Decorating with lights!

Lately, I have been hearing a lot of folks make loud declarations against anyone who puts up their Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving.  I figure like this.  If I want to decorate for Christmas in July, it is nobody's business but my own!  I, personally, love Christmas!  I love the spirit of the entire season!  I love how everyone is nicer, friendlier, calmer during the few weeks of Christmas.  So if I can extend all of that human goodwill, then, hey, why not?  Maybe extending the holidays a bit would do the world a tiny bit of good.  Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men should be year round and not for twelve days in December.  But, go figure.  You cannot extend it at the end of the season as that would run slap into the New Year when we are all about making those resolutions that none of us ever intend to keep.  Lets just start Christmas in July and include all the holidays between the Fourth of July and New Year's Day in the Christmas holidays!  When you think about it..for six months, folks will be calling out "Be of good cheer!", "Have a wonderful day!" or "Peace be with you!" and actually mean it!  Now that, my dear friends, could never be wrong!

Still, I must admit that other than the tiny cedar tree in honor of the new grandbaby, the Little Bayou House is devoid of decorations.  This makes me a bit sad.  For one reason or another, the decorating has been postponed time after time until here it is the end of November and still no tree graces the living room!  Egads!  This will never do!  When the kids were younger and still at home, we decorated when we felt like it.  One year when my daughter was ill, we put up the Christmas tree on Halloween night simply because she asked.  It was fun!  We were making memories!

Today, Michael put up some the Christmas lights.  Or, perhaps I should say, he put down some of the lights.  After a stormy night on the Bayou, the weather is supposed to turn cooler.  The freezing temperatures might hold off for one more night but Ole Jack Frost just might pay a visit.  In preparation for the drop in temperature, we put the window panes back on the hotbed that houses the yellow squash plants.  Not satisfied that the glass would hold enough heat, Michael pulled out two long, long strands of lights.  Now my squash plants are surrounded in tiny, white lights! The lights put out enough heat when under the plants to warm them and keep them from feeling the effects of the pending frost.  My hotbed is decorated for Christmas!  I guess it is a start...and I do love yellow squash!

I do plan on decorating as soon as my daughter gets here.  Elizabeth always has a special knack for knowing just where things should go!  I love Christmas!  I love colored lights on the tree!  I love manger scenes, Baby Jesus and angels!  I love Santa and elves!  I love stockings hung by the chimney with care!  I love the carols, the holly berries, the scent of evergreen, the garland, red bows and ornaments!  I love Christmas!  Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward men..Merry Christmas!...oh, and Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Winter Solstice! (And any other wonderful day to celebrate in between!)  Put up those decorations even if they are only to keep those plants from freezing...and be happy doing it!