George Eastman House - Holiday Gingerbread Houses

What better to do on a cold winter’s day (well, late fall, but it certainly looked and felt like winter, with temperatures in the teens and snow dusting the ground) than to head to the George Eastman House to see the annual exhibit of wreaths, trees, and gingerbread houses?  All of the items are donated and available for purchase via silent auction, as a fundraiser for the House.  Unfortunately, we were too early for the decorated trees – we hadn’t realized that each category has a slightly different schedule.  No matter, because we won a decorated tree last year (its theme was The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is one of my favorite animated films, with an incredible Danny Elfman score).  So we weren’t in need of anything this year (although many things can be rationalized in the name of helping a good cause!). 

my favorite - with cones of music

Charlie's favorite - made by
Conesus Lake Garden Club

The creativity is astounding, and there were a number of wreaths Charlie, his sister, Kathryn, and I admired (not always the same ones…).  Most were created and donated by local garden clubs or garden stores.  I should have bought the one I can still picture from last year – it was created from ribbons of old film – even though we had no sensible place then to hang one, and that hasn’t changed.  Still, one could always find a place in a pinch?

one that both Kathryn & I admired

Last year, there was more diversity in the gingerbread house offerings in terms of their artistic merit.  There was even a whole room devoted to the most intricate and artistic houses.  Then again, there were more houses that looked like a child’s first attempt, and which probably ended up back in the same family.  This year, there were very few that were worthy of a bidding war, but also very few that might just get a pity bid…  I still wonder how many years a gingerbread house lasts (obviously it doesn’t matter if the materials get stale, but do they mold?  Or is there too much sugar for that?  Do the colors fade?  Would someone accidentally knock a turret off, or would our dog devour it if he could get to it?).  I would make one myself, but I don’t think I have the patience even to create one from a kit, and I certainly would worry about ‘inventory shrinkage’ (and the corresponding waist expansion).  So I’ll just have to settle for an annual trip to the George Eastman House to get my gingerbread house fix.  And who knows, maybe some year a wreath will find its way home with us.