Light Lurking or Maureen's Rules of Christmas Lights

Photo Credit: Heidi A. at http://www.uglychristmaslights.com/

Another reminiscence from Maureen about Rome, NY. As soon as I had my own car, the McMahon and Samson sisters started a new Yuletide tradition: light lurking. We'd drive around Rome, looking at Christmas light displays. In those days, Rome's population was mostly of Irish, Italian, Polish or German descent, therefore overwhelmingly Christian and mostly Catholic. Hence, lots of lights. Being the opinionated discerning person that I am, I came up with my own rules governing the design of the displays. Everytime we'd see a house with lights that clearly violated my rules, Sue Samson would sigh, "Oh, dear." She knew I was about to spout off, and it was especially annoying if we knew the people in the offending house. So for your edification, here are my rules for Christmas displays, and I'm warning you, I'm strict:

1. Choose your color scheme and be consistent. If you're going to have white lights, then you should have all white, not white on the house and colored on the bushes. And yes, I can see your Christmas tree through the window, so don't think you can get away with white on the house and a fiber-optic tree.


2. Your lights should be of a consistent type. I remember when the mini lights were first coming in and people would mix them with the 1950's type big, fat lights. People, were you color blind? The colors were not complementary at all. For example, the old lights had red and blue; the new ones hot pink and teal. And the size difference was jarring. 2007 addendum: you cannot mix white mini lights with white LED lights. The white minis are a warm hue, the LED's a sci-fi blue.


3. Discovery made by a certain friend in Irondequoit, NY circa 1978: all red lights make your house look like a bordello. Don't do this. Even if your house is a bordello, do make an effort to be subtle about it.


4. Re-read the Gospels of Sts. Luke and Matthew before planning your life-size Nativity scene on the front lawn. With my 12 years of Catholic education, I can assure you, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph were not in attendance at the manger.


5. Another consistency issue: if your lights are going to blink, travel, or otherwise behave as though they are on the Vegas strip, please make sure you don't have some blinking at different rates, some traveling east-west, some traveling north-south. Trust me, you're better off just leaving them on steady. (I remember the one Christmas my dad decided to make the porch lights blink and Aunt Frances told him it looked like Joe's Bar and Grill. And the battle was on!)


6. If you're going to violate the rules, then don't just add one strand of LED's to your all white display. Go all the way! Need inspiration? Rent National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation or go to http://www.holidayinflatables.info/ . If in the Boston area, take a drive around Somerville, Medford, and Malden after dark. My sister Sheila and I used to do that for our Massachusetts light lurking and, to our delight, once found a house completely decorated with magenta lights. It was oddly dim and depressing.


7. Your display should be over no later than January 6th, Feast of the Epiphany (the 12th Day of Christmas). If you have excessive snow and ice buildup, I will allow you to leave the ladder in the garage and the lights on the house for the sake of safety, but they must be turned off. Don't try pretending they're still lit for Valentine's Day.


8. Any display is better than none, even if Rules 1-6 are violated. There's no excuse for ignoring Rule 7.

Two final notes: No, Leslie and I do not have lights up yet. That will happen on Sunday. And I welcome new rules from any commenters who would like to contribute.

Happy Larry Bird's birthday, Celtics fans!

Maureen

The Grand Ol' Right and Left

One of my favorite square dance moves is "the grand ol' right and left". Woman face in one direction while the men face in the other. The square has now become a circle. First you take the hand of the person facing you, then you extend the other hand and move foreward in the circle as you drop the hand of the first person. You have to let go of a hand to allow the dance to progress. I think that one dance move contains the point of life. The is no movement without the trust that another hand will be there. There is no growth without letting go.
Blog On!
Leslie

It Worked!

What worked? Well, in truth I don't know since I just took everything. In addition to what I mentioned in my previous entry, I also ate lots of whole cloves of pickled garlic in oil with hot peppers, purchased from the salad bar at Stop and Shop. I have had success with garlic and hot peppers in the past. Really! In fact I discovered the healing benefits of garlic by mistake. Years ago I had another horrible cold. After a day of feeling like I had snorted cement I was determined to eat something I could taste. The turn around effect was undeniable. So I started investigating garlic. Turns out it has legendary curative benefits. The end result of my blitzkrieg Friday was that I woke Saturday morning, cured.
Nuff' said.
Blog On,
Leslie

