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Growing Great Moms Again Presenting Christmas Home Tour

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: November 29, 2008

Historical homes and traditional holiday hospitality are in store as Growing Great Moms presents its second annual "Christmas Tour of Homes" from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

"It's kind of a double delight," said Growing Great Moms President Carmen Burnett. "We are excited to be showcasing beautiful homes in New Port Richey."

Growing Great Moms is a Christian support and playgroup for stay-at-home mothers and their children. The group engages in a number of fund-raising projects throughout the year for various organizations.

Big success

The Christmas Tour of Homes started last year as one such project. It was a big success, with hundreds of people taking the tour.

Club members are hoping to improve on this success with this year's edition. The participating homes are bunched closer together, near downtown New Port Richey, Burnett said, and they showcase the city's history.

"Most of the houses are at least 100 years old," Burnett said. Several have interesting histories that touch upon a period in the 1920s when New Port Richey was incorporated and became a pre-Depression celebrity enclave.

The first home on the tour typifies these qualities. Ron and Wanda Scott's house at 5525 Bamboo Lane once belonged to Shirley Temple's aunt and uncle.

The curly haired child star spent a good deal of vacation time at the house.

Another home on the tour once belonged to golfing great Gene Sarazen, who ran a golf course in New Port Richey in the 1930s.

According to Burnett, there's evidence that Babe Ruth, who according to legend had a fishing cabin in the Aripeka area, lived at the house in the city for parts of three years.

History appeal

For some people, the local history is the appeal of a tour like this, Burnett said.

For others, it's a chance to see the architecture and old-style fixtures of a bygone era. For others, the focus is on the current owners' interior designing ideas.

Along with being a home tour, Burnett said, this is also a holiday tour, adding a whole different side to its appeal.

"Every house is decorated to the nines in Christmas decorations," Burnett said.

One of the things Growing Great Moms stands for is old fashioned hospitality, and this tour serves it up holiday style at each stop, with food, drink and entertainment as varied as the homes themselves.

Entertainment will include a dulcimer player, poetry readings and vocal quartets.

The First United Methodist Church will also be on the tour. Guests of the church on Indiana Avenue will be treated to the talents of keyboardist Shirley Taylor.

Church's treasure

They will also examine the church's treasured feature, stained glass windows created by German-born glazier Karl Mueller at his Zephyrhills studio in the 1950s.

The Mueller windows include scenes of the life of Jesus, symbols of the Christian faith and depictions of the four Gospel writers.

As guests arrive at the Scott house for the start of the tour, they will receive a wristband and a program.

The program includes a sketch, a brief description and key things to look for at each house. Each entry in the program includes detailed directions how to get to the next house on the tour.

Helping family

Instead of donating all the proceeds to a charity, Growing Great Moms has selected a family facing Christmas 2008 with more responsibilities and hardship than money to go around.

"We're going to go shopping for the kids; we're going to bring them Christmas dinner. It's going to be like 'Extreme Makeover' for Christmas," Burnett said.

The tour is self-guided, so guests can set their own pace.

Advance tickets are $12 and can be purchased online at www.growinggreatmoms.com or in person at New to You Consignments, 6707 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey.

Tickets will also be available for $15 the day of the event at the starter house at 5525 Bamboo Lane.

For more information e-mail Burnett at Carmen@growinggreatmoms.com or call Julie Cramton at 727-842-3907 or 727-514-5220.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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