A House Filled With Christmas
Living room with Christmas tree
When I think of Christmas, I think of my dear friend, Sharon's home here in Idaho. The Christmas feeling in her home is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I gasped the first time I saw it decorated for Christmas. The house is jolly, joyous, playful, artistic and utterly beautiful. You feel it the moment you walk through the front door.
Sharon started collecting Sun Valley Christmas ornaments decades ago when she and her husband bought their lovely home. Her favorite resource was a local institution, Jane's Christmas Store. It was jammed with every imaginable and unimaginable decorative surprise. Jane loved to find unique, one of a kind items for her customers. Sharon was right up there with the best of them.
As you can see, Sharon is an artist. An artist in every part of her life. From her home, to the special toys for her grandchildren, to the parties she gives for her husband and family. She's just one of those special people.
How did we become friends?
Her husband collected my paintings prior to their marriage. After they married, we'd all have dinner together and have a grand time, we just seemed to share the same vibe. She’s an artist, curator and art consultant, mother, grandmother, and a leader in her community. While our friendship started with art, it really developed over coffee.
One snowy day, Sharon asked me to join her for coffee at Tully's, a favorite local hangout in Ketchum. In those days neither of us really new what a "tall, skinny latte', or any kind of latte was. I just remembered my daughter ordering something like that once, so I followed her example and Sharon said, "Me, too!"
We found the perfect seats, leather-covered, by the window in the back, our own little alcove. There were lots of sunny windows and a patio for people to sit and point their faces towards the sun. Our first coffee together lasted for hours, four to be exact. Our husbands wondered what happened to us. But, we never stopped talking, laughing and sharing our lives together. We still do, although we only see each other a handful of times throughout the year. It mostly happens when the planets are aligned and we're both in Sun Valley at the same time. But, we always make the most of it, and by now our husbands know that if we meet for coffee, it will be for most of the day. Now, we're pros at ordering coffee. I've joined the Starbucks generation. To be honest, we both just have a latte and if I remember, I make it a "skinny."
