How many of you go and drive around looking at Christmas lights? My parents are here visiting and they’re going to spend the winter with me, which I am absolutely thrilled about. We went around tonight and looked at all the lights in my neighborhood. My neighborhood association, The Block House Creek Neighborhood Association, awards Grand Prize, First Place and Runners Up winners to folks who have amazing light shows for the holidays.
Here is this year’s Grand Prize winner:
They had their lights synchronized to music, which always blows me away. You pull up in front of the house and tune your radio to a certain station and their lights are synced with the music on that station. It’s truly amazing and I could sit and watch it all night long! We also found another home who had the synchronized lights, which was equally amazing and they were a Runner Up winner.
I’m so excited that I was able to share this with my folks. My dad has said numerous times over the last week how grateful he is that I put up a Christmas tree for them because he thinks it will be his last. Tonight he commented that he probably wouldn’t see lights like this again. It breaks my heart to hear him say that but I’m so happy to have been able to share this with them.
Do you guys enjoy the Christmas lights? Do you decorate outside, inside or both? Do you drive around to look at Christmas lights?
Angels Bark 
Beautiful decorations Michele. You are very lucky to have both of your parents this winter.
I like the decorations, but don’t have anything here. My adult kids live in other countries and I will not see them here, so no reason for decorations for me.
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I hear ya, Irene. I wouldn’t have put up a tree had it not been for my parents being here. It is a hassle. It’s not so much the decorating but the taking everything down that is unpleasant for me.
I do feel truly blessed to have my parents here. I wish your kids were able to spend Christmas with you! I do hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Hard to believe it’s less than a week away! Merry Christmas!
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Thank you Michele and Merry Christmas to you too.
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We don’t decorate either inside or out. The cats would destroy everything inside, and I’m crippled and can’t climb a ladder, and Mary doesn’t want to. The guy across the street does enough decorating for the neighborhood, so we just enjoy his. We call it his Bacchanalia, a la “A Christmas Story”…
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Yes, it’s nice when others decorate so all can enjoy. Back when my ex lived here, we used to really decorate a lot outside but of course he did all the work. I kinda miss having it decorated outside but I wouldn’t want to do it again. Lazy! 🙂
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Hi, dear Michele!
I hope and pray that your dad is wrong and that he will be around to celebrate Christmas with you for many years to come.
When I was little my dad endured Pennsylvania’s winter cold to tack strings of lights along the roof line of our house and around the large picture window of our living room. It took hours and he never wore gloves. That always amazed me. I remember how much fun it was when my parents took me for a drive around our community to gaze at the holiday lights and decorations. There was one house a couple of miles from us, a doctor’s home, that always had a dazzling, elaborate display like the Grand Prize winner you showed us. As Irene (above) noted, you are lucky to have both of your parents to enjoy the holidays with you. I lost my mother more than 20 years ago and my father died on Christmas Day three months after the 9-11 terror attacks. Thank you for this uplifting post, dear friend Michele, and have a wonderful weekend!
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I’m so sorry to hear your Dad passed on Christmas Day. It must be a sad reminder every year. My heart goes out to you. Hey, what part of Pennsylvania are you from? My parents are both from PA and I spent many a summers with my aunt and grandparents. The highlight of every summer was the Clearfield County Fair. Oh how we kids loved that fair! I know how cold those Pennsylvania winters are. I can’t believe your dad did the decorating with no gloves on!
You have yourself a great weekend too Shady. Thanks for stopping by!
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Thomas, you don’t live far from me. i live North of HBG PA.
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They are Beautiful Michele.. Living where we do in the woods, we don’t decorate outside, but I do inside. We have the tree every year, and I decorate both oak stairways going upstairs.. I used to put all my little houses and people under the tree on a big 4X10 sheet of plywood with the train going around outside the village and the christmas tree set in the middle. It looks so pretty with all the lights on in the houses and the tree lights on. I haven’t did that in a few years, I was going to attempt it this year again, but my body won’t let me do it by myself and John isn’t in to doimg decorations. He brings in the platform, and will help set the tree up, but the rest I do.. He likes them but he doesn’t have the patience for it.. Maybe next year if Brenda has the time to help me.
Yes, We always went around looking at the beautiful lights. We live 10 Mile from any town here so we catch alot of people just driving around. Most people around here are farmers, so they don’t do much decorations. Do you watch the tree lightings on the Discovery Channel. They pick someone from different States. The winner gets $50,000. They are really beautiful.. Tell your Mom and Dad I said Hello. And a very Merry Christmas to you all and doggies too and a Happy Blessed Healthy New Year.. This surely is a merry Christmas for you having your Mom & Dad there with you this year..Love & Hugs Mattie
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Hey Mattie! Good to hear from you! Your Christmas village sounds absolutely beautiful! It is so much work though so I totally understand not doing it, especially now with all your pain.
I never say the lights on the Discovery Channel. I’ll have to check that out. Some people really go all out. And some spend a pretty penny on all those decorations.
