As our kids were growing up, we moved something like 23 times. Zig zagging across the country. It was interesting to see how each local had a distinct style of decorating for Christmas!
In the Midwest, where we started, the folks generally used the big, old fashioned multi colored bulbs. Hundreds of them stuck like spaghetti wires all over the trees. It was so colorful with the Green, Red, Blue, Orange, and White lights. Looked like and old fashioned Currier and Ives Christmas.
Then we moved to Southern California, and the Christmas lights were completely different! As we drove up into the hills to admire the decorations, we saw the most amazing thing! Folks in CA put the colorful lights on the trees like the spokes of an umbrella. Long straight strings of lights hanging down from the top of the tall Colter Pines trees to the ground. Very ingenious!
Next, we moved to Philadelphia, where it was different yet again! Zillions of tiny white and blue twinkle lights all over the place. Some families even had net lights, a first for us to witness. And others had the white twinkle ice cycles hanging from the eves, it was magical.
Then we moved Dallas. All we had ever known about Christmas decorating and exterior illumination looked painfully dull. Much like Chey Chase’ Christmas Vacation house…. Every square inch of everything is wrapped, glittered, embellished, complete with sound tracks and moving reindeer. One home actually had LIVE reindeer! The trees must be given steroids in the summer to enable them to support all the lights in December. It was stunning, truly breathtaking!
This last move from Philadelphia to Dallas had us staying in a small 1950’s rental while we renovated the home we bought. In the front yard of this cute little house was one of the largest Live Oak tress I’d ever seen. Immediately our 11-year-old son decided to have a decorating contest with our next-door neighbor!
It took a solid week working before and after school, but he plastered the tree with every string of lights he could beg, borrow and – no he didn’t steal them – but you see where I’m going. The Tree was enormous, he wasn’t afraid to climb to the thinnest branch to attach a bulb! In day light – it looked a bit embarrassing, but he was having a blast!
Then the evening came to illuminate the houses. Both families went out to the front lawn, we did the little drum roll… and waited for the big moment!
It was glorious for a split second. In a flash of light – it was over.
A few minutes later, I realized that this glorious flash of light- is what our life is like in the face of eternity. What we do here and now, on earth, will be equal to that millisecond flash of glorious light — Oh, that I can remember that.
Sandy – Dallas TX – 1998
We have to make every Blessed moment count! Thank you for the inspiration and your beautiful Christmas lights!