December 5, 2009: Outdoor Decorations
In today’s Genea Bloggers Advent Calender of Christmas Memories our theme is Outdoor Decorations.
Did people in your neighborhood decorate with lights? Did some people really go “all out” when decorating? Any stories involving your ancestors and decorations?
Growing up in a big city, there were many neighborhoods to go and see the outdoor decorations. As for my family, we usually limited it to lights on the bushes and maybe the windows. Nothing to extraordinary or strenuous.
We preferred to get in the car, turn on some Christmas music and drive through the neighborhoods who really decorated their homes. My favorite neighborhood, is Lincolnwood, IL. They usually will get featured on the evening news. There are blocks upon blocks of lights, Santa’s (with and without a sleigh), nativaties and trees. One house in particular puts up 3 – 4 trees and makes it look like it is all one tree. The last tree is on the roof off the house and it looks like the tree grew through all the floors and out the roof! How I love driving through this neighborhood during the holidays!
Speaking of outdoor decorations, reminds me of the Christmas of 1994. My son was about 1.5 years. He was still a quiet little boy at this point. He talked, but never too many words at once. We were driving home from my parents, taking a short cut through the side streets. He was in the back seat of the car, in his baby seat, looking out the window. All of a sudden, he was so excited, he kept saying “Mama see! Mama see!” That was his first attempt at conversation. I will never forget how cute he was at that moment.