Gettin’ Lit With the Lights

Posted on 17/11/2023 by Grumpa Joe

There are only 38 days left before Christmas, and the weather tempts me to put up the lights. When the temperature is 60 plus degrees in mid-November, that is the time to decorate the yard with tiny lights, not when the temperature is 10 degrees, and the wind makes it feel like thirty below. But I’m sure I’ll pussy out of the chore and wait for the white stuff to fall and the pond to freeze before venturing out to wrestle with stiff wires and brittle branches. Why don’t I listen to myself? Probably because I have done it the hard way for the past sixty years, and the brain is a glutton for punishment.

NOT MY HOUSE

It is always fun to get sauced while stringing lights. When it is cold, I fortify myself with a bottle of Scotch to keep my innards warm and my joints loose. Why shouldn’t I get lit along with the lights?

One of the main reasons for stringing lights outside is to brighten the neighborhood. It has been dark for so many hours now that it gets depressing. The light serves to cheer us up and keep moving.

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Dreary, Dark, and Windy

Posted on 27/11/2019 by Grumpa Joe

Closeup of wild turkey in newly fallen snow

Today I postponed my daily walk a bit to catch a few extra degrees of warmth. The temperature didn’t matter though, the wind was blowing hard with gusts of fifty miles per hour. If it was at may back I was literally being pushed along faster than my legs would move. On the return, I got my workout. Several times the breeze stopped me dead in my tracks. Combine that with an uphill climb and the workout was intense. In either direction the breeze carried away any heat that the workout was providing and I was under dressed for it.

This after noon I added some more decoration to the house for Christmas. I am stopped at this point having broken my promise never to decorate again. As sorrowful as I want to be I force myself to see only the joy that Christmas brings. The tree, the lights, the colorful ornaments all add brightness to the dreary November days. Historically, in Illinois, November and December have the least amount of life sustaining sunshine in the year. So, why not brighten it up a bit?

I will post photos of my decorations once I figure out how to do it using a smart phone. (A smart phone operated by a  dumb operator who is beyond the tech-savy required to survive the conveniences.)

Have a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving holiday with family, friends, or with yourself, what ever the situation presents.

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