No outdoor lights for me this year. We're getting the house painted. Maybe next year I'll get a couple of those cute saguaros with the Santa hats to put by the front door of the new house. One of the neighbors has a huge blowup snowman that is all lite up at night...I think he has a Santa too.

My condolences to the "purchaser". Although, given the Vikings "performance" on Sunday, perhaps shopping was the better alternative. Just out of curiosity, did you opt for the Vegas version or the tasteful one? (Not that I have any strong opinions on the subject.) At least you'll still have four feet showing when ours disappear.

Edited by author 11-30-2003 08:41 PM
Today we purchased a couple of six foot spiral trees with multi-colored bulbs to be tastefully placed onto our porch to the right and left of our front door. The purchase did not go smoothly. Can you believe they make two kinds of these beauties? One has eight settings of light sequences and the other is non-sequenced. Their diminutive cousins were by now of course out of stock at the local T store ;) Frustration was apparent by the purchaser when it was observed by me that our decorations would look unbalanced given their differences. Several stores later, two identical hybrids were located succesfully and the purchaser still had time to make it back in time to see the Vikings lose :(

The latest news on the Pinea Metallica trees that appeared in our front yard--Unfortunately for one of them, our paper person (delivery type) TRIPPED over one and knocked it over! Sources report that it happened between 2:00 and 7:00 am before the house residents arose for the day. The tree suffered no apparant damage as Mr D came to its rescue and righted its position, straighteneing its branches. Whew! I guess it doesn't pay to be diminutive when you're a temporary type tree. RRD

Do I sense a note of sarcasm?

OOOOHHHH!!!!! They were on sale!!!!! OK then.

Oh,look at Mr. Never-gets-his-leaves-raked-until-the-last-minute!! He got his Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving!!! WOOOOOW! RRD

Alas, they're no longer on sale, but you can find them at the "T" store (the 2 ft. Clear Lighted Twig Trees, with lawn stake). Not terribly expensive, even at regular price (about $15 for a set of 3). I bought two sets. They don't look like much by the light of day -- and as someone has mentioned, they are rather diminutive -- but as you note, the darkness is very forgiving...

And for the first time in my life, I was the first on the block to put up lights (I'm sure the neighbors are grumbling about me, much as I've grumbled about them in the past).

Edited by author 11-25-2003 07:36 AM
At which store did you find these marvelous miniature trees on sale? We'd like very much NOT to revisit our Taiwanese light stringing fiascos of past years (details withheld). BTW, I purchased a 3 foot fibre (or is it fiber?) optic tree a couple of years ago and personally find it memorizingly beautiful after dark ;)

Okay, First of all-Can you see Mr D "clinging to the roof" stringing Christmas lights? I don't think so. I remember him putting them on the railing of our deck about 6 years ago. He would have left them there too, if a squirrel hadn't chewed through one of the wires. Guess he thought it was something good to eat. Anyway, Mr D only had to go out on the deck and bend at the waist to string those babies! So,I knew we weren't getting any house lights. But, do you think he could have found something more regionally appropriate? Maybe some semi stalled out in Minnesota on it's way down south to the warmer climes and unloaded his two-footers on some unsuspecting vendor. OR MAYBE...Will was just happening by and the rest was history! He probably has many more dwarf white pinea metallica hidden somewhere that he just doesn't want me to find out about! I guess time will tell!! RRD

Edited by author 11-24-2003 11:08 PM
Hmmm, I believe I was always taught that the principle is your ple. Never really understood that. Basically, we're talkin' your lazy man's approach to Christmas decor, here. No clinging to an icy roof hanging string after string of defective Taiwanese lights for me. With these puppies, you just plunk 'em in the ground, plug 'em in and you're in business. Instant holiday cheer! Is it my fault that they're, shall we say, dimensionally challenged? Man, if I'd known the furor these lovely little trees would produce, I'd have... bought more!

Did I mention that they were on sale? 'nuff said!

A 2 foot metal tree...come on, what are you thinking and where have your principles gone?

Okay, something needs to be said here about what Mr D did last week. He went out and bought these TINY TEENY little metal trees with lights to put out in the yard. HOW TINY ARE THEY?? After sticking them in the ground, they reach maybe about 2 feet tall. Did his wife scold him for getting these? You'd better believe it! (they were TPRs). I said "you know honey, those would be perfect if we lived in, say, Arizona or Nevada". Now that we are getting thoroughly (sp) dumped on, these trees, which line the walkway and driveway, will be figments of our imagination in a matter of weeks. They will be just crowning out of the snow by tonight. Mr D planned to run extra voltage to them to help melt the snow (?) Don't ask me how he plans to do this. I think he is just trying to defend his decision to put them out in the first place. Oh, you gotta love 'im. Check back with us next spring to see if these miniature trees make it through a genuine MINNESOTA winter!!! RRD

No snow here but it got really cold last night. OK. Not too cold by MN standards but cold for here. I actually turned on the furnace this morning. Only 49° here this morning.

Edited by author 11-22-2003 08:38 PM
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All the Way! Dashing through the snow...
Goodness...Thanksgiving is next week! Can Christmas really be just around the corner?

Yep!

;>)