Brandon Twp.- To say that Norma Clore, Betty Irwin and Louise King like Christmas trees might seem a bit of an understatement.
The trio has 93 Christmas trees in the home they share.
There are artificial evergreens of all shapes and sizes in every room in the spacious home? some with white lights, others with multi-colored lights, one with all red lights. Trees are on the walls, the tables, shelves. There are 12 Christmas trees that stand on the floor and range from four feet to eight feet tall, with thousands of ornaments hanging from the branches.
Many of the trees are named? some after friends of the women, others for the decoration theme. There is the blue tree, two angel trees, the wooden ornament tree, a snowman tree, an elegant tree, a Santa tree. The teddy bear friendship tree greets visitors, who are invited to place an ornament from a basket on the tree in the foyer.
‘We’re still decorating,? says Clore. ‘We never finish… I’ll still be decorating and tweaking the day I take the stuff down.?
The three friends began their decorating in October and had all the trees up and decorated before Nov. 4. A 12-by-12 shed outside is designated for storage of all the Christmas decorations, which also includes multiple Nativity scenes, a lighted village, music boxes that play tunes such as ‘Winter Wonderland? and ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas,? and more. Containers in the shed are stacked four-high.
Almost all the holiday decorations are from garage sales or the dollar store, explains Clore, who had only two trees in the home she owns before she met Irwin and King at the Ortonville United Methodist Church after her husband died in August 1999.
Despondent, Clore was asked to go out to breakfast by Irwin and King, who are sisters. The three became fast friends.
Irwin began taking Clore to garage sales in the summer of 2000, where, she says, she ‘discovered Christmas? and got the first of many trees.
‘In the summer, people sell Christmas stuff. We could find it so cheap and they were things people were just tired of, not broken or junky.?
In 2004, Irwin, now 60, and King, now 70, moved in to Clore’s ranch-style home.
‘I had no family and we became a family of three,? says Clore, who is 61, but describes herself as ‘going on 10.?
An addition was built onto the home not long after, because, Clore says, ‘they’re packrats.?
However, when it comes to the Christmas decorations, Irwin tells a different story.
‘You can’t stop her from buying a tree,? she says.
Clore, who bought a 10-foot tree because it was a good deal but doesn’t display it because they only have 8-foot ceilings, shrugs and smiling, says simply, ‘I like Christmas.?
Before meeting Irwin and King, Clore never put anything on the walls or tabletops. They were bare.
‘If you put something on, it’s permanent,? she explains. ‘But with Christmas you can change it all and take it down.?
Their home is aglow now with Christmas tree lights, but a $50 electrical bill would be a big one, say the friends. They keep the lights off except when there are guests, who are, incidentally, one of the main reasons they decorate the home to this extent.
‘We like to see people come and see it and like it,? says King.
‘I like buying pretty things and seeing it pretty,? says Irwin. ‘I’ve never had so many pretty Christmas trees.?
And, adds Clore, ‘It’s fun, something the three of us do together and we’re still friends at the end.?
She looks around. ‘There are so many places in this house that need trees.?