The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jeannette Tougas won't have to go far to experience a winter wonderland during the holiday season. The great-grandmother has created a wonderfully intricate Christmas display in her living room complete with a miniature Santa's workshop and a tiny skating rink. "My grandkids and great-grandkids love it," smiled Jeannette. "It's a lot of work but it's a lot of fun, too." Jeanette estimates the colourful display now features at least 200 items, each diligently placed in a befitting location. She can't help but smile as she looks over the display, which includes miniature Christmas trees, railroad tracks, a manger, a village and snow-capped mountains. It took a week to put everything in place, but the reaction Jeanette gets from guests is more than worth it. "When people first see it, they say, 'Oh my, what a lot of work,'" she smiled. Jeanette began using her living room as the backdrop for her displays in the early 1990s after receiving various ornaments from her sister. Since then, she's been improving the display each holiday season. "I pick up different things to add every year," said the Channing resident. For Jeannette, it's a perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit. The big day is now just eight sleeps away.
