CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Years ago David and I went on Christmas home tours with his Aunt Virginia and Uncle Claude (his mother's sister and husband).  It was something they did every year and, for some reason, one year they invited us along, and it became a holiday tradition we continued for several years.  We would go to their house and drive to where the tour began, tour several decorated homes then return to their house for homemade soup and sandwiches (Virginia always made the best soup).   It was always a lovely evening and a fun way to begin the Christmas holidays.

This year David had seen an historic home along one of his walks advertising a Holiday Candlelight tour.  We checked it out and decided to go.

1855 Harris-Kearney House

Again, it was a cold night and, surprisingly to us, there weren't many people attending.  I remember standing in lines when we did it with Claude and Virginia.  Anyway, it's the 1855 Harris-Kearney House, the oldest brick residence in the city.  This mansion was built as a replacement for the 1845 Harris House, a log cabin inn owned by Col. John Harris and his wife, Henrietta.  The inn was considered integral to the neighborhood as an outfitting point on the Santa Fe Trail and had provided lodging for explorers, trappers, Union soldiers, gold miners and politician.  It burned down in the late 1840s.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Our tour started here with a dulcimer group playing Christmas carols

I loved the soft candlelight throughout the house.  I stood in each room thinking how different, for better and worse, life would have been then.  But there's something about the simplicity, non-technical, aspect of the life that certainly appeals to me.

You know I share my mother-in-law's love of dishes so I loved seeing this table setting

All the candlelight makes me want to eat dinner every night by candlelight!!!  And what about this lace tablecloth???  How beautiful is it??  I'm sure this setting is for the holiday, not everyday use, but still...

The stairway to the bedrooms

This couple was "practicing"  Christmas carols and we got to join in with  "Silent Night"

Here they depicted getting ready for Santa

This was a child's room and "Mother" was getting presents wrapped for Christmas Day.  Here she's reading a letter that was written to the children from Santa.  Don't you love their dresses??  Maybe not in Missouri summer, but I'm sure the summer dresses were lighter fabrics.  I'm a real pants girl, but this does have some appeal to me.

Rolling cotton

Here she is taking picked cotton and rolling it into strands to be used.  She asked if I wanted to try rolling it so..why not???  It wasn't quite as easy as she made it look (isn't it always that way?) and I'm not particularly craftsy (is that a word??!!).  It's a good thing I wasn't responsible for doing this for my family!!!!!!

Here's my strand...

Fine and Dandy

I think he's learning "Joy to the World"!

The evening ended in this "reception room" where they had cookies and hot chocolate.  This little band, Fine and Dandy, played and entertained the guests.  The man in white playing the violin was the lead and the man is the red shirt played the dulcimer.  He's a retired pastor and theology professor.    He took volunteers to try the dulcimer and David got volunteered...by me!!!!!  Like other things, he made it look easier than it actually was.  It's all in the touch!  But it was fun!  Their last song we all were given an instrument to play along (I had jingle bells).

It was a fun night and brought back sweet memories of a time past.....



ps -just an update - we're still in the church hunt.  I think it's narrowed to two.  I'll keep you posted!