A smidgen more outdoor decorating

 

 Just posted some of our outdoor lighting over at my Kitchen Table blog, so now I'm adding just a bit more.  We didn't have a lot, but more than usual.  The trees that I posted about on my other blog are new this year, so you may wish to go over and read more about them, where they are located and how we chose to decorate them.

 
The flag at the top of this post is one we have on a flagpole mounted on a tree out by the end of our driveway.  We have it illuminated with a small solar light all year round, but Mr. T hadn't thought to get a  nighttime photo of it until he was outside snapping photos of our other lights.  It looks a bit Christmasy since it's on an evergreen tree.

Now the lights below are some that we light up every year.  These are the strings of colored lights with the large bulbs.  We've had them up there for years, tucked just inside the roof line of our garage.  We just have to replace a bulb or two from time to time.  Sometimes we place a lighted star (white lights) centered just below these.

The photo below pictures neither lights nor decorations, but our stacks of cookie tins that are keeping frozen on the front porch.  They are a little bit decorative, I guess -- and people do light up when they see a plate full of Christmas cookies!

"Christmas Lights": A lovely Christmas poem

 

 I found this poem in an Ideals Christmas magazine a few years ago.  I so love Christmas lights, don't you?

Back in my childhood, as I've probably shared here many times, it seemed that Christmas lights were not seen as often as they are now.  They were very special.  I loved the candoliers on the window sills of my grandmother's farmhouse, the tall lighted tree downtown on the common, and most especially the Christmas lights we would see near the cities and larger towns as we traveled home from a trip to deliver gifts to family in another part of our state.

Here is the poem, by Mamie Ozburn Odum:

Christmas Lights

They shine in spires and windows golden;
Myriads of lights like curtains rise.
In the festooned tree, the stars enfolden
Reflect the softened beauty of the skies.

Homes are bedecked in all their glory,
With twinkling lights above the arching door;
The shadows in the distance hover
As tree-decked hues sparkle the more.

The Christmas lights like gems are glowing,
Encased in quaintest filigree,
While softened winter winds are blowing
The chimes of Christmas bells to me.

As as the bright lights shine and glisten
And children sing, O lovely band,
"Glory to God in the Highest",
The caroling notes spread o'er the land.

And as we join the past and future,
Our hearts in sweet remembrance rise,
No deed can dim the glorious vision,
For the sweet old story never dies.

~ Mamie Ozburn Odum

It seems at this point in history that many would like to "dim the glorious vision" in our land and in our world.  But no matter what attempt is made, let's be comforted that "the sweet old story never dies."

Lakeside Christmas lights

 

On a recent late afternoon, Mr. T and I took another drive to look at Christmas lights.  Interestingly, this is one of those activities we've wanted to do  in the past at Christmastime, but very seldom got around to actually doing it.  I can remember just a couple of times when we did so, and then it was just around some of the back streets downtown.

This year we have gone out three times to look at lights.  This last foray was the farthest afield.  We drove about a half hour to a lakeside town, then along to another town on the same lake.  From there we took more back roads to get home.  It was a lovely light tour.

At the second lakeside town, we parked and got out and walked around to take pictures.  It was about 30º -- very moderate for this time of year -- but felt a bit chillier due to a breeze off the lake.  We saw a few other folks wandering around doing the same thing we were.  I'll just share a few more photos and hope you enjoy.  The video below is of a rushing waterfall next to an old mill building transformed into shops, restaurants, and a hotel.

This lighted bridge was lovely.

Lighted trees and buildings along the lakeshore

The same little tree and waterfall as in the video.  We always like seeing this!

A lighted extravaganza!

We loved how this building was lighted in red and green!

There you have it -- our third and probably last light tour of the 2020 holiday season (and the only one of which we got photos!).