LIFE ON THE GREEN
By Ted Robbins
Every year, the Creighton family spends days creating a work of gingerbread art. Then, they watch Village Green children demolish it
This year, it was a deliciously decorated five car train, surrounded by gingerbread buildings and gingerbread trees, long enough to fill a table in front of the family's Court 1 unit. This was the thirteenth year of the party at VG, which began when Heidi and Rob’s daughter Samantha was small. Now, she’s 16 and their son, Alexander, is 13.
The object might be different each year: a castle, a rocket, an elephant, a ship. The family picks the shape, following a storyline that’s lasted years. “There were gummy bears, they built a rocket… they built a ship and sailed to a coastline,” says Rob, by way of a story-line. “This year they built a train, a magical train.”
The object might be different each year: a castle, a rocket, an elephant, a ship. The family picks the shape, following a storyline that’s lasted years. “There were gummy bears, they built a rocket… they built a ship and sailed to a coastline,” says Rob, by way of a story-line. “This year they built a train, a magical train.”
The process, though, is the same. On Thursday, Rob starts baking the gingerbread. On Friday, the family and some guests start gluing the structure together. On Saturday and Sunday everyone decorates until the last minute.
On Sunday afternoon, VG children are invited to line up in front of the gingerbread, youngest-to-oldest. Then, each child steps up one-by-one and picks a piece of the train sculpture to take home, or to eat on the spot.
“The totally finished object exists for probably less than an hour,” says Rob, “and it disappears in about twenty minutes.”
The kids were clearly eyeing which parts they wanted. At first, though, the little ones were tentative, plucking a small gingerbread tree or a wheel on the train. Then, the older kids, who’d been here in previous years, got to work taking the big pieces. They knew that candy and popcorn were inside the train cars.
“One of my favorite moments is just when all the kids are arriving and they're checking it out, and everyone's seeing it for the first time,” said Heidi Creighton. “And you know, just how fun to be in that line and have the piece that you want to grab off of the structure.”
On Sunday afternoon, VG children are invited to line up in front of the gingerbread, youngest-to-oldest. Then, each child steps up one-by-one and picks a piece of the train sculpture to take home, or to eat on the spot.
“The totally finished object exists for probably less than an hour,” says Rob, “and it disappears in about twenty minutes.”
The kids were clearly eyeing which parts they wanted. At first, though, the little ones were tentative, plucking a small gingerbread tree or a wheel on the train. Then, the older kids, who’d been here in previous years, got to work taking the big pieces. They knew that candy and popcorn were inside the train cars.
“One of my favorite moments is just when all the kids are arriving and they're checking it out, and everyone's seeing it for the first time,” said Heidi Creighton. “And you know, just how fun to be in that line and have the piece that you want to grab off of the structure.”
The gingerbread party has been part of Rob Creighton’s life for more than 50-years. His parents began the tradition when he was a boy in Phoenix. And the gingerbread recipe comes from that era.Rob teaches at the Otis College of Art and Design, so he designs the structure using software. “You basically cut it into a series of triangles to create a volumetric form, because you can't fold. It's not easy to bend gingerbread.” With an engineer’s precision, he uses a programmable router (saw) to cut the shapes that are more complex than triangles. The pieces are glued together using isomalt (a sugar substitute which any viewer of the Great British Baking Show has heard of).
What do Samantha and Alexander Creighton like best? “Getting ready for the party, says Samantha, “Getting to spend time with family and friends.” Alexander adds, “That, plus candy.”
What do Samantha and Alexander Creighton like best? “Getting ready for the party, says Samantha, “Getting to spend time with family and friends.” Alexander adds, “That, plus candy.”
Categories: Community Contributions, Holiday Decorations.
RSS Feed