GRAVENHURST, MUSKOKA, OUR CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN HAS COMMENCED FOR 2013!!!!

Storm Clouds Gathering Over Muskoka Bay – Muskoka Lake, Gravenhurst, ON. Thursday, November 12th, 2013

 

With Flurries and Snow Squalls in the forecast for Tuesday night, the clouds over Muskoka Bay near the Ontario Fire College provide a dramatic contrast in the sky over the waters of Muskoka Bay on this Mid November late afternoon.  (Photo By Fred Schulz)

WHY WRITE ABOUT A MUSKOKA CHRISTMAS? - WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT? IS OUR CHRISTMAS SEASON BETTER THAN IN OTHER TOWNS AND REGIONS?


    FRED SCHULZ AND I ARE READY TO GO. I KNOW I PLANNED TO COMMENCE ON THE 15TH OF NOVEMBER, BUT THIS CHRISTMAS CHEER JUST WON'T WAIT. SO I GRABBED A FEW THOUGHTS FROM THE BLOG-BAG, AND CAME UP WITH SEVERAL WARM-UP COLUMNS TO GET US ALL IN THE MOOD.....CAUSE IF THERE'S ANY MOISTURE LEFT IN THE ATMOSPHERE THIS FALL, BY DECEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIALLY WHITE, WHITE CHRISTMAS. IT WILL BE PENNIES FROM HEAVEN FOR THE SNOW REMOVAL FOLKS.
    ABOUT 170,000 READERS AGO, I DECIDED TO WRITE A BLOG DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF "CHRISTMAS IN GRAVENHURST." THAT WAS TWO YEARS AGO THIS MONTH. I WASN'T ON THE TOWN PAYROLL TO DO SO, AND I DIDN'T WRITE IT ON THE URGING OF ANY OF OUR BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH WAS GOOD, BECAUSE THEY IGNORED IT ANYWAY. EVEN IF I WAS EMPLOYED TO PROMOTE GRAVENHURST, AND PAID SEMI-HANDSOMELY, I KNOW IT WOULDN'T BE THE SAME. I CAN WORK ON HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND EDITORIAL PREPARATION FOR HIRE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PROMOTING THE SEASONS OF MUSKOKA, AS I ENJOY THEM, I'D PROBABLY FIND THE TETHER OF A CONTRACT TOO TIGHT FOR MY OWN GOOD. I'VE NEVER BEEN VERY GOOD IN CREATIVE ENTERPRISE, HAVING AN OVER-LORD. I DON'T EVEN EMPLOY SUZANNE AS MY EDITOR WITH SUCH VENTURES, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO EMBROIL THE GOOD WOMAN IN THE CONFLUENCE OF CREATIVE ENTERPRISE. CREATIVITY BRINGS OUT THE BEAST IN ME. SHE WORKS BRILLIANTLY ON MY OTHER MANUSCRIPTS, BUT I KNOW NOT TO MIX THE TWO PURSUITS. THE CHRISTMAS PROJECT, DESIGNED TWO YEARS AGO, WAS TO PROFILE THE EARLY WINTER SEASON IN SOUTH MUSKOKA, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN OUR HOME TOWN. AND THERE WAS NO REAL BUSINESS SIDE TO IT, ALTHOUGH I PROBABLY TOUCHED ON REASONS YOU SHOULD SHOP LOCALLY. I MIGHT HAVE EVEN BECOME A LITTLE WORDY ABOUT MATTERS OF LOCAL POLITICS, WHICH FREQUENTLY PRESSES MY EMOTIONAL BUTTONS.
