| Author | Message | ||
     Ourdee |
My lovely wife makes a little buying and selling stuff in a consignment shop. This often entails fixing the stuff. Sometimes it involves me fixing the stuff. I have never been paid for fixing the stuff. For some reason it has been taken for granted that I will fix a pre-lit tree this time around. We have come upon a sore subject. This hundred pound piece of tree with less than 10% of the lights working is my definition of a piece of trash. I don't like having a Christmas tree in my own house. I avoid Christmas lights like the plague. I believe any occasion that you have to do stupid work for is not worth having. And that I apply this to Christmas is not sacrilege. Where did Jesus put a tree in anyones house? He killed the fig tree. A yule log is pagan. He himself was hung upon a tree. I don't wear a cross on a chain celebrating it. The manger, cross, and tomb are all empty. He is not in the wind, earthquake, or fire. You have to listen for that still small voice. To me that means getting still and small and listening. It means getting myself away from the commercial noise. This tree is noise. In John Keats'"I stood tip-toe upon a hill" a few words stand out to me; "and then there crept A little noiseless noise among the leaves, Born of the very sigh that silence heaves: ". I want to hear the leaves speak. To hear them I have to get still, and small, and wait while I listen. I have to get away from the noise. So, I put my foot down and said, "I'm not fixing that tree". | ||
| Ratbuell |
...as cheap as pre-lit trees are these days... Mine went on the fritz years ago. I bought a few strings of LEDs, and light it like normal. It goes in a bay window in my dining room / mixdown studio, which faces the road (800' away), so I don't look TOO much like a scrooge. Lace window treatment for privacy, you can see the glow of the tree through it but nothing else. Like zero presents or ornaments. Or all my production equipment that lives there year-round. | ||
| Ratbuell |
that said...I remember when Christmas was a DAY, not a freakin' SEASON. Can we get through Thanksgiving (hell, HALLOWEEN!) before we start caroling??? | ||
| Tootal |
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| Ourdee |
Turkeys with fangs and the icicle lights all hung. | ||
| Crusty |
I'm 180 degrees from you in regards to Christmas. For me, it's a time of "Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men". It's a time for joy and celebration and sharing. The lights are for decoration. It is, after all a Birthday Party for Jesus and I think he deserves the most spectacular party I can throw. Yes; over the centuries, other traditions have merged with the previous traditions, but that just makes it a bigger and more expansive party. There are many ways to experience Joy, I want to see them all. I've been debating with myself about whether to put the lights up on the house this year. It's a lot of work and I have to borrow an extension ladder to do it. However, I think this has given me that little bit extra push. I'll talk to Dan next time I see him and ask if he'll lend me his ladder again. I already have this year's assorted Christmas Cards and I'll start sending them out right after Thanksgiving. And I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to give for gifts. For me, Christmas is a time to be Happy, Joyous and Free. I hope your Christmas (and everybody else's) is also like that. | ||
| Ourdee |
I like the goodwill, and peace. I get tired of seeing so many people miss the important because they are stuck on the commercial. Not living while concentrating on the inanimate. Failing to love because they can't get the formula right. We get it. The only time we have is now. John, get the ladder and be careful! | ||
| Airbozo |
I was raised to believe Christmas was a time for giving and sharing what you have with others. I was not raised in a religious household, but know the reason for the holiday. We sometimes put up lights, and the only tree we have is a cast iron 4' piece of art the inlaws gave us. Our real trees are outside. We used to put lights on the baby redwood, but the tree grew so much the lights are now part of the tree. And 30 feet up. I think there should be a law; no decorations or Christmas ads until after Thanksgiving. "So, I put my foot down and said, "I'm not fixing that tree"." I feel your pain. My friends wife does the same thing and she tried to drag me into fixing things for her. I fixed an old radio for her several years ago. Spent about 2 hours fixing it and barely got a thanks. I found out she got the radio for free and sold it for almost $200. I at least expected dinner or even a beer. Nothing. Last time she asked me to fix something I told her my hourly rate was $40 which includes a 200% discount for friends. She hasn't asked me again. Her husband claims not to know which end of a screwdriver to hold so he gets a pass from her. I know better, but would never let on. He is happy paying others to fix his things. | ||
