Less than 3 weeks 

~ and not ONE decoration yet ~

While it won't take very long to set out our small amount of decorations in our 

little home, I do have to fetch the 10 ft. ladder for Howie to use for the access

to our access for overflow items like 3 ft. trees, a 3 ft. Santa and a strong or two

of lights.  Told you it wasn't going to be fancy.  It makes me think of Next Year,

which should be a very different story.  I enjoy watching the lights go up in the

neighborhood.  With more than twice the homes in the neighborhood this season

than last years, there are lots more lights going up.  It doesn't feel as "lonesome"

when you drive through the neighborhood.  There's baby strollers with 'new' babies,

children on tricycles, some just learning to ride a bicycle with training wheels,

mom or dad riding alongside.  Dog Walkers.  Runners. It resembles quite

"the neighborhood".  It really needs a nice Neighborhood News. That

could be circulated via email or printed off and left on doorsteps.  The mail

service does not look kindly on anything but U.S. postal business doing on

in the mailboxes.  Understood.  So, I think it would be wise to kick-off a

Newsletter very soon.  I guess January 2011 would be a good idea.

I've suggested to the fellow who is a salesman for Surrey, but he tells me

the neighborhood has to be officially run by an HOA.  Ok, that's best 

left to the "legal eagles" of neighborhood newsletters then.  I've seen it

build a sense of community back when Lake Conway Shores started out.

I like the picture I posted with this segment. It made me think of the days

when my parents decorated our home in Ohio.  It's like I don't ever recall

seeing them GO UP, just coming into the rooms and it looked delightful.

Always very welcoming and lit with colored lights and candles flickering

on the mantle and various tables.  We knew instinctively NOT to touch

a candle that was lit.  More so because you'd get hollered at. But I

recall (also) my brothers licking their finger and then running it 

through the flame, appearing very daring to a little girl.  I knew if I did

it I'd be sent to bed without supper or lose a finger.  

In Georgia we went to scout a Christmas tree one year.  Dad let Bill

head off into the woods and pick out a PINE tree.  Jean and I went right

along with him.  I can see where the people who drove back down our

dirt road (here) and "scouted out their seasonal fruit" did it, in a way,

because they had no sense of "it's NOT mine". Queer how people choose

not to think about that part, ie, trespassing or stealing fruit and/or pine tree.

More about that Christmas tree later this week.

I'm heading out to do an errand or two; both of which will be to bring

home a couple of Christmas gifts. I shopped online this morning. 

Have a good week ahead and do ENJOY the Holidays...