A Festive Home for
the Holidays
Every room in her house illuminates Patsy Johnston ’ s holiday spirit
By Glenda Sanders photos by Jason Dyess
Patsy Johnston , whose smile radiates joy , has an annual tradition of filling every room in her house with festive Christmas decorations . She loves the yuletide season .
“ This is my favorite time of the year ,” admitted Johnston .
From the moment one walks through the front door , they are transported to a Christmas wonderland with beautifully adorned holiday trees , wreaths of greenery and angels and deer galore .
From guest bedrooms to bathrooms to the laundry room , every room in her Marion home sports some holiday décor . Even the garage and back patio get touched with the Christmas spirit .
“ Each year , I try to add a few items or change it up or move things around ,” she said . “ To me , it is nothing fantastic ; it is just my home .”
Decorated in a formal , traditional style , Johnston has a group of friends who love to visit during the holidays to see her decorations . Over the years , they have invited other friends and family .
“ It is growing a little bit every year because they will say can I bring so and so ,” she laughed . “ They don ’ t all come at one time . I have to spread it out so usually there are just four or five people here at a time .”
After viewing the decorations , the friends enjoy refreshments and conversation .
“ We enjoy just sitting here at the table and talking about the year ,” she said .
One of her friends once brought a guest who was melancholy about the holidays . Her spirits lifted after touring Johnston ’ s house .
“ She said , ‘ I was just not going to decorate this year , but I am going home , and I am getting my Christmas stuff out ,’” Johnston recalled . “ That was worth it to me knowing that I had inspired someone to celebrate Christmas .”
Johnston grew up in Newton County . She moved to Meridian in the late 1980s with her husband , Teddy Parker , who passed away in 2001 . She was a long-time property manager and part-time realtor in Meridian before her retirement .
She has two daughters , Kim Jay and Dawn Booker , who both live in the Clarkdale community . Jay and her husband , Jeff , have three daughters : Jordin Tabb and
Jade Jay , who are both nurses , and Falon Jay , a local hair stylist . Tabb and her husband , Mason , have a 5-year-old daughter , Charlie Kate , and son , Channing , who is 2 .
Booker ’ s daughter , Blaise Booker , who graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in building construction science , now lives in Orange Beach .
“ When the children were small , I was so busy I never had time to decorate ,” Johnston said . “ After I was an empty nester , then I started decorating more .”
She has crafted a lot of her decorations and has a sentimental attachment to many of them , especially the gold-beaded deer . “ I call those my therapy deer ,” Johnston said . Shortly after Blaise was born , doctors discovered she had congenital heart defects . She had open heart surgery at the age of 10 weeks and later took part in a clinical trial at Boston hospital when she was a year old .
“ The doctors had really not given us much hope of her surviving , but she is our miracle child ,” Johnston said , noting Blaise turns 24 this month .
At the same time of Blaise ’ s ordeal , Johnston ’ s hus-
10 • MERIDIAN LIFE