| Ourdee |
John, What size ladder do you use? | ||
| 86129squids |
Somewhere, maybe here on BW, there's a picture of someone's AWESOME idea: They stuffed a bunch of clothes to look like a guy hanging Christmas lights on the front of his 2 story house, with an askew ladder, and him hanging by the gutter.... Seems I remember a postscript that said the po-po told him to take it down.  | ||
| Zane |
I view Christmas as one big PITA. After the kids got big and I was through my divorce, I stopped putting up outside lights or even a tree. As much as possible, I ignore Christmas. When my younger son moved back in with me 3 years ago, he expressed the same ideas so for Christmas we make a huge dinner, generally a baked ham and lots of sides. Plus, for the last three year, we make some sort of day trip around the holiday. One year in Galveston, we went to the Alamo. This year, I think the Territorial Prison in Yuma. Christmas music is the absolute worse!!! | ||
| Aesquire |
I was going to do the Grinch stealing the decorations bit. One string, being stolen. I'd better get on it. Logs,trees, etc. Are pagan. So what? Do you wear desert robes for Christmas? When the Christians came to new lands, full of folk who worshiped different gods, they absorbed and repurposed local customs. If you object to a desert wandering tribe's religion adopting a snowy forest people's burning log, just consider & learn the original version, then admire the cleverness of the witnesses of the New Church in doing so. If you look close.... A lot of Christmas is really a Coca Cola ad. | ||
| Ourdee |
If you look close....A lot of the religious miss that it is all about a relationship with God. But I don't play Grinch. The house is decorated. Gifts are given. And at this odd time of year I celebrate Christ's birth. Now, let us get ready to eat some turkey. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Turkey dinner. For the next week, turkey sandwiches. Right before Christmas and the next turkey, turkey soup. Gimme them L-Tryptophans. Z | ||
| Ratbuell |
Turkey stew...turkey salad...turkey samwiches...turkey gumbo...lahf is lahk a box ah tur-key, ya never know whatcha gon' get... | ||
| Crusty |
You guys can have all the turkey you like. I'll be eating a nice Rib Eye steak grilled over charcoal with an oven-baked Yukon Gold potato, Asparagus, biscuits and beef gravy. For desert, blueberry pie with good vanilla ice cream and fresh ground Kenya coffee. | ||
| 86129squids |
Crusty = Boddhisatva You too, RD. | ||
| Chauly |
I'll just drop this here...Bah! Humbug everybody! https://youtu.be/n6RsL-Dn7H0 (Message edited by chauly on November 07, 2018) | ||
| Jaimec |
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| Ourdee |
From above link: What a lovely rendition. | ||
| Ourdee |
Brad, Some heavy aspirations there. Very noble. | ||
| Ourdee |
Crusty, How tall does the ladder have to be for your house? | ||
| Crusty |
Last year, I used a 24 Ft. ladder. It was tall enough. I'm pretty sure that Dan will let me use it again. I won't be putting my lights up until after Thanksgiving, so I've got plenty of time. I also like to send out my cards the first weekend of December. I love Christmas and I really enjoy doing all the customary things that go with the season; but I also think the Season doesn't begin until after Thanksgiving. | ||
| Ourdee |
I put the icicle lights on the gutters before Turkey day if I get time and a warm day. They are clear and just hide up there till after Thanksgiving. I take them down the same (wait for warm day). I just don't leave them turned on into spring. We decorate outside for snow. Inflatable snowmen and icicle lights. My wife is a snow lover. | ||
| Ourdee |
I looked and my extra ladder is less than 24'. Makes sense as I am scared of heights. | ||
| Crusty |
Here's a picture of my house last year:  | ||
| Ourdee |
Nice. | ||
| 86129squids |
You could go the lazy route and buy some of those laser light rigs that just project pretty lights all over the front of the house... | ||
| 1313 |
Here's a picture of my house last year: Looks as pretty as a Christmas card! Speaking of Christmas cards, has anyone been able to find any motorcycle Christmas cards this year? My sources have turned up zilch... :-( | ||
| 86129squids |
You should be able to find a website that'll allow you to design your own cards... right? Heck, Matthew et al seem to do well designing stickers here and there. |