     BY YEAR TWO, I SETTLED DOWN A BIT, AND FOCUSED ON THE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF OUR TOWN, AT THIS FESTIVE TIME OF THE YEAR; AND ONCE AGAIN, I WAS ON NO ONE'S PAYROLL TO DO SO. YOU SEE, I DON'T FIND IT DIFFICULT AT ALL, TO PROFILE THIS COMMUNITY DAY IN AND DAY OUT, BECAUSE IT HAS, AS A HOMETOWN, BEEN AN IDEAL PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY, WORK AND PLAY. DESPITE THOSE WHO CONTINUALLY PREDICT ECONOMIC CALAMITY, AND AN END TO THE COMMUNITY AS WE HAVE KNOWN IT, I'VE NEVER PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THE DOOM AND GLOOM OUTLOOK. FOR THIS, I DRAW BACK TO THE YEAR WE ARRIVED HERE, (FALL OF 1989). WORKING AS A NEWS EDITOR FOR THE BANNER, I HEARD THE VERY SAME PREDICTIONS AND FORECASTS FOR IMMINENT DISASTER. THE MAIN STREET WAS GOING TO BE ROLLED UP AND PUT AWAY IN THE ARCHIVES.....TO BE LOOKED UPON BY SOME FUTURE HISTORIAN AS "THEY WAY WE WERE!" SOME FOLKS JUST CAN'T ADMIT THEY WERE WRONG. I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT MY OUTLOOK WAS AS POSITIVE THEN AS IT IS NOW. BUT THE CHRISTMAS THEMED PROJECT, WHICH WOULD RUN DAILY FOR A MONTH AND A HALF, WOULD FIND ENOUGH BRIGHT LIGHTS AND FESTIVE CHEER, TO MAKE IT UNIQUE IN ITS OWN WAY. NO ONE ELSE WAS DOING IT. I DON'T SUPPOSE THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS A NEED. I DID. I SUPPOSE IT WAS A MISSION TO QUASH THE NEGATIVE AURA THAT WAS BEING UNFAIRLY PRESENTED ABOUT OUR TOWN, FROM PEOPLE CONSUMED BY THE IDEA OUR ECONOMIC ENGINE HAD NOT ONLY FAILED, BUT DROPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE, IN ITS ENTIRETY. IT WAS NONSENSE BUT THOSE WITH NEGATIVE OVERVIEWS WERE GETTING THE INK IN THE LOCAL PRESS. SO I TURNED-ON TO CYBERSPACE, WITH THE ADDED ADVANTAGE THAT I WASN'T KILLING ANY TREES TO PUBLISH BOOKS.
     IN SOME WAYS, I STARTED TO THINK OF GRAVENHURST AS BEING A VICTIM OF BULLYING. CRITICS, IN MY OPINION, WHO WERE TRYING, AND IN SOMEWAYS SUCCEEDING, TO MINIMIZE ITS HISTORY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, RESILIANCE, AND TRACK RECORD OF RECOVERY. HEY, WE SURVIVED TWO WORLD WARS AND A GREAT DEPRESSION FOR STARTERS. SOME OF ITS ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES, COMMON TO THOUSANDS OF SMALL TOWNS, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, WERE BEING BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION, MAKING IT LOOK LIKE A NO-MAN'S LAND TO INVESTORS. I JUST DECIDED TO STRIKE OUT ON MY OWN, AND WRITE ABOUT WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS TOWN AND OUR REGION OF ONTARIO, WITHOUT THE HEAVY-WEIGHT OF "WHAT-IFS" AND NAY-SAYING THAT SEEMED TO BE POPPING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE....AS IF INTENTIONAL SABOTAGE. IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME THEN, OR NOW, ALTHOUGH THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A LIGHTENING OF THE NEGATIVE BURDEN, FOR WHATEVER REASON.
     I FELT A GREAT SENSE OF LIBERATION, SITTING DOWN AT THE KEYBOARD, NOT FAR FROM THE BIRCH HOLLOW HEARTH, LOOKING OUT AT THE SNOW-LADEN BOG, WITH ITS RESIDENT DEER, SQUIRRELS AND WINTER BIRDS, AND WRITING ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IN THIS HOMETOWN. I WANTED, IN MY OWN SMALL WAY, TO SHOW OFF THE OTHER ASPECTS OF SMALL TOWN LIVING, AND THE HINTERLAND EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE READERS FASCINATED BY CHRISTMASES SPENT IN THE COUNTRY. THE SECOND YEAR, INVOLVED A WIDER MUSKOKA THEME, AS IT WILL AGAIN THIS YEAR, BECAUSE IN ESSENCE, IT'S THE MUSKOKA EXPERIENCE I ENJOY THE MOST AS A WRITER. IT'S BEEN THIS WAY SINCE WE MOVED HERE IN THE NINETEEN SIXTIES. I CAN'T HELP MYSELF. I LOVE THIS PLACE AND I HOPE IT SHOWS.
