Christmas Stars And Shy Comets

"... freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin... inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night... ."

~John Geddes

 A Familiar Rain 

Isn't that beautiful?

I am still working on getting a photo of the Christmas Comet, but the weather is not cooperating... at all! Still, in that I am up all night, I am going to keep checking for a bit of clearing, as the rain moves through. Never give up, right?

 #88 Leaf Of The Day

December 18th 2018

Photographed December 15th 2018

Stockton California

Samsung

~Mood: Happy

~Me

 

The Great American Christmas Light Fight: Good Luck Mize Family Of San Rafael!

"Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year... and yet... for all that, when it speaks, it's voice has strong authority."

~W.J. Cameron

There is some special holiday magic in the air, it's making me smile from ear to ear! The magic is coming from a most unlikely source... Reality TV! That's right, REALITY TV! If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I do indeed watch my share of reality television. In fact, Alan, my husband, might say I watch more than my share, and okay, guilty. It's kind of a guilty pleasure, but to be honest, I have started to enjoy it less and less. I don't want to get in too deep about why, and what specific elements have begun to ware on me, I will save that for a different post, because right now I want to share only positive feelings, because I have finally found a reality program that truly spreads joy, and made me feel good about tuning in. If you are interested in such a show, tune into the new ABC reality show, The Great American Christmas Light Fight!

The show features different families from around America, who have such love for Christmas, and the holiday season, that they share it not just with family and loved ones, but with their neighbors and community as well, by decorating their houses and yards with twinkly lights, and holiday inflatables, and manger scenes, and every lovely decorative idea possible! Some include interactive decorations, some gather donations for charity, some share holiday heirlooms passed down for generations! Others re-purpose household items, while others feature decorations that are handmade or planet friendly! You, the viewer, are introduced to some truly joyous, loving, hardworking, creative people, and it leaves you definitely feeling the holiday spirit!

The Great American Christmas Light Fight airs on Mondays, with 2 back to back episodes, and this coming Monday night, December 23rd, it will feature the only house in the Bay Area to compete!  The Mize Family of San Rafael, in Marin County! When I heard we had some Bay Area friends to root for, I just had to pay a visit to the house, and see the artistry for myself! Let me tell you, I knew it would be lovely, but I wasn't prepared for just how amazing their holiday display was! 

Here, See For Yourself...













The Mize Family also included a wonderful old fashioned manger scene, kind of like the ones that graced lawns when I was a child. These scenes have gotten much more sophisticated over the years, but I really miss this kind. This part of their display really brought back some fond memories of the holiday decorations of yards on the street I grew up on. It was always a treat to see the decoration begin the day after Thanksgiving, and one particular yard had a manger just like this one! I miss the folks who lived there, all my old friends from the street who have grown up and moved away, so seeing this display made me quite misty eyed, in a good way, as I marveled at how many years have gone by! Sigh. :) Suddenly, while the air was a bit chilly, I was feeling really warm inside! 

 


The prize for winning is $50,000 and a pretty nifty Christmas light shaped trophy! I can't imagine the Mize family not being victorious come Monday night, but I will update this post after the show!

Thank You Mize Family, And Good Luck Monday Night! Alan and I will Be Cheering You On!

 

 :)
Mood: Inspired/Happy/Nostalgic/Christmasy

~Me :)

Note: The show is currently looking for new holiday homes to feature next season, here is the link if you would like to apply...

The Great American Christmas Light Fight... Apply Now 

Dear ABC... Please create and air more reality shows like this one!

Polar Bears Skiing In Autumn Leaves

Money's scarce
Times are hard
Here's your FUCKING Christmas card

~Phyllis Diller

 

The week after Thanksgiving has always left me a bit discombobulated. Oh, not from overindulging in Thanksgiving leftovers, or shopping till I drop for seasonal bargains, no it's the wishing in my heart that autumn's demise wasn't imminently written in stone. I love finding houses already decorating for Christmas, but my heart just leaps when I also see among the animated decorations, a big pile of purple, orange, red and yellow leaves. Like the one in the photo above. Why is it so irritating when stores begin dragging out Christmas paper, and decorations to sell in "pre-holiday" sales, but when I see that someone in the neighborhood has collided the seasons events, I feel all warm and cozy inside? Is that perhaps a double standard?

Hmmmm...

Maybe it's the pressure of everything. Feeling like I must begin buying those bargains. Or maybe it's that stores tend to make it all seem so very vital to make a timely purchase. I don't know. As I was sharing with a pal earlier today, in this economy, I can understand folks wanting to take advantage of the early sales, so they can make their holiday purchases a little at a time. The new layaway programs are a good way to do that. It's a lot nicer then impulse buying, and then facing the harsh reality of ones generosity in a cold, dark January credit card statement. That's a lesson learned by me, way back in the stone age, aka, the 1980's. LOL. I was in my 20's and I loved to buy Christmas presents for those I loved. But as much as I loved to make my loved one's smile, I liked to make ME smile more, so, for every gift I gave away, I bought myself two gifts. LOL.