On Maturity and Having a Cold

Greetings from the Mucus Queen. I trust that my reign will be short.
One of the things I inherited from my Dad, who just passed away, was my view of the common cold. He did not sit back passively and let things run their course. I have expanded that attitude. How I deal with the common cold is nothing short of the buckshot approach. On the recommendation of my friend, Alexander (who swears his cold came from the woman who poured his coffee at the local caffeine emporium) I am taking Yin Chiao to bolster my immune system. I am only one day into it so it would be unfair to judge it's effectiveness. Janie passed on two types of Zicam which I started at the very beginning. I started with Airborne and have switched to Emergen C. Mid afternoon I begged my neighbor, Ginny for something mainstream. Enter, literally. Tylenol Extreme Cold.
And now the dilemma. I am invited to a party tonight at Susan's house. She is the kind of cook that you can count on to serve the sort of food that will be talked about for weeks. My taste buds, compromised thought they may be, voted, go. But this is day two and I am the human petri dish bearing fresh germs. I ask Maureen who can always be counted on for her true opinion.
So, I am staying home.
Blog On!
Leslie

Sleep

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast.

Macbeth, Act II, Scene II

Maureen here. My dog is now a very elderly lady; she has to get up at least once during the night to go out. I am a middle-aged woman; I usually have to get up at least once during the night to go to the bathroom. Our needs do not usually coincide. Thus, I have been stumbling around during the daytime with sleep deprivation.

Thanksgiving night was a particular horror show. Joon had an upset tummy and had to go out five times between 11 and 3:30, then was up again at 6:30. I stood in the yard with her then, looking at the full moon setting over the cove, shining golden in the reflected sunrise, with tears in my eyes from sheer tiredness.

But lo! Last night, we both slept straight through. I had actual REM sleep dreams. Today is chilly and gray with drizzle and fog. And I feel great.

A Happy Fiber Thanksgiving

Maureen here.

Time to give thanks. Because this is allegedly a fiber blog, I want to give thanks in that context.

Thanks to the angora goats for giving us mohair. Leslie and I have both been working with Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair lately and loving it. (And thanks to the Northeast Angora Goat Breeders Association for the photo at right.)

Thanks to Ocean State Job Lots for selling Moonlight Mohair that normally sells for $8 a skein for $2. That allowed me to make myself a beautiful shawl for $24. (Local readers - don't bother rushing off to the Danvers store after reading this. I bought their last 6 skeins on Monday. Mwa-hahahaha.)

Thanks to Leslie for introducing me to the Essex County Needlecraft Guild. This group of talented women never cease to amaze me with the beautiful objects they bring to the monthly show and tell. They are so modest their descriptions usually start with, "Oh, that's just a simple..." I can't wait until the December meeting; it's the Christmas potluck lunch. Trust me, you don't eat for DAYS afterward. You just sip green tea and smile.

Thanks to Elizabeth Reed for teaching me this year about wet felting in her washing machine. She has no idea what a monster she unleashed.

Thanks to all those Canadian sheep who gave their wool for Patons Classic Merino, my current favorite for felting. It comes in lovely colors, crochets easily with no splitting, and felts consistently.

Thanks to Helen at Helen Parker Textiles (67 Broadway, Rockport - stop in and say hi!) for allowing me to continue felting in her professional washie AND for selling my crocheted and felted bags there. While I'm at it, thanks to Helen and Frank for being good friends and for having me over to watch Game 7 of the ALCS and Game 4 of the World Series. Happy nights for Red Sox fans (And aren't we all grateful that Jon Lester recovered from cancer to pitch and win the clinching game of the 2007 WS?).

Thanks to Grace Murray for being a great role model. Grace is of a certain age (she and Dave celebrate their 60th wedding aniversary today) and knits like a dream. She is also still willing to learn new skills and was in the lace knitting workshop with me at the ECNG last week. Grace, I want to be you when I grow up.

PS. Remember Odessa from previous posts? Thanks to the Great Huntress for catching the mouse the other night.

Who Am I To Judge?

I have just returned from my post studio tour meeting of the Cape Ann Artisans. A large portion of the meeting was devoted to deciding whether or not to add new members. As always, that boils down to who would be a good addition. Here is where my mind splits. On one hand I am proud of being one of the twenty artisans who are known for high quality creative work. The flip side of that is who am I to judge? I have been on both sides of a judgement in the past and I don't relish either position. Especially where someone's right to express themselves is in question.
I remember years ago the furor that was unleashed by Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ" which depicted a small plastic crucifix in a glass of the artist's urine. This work is often referred to when freedom of speech is being discussed. It has been both praised and condemned by people whose opinions carry weight. I sure am glad he didn't apply to our group.
Blog On!
Leslie