JOYCE BUPP,
York Co. Correspondent
AIRVILLE (York Co.) On the
twelfth week before Christmas,
Nedra Graybill prepared for dis
play twelve Snowbaby statues,
eleven different angels, ten
reverse-painted balls, nine
David Winter houses, eight
assorted dolls, seven curious
critters, six Silhouettes figures,
five paperweights, four decorat
ed trees, three water globes, two
gurgling fountains and the pick
le hanging in the pine tree.
Ahd that all made barely a
dent in a stash of carefully
packed boxes filled with the
hundreds of decorations and col
lectibles that will glisten, glitter,
and glow throughout the holi
days at Graybill's picturesque,
turreted farm house east of
Airville Nedra's reputation as a
holiday decorator is well-known
among her friends and family,
who eagerly anticipate seeing
what new surprise she's added
each season.
The Graybill home is one of
several lovely, historic homes in
the Airville area preparing for
the first-ever Christmas in the
Country holly tour to benefit the
Collinsville Area Library. That
tour is scheduled for Sunday,
December 14, from 1 00 to 4 00
p m
"I've always very much
enjoyed going on holly tours of
homes at Christmas; that was
the reason I agreed to take part
in this one for the library,"
explains Christmas-decorating
enthusiast Nedra
As a child growing up in
Forrest Hill, Maryland, Nedra
had an opportunity one holiday
season to look at the Christmas
tree in the home of school
friends She was fascinated with
the village of miniature cottages
that have been set up under the
tree, the first she had ever seen.
After her marriage in 1933 to
dairy farmer Creed Graybill,
Nedra designed a small "plat
form" under the couple's first
Two of Nedra Graybiil's favorite ornaments of the hun
dreds on her trees are bells fashioned from church com
munion cups and a shiny, hanging pickle, traditional Ger
man symbol of good-luck.
Graybill Farm
Christmas tree, fashioning it
from a green, mossy material
and using dried twigs for trees.
Over the years, the display
has spread from a simple layout
under the tree to collections fill
ing every nook and cranny of the
spacious Graybill farm home,
with its marble fireplace, pocket
doors, and original oak wood
work. As six daughters arrived
in the family, Nedra's Christmas
decorating team expanded
"I usually begin
Thanksgiving night, after our
dinner, is over, " Nedra says of
the month or more it takes to
unpack, design, set up, hang and
arrange numerous collections
and displays of Christmas orna
ments and artifacts Some date
to the family's earliest
Christmas celebrations and
many have been handmade by
Nedra, her daughters, family,
and fnends Each year the col
lection acquires several addi
tions
With the deadline of the mid-
December Holly Tour, Nedra
began unpacking boxes early,
setting up the base of the plat
form display that covers a large
corner of the living room and
sets off the two large and one
small Christmas tree located
there When two of her daugh
ters and sons-in-law were avail
able one day in late September,
Nedra took advantage of the
assistance to begin setting up
the trees.
"When I had help, I got at it,"
she chuckles. It was fortunate
that Nedra go such an early
start; in late October, she
slipped and fell, resulting in a
cast on her broken left wrist
Her family, which always partic
ipates in the extensive decora
tions, rallied to help prepare the
display for the holly tour.
Among the three generations
of the family to lend a hand to
this year's decorating efforts
were four of the smaller great
grandchildren, who were given a
small tree to decorate all by
Home On Holiday Tour
Nedra Graybill and her daughter Mildred Bacon are ready to welcome Christmas In
the Country visitors to the Graybill farm home near Airville.
themselves. Covered with whim
sical decorations, the great
grandchildren's tree is a colorful
focal point in the small den
adjoining the Graybill farm
kitchen.
Focal point of the house, of
course, is the grand corner dis
play of three trees, shining with
lights and ornaments of many
varieties - animals, bells, angels,
birds, stars of various shapes
plus, lots of creative, surprise
ones that tickle the imagination.
"Here's a ball made from
pajamas," points out Mildred
Bacon, Felton, one of Nedra's
daughters who shared many
hours with her mother, decorat
ing for the holly tour. Sure
enough, the lovely ornament is
covered with fabric recycled
from a piece of nightwear.
"And here's the pickle,"
Nedra says, plunking from a
branch a glittery, green, gherkin
shape. The lighthearted orna
ment upholds a German tradi
tion that the pickle is a symbol
of good luck Tradition further
dictated that the first child to
find the pickle on Christmas
morning - the ornament have
been hidden by the parents who
decorated the tree in secret on
Christmas Eve earns a surprise
gift.
Spread beneath the trees is
an elaborate fairyland commu
nity, its hills and valleys struc-
Three generations cluster around the coffee table in the Graybill home, adding fin
ishing touches before the Airville Holly Tour. From left are Nedra Graybill, grand
daughter Natalie Webb, and daughter Mildred Bacon.
tured over boxes and blocks of
styrofoam, all covered with pufiy
cotton and a sprinkling of artifi
cial snow. Light shines from
miniature buildings, a tiny-sized
community sporting everything
from a sparkling ice castle to
shops designed from stained
glass to a miniature Grand Ole
Opry.
"The lighted barn was given
to me by one of our daughters
one year for Christmas," notes
Nedra, pointing out the small
red-ceramic structure with its
company of whimsical animals.
Before the barn lies a vast
snowy meadow, overflowing
with tiny people and animals
and shimmery glass ponds on
which skaters slowly circle.
Many of the assorted displays
lovingly arrange throughout the
rest of the Graybill home feature
Nedra's extensive grouping of
Christmas collectibles, including
dozens of full-size and miniature
Snowbabies, one of the headlin
er items of the Graybill home
stop on the Holly Tour. Arranged
in other areas of the house are
Seraphim and Silhouettes statu
ary, as well as an array of
angels. Still another display
highlights Nedra's prized,
reverse-painted Christmas
balls, clear globes with intricate
scenes painted on the inside of
the glass.
"Again, that collection start-
ed with a gift from one of our
daughters," Nedra explains, not
ing with a grin, "Once I have two
of something, it's a collection.."
Many of her collections took
root at Tomorrow's Treasures,
the Bel-Air, Maryland, gift shop
owned by her daughter, Carolyn
Crawford, Forrest Hill. In addi
tion to Mildred and Carolyn,
Nedra's four other daughters
are Nancy Green, York; Dorsi
Snyder, New Bridgeville, Nedra
Jean Smith, Airville, and Theda
Marie Otter, Forrest Hill. Their
families and combined 13 chil
dren and 14 grandchildren pro
vide an ongoing source of enthu
siasm for the Graybill home's
holiday decorating traditions.
As family members have
become attached to certain orna
ments over the years, Nedra
often shares those favorites,
passing on the holiday tradition.
Knowing how much Mildred
particularly admired a tiny;
glass lamp, Nedra gave it to her |
daughter some years ago. And,
although Mildred had already,
removed her family's Christmas
tree from their home, she
promptly carried the lamp out to
the discarded tree and hung it
on a branch. !
As Nedra and Mildred talk j
about the displays, they remi-j
nisce about Christmases past
One year, a tree tumbled over on'
(Turn to Pag* B 7)