Wednesday, July 4, 2012

A Little Church for Big Sinners!

Some of my very favorite wacky tacky entries are the drive-bys - the ones where a quick five minutes does the trick before you have to hit the trail again.  The truth is that roadside attractions are in necessity in breaking up the monotony of a lengthy road trip or even just a morning commute.  Sometimes, when you're on the road, you just need a small dose of wacky tacky to recharge your own wacky tacky battery; when that little bit of wacky tacky is teamed with a little bit of the spiritual, then all we can say is "Hallelujah!"


Like an celestial island in the middle of a bottomless sea of iniquity, stands The Little Tree Church in Tustin, CA.  Sitting serenely, if diminutively, in the parking lot of the Jamestown Village Shopping Center, The Little Tree Church has only been in existence since the 1960's, but its roots are planted far more deeply in the rich soil that is Orange County history (the full history of TLTC can be found here).  The tiny church was built as a tribute to the landowner's grandmother's childhood church and was originally built around an existing oak tree.  The tree has subsequently died and been removed, but fortunately, the church remains.


Having just been a guest at two very wonderful, yet extremely different, weddings, I must coin a new phrase, "To each his own."  I, however, having been blessed with an extraordinary imagination, can just imagine what a sweet and simple ceremony could be held within the walls of The Little Tree Church.  With a few friends who are presently engaged, we wanted to go inside and scout the location, but the door was locked.

"Sanctuary, sanctuary!!!"
  Seriously, the only time I have ever
been told that I look like someone famous is when a little
 kid told me that I looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame!

Side note: I picked this sweater up at some random men's
 fashion store at an outlet mall; I was on the fence about it, so
 I'll let you be the judge.  Does it give the impression of
(a) a vintage knit or (b) something Cliff Huxtable would
 wear on his day off?

From what we understand, The Little Tree Church has a maximum capacity of eight people - six congregants, preacher, and organist.  The inside of the chapel is available for viewing, but we arrived on a whim (after business hours) so we just had to envision the inside.  It's traditional New England styling led my thoughts directly to the chapel in Pollyanna.  IndeedHayley Mills is never far from my mind, but can't you just see self-righteous Aunt Polly telling Pollyanna not to stare at the orphans while Reverend Ford "sermonizes something fierce?" 

Reverend Ford's (Karl Malden) sermon from Pollyanna

If you're driving on the 5 freeway through Tustin and you need a wacky tacky fix, or just a moment of reflection, stop by and see The Little Tree Church.


The Little Tree Church
C St
Tustin, CA


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

13 comments:

  1. Awaiting part two, where you return to the Little Tree Church to see inside. I'm imagining it will be like the children's "finger game" we used to play: "Here is the church and here is the steeple --Open the doors and see all the people!"

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    1. Yes, a return visit to see the inside is definitely in order. The church is about as big as two fists, so we have to keep our group small!!!

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  2. How do you always pick my favorite movies. I love it when her Aunt buys her a new wardrobe.

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    1. I know it makes me a huge dork, but I LOVE Hayley Mills! I could perform the whole movie - I've only seen it about 4,000 times.

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  3. I am ashamed that I grew up like, 3 miles from this wacky tacky relic and never knew it exisistd. I saw the post and thought you were going to talk about St Francis By The Sea Church in Laguna Beach, which is tiny, but then I realized that only you could find a church even smaller! Maybe I should go with you when you go back to see if this chuch is open. I am Catholic and all.... by the way, I'm feeling the vintage shirt, it's does not read, "Cliff" and I'm glad you spruced things up bit to attend church!

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    1. There should be no shame, I only found out about it recently. Thank you for the shirt support, I appreciate it! Again, you are on your honeymoon, shouldn't you have better things to do than read wacky tacky??? For instance, souvenir shopping for you friends??? I'm thinking I need a conch shell with some googlie (googley?) eyes hot glued to it. hahahaha...enjoy the rest of your time in paradise!

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  4. Super cute.

    I found a new Fairyland for you. It might be bigger than the one here in Sacramento. It's in Oakland. I'll get pictures for you next time I'm down there for the weekend.

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    1. Don't get me started. I was up that way at the beginning of the year and tried to go to The Enchanted Forest in Oregon and then Fairyland in Oakland - both were closed on the days we went!!!! AAARGH! Thank you for doing some scouting for me!

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  5. Typicaly american church!!! So different from our european ones!!!!

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    1. It is SO American. As much as I like it, I am definitely ready to explore some of Europe's finest cathedrals!!!

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  6. there was a teeny tiny church like that by the marina where my grandparents had their boat (which sounds kind of glamourous but it really wasn't, haha) and i always wanted to go in, but never got a chance. i love the idea of a teeny tiny wedding in there.

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    1. Boat + Marina = VERY glamorous. Don't be shy, tell us the name of their yacht...hahaha. This church was based on a church that was in Tennessee; I wonder if there is any connection to your tiny church???

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  7. There used to be a model kit for the train station used in "Pollyanna" but it was not marketed as such. (A kit reviewer wrote, "In case the building looks familiar to you...")

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