Christmas town

View larger image Carol and Bob Flanagan stand inside their Strasburg home next to a Christmas Village that takes up much of their living room. Rich Cooley/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos View larger image A police car was an update to the Christmas village this year. Rich Cooley/Daily View larger image A train runs througha portion of the Christmas Village inside the Flanagan's home. Rich Cooley/Daily View larger image An intersection with crossing lights adds details to a village that Carol Flanagan built in the living room of her home. Rich Cooley/Daily

Local woman sets up village of houses in living room

By Amber Marra -- amarra@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- When you first come upon the Flanagan house at 191 Abby Lane it would appear that the folks living there are modest about their Christmas spirit.

The front yard is graced with a few spiral Christmas trees, the usual strings of lights here and there, hanging bows and snowflakes, and of course a traditional wreath on the front door.

This proves to be thoroughly misleading. After taking the first step through that door into the foyer of the home, the eyes are led immediately to the left to an expansive Christmas village that has taken over most of the adjoining room.

"You only see outside decorations when you're driving in, but we live here, we live in this house, and you see [the village] every time you walk in, and you hear it when I have it all on," said Carol Flanagan, the creator of the metropolis.

If it were a real-live place, the residents of the Flanagans' Christmas village would be living the good life. On one end of town, figures skate across a miniature ice rink. On the other, tiny skiers zoom around a ski resort complete with an active gondola that zips up and down a suspended line.

In between these two attractions are 42 ceramic homes and buildings, and hundreds of other tiny figurines that serve as the town folk and appear to be enjoying the holidays with a Christmas gala being hosted in the middle of all the action and a newly wedded couple celebrating on the next block.

Across town, children play and make snow angels while ice sculptures are carved nearby. In still another portion of the small city a train circles while one of 42 Santa Claus figures circles above in his sleigh. The snowy landscape is otherwise dotted with shops, cafes, and pubs, including a winery, bed and breakfast, and several cozy-looking homes, one of which plays "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" while a woman takes the hand of Saint Nick inside.

And to think, all of this activity started when Mrs. Flanagan got her first three pieces 15 years ago.

"Once I got the gondola I couldn't stop," Mrs. Flanagan said. "One year I got a whole village from someone who needed some extra money, so it grew in one year to twice its size."

Her husband, Strasburg Planning Commission member Bob Flanagan, fully embraces his wife's holiday hobby from the time she starts putting it together to its completion -- a process that takes about three weeks.

"It's amusing to watch her do this because it's done with extreme precision and care," Flanagan said.

Though Mrs. Flanagan said she changes the layout of the town every year, her husband has helped her make the process of setting up as stress-free as possible by building removable platforms around a grand piano that serves as the center support for the village. Mrs. Flanagan still admits to climbing on top of the piano from time to time, however.

"Once I start it's an endless process," she said. "Some women are married to football husbands, he is married to a village freak."

The construction of the tiny town is made worthwhile in the end when she is able to tell her husband that it is "snowing in the living room" meaning she is putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece. By that time all of the tiny buildings are lit up with twinkling lights, making all of the small businesses look ready for holiday shoppers -- and drawing in real onlookers. Neighbors have come to take a peek for themselves at her labor of love, many times to the delight of visiting children who get to view a world even smaller than they had ever imagined.

"We're always open for people to come see it because that's why we do it, for people to enjoy," Mrs. Flanagan said.