     I HAVE TEAMED-UP WITH WELL KNOWN GRAVENHURST AND MUSKOKA PHOTOGRAPHER, FRED SCHULZ, TO BETTER ILLUSTRATE HOW BOTH OF US FEEL, LIVING AND WORKING IN THIS HOMETOWN AND HOME REGION. ADMITTEDLY, THERE'S AN UNSPECIFIED AMOUNT OF SELF DISCOVERY OCCURRING, QUITE SPONTANEOUSLY, WHEN WE DO THESE KIND OF PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE'RE RELYING ON SPIRIT TO SET THE AGENDA. WE GO WHERE WE WANT, WHEN WE WANT, AND NO ONE DICTATES THE END RESULT; HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THE PAST, THE PRESENT, OR OUR SPECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE. IT IS HEART-DRIVEN YOU MIGHT SAY, AND THAT'S ABOUT AS PURE AS WE CAN MAKE THIS CHRISTMAS OVERVIEW. FRED AND I BOTH BELIEVE THAT MUSKOKA IS A PARADISE ON EARTH.  BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MAYBE READING THESE BLOGS, STARTING TODAY, (A LITTLE EARLIER THAN I PLANNED), WILL RECONNECT YOU TO THE PLACE YOU HAVE BEEN TAKING FOR GRANTED.....A HOME TOWN YOU'VE FORGOTTEN, SOMEWHAT, AS A PLACE OF FINE TRADITIONS, HISTORY ABOUNDING, AND LOTS OF INTERESTING CHARACTERS, WHO ALWAYS SEEM SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING THIS TIME OF YEAR.....WHEN THEY EXTEND THEIR HALE AND HARDY CHRISTMAS GREETINGS, AND HANDSHAKE, TO THOSE THEY MEET......ON THE ROAD WELL TRAVELLED.
     AS FOR HONEST INTENT, WE, WITHOUT BASHFULNESS, WILL EXPOSE OURSELVES FOR READERS......(THE UNNAKED KIND). THIS CHRISTMAS PROJECT WILL BE UNRESTRAINED, UNCOMPLICATED, AND MOST DEFINITELY UNFETTERED. WE ARE WORKING INDIVIDUALLY TO EXPRESS OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN MUSKOKA, THEN AND NOW, AND WE WILL NOT MAKE ONE CENT OF PROFIT, FROM DOING WHAT WE SHOULD ALL DO FOR OUR HOME DISTRICT. BE KIND TO IT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. GUARDING TRADITIONS, AS WELL.
     HERE IS A LITTLE BRACEBRIDGE PIECE THAT I WAS PLANNING TO SEND TO ONE OF THE TWO PUBLICATIONS I WORK FOR, OUTSIDE OF MUSKOKA. AFTER I READ IT OVER, TO CATCH SOME TYPOS, I DECIDED THAT IT WAS ONE OF THOSE LOW KEY BLOGS ABOUT OLD KITCHENS, AND COOKERY HERITAGE, AND ON A COLD NOVEMBER DAY.....WELL SIR, IT JUST MADE ME FEEL NICE AND WARM. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT DO THE SAME FOR YOU. SURE IT'S A LITTLE MARTHA STEWART-ISH BUT I LIKE HER WORK. NOW I'VE GOT A REPLACEMENT COLUMN TO WRITE TOMORROW.


A KITCHEN FULL OF CHRISTMAS

     WE HAD GHOSTS AT WOODCHESTER VILLA AND MUSEUM, IN BRACEBRIDGE.  MORE THAN TWO. MAYBE MORE. MANY OF THE ROOMS HAD A PRESENCE THAT WAS HARD TO EXPLAIN IF YOU DIDN'T BELIEVE IN GHOSTS.....BUT EASY IF YOU WERE ONSIDE WITH THE PARANORMAL. BUT THE ONE AREA OF THE OCTAGONALLY DESIGNED HOUSE, THAT NO ONE FELT UNEASY ABOUT, AT LEAST DURING MY TENURE AS DIRECTOR, AND THEN MANAGER, WAS THE BASEMENT KITCHEN, WITH ITS BEAUTIFUL OLD COOKSTOVE IN THE CORNER.
     EVERY CHRISTMAS SEASON, IN THE LAST HALF OF THE 1980'S, MY WIFE, SUZANNE AND I, WOULD HOST A SPECIAL OPEN HOUSE AT BRACEBRIDGE'S MUSEUM, KNOWN AS WOODCHESTER VILLA. IT WAS AN OCTAGONALLY CONSTRUCTED VICTORIAN HOME, SITUATED HIGH ON THE UPPER BANK OF THE MUSKOKA RIVER, LOOKING OUT OVER THE STEAMING CATARACT OF THE BRACEBRIDGE FALLS.
