LIGHTS AND MORE LIGHTS

Yesterday was a beautiful 80 degree December day in North Texas. It was the day that most of the men in the neighborhood finally had to give in and put up the Christmas Lights. I am not sure if the unusually warm day was attributed to global warming, usual weather patterns or just plain dumb luck. I suppose Christmas Lights are partially to blame for global warming, needing more electricity to turn them on, lights give off heat, more power to generate, more coal, you get the drift.

The lights went up later this year it seemed, I usually use the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving to help Karren put up our lights. This year it rained those two days and Karren told me Thanksgiving was a week earlier this year so it worked out well for everyone that it rained. I don’t understand how Thanksgiving can be a week earlier. I am not sure when Thanksgiving is supposed to be. I use to think it was always on the 24th of November for some reason. I do know it is always on Thursday. I don’t know why all holidays don’t fall on Thursday so we could be assured of a 4 day weekend. Christmas on Wednesday is not good.

Our tradition calls for Karren to make the plan, handle the cords and the plug ins and I am in charge of outdoor labor. I climb the ladders and wrap the trees and I must say if you do something long enough you can get fairly efficient at it. I like getting done before the neighbors and then as they give you dirty looks for being early you can imagine how fun it will be to make fun of them when they are slaving with their chore.

I must admit, I like taking the lights down more than putting them up. You don’t care if they don’t work, and it is the end to the season and I like looking forward to the New Year more. I tried to take Lainey (my new granddaughter) around this year to give her a personal tour of the lights and she cried. Lainey is very particular what she does at 3 months. She is either happy or mad; there is very little middle ground for her. Growing and tying to hold her head up seems to be what she spends her time doing. She is not really into Granddad yet but that will soon change. I will spoil her as soon as she is ready.

I wonder sometimes if putting up the lights really matters. Our lights look the same every year and I doubt that anyone would worry too much if we didn’t. Traditions at our house mean a lot more to me as the years go by. I hope you got your lights up (if you put them up) and that you have a great Christmas season.

More to come

Lonny