A House for All Seasons

» Helen Miller’s creative homes celebrate the year.

BY KAY WALSH

The tinkling of a music box melody floats from the white-washed gazebo as dancing couples circle the newlyweds. The father of the bride rocks back on his heels, an unlit cigar hanging from his mouth. A mutt slips in and escapes with an unguarded slice of cake. Grandmother fills the wicker rocker, her eyes closed and a slight smile on her face as she breathes in the aroma of spring flowers and fresh cut grass.

Not far away, a farmer stands on the porch of a log cabin as he surveys his crops ready for harvest. A menagerie of cows, pigs, dogs and a random skunk wander nearby. A cat climbs the ladder-back chair to sun himself. A rooster crows out a morning welcome at noon.

A group of small goblins, tennis shoes poking out from under their Halloween costumes, hold out their bags of candy. They stand eager for the front door to open, ready to shout, “Trick or Treat!”
Nearby, at the bakery, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus ice gingerbread houses amid the sweet smell of baking sugar cookies and peppermint.

Sound like your neighborhood?

Maybe not, but at the home of Helen and Lowell Miller of Harrisonburg, guests enter this fantasyland of hand-crafted miniature homes. Even before guests ring the door bell, a cheerfully decorated house greets them from the Miller’s picture window. Depending on the season, the window may display a farmhouse decorated with 2-inch high evergreen wreaths and red bows for Christmas, a cute and slightly spooky house decked out for autumn or a springtime garden gazebo.

Nooks and Crannies Once inside the Miller home, every nook and cranny is filled with miniature homes. Styles vary from Victorian to Ranch to a country church. For each of the 27 houses born of her imagination, Helen, 80, has served as architect, carpenter, electrician, interior decorator and storyteller.

The miniature homes bustle with the activity of family, guests, dogs, cats and  a canary or two. The kitchens are warmed by home-cooked meals and families sharing the news of the day. Some eat around a kitchen table; others have a butler to serve them in a formal dining room. Outside the log cabin, Santa grills hot dogs for a summer picnic.

Family, Faith … and Santa? Each of Helen’s creations contains items symbolic of what she cherishes most. A cross or Bible represent her Christian faith. The joyous family gatherings illustrate her love of family and friends.

As a tribute to her father, she places a Santa in every house, no matter the season. Her father, Homer Nimrod Pankey, sported a full white beard with a generous head of hair to match. Not only did he resemble Santa, he often acted like the “jolly old elf.” With his jovial spirit and mischievous ways, his friends lovingly called him, “Hankey-Pankey.” However, children who spotted him wearing his usual red jacket would pull on their mothers’ skirts and point, sure they had seen St. Nick himself, even in July.

Knicks and Knacks Attempting to see every knick and knack displayed in this miniature village is like trying to count all the stars in a clear summer sky. Added to this dilemma is how Helen’s houses stay in transition. As with the seasons, the scenery is ever changing.

Helen’s husband, Lowell, teases: “Instead of shifting sands, we have shifting houses.”

Even if every detail could be accounted for, Helen’s creativity is unending. She has already drawn up blueprints for house number 28.

CREATIVE RESOURCES

Helen Miller, now 80, remembers that creativity was a necessity in her childhood. Growing up in a busy household near Harrisonburg’s Woodbine Cemetery, Helen had a watchful eye, waiting until the cemetery workers gathered the withered flower arrangements to burn. Then she would scurry to save the ribbons. Painstakingly, she ironed each ribbon and fashioned them into clothes for her dolls.
Her imagination still turns ordinary items into treasures. In her houses:

Ladies lingerie converts into lacy bedspreads and curtains.
Handkerchiefs transform into fancy tablecloths.
Magazine clippings are framed art.
Placemats serve as rugs.
Tiny bits of fimo clay are shaped into food items such as peas, corn, tomatoes and slices of ham and turkey. Baked until hard, they are truly home cooked.

CHARITY HOMES

Anyone who knows Helen knows she loves to share her gifts and talents. While she has never sold any of her miniature houses, she has donated six to various charitable organizations for fund-raising purposes. The six organizations have raised a total of $22,000 from Helen’s miniature homes.