Wednesday, January 2, 2008

How Long is Too Long?


How long should I keep the outside Xmas lights on? January 1st? Epiphany? Go wild and keep 'em on all year? I'm in the Epiphany camp myself. I just don't want to appear like one of those "christmas-all-year" nutjobs. Regardless of when we stop lighting them, Dale hurt his back which means the lights around the eaves won't come down until he can stand somewhat upright without too much pain. I do the ladder work, but I need a little help handing things down. I could probably get the lights off the bushes myself.
I'll take the tree down this weekend. The last day for tree pickup is next Thursday. When I was a kid and we had an artificial tree, I think I remember the tree still being up one time on Valentine's Day!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I just can't believe it ! You may have forgotten as you are so much older but, I put tree lights on the Pine Tree in front of the house one year. Realizing that this was alot of work AND Christmas would surly arrive again next year I didn't take them off. Well, several years later when I cut the tree down the lights came down too! Not before ! John

MaryRuth said...

Thanks for the reply Dad. I think the outside lights came AFTER I left though. All I remember is that we had no outside lights for two reasons: 1. "Hoodlums" would come and steal them and 2. "Takes too much electricity..do you think I work at the electric company?"
So..if you left the lights on the tree all year...how did you prune it? Our bushes grow pretty fast and have to be trimmed all the time.

Unknown said...

Now I know that you DID LISTEN, at least once in awhile, "Turn the light off in your room or go back upstairs and make it off!". (Good Mke. speak) 2nd-ly I didn't trim the tree! After a few years it looked quite nice. Not like a Pine should as Mom would force me to "at least shape it !!!!".