A city in a house
By Daniel Arens
For some people, Christmas decorating is a necessity of the season, when the minimum Christmas tree and a couple baubles and candles are put up to convince others that they are not a Scrooge.
For others, the decorations of this season are the highlight of the year, requiring both interior and exterior renovations to their homes to accommodate the new festive look of December. John and Peggy Rahn belong to this latter category.
There are all kinds of lights, ornaments, and other decorations both inside and outside the Rahn house. However, the sitting room is unrivaled in terms of Christmas spirit.
In fact, there is a village within their house. A village of houses, buildings, ships, figurines, and farms totaling 712 pieces in all.
“I just like collecting them,” Peggy said. And collect she does. For the last 23 years, she has been adding to this village, allowing the city to expand. Now it covers the perimeters of two of the four walls in the room, and juts out deep within the room as well.
John said that there is currently an entire closet in the house that is reserved for storing this massive town during the rest of the year.
Peggy said she received the first of these houses from her niece. Since that time, she continues to receive them as gifts from her kids and grandkids.
“It’s just fun,” she said, adding that it took her about four days this year to set up the village.
