ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 19, 1995 TAG: 9512190025
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ADRIANNE BEE STAFF WRITER
Yes, Southwest Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Quite a few actually. They all live in Fran Carson's house in Blacksburg.
"I lit up the Santa in the window for you," Carson says as she opens the door. A Santa hangs from a ribbon around her neck. Smaller Santas dot her turtleneck. A jacket embroidered with the jolly fat man (and matching mittens) hang over a chair nearby.
Just a few decorations for the holiday season?
Think again. When you live in the Carson house it's Christmas 365 days a year.
"I keep my Santas out all year," Carson says. Just how many Santas are we talking? Carson has no idea.
The first Santas that took up residence here were Hallmark Santas purchased by her husband, Eugene, about eight years ago.
"She likes Christmas," he says as he stands with his wife in front of three Santa-filled shelves that stretch to their ceiling.
Santa is metal, wooden, plastic, made of pipe-cleaners, Leggos, cardboard toilet paper rolls, with his reindeer, in his sleigh, painted on a golf ball. He is a Rubik's cube, a Pez dispenser, a yo-yo, a hat pin, a necklace, a tea set, candles ... you get the idea.
Christmas etchings and paintings, some of which come from the Palette Art Gallery that Carson manages as a volunteer, hang on the wall.
"Here let me put some light on them," Carson says as she goes to open the blinds. Three tiny Santa figures are clipped to the curtains. The blind slats open and a stained-glass Santa's hiding place is revealed.
Most of her St. Nicholases have come from flea markets and yard sales, though Carson says, "this year was not a good one for yard sales. I didn't get too much." Carson bought one Santa watch off a woman's wrist in a California mall. Some of her Santas have traveled greater distances - from Russia, Egypt and Germany, to join the throng of fat holiday men.
Many are antiques listed in Carson's copy of "Christmas Collectibles." She says she really is only interested in the older Santas, but Santas of all kinds "keep coming in" from friends and family.
He knows when the Carsons are sleeping (his face adorns pillows everywhere). He knows if they've been bad or good. He knows pretty much everything they do. Santa's watchful eye cannot be escaped, even in the Carson bathroom.
"This is a wild one," Carson says as she steps into her bathroom. "You've got to see this."
Over the sink hangs a Harold Little painting of Santa delivering gifts while a naked woman lies on the couch (and a few farm animals look on in the background). Carson says she took the painting home from the gallery after an older man complained one day.
Santa soaps rest in a dish next to Santa towels.
"Santa's everywhere," Carson says. The Christmas tree is the only thing put up and taken down in this house every December. Everything else stays.
Santa on a motorcycle, a photo of Santa and Elvis on a 1978 calendar, stretchable "Gumby" Santas, a wind-up Christmas tree purchased at a flea market in Cambria that for some reason plays "Easter Parade."
And a row of seasonal Coke and Pepsi cans with smiling Santas on the sides.
"Gene, on the plane this weekend I saw one I didn't have," she says to her husband. "But I didn't know where I could put it."
The shelves are always crammed unless one of Carson's seven grandchildren are visiting. Two lower shelves full of Santa-driven cars are free reign during holiday visits. "They like to use that big light-up Santa as a night light," Carson says.
A sign purchased by Eugene at Happy's Flea Market leans against a wall until space opens for hanging. The sign reads: "Santa Surplus."
Today is Fran Carson's day off. Maybe she'll get a chance to read "Santa Claus: An Autobiography," a gift from her husband she hasn't had a chance to get to yet.
How did Santa take over the Carson house? Difficult to say. "It just happened," she says. "But I do like Christmas. I like it a lot."
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM/Staff. 1. Fran Carson has more than 500 Santaby CNBClaus figurines, along with art work and clothing, most of which is
displayed around the house throughout the year. In addition there
are decorations in the attic that come out only for the holidays.
Here Carson wears a jacket with - what else? - a Santa theme that
her daughter made for her two years ago. 2. Ceramic Santas (above),
the larger ones coin banks and the smaller ones salt and pepper
shakers, date from the 1950s. 3. Fran Carson's collection also
includes cellulose Santas (left), including one on a wind-up metal
sled with a galloping reindeer. color.