Friday, January 13, 2012

evening glow


Christmas is over,
and the trimmings are stored away,
but if you stop by our house tonight
it will still have that Christmas glow.


There was a time when I thought it was truly tacky 
(or if you'd rather, Mark, in poor taste)
to leave lights up beyond New Year.

Not any more.  
It's amazing how your perspective can change in a new environment.


The lighting in our house wasn't exactly wired for aesthetics.
There's not a warm, welcoming feeling when you flip the switch at dusk.
The naked bulbs are more akin to a deer and headlights.

So when I walked into my neighbor's house one mid-July evening, 
and realized how inviting it felt, I looked for the reason.
I didn't have to look far;
it was the strands of Christmas lights glowing in her kitchen.
I loved it.

So at Christmas I bought extra strands
for the kitchen, the bedroom,
the living room, and the family room.
And without a big fuss,
with no electrical rewiring,
the house now has an evening glow all year-round.

Thank you, neighbor, for showing me another way!


Have you found yourself intentionally doing something lately that you thought you'd never do?








7 comments:

The Girls said...

Barbara,

Your long lost friend here...I miss you! This is a great post! I, too, have always thought it tacky, um, in poor taste, to keep up lights after New Year's Day, but this year we've also kept the lights on our mantle and even the beautiful Christmas balls. It is surprising how warm and inviting they make a room, isn't it? My sister has them running around the roof line of her covered porch all year and it is so warm and inviting there anytime.

us5 said...

oh! i'm SO happy to know i'm in good company! ♥ and it's an absolute delight to 'see' you here again, friend! i needed your visit today... :}

Betsy de Cruz said...

I love this idea! May buy some extra strings of lights for myself next year. (Or else run out tomorrow and see if I can find any still!)

Sherrey Meyer said...

I live under some 28 old growth Douglas firs and some cedars. The shade over our house often gets overwhelming, especially since it sits in the middle of the gray and cloudy Pacific NW. Winters are the worst! I can see it now -- me, purchasing extra strings of lights or do we still have some of those, then stringing them in the areas that are the darkest! Just wait -- we'll all be on the pages of some decorating magazine as soon as this goes viral!!! Loved this blog -- made me feel cheery!

us5 said...

did you find any lights, Olive Tree? they disappear here right after Christmas - right back into the storeroom for next year! i guess i should have shared the idea BEFORE Christmas...

Christmas lights sound like a great solution for you, too, Sherrey! ♥ i'm not so sure i'd EVER make it into any decorating magazine, other than as a 'worst dressed' sort of example. :lol: i'll let you perfect this idea, and make sure to tell us when a magazine features you. ;D

Rosalie said...

I love this idea. I know a couple who has imitation evergreens with white Christmas lights in their bedroom. It's beautiful! Mike and Kristy sent white Christmas lights with Ryan when he returned to Haiti. He wanted to gift them to his friends for economical ambient light in their homes. They create a warm, comforting atmosphere for those who've been through intense trauma and continue to suffer every day.

us5 said...

wow, Rosalie, so it's also therapeutic? that's a good thing to remember. lighting really does matter!