By Sara Martin
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Each year after Thanksgiving, a small army camps out on the fourth floor of Piney Woods Court at Eagle’s Trace—an army of nutcrackers, that is.
This year marks the third holiday season that Patricia McNatt has displayed some of the 200 nutcrackers from her collection around her apartment home.
“It’s become quite a tradition,” says McNatt. “Other residents bring visiting friends and family members up to the fourth floor to see the nutcrackers.”
Ranging in height from an inch to two-and-a-half feet, McNatt’s nutcrackers hail from all over the country.
“I recently got back from a New England vacation and picked up two more [nutcrackers] in Vermont,” says McNatt. “There’s not really a theme to my collection; I just buy what I like.”
Since moving to Eagle’s Trace in 2006, McNatt has relished the opportunity to share her collection with more people.
“The only ones who used to see the nutcrackers during the holidays were my family and guests in our home,” says McNatt. “Now I get to share them with everyone on campus.”
Toy story
The Eagle’s Trace Woodworkers are also spreading holiday cheer this season. For more than two years, the woodworkers have partnered with Child Protective Services (CPS) to provide handmade toys for children in protective custody.
“This year we hope to donate over 160 toys,” says Gerald La Rose, a founding member of the group. “We have added a few new toys to our inventory, including a dust-cropper style airplane we hope will be very popular.”
In recent months, the woodworkers have crafted several wall plaques in the shape of footballs. After the Department of Family and Protective Services hosted an NFL player for an autograph party, each child in CPS care was given a plaque to display the autograph.
“It helps us get in the holiday spirit,” says La Rose. “We enjoy making something special for these children.”