THE ART OF MAKING MERRY
The Art of Making Merry
A special feel for Christmas
By Deborah Salomon
Photographs by John Gessner
‘Tis said that on a crisp, clear December night the lights on Evon and Jerry Jordan’s showplace home are visible from the International Space Station — hyperbole until viewed with roof lines draped in tiny white lights and a lineup of trees across the façade.
Christmas is a full-time job for the Jordans and their helpers. Half a dozen indoor trees plus those outside — the largest overlooking the pool — illustrate how these great-grandparents make an art of making merry.
The dozen trees or maybe more
Are decorated tip to floor
With ornaments from every child
Rambunctious, meek and mild.
“Evon’s always had a special feel for Christmas,” Jerry says. “She’s decorated ever since I’ve known her.”
Such a show demands an audience: “I’m one of eight kids,” Evon says. That adds up to more cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews than a five-legged dog has toes. Forty, to be exact, who visit regularly.
Some tree themes and colors change from year to year, but the Jordans aren’t into silver and royal blue Picasso-esque ornaments.
Holiday greenery
Adds to the scenery
But the dominant color
Just has to be red,
Including the coverlet spread on a bed.
The 10-foot tree rising beside a graceful hallway staircase illustrates another Christmas décor principle: Too much is never enough.
Baubles and bangles
Ribbons in bows,
Tinsel, poinsettias
Rows upon rows . . .
At parties guests usually gravitate to the kitchen, right? The Jordans’ has a marble-topped island the size of Manhattan.
Their kitchen is white as a Christmas Eve snow,
Here’s where for cookies Santa surely will go.
Except last year brought a buffet surprise —
Exotic yummies from the land of the Thais.
Beauty, love — all of the above — and a creche complete the Jordans’ holiday scene because, as Jerry says, “That’s what Christmas is all about.”
