A Tin Christmas

My neighbors and I went to visit the governor's residence to see the Christmas decorations.

Santa Fe does not have a governor's mansion, strictly speaking. Our governor is housed in a modest Territorial style house in the hills above downtown. Originally of course, governors were housed for centuries in the ancient Palace of the Governors on the plaza.

A mansion was built nearby in 1870 in a neoclassical style meant to look like the White House, but in brown adobe. Apparently.

By 1950 it was in disrepair and a new residence was built on a street above the city called Mansion Drive. But it is no mansion at all, there are many grander homes in Santa Fe. Much grander. The governor's residence is a simple, low slung ranch house, not big, and very approachable.

This shot is from summer, but when we visited it was December, and the residence was decorated for the holidays.

When friends invited me to go to the open house to see holiday decor at the governor's residence, I fully expected a lot of glitz, big displays and some "statement" artistic installations celebrating the season. This is a city of art and a city that loves exhibition.

It was none of that.

In keeping with the modest style of the house the decorations were simple, mostly tin folk art.

The place is small, and a fire was going in the fireplace and a piano player had been hired to play carols. People stood around the piano singing rather lustily, biscochito cookies were served in the kitchen and it all felt like someone's home. Which it is.

My neighbor Joan, who had a fabric and yarn store in Santa Fe for years, had done the needlepoint stitching on the piano bench and donated it to the state. Her work was exquisite. I wanted a picture, but the piano player was sitting on it.

All the tin decorations were just right -- folksy but not overtly Mexican, and nothing religious. They echoed the architecture of the rooms, which had stenciled beams and punched tin chandelier shades.

There was a decorated tree in the corner and some lighted branches on a table, but that was it for lighted displays or any glitter.

All down the length of the dining room table there were plain punched tin cans, jingle bells and greenery. Simple design, rustic materials, well presented.

Not what I expected for a holiday tour at the governor's "mansion" in a city known for its offbeat theatrics!

But it was a delight to see. It wasn't even really a tour. We just sat around on the chairs in the living room for a long time, chatting, listening to carols pounded out on the piano, and admiring Joan's piano bench needlework while we ate cookies.

Merry Christmas.
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