     BUILT BY LOCAL WOOLEN MILL FOUNDER, HENRY BIRD, IN THE EARLY 1880'S, THE RESTORED ESTATE HAD A WIDOW'S WALK AT THE PEAK OF THE ROOF, THREE FLOORS, AND A WONDERFULLY COZY BASEMENT, WHERE THE KITCHEN WAS LOCATED. THERE WAS A DUMBWAITER IN THE KITCHEN AREA, THAT COULD TRANSPORT A TRAY OF FOOD, TWO FLOORS UP, THROUGH THE CENTRE OF THE HOUSE, FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE BIRD FAMILY. THERE WAS A COOKSTOVE IN THE BASEMENT AND SEVEAL LARGE FLAT-TO-THE-WALL CUPBOARDS FOR INGREDIENTS, AND BOTH A PANTRY AND COLD ROOM FOR THE SAFE STORAGE OF CANNED FRUIT AND PRODUCE.
     IT WAS A GREAT BUT LARGELY IGNORED AREA OF THE HOUSE, BECAUSE THE MAIN FLOOR AND THE BEDROOMS ON THE SECOND FLOOR, WERE WHERE THE MOST IMPRESSIVE VICTORIAN FURNISHINGS AND DECOR WERE EXHIBITED, INCLUDING THE GRAND PIANO WHICH WAS OFTEN PLAYED BY SOME OF OUR MORE MUSICAL GUESTS. THE RESTORED KITCHEN WAS SMALL, AND IT WAS THE ONLY ROOM TO VIEW ON THE GROUND LEVEL, SO IT WAS AVOIDED BY A MAJORITY OF VISITORS, DISINTERESTED IN THE STEEP STAIRS CONNECTING THE BASEMENT TO THE MAIN FLOOR. WHICH WAS A SHAME BECAUSE IT WAS, TO ME, THE MOST FASCINATING ROOM IN THE HOUSE.
     THIS HAS ALL COME INTO FOCUS AGAIN, FOR SUZANNE AND I, AS THE OLD HOUSE IS BEING RESTORED FOR A SECOND TIME IN THIRTY YEARS, BY THE TOWN OF BRACEBRIDGE, AFTER IT HAD TO BE CLOSED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, FOR STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES. IT HAD BEEN OPENED AS A MUSEUM, BY THE BRACEBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, IN THE EARLY 1980'S, AFTER BEING PURCHASED AND RENOVATED BY THE BRACEBRIDGE ROTARY CLUB, BEFORE BEING TURNED OVER TO THE TOWN AS ITS FIRST COMMUNITY MUSUEUM. AS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND DIRECTORS OF THE MUSEUM, I USUALLY VOLUNTEERED FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON PROGRAM, BECAUSE IT'S WHEN I FOUND THE ESTATE SO INCREDIBLY ENCHANTED. IT WAS NO CHORE WHATSOEVER, FOR SUZANNE AND I TO SPEND THE SEVERAL DAYS AND NIGHTS, DECORATING THE BIRD HOUSE, TO SUIT ITS VICTORIAN PERIOD. WE DID EVERYTHING AS THE VICTORIANS WOULD HAVE, EVEN THOUGH WE COULD HAVE CHEATED, AND PURCHASED CUT CEDAR BOUGHS FROM A LOCAL GARDEN CENTRE.
    WE HEADED OUT TO THE WOODLANDS NEAR OUR HOME, TO FIND SOME CEDAR TREES THAT NEEDED A LITTLE SEASONAL PRUNING. WE ONLY EVER USED A NATURAL TREE FOR THE PARLOR, BUT WE DID OPT TO PURCHASE ONE FROM THE LOCAL ROTARY CLUB, WHEN THEY'D START THEIR SEASONAL FUNDRAISER. WE ONLY USED PAPER AND VINTAGE GLASS DECORATIONS SUITED TO THE PERIOD. IT WAS TOUGH FINDING THESE MATERIALS, BUT TO SEE THE WAY IT SPARKLED IN THE LAMPLIGHT, WHEN FOLKS FIRST CAME THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR, WAS WORTH ALL THE EXTRA EFFORT STAGING AN HISTORIC RE-ENACTMENT, OF A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS.
