Christmas 2019 - Misc

morning glory said:
So you really have them up for just over a week.
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The worst are people who never take down their Christmas lights. Our neighborhood HOA has it in the bylaws when holiday decorations can go up, and when they must come down. Almost everyone complies.

When I was the HOA president, I had the loathsome task of knocking on someones door when their Christmas lights of other decorations were still up in March. I only had to do it a couple of times, but I got an earful both times. The second time, the homeowners had those lights that hang down like icicles. I'm standing at the door of somebody's house wearing shorts and a t-shirt, explaining that Christmas was three months ago, and telling them it's time to take down the icicle Christmas lights. :scratchhead:

CD
 
Sorry not a great pic but this is put up every year by local volunteers, it is on the pavement on the corner of 2 roads, a bit early for me but it does look lovely on dark evenings all lit up.

35027
 
I won't be having Christmas decorations - they are in the loft and I can't get up there. I was toying with idea of getting a small tree, but trees and greyhounds don't mix too well and as for cats and tinsel or baubles..... The cards I get go on the mantelpiece; that will be enough. Besides, I may not be here some days.

I was going to take the mutt up on 2nd December to see the local Christmas lights switched on, but it's a bit too far to walk (and dodgy in the dark), and of course the main car park is where the ceremony will be and the other parking spaces will be full. Street parking is not allowed. I shall take him up there late one afternoon afterwards just as it's all lighting up. He'll probably like it - one of the houses in our street is all decorated every year and he will stand and watch the lights.
 
Elawin said:
I won't be having Christmas decorations - they are in the loft and I can't get up there. I was toying with idea of getting a small tree, but trees and greyhounds don't mix too well and as for cats and tinsel or baubles..... The cards I get go on the mantelpiece; that will be enough. Besides, I may not be here some days.

I was going to take the mutt up on 2nd December to see the local Christmas lights switched on, but it's a bit too far to walk (and dodgy in the dark), and of course the main car park is where the ceremony will be and the other parking spaces will be full. Street parking is not allowed. I shall take him up there late one afternoon afterwards just as it's all lighting up. He'll probably like it - one of the houses in our street is all decorated every year and he will stand and watch the lights.
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There will only be the 2 of us this year so we won't bother. Our cat never bothered with our tree so we have been lucky.
 
Lullabelle said:
There will only be the 2 of us this year so we won't bother
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There's only ever the 2 of us for most of December...alternate years we host my family over Christmas itself but mostly its just us two. But that doesn't stop us decorating :happy: I LOVE Christmas and I know its a bit early but we've started getting into the festive spirit - we went around the Christmas displays in a few garden centres this weekend and have started planing the decorations. We even found a local farm that grows and sells its own Christmas trees.....can't wait until next weekend when we can start decorating :dance:
 
Got the entertainment center decorated. The top right, in the lighted garland, that's a hand-painted Christmas-themed wine holder.

The wife's nativity set is up there - I bought that for her as a gift for our first Christmas after we married, 1990. There are also German smokers up there as well.

Entertainment Center

Entertainment Center

 
Here's the wrapping paper we're using this year:
Wrapping Paper

Wrapping Paper

I'm Mr. Flash while the wife is Mrs. Nostalgia.

These are our cards, all purchased in the UK in 2017:

Christmas Cards

Christmas Cards


All the messages inside are non-religious (like the cards themselves). I also buy non-religious Christmas stamps.
 
Haven't bought the tree yet. Nothing is going up. Around the second week of December I'll make my move. I know where all the stuff is, which is what counts (though I need to enquire where I can buy a GOOD tree this year - I had to settle for a Home Depot tree cut several months back, last year. Simply because I hadn't had time to find a tree farm in 2018.

There's a little full-bodied pine off to the side in my front yard. I believe I'll be putting lights on it this winter (I have several battery-operated outdoor-compliant strands that I think are wonderful as you don't have to be running wires all over the place). You can even set them to start running for 8 hours at a time, on a 24 hour loop - so, no turning on and off manually. I just turn them on for the first time just as it gets to a deeper shade of dusk.

They even give me a choice of white, or multicolor - and flashing, or non-flashing. And the flashing setting is gentle, not an annoying strobe effect thing. I end up changing my setup each year. (Of course this is going to be only the second year decorating here - first Christmas here I was recovering from moving, and knee surgery, and could care less.)
 
I personally kind of like artificial trees...good ones, anyway. The wife likes real trees, so we've always done a mix, one year real, a couple of years fake, etc.

