Polson artist loves decorating for Christmas
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Don’t hate Joyce Norman because she had six Christmas trees up by Halloween and her Christmas shopping completed and wrapped in October.
“I love Christmas,” Norman said.
Besides, she added, if she has all her Christmas decorating and shopping done, she has more time to enjoy the holidays.
Maybe one reason Norman delights in Christmas is because she was a flight attendant for 41 years; and during that time, she only made it home for Christmas 13 years.
Plus, “people are nice when I shop in October,” she said, smiling.
Norman and her husband have visited and lived in the area for about nine years. Norman said they started out staying at her niece’s husband’s family cabin on the west shore, and she loves living in Montana. Norman’s niece, Zoe Lilja, says her aunt has made her call her “Gorgeous Auntie Joycie” for 50 years.
Norman writes, paints, sculpts dolls, sews, scrapbooks and plots other creative ventures in her studio, the “grandma house” next to the couple’s residence.
“The grandma house gives you a hug,” Norman explained.
Norman also plans parties, such as slumber parties, weddings and the annual Est Fest here. The Est (short for estrogen) Fest is a party for women of all ages; each woman or girl teaches the others one thing they do not know.
Of course, the grandma house has three Christmas trees dressing it up for Christmas.
None of Norman’s Christmas trees are just any old tree with a string of lights and a couple of ornaments, either.
“Any one of her trees would be at home in Macy's Department Store in New York (or at least Herberger's in Kalispell,)” Lilja wrote in an e-mail.
One of Norman’s nine-foot trees is decorated with handmade paper messages of holiday cheer. The outdoor trees are topped with faux birds, one a Meadowlark, and decorated with berries and flowers in addition to the lights. A moose sculpture rests under the tree among deer antlers. Other trees feature gauzy glittery ribbons, ropes of beads, shiny balls, sparkling reindeer and tons of tiny white lights, all with piles of perfectly wrapped packages arranged underneath.
There are nine trees all told — three seven-footers, four four-foot trees and two three-foot trees. This count doesn’t even take into account other Christmas touches, such as candy-striped mugs, swags of evergreen or bright red bows. This year Norman has chosen red, gold, green and white as her Christmas decorating colors.
Norman does much of her decorating with the help of her standard poodle, Tara, the rent-a-dog. Tara does not belong to Norman, but the two keep each other company while Norman’s husband is in Hawaii and Tara takes a break from having puppies.
Enjoying the season, Norman and Tara are waiting for family and friends to visit during the holiday season and unwrap all the carefully chosen and beautifully wrapped gifts.