     WE ALWAYS SEEMED TO NEGLECT THE OLD KITCHEN OF THE HOUSE, AND WOUND UP USING IT AS THE STAGING AREA FOR ANY FOOD SERVICES WE HAD PLANNED FOR THE OPEN HOUSE, WHICH WAS USUALLY THE WEEKEND CLOSEST TO CHRISTMAS. THERE WAS A MODERN FACILITY FOR FOOD PREPARATION, THAT HAD BEEN CREATED, DURING THE ORIGINAL RESTORATION, FOR SUCH SOCIAL EVENT PREPARATIONS, SIDE BY SIDE THE OLD KITCHEN. THERE WAS OFTEN SO MUCH WORK GOING ON DOWN THERE, THAT IT BECAME UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE-KNIT, AND MANY NEAR DISASTERS OCCURRED ON THE WAY UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS. WE DIDN'T USE THE DUMBWAITER ANY LONGER, BECAUSE OF A WORRY ABOUT FOOD CONTAMINATION IN THE OPEN AIR OF THE SHAFT THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAN THOROUGHLY.
     ONE AFTERNOON, PRIOR TO THAT MONTH'S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION, SUZANNE AND I STOPPED AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, GARLANDS IN OUR HANDS, QUESTIONING ALOUD, WHY WE COULDN'T HIGHLIGHT THE COOKERY HERITAGE OF THIS IMPORTANT ROOM OF THE HOUSE; SOMEWHAT MORE INCLUSIVELY, AS PART OF THE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. THIS HAD NEVER BEEN DONE TO THIS EXTENT, SO THERE WAS SOME RISK ATTACHED. IT WAS SMALL, AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET MANY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AT ONE TIME, BUT IT WAS WORTH A TRY. THERE WAS A MAGIC IN THIS LITTLE ROOM, WITH A BASEMENT WINDOW LOOKING DOWN ON THE OLD TOWN, AND THE EXTRA BRIGHTNESS OF NATURAL LIGHT, FROM THE NEW MANTLE OF SNOW, ENGULFING THE BLUE GLASS OF THE OLD SEALER JARS KEPT ON THE LEDGE. WE HAD A PLAN. WHETHER IT WOULD WORK OR NOT, WAS ANOTHER ISSUE. WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE KITCHEN, THIS YEAR, THE MOST IMPORTANT ROOM OF THE HOUSE; WHICH IN REALITY, WAS JUST A REFLECTION OF THE WAY IT WAS WHEN THIS OLD COOKSTOVE KEPT MUCH OF THE HOUSE WARM, AND THIS ROOM, A FEAST FOR THE SENSES.
     SUZANNE ARRANGED WITH ANOTHER DIRECTOR, TO BRING IN AN APPLE CIDER PRESS, SO WE COULD DEMONSTRATE HOW IT WORKED, INCLUDING A BUSHEL OF APPLES FOR FOLKS TO GRIND INTO PULP AND JUICE. WE HAD THE ROOM SET UP WITH AN ARRAY OF BAKED GOODS, SUCH THAT, TO THE CASUAL OBSERVER, IT APPEARED EVERYTHING HAD BEEN COOKED IN THE GIANT WOODSTOVE. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAD NEVER BEEN HOOKED UP, AND OUR INSURANCE WOULD HAVE SKY-ROCKETED, IF IT HAD BEEN CONVERTED FOR EVERYDAY USE. SUZANNE SET UP OUR YOUNG SON, ANDREW AND I, WITH A SELECTION OF ORANGES, AND BOWLS OF SPICES AND CLOVES. I REMEMBER CINNAMON FOR SURE.
     WE WERE TO MAKE TRADITIONAL POMANDERS OUT OF THE ORANGES, BY FIRST OF ALL, STICKING THE CLOVES THROUGH THE ORANGE PEEL, SO THAT THE ENTIRE ORANGE WAS COVERED WITH CLOVE SPIKES. THEY WEREN'T TIGHTLY ARRANGED, BECAUSE THE IDEA WAS, THAT THE SPIKES WOULD RELEASE THE JUICE OF THE ORANGE, THROUGH THE PUNCTURE IN THE SKIN, AND FRUIT ITSELF, SPILLING OUT ONTO THE SKIN BETWEEN THE CLOVES. THEN WE WERE TO TAKE THE JUICE-MOISTENED ORANGE, AND MIX IT AROUND IN THE BOWL OF MIXED SPICES, SO THAT THESE FRAGRANT INGREDIENTS WOULD ADHERE TO THE JUICE, AND EVENTUALLY DRY AS AN OUTSIDE COATING. THE AROMA WAS INTOXICATING. WE THOUGHT SO, WITH OUR HEADS JUST ABOVE THE TABLE, AND SO DID THE HUNDREDS OF GUESTS, WHO DECIDED TO VENTURE TO THE OLD KITCHEN OF THE BIRD HOUSE.
