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We've simplified the light display over the years. A decade ago my hubby liked to climb up on the roof to put lights up, and he made a point of making everything perfect.
Now just looking at that photo makes me tired. No biggie, we let the young kids next door put on the big display. We've switched to multi-colored lights, and all we do is throw a few strings on the bushes and one string around the front door and call it a day. It used to take an entire weekend to hang the lights, now we do the whole thing in under 15 minutes. And that includes untangling. And it looks just as festive. Somewhere along the line I realized a few lights looks just as cheerful as a lot of lights.
The string around the front door isn't hung perfectly anymore, and you know what, it looks great. In fact, I like it better--the perfect line was fun, but there's something so cheerful about multi-colored lights pointing left and right and here and there.
Oh, that is quite lovely! It does look like a lot of work, but tasteful and a good match for the layout of your house!
I looked at photos of our house in the past and am sad that I just can't seem to get it pulled together any longer. For one thing, putting the stuff up seems to be such a challenge; taking it down is the other part of that equation. It turned into a real mess last year getting things removed (weather and health issues).
Some of my neighbors hire folks to put their lights/outdoor decorations up. I just don't want to spend the money; seems we have had so many household expenses this year . . . but maybe next year . . .
For one thing, putting the stuff up seems to be such a challenge; taking it down is the other part of that equation. It turned into a real mess last year getting things removed (weather and health issues).
Amen to that! Putting it up when the weather is mild is the easy part. Then right after Christmas the nastier weather moves in and taking it all down is no fun. Yet another reason to switch over to a few strings of lights tossed in the bushes. It's very easy to take down. And still looks great. I'm also a fan of lights put around the inside of windows--those are much easier to take down, since they're inside, and they still look very cheerful.
What can I say, there was a time when going crazy with the lights was fun. Great memories, but not something I want to do any more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anifani821
Some of my neighbors hire folks to put their lights/outdoor decorations up. I just don't want to spend the money; seems we have had so many household expenses this year . . . but maybe next year . . .
Double amen! If other people want to spend money on that, I'm happy to enjoy their lights. But that's one expense I'm not willing to make myself. As you said, there are too many household expenses this year, and bound to be more as we continue to get older.
Maybe it's just me, but after about age 50 I became a big fan of simplifying Christmas. That doesn't mean stop decorating, but it does mean letting the neighbors do the big displays. When we don't overdo Christmas tasks or Christmas spending we find it's easier to celebrate peace on earth and goodwill towards all.
Interesting snippet on the nightly news tonight. 80% of people reaching 100 are women, and most of them live in the south. Good news for you southern centanarian guys who are looking for a date, I guess.
Caladium- Was up in NOVA and Maryland this past weekend. When we came back on Sunday the temp here was 25 degrees warmer than up there. Still in the 70's here
Caladium- Was up in NOVA and Maryland this past weekend. When we came back on Sunday the temp here was 25 degrees warmer than up there. Still in the 70's here
It's been all over the place. It was cold for a few days. Then we had spring like weather for three days this weeks that was so warm my neighbor's cherry tree bloomed and I have daffodils and hyacinths popping up. Today it got chilly again. I'm not a big fan of below freezing temps, but I like to have a bit of chilly weather in December.
Interesting snippet on the nightly news tonight. 80% of people reaching 100 are women, and most of them live in the south. Good news for you southern centanarian guys who are looking for a date, I guess.
Also on the nightly news yesterday was an interview with a woman in her 90s who was a nurse in Honolulu during the attack on Pearl Harbor. What a well spoken woman, and what an amazing interview she gave.
I like how NBC and CBS are really starting to have lots of stories about seniors. Ot maybe I'm just more aware of them now that I'm joining that age group.
Caladium- Was up in NOVA and Maryland this past weekend. When we came back on Sunday the temp here was 25 degrees warmer than up there. Still in the 70's here
I take my love for the chilly temps back! It got cold last night, and around 4 am I woke up and started thinking how nice 70 degrees in NC would be....
Good Morning all. I'm up early to get my two foster girls (dogs) to the spay/neuter shuttle. They'll stay overnight so I get almost 24 hours of relative peace and quiet here. But most likely my own 3 dogs and the third foster will make up for the little ones being gone and the place will be just as crazy as ever.
Then PT this afternoon to undergo more gentle torture to free up this frozen shoulder. I am seeing slow progress and my range of motion has improved a little bit.
Hope you all have a fine day.
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No biggie, we let the young kids next door put on the big display. We've switched to multi-colored lights, and all we do is throw a few strings on the bushes and one string around the front door and call it a day. It used to take an entire weekend to hang the lights, now we do the whole thing in under 15 minutes. And that includes untangling. 
