Deck the halls!

Every year, Graylyn is decorated for the holiday season before December arrives. Graylyn has 8 trees to decorate for the season. Each tree carries a different theme. Some themes include a family tree with Gray family photos set in the Living Room, under the sea tree in our Atlantis Room and the Scottish terrier tree commemorating the Gray's love of their Scottish terriers, Butter & Scotch, located in the Grille Room. Combined, the trees have 6,500 plus mini white lights strung on them! The trees are fluffed and strung with lights by hand totaling 8 plus hours of labor. The outside is adorned with 25 plus wreaths throughout property; most noticeably on the manor house. Even the light posts have bows.

The stair tower will hold 60 plus feet of fresh garland. This is also the location of the gingerbread houses, the Manor House and newly added Bernard Cottage, decorated by Graylyn's culinary team.

Poinsettias are expected to arrive on November 30th. There are 200 plus red and white poinsettias set throughout the manor house. Three fireplaces will be filled with poinsettias; Sunroom with 24 white, Lobby with 17 red and Main Dining Room with 15 white.

Graylyn is not open to the public for tours. I encourage you to visit us for a holiday celebration with family, friends or co-workers. You can enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season in the 2nd largest home in North Carolina. Santa will also be visiting Graylyn on December 5th and 12th. Check our web site for details.

'Tis the season! Remember to enjoy the holiday season. Don't let the stress of decorating, baking, shopping...leave you saying, "Bah. Humbug." Be merry!

Thanksgiving - The Middle Child of the Holidays

Have you ever thought about the holiday trio - Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas - as siblings? Who is in the middle? That's right, Thanksgiving.


We often hear about the middle child syndrome. The first-born receiving all the attention and treated as the only child until the next baby is born. The second child is treated as the baby until the third child comes along...The second child is left in the middle - neither the oldest nor the youngest. The middle child seems to be left out...missed...but, hopefully, not forgotten.


After reading a book to my oldest child - The Ugly Pumpkin, a book about a pumpkin in search of his true belonging and discovers it is not what he expected. I read the note about the author, Dave Horowitz. He tied the story to Thanksgiving. I wanted to share his thoughts with you about the Thanksgiving holiday. He feels Thanksgiving is "under appreciated, the middle child of the holidays. Without all the glitz of the Halloween or Christmas seasons, Thanksgiving quietly reminds us to be grateful - not only for what we have, but for where we've been, who we are and what is to come."


Thanksgiving is left alone without the fanfare of Halloween and Christmas. It seems the holiday is almost forgotten. Do you ever see retailers decorating for Thanksgiving? No. Thanksgiving is skipped altogether. We see decorations from Halloween straight to Christmas.


Remember me, Thanksgiving. The holiday of gratitude, family and traditions. Take some time from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to reflect on the past and give thanks.

Thanksgiving Traditions

The holidays are upon us. We have seen evidence in many retailers in town. Most retailers have been decorated for Christmas even before Halloween came to pass. Soon the radio air waves will be playing holiday music 'round the clock.

The sights and aromas of the holiday season triggers many memories of family traditions. The Gray's Poultry Manager for 19 years, Louis D. Baker, dressed 3 big turkeys (weighing 96 pounds total), 2 hens, 12 fryers and 24 dozen eggs for the Gray's Thanksgiving Dinner. I would have loved to been invited to their Thanksgiving dinner. Here are some traditions shared by the Graylyn staff:


"We travel from house to house to visit with family." - Traveling from house to house in the 1930s would not have been an easy task. Most families met at one location to celebrate Thanksgiving.

"The ladies in my family wake up early on Black Friday to shop and enjoy lunch at the Village Tavern." - Why not reserve a lunch or dinner at Graylyn after shopping all day on Black Friday? Sorry, I had to mention it. :o)

"We watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." - Sorry, Graylyn will not be lit like the Griswald's.

"We start a large jigsaw puzzle after our meal for the family to complete together throughout the entire Thanksgiving weekend." - Start a family tradition with a family activity for the weekend.

"We go to my husband’s family’s for a potluck lunch, then the two of us go to a movie – usually Christmas-themed, followed by an old movie on the couch with some ice cream. To us, it’s the first day of the Christmas holiday!" - Enjoy a movie over the weekend whether in a theater or in the comforts of home.


"The family gathers to cook and spend time together." - Turn off the TV and simply spend quality time together without the distractions of the world.

"My family eats shrimp puff casserole every Thanksgiving morning while my father bastes the golden brown turkey on the charcoal grill. My mom finishes the stuffing (which took few days to prepare), prepares the homemade gravy and asparagus casserole while the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade plays in the background." - Bring out your inner child and watch the parade while preparing the Thanksgiving meal.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and remember those fond memories with family and friends. Share your traditions with others or create new ones with your own family. Most of all, slow down and breathe in the moments shared together.

Celebrate Thanksgiving at Graylyn!

Halloween is over...Time to search for those time-honored Thanksgiving family recipes. Thanksgiving is less than a month away. Yes, it is time to start planning...errr not. Let Graylyn remove the stress of preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends! Simply enjoy.


Thanksgiving Brunch at Graylyn is the perfect recipe for a handful of family and friends, sprinkled with memories and a dollop of love all mixed together for a stress free holiday celebration.

For more information, please visit our website.

Call 336.758.2425 or complete a reservation request online.