M Bowlan 2003 click to enlarge
I love the large colored Christmas lights

Much to the pleasure and excitement of our kids, we went and picked out our Christmas tree this weekend. I had to go to Home Hardware for some odds an ends, so we picked up a tree there at the same time. It was a bitter cold day, so the kids, Rhonda and I didn't spend to much time looking around before I picked up a nice size tree and said, "I like this one!" (really thinking, lets take this one home and get the h^&8 out'a here before we all freeze to death!). We happily paid our money and stuffed it into the back of the Civic for the short rip home. Connor was a little upset that he didn't get to also take home the cute 4' tree that he had found. I think he felt bad for it because it was the "littlest tree".

Now I am generally in a pretty good mood and full of Christmas cheer and all, at this time of year. I quite enjoy getting our tree with the kids, but what it all eventually means is that I have to cut the stump, find the stand, put it up straight and get the lights (approx 1,000 bulbs) put on it before anyone else can put decorations on it. 'Daddy, don't you have the lights on yet!' and 'but I can't wait!' are pretty common expressions. This causes some stress and a little "Bah Humbugness" in me for a bit, but once I get at it and begin to see the potential the new tree has and what it represents, I start to feel pretty good about it all. When my part is done, I then stand back and let Mommy and the boys go at the tree with the decorations, they have a great time (as if it was their first time again). Rhonda is a tree decorator extrodinaire and always makes the tree so perfect!

Later in the evening my brother and I headed to Shelley and Jody's (my sister-in-law and husband in Summervale, PEI) to install a couple of extra household light fixtures in one of the barn areas for added light (the one 60W bulb wasn't cutting it). All went well and after petting the horses we were in and out in an hour or so... Thank goodness as the old saying "feels like a barn in here!" was in full effect... Man, it was cold!

Earlier in the day, my brother, Jeff had called Dad to tell him to get his Christmas lights 'out and sorted' as he would be over later to help him out with putting them up. So on the way home from Shelley's (now about 9:45pm) we stopped in at Mom and Dad's in Bethel and helped put their lights up. Jeff was ladder-man this particular day (he usually holds the ladder for me!) and we had the lights installed in pretty quick order. The neat thing about one particular set of lights (the set in the picture with the red and black wiring) is that fact that Dad has had this set for about 25 years, and he got them from my Great Grand-parents who used them before that... Boy they sure don't make things like they used to! This is the same set of lights (maybe even a few of the bulbs?!) that my brother, sister and I used to look out the frosted window of our bedrooms each night; mesmerized by the glowing colors and dreaming about what Santa might bring us! If we were good!

I think I have had enough lights for one day!