In Ithaca we had a little artificial table top tree. We decorated it with just lights, and it was cozy and friendly.
When we moved here in 1974 we first got permits from the Forest Service and cut down live trees for the living room and put the little artificial one in Kaitlin’s bedroom. I still still have fond memories of snuggling with her while we enjoyed it.
After we bought our land in 1976, we cut down our living room tree up on the land.
That went on until the 2011 fire…no more trees.
For a couple of years I decorated down here with a couple of garlands and some colorful LED lights on the piano:
It was cheerful on gloomy days, but then we started getting so many sunny winters I stopped doing it.
I gave away most of our old lights and ornaments a few years ago, but I kept these garlands and lights for sentimental reasons, never expecting to use them again. We had never done anything that our neighbors could see, but this year when the management urged us to decorate with lights, I decided it was about time. I simply draped that LED set around our porch railing and Andy rigged up an extension cord using the electricity from our porch light.
It’s not much, just a bit to make the world a slightly friendlier and more cheerful place.
December 7, 2020
I bet your daughter has fond memories of cutting down Christmas trees with her dad. I can still remember going to tree lots to get ours and that was 70 years ago and more.
She was 7 when we bought the land and we spent weekends and holidays working on projects up there. It was a great family experience and we all have fond memories. 🙂
…and I love it!! (We used to cut our own tree in Colorado too.)
It was a fun tradition. 🙂
My kids both used to have their own little artificial trees in their rooms. They got to decorate them any way they wanted and each had their own ornaments.
I think this year more than ever we need a little extra cheer to spread around.
Little trees in the kids’ room is also a great tradition. 🙂
there is something so wonderful and magical about a few colorful or white fairy lights at Christmas!
especially this year it seems.
but I have no outside plug… so they would have to be battery operated.
the year I put lights all over my balcony at the wren house… a young doctor left me a note saying how much he appreciated seeing them when he would come home late after working long hours in the ER. he said they made him feel cheerful. how sweet he was to do that.
it warmed my heart!
I have a small table tree up with tiny white lights. and I love it. xoxo
Do you have a light outside your door? Or does your door open to a hallway? I can imagine the doctor did appreciate the lights. 🙂
I think the colors of it are so pretty. Prettier than the usual red and green.
They don’t make these lights anymore…they’re unusually bright and cheerful. I had a couple of sets for spares but gave them away once I stopped using them.
Loving these photos! That gorgeous white bark!
We’ve no outdoor illumination; and, in fact, our pre-lit tree is bare of ornaments. I prefer simple; and so far (knock on wood) Tom’s not objected. I hope your balcony lights cheer your neighbor’s hearts.
Our little artificial tree had only lights…we loved it that way. Those lights on the railing are cheering my heart, so if they last I’ll probably do it again next year. Now that Andy has set up the electricity it will be easy.
The railing looks so festive. We are glad you joined in on the Christmas decorating. We love to look at the way different people decorate for Christmas. But neither of us likes to drive at night now, so we just do a stroll around the neighborhood:)
That works too. 🙂
These are the kind of touches that I like. Some places have so much that it is just too much to fully appreciate.
It’s simple enough to do now that we have it set up, and I’m really glad I decided to do it. I never considered it before because of the electricity, but once I made the decision it wasn’t that hard to figure out what to do. Thanks to Andy!
Judy put about half of our tiny decorations out this evening, the rest tomorrow. I think she’s about a week or 10 days ahead of normal. I think this damnable pandemic is causing people to do a little extra.
That’s why I did it. We’ve been doing fine with the pandemic, but I know a lot of people have been struggling with the restrictions.
Delightful holiday lighting! We never decorated outside but a couple houses where we lived had large front windows that could showcase our decorated lighted tree but don’t have that here. Decorations do seem to be especially appreciated this year.
I’m really happy about it. 🙂
i have always wanted to cut down my own tree, but never have. sad all those trees were burned. and a good thing you saved the lights, they are perfect.. I have 3 strings of lights that have never been opened. i bought the wrong kind for the nook and never took them back. i have been trying to make myself put them in the 3 bushes that are around our porch…. the last time I did that was 2006, i retired in sept put the lights outside in Dec and did not take them down until the end of Feb because bob would not and I did not want to. i gave all those away and never put them out again. i do think it is a good idea for this year to put out lights to cheer others up
This year is special that way. But I agree with you, it shouldn’t be a burden. Our job is to defy the virus and be as happy and healthy as we can.
Lovely memories, in photos! And brought back, with photos. -smile-
Hooray for adding some color and brightness, to the surrounding area! It’s nice….
We have quite a collection of photos, and they do bring back memories. 🙂