Last year, we went to a tree farm, but got a precut one. Horrible. Started losing needles immediately. I don't know when they'd cut it.

This year, we're going back, but I'll cut my own. Then I'll know it's fresh.

Fun TR trivia - I worked all aspects of a Christmas tree farm for 10 years, from age 9 to 19. Ho ho ho!
 
I had three cats last year, and being that they're all considered "seniors", none of them disturbed the tree. Obi-Wan and Orion were definitely tree-disturbers in their misspent youths. (Orion is no longer with us, he passed last February.) Serenity, my oldest, was never mischievous. She lived up to her name... a placid ragdoll. So, for many years I didn't even bother with a tree, until last year.

One of the things I did to occupy my time after the December surgery of 2017 was to paint a set of Christmas houses and establishments - which I didn't get around to doing until January/February. (Hey, I couldn't yet drive, so...) So this last year they got to sit upon my mantle, along with one or two I'd bought as finished. I always liked those vignette settings when I'd seen them at other homes. I will see if I can find a couple more to add for this year (but not something I have to paint, not this year).
 
TastyReuben said:
I personally kind of like artificial trees...good ones, anyway. The wife likes real trees, so we've always done a mix, one year real, a couple of years fake, etc.

Last year, we went to a tree farm, but got a precut one. Horrible. Started losing needles immediately. I don't know when they'd cut it.

This year, we're going back, but I'll cut my own. Then I'll know it's fresh.

Fun TR trivia - I worked all aspects of a Christmas tree farm for 10 years, from age 9 to 19. Ho ho ho!
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The artificial trees that look real seem pricy to me... but maybe next year I'll consider getting one.

Yes, I want to cut my own this year... which is why I'd rather find that tree farm! I'd consider bringing in that pine tree from outside, but a one-time deal and it's dead... no, I like that one exactly where it is! It wouldn't be too tall, but it definitely would be too wide, and it would never be happy again...
 
Mountain Cat said:
The artificial trees that look real seem pricy to me... but maybe next year I'll consider getting one.
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I imagine we've spent a small fortune on artificial trees over the years. The last one was about $400US, bought in probably 2007 or so, but it's showing its age.

The wife likes pre-lit trees, but they have the shortest lifespan, because after the first year, one of those lights is going to go out, and by the third year, several (or an entire strand) will be toast, and even with calls to the fake tree helpline, nothing ever seems to fix them. The last time we had that 2007 tree up, probably 2016, we had to string lights on it anyway. I'd rather just do that to begin with.

Every year on Boxing Day, I go out to Balsam Hill's website and look for deals on their trees. They're generally considered top-of-the-line, but they're also quite expensive. They do all the trees for all the Hallmark movies. One day...
 
TastyReuben said:
I imagine we've spent a small fortune on artificial trees over the years. The last one was about $400US, bought in probably 2007 or so, but it's showing its age.

The wife likes pre-lit trees, but they have the shortest lifespan, because after the first year, one of those lights is going to go out, and by the third year, several (or an entire strand) will be toast, and even with calls to the fake tree helpline, nothing ever seems to fix them. The last time we had that 2007 tree up, probably 2016, we had to string lights on it anyway. I'd rather just do that to begin with.

Every year on Boxing Day, I go out to Balsam Hill's website and look for deals on their trees. They're generally considered top-of-the-line, but they're also quite expensive. They do all the trees for all the Hallmark movies. One day...
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My friend (the one who recenty passed away) kept encouraging me to look at Balsam Hill. I did - the realistic are expensive, even when on sale. I'd not want pre-lit - I want the option to modify the color each year. As in some years, white lights, some years multicolor, some years just blue, or red, or green... And anyway, part of the fun of a tree is decorating it, and being creative, which to me includes the lights. At least, not getting pre-lit would cut the price down some. One year back in Connecticut, I did blue and white.

(Of course, I understand the idea of pre-lit, remembering my parents grumbling at each other about the tree lights when they were stringing them up together... and Mom would eventually chase Dad from the tree... )
 
caseydog said:
My ex-mother in law bought a live tree once. You display it, then plant it in the yard. Guess who got to plant it? Ever dig a hole in Northern Oklahoma in December?

CD
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You are supposed to dig the hole before the ground freezes up for good, as in sometime in early December or late November. When January comes around, harden it off, then plant it.

I've done live trees three times. Planted all three, two survived and took off very well.

The limiting factor is how much root-ball are you willing and able to heft.
 
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