Over the Garden Fence: A holiday open house
The stack of gifting brochures and catalogs is piling high here. If I had wisdom the orders for far-flung family members would be on its way. Sticky notes mark intentions. Then there is a host of friends in Japan and those letters need to be off soon. The yard still has many decorations to go out but the cold really leaves me standing in the doorway.
Reality sets in as scheduled events get underway.
This coming Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 1120 Caldwell Road, south of town and a mile or so west of Ohio 4, we are warming up Harvey One-Room School's classroom. The privies (restroom units} will not be heated, so prepare for an experience my husband calls "colder than a tin toilet in the Yukon." That thought always makes me snicker even though Skagway is the furthest northern point in my realm of adventures. They will have decorated doors and tissue galore.
We have spent the year marking 20 years of sharing Harvey School's influence in Crawford County. This is our wrap-up event for 2023. Our newsletter just released remembers many of the generous souls who dreamed of saving this historic building then passing along history.
This season we are giving a small gift to each visitor. Symbolically, we are dedicated to each person in Harvey's past, labeling them angels. Anyone who has given time, talent, financial support, historical items or come to our events and brought friends and family to May Day or our Heritage Harvest in September — you are our angels.
Some of you come year after year and we welcome you over and over. Angels are attendant spirits which deliver aid and support and influence people as they move through life and in this case share the historical significance of ongoing projects.
Decorations at the front entrance will welcome you. We have homemade cookies and lots of lightly spiced warm cider for you to sip. Lights will be in the windows. Santa will be seated in an antique hickory rocker with a decorated tree near him.
Shake his gloved, warm hand and accept a candy cane. One of us will even photograph you standing with Santa using your own iPhone. Take the opportunity to do that. Or, if you prefer to be seated on a high stool wearing the "dunce cap" we could manage that moment.
Skills sharpened over many years of practice and playing will radiate throughout the classroom as Marvin and Mark Monroe, father and son team up to bring us music. Each man plays several instruments and brings a sense of humor to our afternoon. You have to admire their energy. And they can be persuaded to sing a bit.
We will greet you and ask you to sign our guest book. At that moment you will receive our small gift and card prepared by our board members. It is likely that some crafting will be underway, nothing complicated, and nothing you are required to do.
It is like an open house so you can cruise through, warm up the holiday spirit, make a memory and move on.
Maybe we will see you, Sunday.
Mary Lee Minor is a member of the Earth, Wind and Flowers Garden Club, an accredited master gardener, a flower show judge for the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs and a former sixth grade teacher.
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Harvey One Room School to host its annual holiday open house