    ANDREW AND I MADE THESE POMANDERS ON AND OFF, FOR MOST OF THE OPEN HOUSE, SITTING AT THE PINE HARVEST TABLE, WHILE SUZANNE MADE UP STEAMING BOWLS OF HOT PUNCH AND APPLE CIDER FOR THE GUESTS. I NEVER HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS, AS CAME MY WAY THAT NIGHT, AND IT ALL HAD TO DO WITH THE MAGIC PERCEIVED IN THAT WONDERFUL OLD KITCHEN. THE ROOM THAT HAD NEVER ATTRACTED A CROWD, AND HAD BEEN ONLY UTILIZED, DURING THESE SPECIAL EVENTS, AS A SERVICE AREA, TO FACILITATE THE PREPARATION OF FOOD TREATS FOR THE DINING ROOM ABOVE. WE KNEW IT WOULD WORK, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NARROW STAIRCASE AND LIMITED SPACE, IT WAS A BIT OF A RISK HAVING IT BECOME TOO POPULAR, ALL AT ONCE. AS IT TURNED OUT, IT WAS A PLEASANT VISITATION OVER MANY HOURS, AND EVEN WITH A LARGER GROUP, IT SOMEHOW MADE THE ROOM EVEN MORE FESTIVE AND COMFORTABLE.
     I CAN SO CLEARLY RECALL, EVEN ALL THESE YEARS LATER, SITTING DOWN THERE, IN THE SOFT ILLUMINATION OF AN OIL LAMP, TOWARD THE END OF THE EVENING'S FESTIVITIES, LISTENING TO THE CHEERFUL SOUND OF VISITORS SINGING CHRISTMAS CAROLS, IN THE PARLOR. THE WELCOME INTRUSION OF CHILDREN LAUGHING AND PIANO KEYS STRIKING DOWN, AND FEELING THAT THE GOOD SPIRITS, WE ALL KNEW OF THIS OCTAGONAL HOME, WERE PLEASED WITH THE GENERAL CONTENTMENT, ONCE AGAIN, TAKING PLACE WITHIN ITS HISTORIC WALLS. IT IS STILL MY MOST SATISFYING MEMORY, OF MY YEARS OF DIRECTORSHIP, WITH WOODCHESTER VILLA AND MUSEUM. IT WAS MY LAST CHRISTMAS AS ITS MANAGER, AND I'M SO GLAD WE DECIDED TO REANIMATE ITS HISTORIC KITCHEN, FOR THAT YEAR'S CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. I CAN STILL SMELL THOSE DRYING POMANDERS, AND AS A SORT OF TRADITION HERE AT BIRCH HOLLOW, WE STILL MAKE A HALF DOZEN EACH YEAR, TO ENHANCE THE AROMA OF THE OLD COTTAGE IN WHICH WE DWELL. HOW SPLENDID, WHEN THIS PERMEATING SCENT, MIXES WITH A FRUIT CAKE OR CHRISTMAS PUDDING IN THE OVEN. I AM A KITCHEN DWELLER FOR MOST OF THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. IT ALL BEGAN IN THE WOODCHESTER VILLA KITCHEN. I HOPE IT WILL BE OPEN AGAIN BY NEXT CHRISTMAS, FOR THEIR ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE.
    AS A FOOTNOTE, FRED SCHULZ SNAPPED A PHOTOGRAPH THAT NIGHT, OF ANDREW AND I MAKING THE ORANGE POMANDERS IN THE BASEMENT KITCHEN OF WOODCHESTER VILLA. THAT WAS IN THE LATE 1980'S.
     THANKS FOR DROPPING BY, AND STAY TUNED FOR OUR CHRISTMAS 2013 COUNTDOWN.  THERE'S LOTS OF ROOM AT HEARTHSIDE IN CASE YOU GET CHILLY.