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Woven into the magic of Christmas is the ritual of lights. Lighting ceremonies mark the season from official "flipping the switch" in parks and for illuminating city streets to the simple plugging in of an outlet for an electric candle in a window.
On East Fort Wayne Street, Warsaw, between Park and Tamarack, is a home resplendent with lights. The evergreens in the yard and the Santa's sleigh and reindeer on the second story balcony are covered with white lights as are many of the neighboring homes.
And inside Carolyn Hemmer's home the light of 209 Christmas trees sets each room aglow.
Ranging in size from 6 inches to 10 feet in height, Hemmer's collection of themed trees is tucked into every available corner, on top of the furniture, on kitchen cabinets and on bathroom shelves.
Hemmer, who gives her age as 35, has been collecting trees, lights and decorations for more than 30 years.
Every room, except one, display the trees.
"Kid," she said, "this is the way I celebrate Jesus' birthday."
Hemmer begins putting up the trees, all artificial, in late September and takes them down after the first of the year.
The exhibit, which is open to view by appointment, begins on the front porch, where 21 colored trees greet visitors.
The living room has "a little bit of this, a little of that," the centerpiece being a 10-foot-tall tree covered in bulbs of all sizes and hues. Also in the living room is a farm tree, a present tree, a Santa tree, a Snoopy tree and a train tree with a model train running on a circular track beneath it.
The dining room, the "Food for Thought" room, has a veggie tree, a candy cane tree, a fruit tree, a hot dog tree and a lobster tree, to mention just a few of the 25 trees in there.
In the upstairs hallway there are clothes, pool table, hat, sewing, show and sports trees.
A small upstairs room is dedicated to beverages.
One bedroom serves as a calendar room of sorts, including an Independence Day tree for July, a Valentine tree for February, a Halloween tree and 16 others.
Family and friends who know about Hemmer's collection, the way she celebrates Christ's birthday, add to her collection with trees, lights and ornaments, sometimes in mischievous ways.
One thing Hemmer has never been fond of is pink flamingoes. And so, of course, on her 15th 35th birthday, 50 pink flamingoes were stuck in her lawn as a joke.
What did she do with the dratted things?
Made a Christmas tree, which is the pinkest tree in the "Beware of the Animals!" bedroom.
Trees are not the only way Hemmer marks the season. The "Angelic Room" besides eight trees (including the pink angel, mauve angel, dove and Jesus' birthday cake trees), features a display of nativity scenes which occupy the shelves along one wall.
Hemmer has learned, through the years, to keep the kitchen countertops fairly clear of her miniature Christmas towns.
Surprisingly, there is plenty of space to maneuver through the rooms, which are alight with the magic of Christmas.
To tour Hemmer's home call 267-6861.
