tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26204193.post1896413924612260171..comments2024-03-26T11:22:41.940-07:00Comments on Genea-Musings: Advent Calendar - December 5: Outdoor LightsRandy Seaverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17477703429102065294noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26204193.post-86878764908781387992010-12-05T17:20:09.753-08:002010-12-05T17:20:09.753-08:00When I was a kid (1940s and 1950s), in my neighbor...When I was a kid (1940s and 1950s), in my neighborhood outside of Philadelphia, the use of outdoor lights was not that big. It was a small blue collar company town and it is possible that lighting would be too expensive. In fact, I remember one Christmas when the company was on strike and the parish priest (who came from a wealthy family) distributed gifts and food from his own pockets. Of course, families that were able also contributed.<br /><br />As I got older and the ownership of cars increased, we used to drive to neighborhoods that we heard about with great light displays. One such neighborhood could be found in South Philadelphia. There were several long streets covering many blocks were everyone decorated and the lights were strung over the street from house to house so it was like riding under a canopy of Christmas lights—breathtaking.<br /><br />When I was a senior, we moved to a better house and three houses away was one of those over-enthusiastic decorating families. The father was an electrician and I think even the lights had lights and he “cheered” us up by playing Christmas music over loud speakers. What a treat!<br /><br />The first year that we moved into our home (1985), my husband and I were trying to decide how to decorate it for Christmas. It is a classic Williamsburg colonial style so we decided against outdoor lights. I had the great idea to buy artificial wreaths and wire them with little white lights. My husband and I made up all nine wreaths and we hung them in the windows in the front of our house.<br /> <br />To compliment this we mount live decorated wreaths on the front door and garage; we trim the door, lamp post, mailbox post and fencing with live garlands trimmed with fake red poinsettia flowers and red velet ribbons; and shine floodlights to illuminate the decorations. People started leaving us little notes in our mailbox to tell us how much they liked it. Of course, now-a-days we don’t have to make our wreaths, we can buy them pre-lit. Yet another opportunity lost.Eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00064329229537398807noreply@blogger.com