always made Christmas a big deal, not cooking so much, but stockings for everyone…perfect little things for each member of our ever-growing family, no one forgotten.

Over the years, much like our family the village kept growing. Sometimes because family or friends had picked up something for her and sometimes because she had found a fiddle player to put outside the ballroom or a Wooden Indian for outside the tobacco shop….as it grew so did it’s spot, soon plywood was added to the porch and then more plywood.. until like her Christmas spirit it barely fit in the house…

The thing is we had all seen it, year after year and sometimes would give it a passing glance, missing the magic…Once I bought the lion, I invited her to bring it here to share with everyone…and she did and I started a scavenger hunt to make folks really look and maybe not notice if dinner takes a minute… Mom was tickled when she found the piece the lions inn and hand made a sign for us…

Soon more and more of the set-up fell to me (with Mary’s help on construction) with mom joining in on the more fun parts and us having friendly banter every year about where the fish monger should go…it was our thing…

This year…well..

sigh...

the sisters are joining a bit, and the kids helped where they could. The red-heads youngest son is an enthusiastic helper and convinced his mom to buy a tree and a working fountain to join the menagerie.

There it is…our family tradition continuing…there for your enjoyment…so you can make memories with your smalls,

1498 Pitt St

Jennerstown Pa 15547

Open Thursday -Monday 4-9

Closed Thanksgiving