Well, like I said, I was in my twenties, and that is when we are supposed to make those kinds of mistakes. And I certainly did. No one likes to wake up and realize they have made a mistake, but if realized properly, it can be an invaluable lesson, that will enrich the rest of your life. I am not a material person, oh don't get me wrong, I can be highly sentimental about objects, but when push comes to shove, I would never covet any possession, if it meant having to give up my peace of mind, or Alan's. He is the most important consideration in life. And I know that I am his. And for that reason, we discuss the silly little tradition of gifting.

And he still manages to surprise me with the most wonderful gifts.

Like a pearl necklace on my 50th birthday... because he gets it! :)

Well, he turned 50 this year also.

I like being 50, but I wasn't too thrilled about turning 50. LOL.

When worlds collide... and seasons... and holidays... and mistakes... and birthdays... and moments of wisdom...

Polar bears skiing in autumn leaves makes all the sense in the world.

~Me :)

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #69: Holiday Music

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence."

-Leopold Stokowski











EMPS #69: HOLIDAY MUSIC. Now Closed!
Well, we are finally here. Christmas is this coming Friday, and in that this is an extremely busy time for everyone, I wanted to choose an easy, more lighthearted assignment topic, yet I wanted it to be timely for the holiday season. So, here's what I came up with. Lets share some HOLIDAY MUSIC with each other! You are free to run with your imagination on this one, any representation of the subject will do, as will any holiday. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, so please feel free to share your favorite music from any holiday. Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's, Halloween... you get the idea.

Extra Credit: Turn your original photograph into a holiday greeting!

**PLEASE READ**
This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET. That means you have almost a full week to take your photo, upload it to your blog, journal or website, and then comeback here to leave your link back to it in the comment thread. Please remember, the link you leave must go back to an entry which is specific to this week's photo shoot assignment. A general link to your blog will not work, and NO HYPERLINKS ARE ACCEPTED! Also, please link to this photo shoot assignment, so others can play along with us.

Linking List for EMPS #68: Holiday Decorations. 12/14/09

NOW CLOSED!

1. Fredamans

2. Jama

3. Suzanne

4. Irene (No link provided, see comments)

5. Carly... Yep, I did the assignment too!

6. Karen

Thanks so much for taking on the assignment everyone, and Merry Christmas to all! See you next week with our last Monday Photo Shoot assignment of 2009! It's something very special, so please try to join us!

-Carly

EMPS #68: Holiday Decorations

From For Ellipsis

"Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart."

-Washington Irving

I thought it might be a good idea if I played along with this week's Monday Photo Shoot assignment, so here is my Christmas tree. Have I told you that Alan and I named out tree Axel? Yep, we did, all those years ago. I think we bought him in the mid 90's. We were living in a little apartment at the time, and he just seemed like the most practical way to go. I love our silly little tree, after all these years, it just wouldn't be Christmas without him. Each year we purchase a new ornament for each other at the Tilden Christmas Fantasy In The Woods. We purchased the ones for this year just last night. It's a magical place, and it makes the ornaments all the more special. I can't wait to see what this year's will be! :) Less then a week to go now!

Here is the way San Francisco says "Happy Holidays!"

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

There is still time to play along! Click here for all the details!

-Carly

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #68: Holiday Decorations

"Nothing says holidays like a cheese log."

-Ellen DeGeneres





EMPS #68: Holiday Decorations. NOW CLOSED!
It's that time of year again! Time to start putting up decorations for the winter holidays. I know there are a lot of different holidays this month, so feel free to show us whatever decorations you like. It's all good! If you don't have your decorations up yet, show us the public decorations that are around town, in school or in your particular place of worship.

Extra Credit: Show me an heirloom decoration from your collection.

**PLEASE READ**
This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday, at 9:00 PM ET. After that time I close the comment thread and no more entries are accepted, so please do your assignment by that time. You submit your entry for the assignment by getting your photo, posting it to your blog, journal or website, and then leaving the direct link back to it. Please remember, it must be a link which is specific to this week's photo shoot assignment. NO HYPERLINKS ACCEPTED. Also, it would be appreciated if you put in a link back to this entry, so other folks can participate along with us.

Linking List for EMPS #67: People And Places. 12/07/09

NOW CLOSED!

1. Hip Chick

2. Jama

3. Karen

4.Duane


I will see you next Monday with an all new photo shoot assignment!

Dont forget... The Round Robin Challenges returns, for our first outing of the New Year, on January 2nd! There is still plenty of time to R.S.V.P and join us. Visit the Round Robin Challenges HERE for all the details.

Also, If you like the Monday Photo Shoot, you might also enjoy the Weekend Assignment posted each weekend on Karen's blog. This week's topic is "DIY." Pay her a visit HERE for all the details.

-Carly