Pathetic

Last Sunday, in balmy 55+ degree weather, I hung Christmas lights on my deck around the railing. I love the lights and I was so excited to have the outdoor lights done. When it gets dark out and we turn them on, I just sit and stare.

Only last week, when I plugged them in... nothing. The outdoor outlet which has been working fine, is not working. We can't seem to reset it. So everynight when it gets dark, I look out at the deck and see the lights not lit. Except by the floodlight on the corner of the deck. Not exactly what I had in mind.

And then, last night, it snowed. Not much. Just a dusting. But I was out there, in the dark, having a snowball fight. We had a great time and laughed a lot. But I kept looking forlornly at my unilluminated lights and wishing I could solve the problem.

I love it when it snows and the lights get covered by it and they make the snow glow.

So I made a plan. The plan was that today, I would put out some of the other outdoor lights I wasn't planning on putting out. I put out some candy canes with lights inside. I put out the little "holographic" presents. I went and purchased a big old plastic Santa and put him on the front stoop. And I wrapped more my old fashioned colored Christmas lights around a barren little tree in the front yard that did not ask for this indignity.

But it got it anyway. Of course, today it was only about 37 degrees out. And windy. And the ground was wet and a little crunchy where the snow hadn't melted. But now that it's dark outside, I can look out and see my pathetic little tree standing alone as a beacon of light in the darkness.

And Bunnicula, the painted pumkin, is sitting on the front stoop with Santa, and smiling.