All the Christmas dogs are starting to arrive. Getting 6 today! It’s going to be crazy here. Star sure doesn’t like other dogs! We had to get a basket muzzle for her because she wants to tear into everybody. She is definitely not a dog’s dog!
Merry Christmas to you and John. Hope you guys have a fabulous holiday. Hopefully we’ll connect and talk on the phone. Lots of love to you! ❤
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Poor Star, she is such a good little doggie too!! our dogs would probably be just like her beings they are the only ones.. i don’t know for sure. They are so good with Brenda’s doggie though.. That would be so nice to talk to you guys. Hopefully soon.. Have a merrry Christmas and tell your Dad & Mom hello too. Love you all. love Mattie
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Hi, Michele!
I needed to reply to your question here because I got a WordPress error message when I tried to use the reply box.
You asked “Hey, what part of Pennsylvania are you from?”
I lived three minutes away from the Shady Dell in York which is south central Pennsylvania. I rode around Clearfield County many times during the four years that I attended Penn State University in nearby Centre County.
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Oh yes, Penn State was very close. How cool! That’s right, I forgot about the Shady Dell was in York, PA. Thanks for filling me in! 🙂
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We don’t decorate outside because we are useless at it but I love to decorate inside. I’m writing this in a very christmassy sitting room and loving it.
I hope you’re Dad is okay and proves himself wrong. None of us know what lies ahead next year. One day at a time.
Happy Christmas.
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One day at a time is the best way to live! Glad you are loving your “Christmassy” setting! It’s fun, isn’t it? I love my tree. Although one of the dogs peed on my tree when he came in this morning! That’s the way it goes when you have a dogsitting business…
Merry Christmas to you Tric. Have a fabulous season with all your loved ones…
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I decorate the inside of the house. My tree stands in front of the large bay window that faces the street so it can be seen by everyone that drives by. Richard loved to decorate outside and always put lights around the roof line. When we started having grandkids he also put up those big obnoxious Christmas blow ups. The kids loved them. I don’t decorate outside anymore. I agree with you that putting it all away is such a pain. I took the granddaughters out last night and we drove around seeing all the lights. We have a couple of those with synchronized music in our town. Merry Christmas to you and to your mom and dad!! I wish you as many more as our Good Lord will give to you. And then many years of all the wonderful memories!!
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Oh thank you Paula! What a sweet comment!
Glad you got to experience the synchronized lights: that’s really something to see. I hear it’s quite expensive to have that done. Maybe one of these days I’ll have the $$ to pay someone to decorate the outside for me. If I’m going to do it again, I’m going to go all out….which means it probably won’t happen anytime soon! 🙂
Merry Christmas to you Sweet Paula!
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I am busy with Christmas so my blogging has fallen off-please forgive me for not responding until now. I hope your Dad is wrong because it puts those words in your head which you will never forget. My dad said that to me back in December 1987 but, I knew he was right since he had brain cancer. I was so happy to have given him the Bing Crosby Christmas Album (his face with a Santa hat). My dad loved Christmas and he played that album (an the others) until February. It is a tough thing to remember his words. You will remember these words no matter what but you will also remember how happy they were to see your tree and what joy all of you got from looking at the lights. The joy always wins out! We decorate inside and out. My hubby takes care of the outside lights. I have 3 garlands-1 with a musical theme, one that looks typical German and another just Christmassy. I decorate my kitchen light. I have knick knacks placed around the home. I have a Santa area. 2 nativity scenes, my Christmas village and the tree with all the tinsel. I still have to wrap things and didn’t bake this year!
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Hey Birgit. I hope my Dad is wrong too. I’m so glad that you have the memories of your last Christmas with your Dad. You made it special for him and that was very important to him. I’m glad he expressed his enjoyment of the music and the time you spent together. You’re right: the joy always wins out!
Your Christmas decorating sounds lovely. I love to see Nativity scenes and Christmas villages! Merry Christmas to you. I hope it’s magical for you!
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It must take hours to put up all those lights. On Christmas Eve a few years ago, my son and I went out to dinner and then drove by the beautiful houses on the river bank. Their decorations were gorgeous. After that we went to church together for the late service. It was a nice Christmas Eve. Some of the people in my neighborhood have a lot of outdoor lights. They’re so pretty and festive. I usually decorate inside, but I couldn’t this year. I know that your dad’s comments are sad, but my father-in-law thought it was his last Christmas when he had heart problems. He had surgery and lived many more years. With each year, I think he became more mellow and relaxed. He was extremely kind to me when his son and I divorced. Your dad might live to be 100 and feel great. We never know.
Love,
Janie
Love,
Janie
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Sorry I wrote Love, Janie twice. I guess it’s extra love for you, such a sweet young woman.
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You’re so sweet!
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I hope you’re right Janie! It’s so heartbreaking to hear him talk like that but I guess it’s important for him to say. I’m just grateful to be sharing all this quality time together. Sounds like you and your son had a fabulous Christmas Eve. I hope you all have another special one together…
Lots of love to you!
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