From pink roses that climb the arbor and picket fence in the spring to “seven swans a swimming” in December, the white three-story, colonial-styled, Lake Highlands home is an invitation for visitors to enter, to linger, to stop awhile and appreciate. And there is no better time to do this than during the glorious Christmas season. Steve and Donna Jenkins and their neighbors invite you to share in their annual holiday cul de sac celebration.
The multi-family, neighborhood project began nine years ago when Jenkins and the others spontaneously decided that they each would take a day in the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and visually display that verse in their front yard. Since then Oak Highlands Estates — just south of Walnut Hill, off Abrams — has hosted a display of neighborly holiday spirit for all to enjoy.
“We found Christmas cards, books, whatever we could use to project an image onto plywood,” says Donna Jenkins, whose husband, Steve, provided garage and tools for cutting and painting the pattern-cutouts. Though only three original families remain, the tradition has continued, just as it began, albeit each subsequent year bringing an addition or two.
“The people who have moved, left the decorations with the house,” says Donna, mother of Ben, Kyle, Sarah and Katie Jenkins.
Like a visitor from the Victorian Age, caught in a time warp, the Jenkins’ home stands among more contemporary designs with its black shutters, double-bay front windows, white picket fence, coach lamps, and antique mail box. What started out as red brick 20 years ago was recently painted white. “I always wanted a white house,” says Jenkins.
She also wanted to be surrounded by roses, her favorite flower, and has planted the “Queen of Flowers” throughout the grounds. Roses are also found in the fabric of sofa and chairs in the den, as well as in the wallpaper, china and hand painted furniture, creating a traditional atmosphere of country warmth.
The home was built to ‘grow with the family,’” says Jenkins. “We put the air conditioning system around the outside of the house so it would be easy to alter if we added on later.” And that they did. The last major change, she explained, was finishing out the third-floor spare room, “which is a catchall for everything, but we all use it” says Jenkins.
It is a bright home that invites the outdoors in, but with a pool area like this, it’s easy to see why the Jenkins’ family would enjoy spending a lot of time in their backyard. The pool, gazebo and arbor competes with the amenities available at any Victorian bed and breakfast around.
The arbor, with its massive double swing, was built on the weekends by Steve Jenkins, who during the week masquerades as an attorney with the law firm, Haynes and Boone. Next summer will surely find it covered with fragrant climbing antique roses (cultivated before the turn of the century, and frequently of the tea rose variety).
But, for now, the entire family looks forward to the many visitors who will add Timber Hollow Circle and The Twelve Days of Christmas to their Christmas ’99 memories.
Quote and cutline
“One year, three musicians entertained as they walked through the neighborhood playing their horns. It was magical,” — Donna Jenkins
‘Tis the season! The festivities, which start Dec. 1, bring passersby on foot, in autos, even on tour buses to Timber Hollow Circle.
Sidebar
We assume that the Twelve Days of Christmas come before Christmas Day and that they lead up to it, but that is not the case. The period leading up to Christmas is the Advent season, not the Christmas season. It benefits the retail industry to get the public to start thinking about gifts and presents in advance.
Speaking about gifts, did you know . . .?
That The Twelve Days of Christmas is more than a nonsensical poem put to music, the purpose for which it was written was far more serious.
Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law, private or public. It was a crime to be a Catholic.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” was written in England as one of the “catechism songs” to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith. It was used as a memory aid during a time when to be caught with anything in “writing” indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only garner imprisonment, it could get you hanged, beheaded — or worse (yes, it could be worse).
The songs are full of hidden meaning to the teachings of the faith. The “true love” mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The “me” who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the son, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless offspring, much in memory of the expression of Christ’s sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so . . .”
The other symbols mean the following:
2 Turtle Doves – The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens – Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds – The Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings – The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace
6 Geese A-laying – the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming – the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking – the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing – the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping – the Ten Commandments
11 Pipers — the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming – the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed
