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Couple Has Merry Little Christmas

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By TONY HOLT, Hernando Today

Published: December 8, 2007

SPRING HILL - Paul and Peggy Sidlo are sentimental about Christmas. The proof can be seen throughout their Timber Pines home.

The couple began decorating their living room more than 30 years ago. They did not simply stick to wreaths and boughs of holly. Their imaginations led them further. They wanted buildings, street lamps, dolls and bright lights.

At first, they made buildings out of cardboard and the windows out of celluloid.

Over time, the couple upgraded from heavy paper and decomposing plastic to wood and ceramics.

Oddly enough, the make-believe shingles on one of the buildings was made of wooden tongue depressors.

"He had 4 million of them in his dental office," Peggy Sidlo said, pointing to her husband.

Paul Sidlo owned a dental practice in Lutz for more than three decades. His wife was a full-time mother and part-time dental assistant. At 41, after their youngest of three daughters matured, Peggy Sidlo went back to school and became a hygienist.

After they retired and moved to Timber Pines, they continued the tradition of decorating their living room in preparation for every holiday season.

It kept growing, and they never grew tired of it. Now that they are growing older, it is about time for them to give away their models and toys to their three daughters and four grandchildren.

Paul Sidlo is originally from Chicago and his wife is from rural Ohio near Cleveland. They eagerly relocated to the warm climate of Florida more than 40 years ago, but their annual Christmas project may have been a way to remind them of what their holiday seasons used to be like - without the headache of shoveling snow and sub-freezing temperatures.

"I walk into this room, and I feel cooler already," said Peggy Sidlo, who used to brave the cold along Lake Erie and trudge through piles of snow. "This is how I remember Christmas."

Perhaps the biggest allure to the couple's Christmas scene is the attention to detail. Mostly all of the 8-inch figurines are wearing wool overcoats, just like they did almost a century ago.

One doll is selling gingerbread on the corner. There is a policeman in front of one building and a mailman in front of another. One merchant is carrying a satchel filled with bread.

Not all bakers had a storefront 70 years ago. Many had to carry their bread and sell it on the street, Sidlo said. She wanted to capture it all.

Another display is in the foyer, a few feet from the front door. This one depicts a family enjoying Christmas inside their living room. A child is sliding down the railing of a spiraled staircase while the mother is sitting at the piano. Other children are sitting in the living room floor playing while someone is walking down the stairs carrying a lighted candle.

The exhibit is reminiscent of scenes from any number of classic Christmas movies - "It's a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street," etc.

It even includes a miniature Oriental rug.

A third and final display is located in the hallway in front of the spare bedrooms. A group of figurines are standing side-by-side - arranged to look like a group singing Christmas carols.

It was placed on top of an old bureau Paul Sidlo used in his dental office to store supplies. He paid $7 when he bought it. It was painted blue at the time, but he refinished it and now looks like a classic piece of wood furniture topped off with marble.

The decorations are an inducement for visitors. Friends, neighbors and relatives regularly come by and see the Sidlo house during the holidays.

The displays come with hard work, but the rewards are plenty. Because it is still early in the season, the idea of giving away all of their dolls, buildings and carriages has not quite hit the couple. Those feelings will be felt with full force next month when they begin placing them in boxes for the last time.

Their reluctance to let go of their decorations was first revealed years ago in Lutz when their daughters were still young. A friend encouraged Peggy Sidlo to turn her dolls over to the museum at the University of Tampa.

Her friend still persists to this day, but to no avail.

"I decided 'no' back then because my daughters were having just as much fun putting it up," Sidlo said.

Now that she has finally decided to give them away, she wants to make sure it remains in the family. Her daughters and granddaughters are all too happy to accept.

"They're already asking for things," she said.

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