Life With Ferris: The Wreath Walk At Thrive

You might think that a column about a winter tradition would be out of place a few weeks before spring officially begins. But the winter weather has been so severe – in the teens and snowing a few days ago – that it brings me to all-things-December.

Thrive at Brow Wood officially began this past holiday season with a Wreath Walk and invited the community. Lauren Gayton emailed residents and family announcing the fun occasion and detailing the event, which included donning the halls with gay apparel, literally! Every door was to be decorated for the holidays, and if that wasn’t enough, the Wreath Walk was to be a competition! A contest! With winners!

My competitive nature came out, and I asked my mother what kind of décor she would like this year. She said she already had a Christmas wreath from last year, but I said no, we would be bringing out the big guns.

I asked my mother if she wanted tasteful, low-key, understated door décor, frowning and shaking my head in slow motion. Then I beamed at her with a million-watt smile and asked if she wanted something more festive and spirited, more in the lines of Chevy Chase’s “Christmas Vacation” decorated house. She replied, “Tasteful. Case closed.”

I tried. I actually scrolled through all of Amazon’s “classic understated traditional holiday décor” and found a very large and attractive wreath of realistic greenery entwined with tiny white shimmering lights. I hated it, but knew she would approve so I added it to the cart.

Alas, it was SOLD OUT! I am not making that up! But another wreath was available from the exact same company. It was made of the same realistic greenery but was entwined with fabulous, merry, totally festive and fun lights of every single color! They were large! I clicked BUY NOW and that wonderful Griswald wreath was up on her door the day after Thanksgiving.

The atmosphere was festive at Thrive on the night of the Wreath Walk, with residents and guests all excited and cheery about the contest. Massive wreaths, each with different themes, decorated the dining room; the outstanding and creative staff had teamed up and put them all together.

Mixing and mingling, folks picked up voting forms that were inches away from steaming mugs of hot cocoa and all manner of options at the hot chocolate bar. My mother and I began our evening in the dining room where she was lingering at the table with her friend Kay Quinn, Farell McGinness’s mother. The naughty duo immediately sent me over to the dessert table for sustenance, and I returned with holiday plates heaped with fancy and insanely decorated chocolate petit fours.

Satiated, we headed grabbed our voting forms that listed every room number, as well as a special holiday pencil with a Santa eraser, and headed into the festive hustle and bustle of the Wreath Walk. Arm and arm, my mother and I looked carefully at every single wreath as we squinted our eyes and analyzed them. They all were fantastic! We were allowed to select only two, No. 1 and No. 2 choices, and I fully intended to check my mother’s massive, colorful flashing wreath as my first choice. But I couldn’t make myself do it, for all the wrong reasons, neither noble. Gin Johnson’s wreath was adorned with handmade ornaments her grandchildren had made. And June Stein’s wreath consisted of a photo collage of every single family member. How creative and adorable is that?

Some of my other favorites included Oscar’s tasteful and gorgeous wreath that I knew his daughter Karen Welborn had made, but of course he insisted it was his own creation.

The official winners were Bob Crowder and Anne Ramsey, and yes, their wreaths were outstanding. But really, there were lots of winners at Thrive at Brow Wood. And that is true not only during the holiday event, but every single day. Including all the chilly days before spring officially begins.

* * *

Ferris Robinson is the author of three children’s books, “The Queen Who Banished Bugs,” “The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds,” and “Call Me Arthropod” in her pollinator series “If Bugs Are Banished.” “Making Arrangements” is her first novel and is available in paperback and on Kindle. “Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity” is a collection of true tales about man’s best friend. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror.