Unexpected gifts

This morning when I look out of my back window, I can see lights on the trees on "N" Street. A few of my neighbors load up their massive evergreens with nests of a thousand little lights, and the result leaves me breathless.

Thank you, "N" Street neighbors!

Soliciting more responses!

Ken and I have had so much FUN reading your comments that I want more more MORE. I'm all greedy like that.

So remember how I said Christmas is a time when we can let our aesthetic guard down and openly embrace questionable taste? Well, I want you to share a favorite Christmas Guilty Pleasure--decoration, food, activity, book, story, sappy poem, whatever. I'll start.

Many years ago my grandfather asked his friend to make me a 10-inch Christmas tree constructed entirely of blue and white crystals and giant gold safety pins. There's a strand of blue lights stuffed inside, so when you plug the tree in, it's just a fine haze of holiday azure.

Okay, this thing ranks as one of my fave decorations EVER. I love this tree so much I want to marry it. Until the Christmas season is over and then I just go, never mind. You're a tree made out of safety pins. Who wants to marry that?

Our weekend of magical thinking

So every December Ken and I put out the Snow Village on our dining room hutch. And I enjoyed it so much this year that we didn't take it down. Every night I've lit it up and thought how very pretty it is.

But on Saturday WHEN WE WOKE UP TO SNOW ON THE FIRST DAY OF MAY Ken went, "Maybe if we take down the Snow Village, it will stop." Yes. That's how we think about things at our house. We can control the weather and possibly the universe by taking down the rest of our Christmas decorations. So we took it down. And today it is not snowing.

You're welcome.