Christmas Wishes

Last Christmas, we were just moving into our new house. Getting settled was a process and there was just no time to hang lights outside. It was disappointing because I love Christmas lights, and our house is one of those old victorian jobs that would look like a little gingerbread house with lights.

But this year...this was our year! After 15 hours, $250, 9 strands of lights, 8 lengths of garland, 6 Christmas Bows, 4 extension cords and a 2 hour search for a 3 prong adapter, the house was aglow!

It came out nothing like I had planned...I wanted an 8 foot blowup snowman, that my husband vetoed. I wanted lights up on the second and third floor roofs...but my husband is afraid of hieghts even if it's me on the ladder so that was a no-go. I wanted spotlights and a disco ball...I got neither. But my husband (aka the "good taste police" came up with a few beautiful ideas that fit into the style of our home and the neighborhood. We went traditional.

When we started out, I asked my husband what he thought we should do. He said he thought we should decorate however I wanted to. I had to prod him into making suggestions:

Me: What do you want to do?

Him: Whatever you think we should do is what I think we should do.

Me: I want your opinion. I want to do it together...

Him: Whatever you want is fine, Christmas decorating is your department

Me: Pretend I haven't made any suggestions, and you have to do it on your own. I'm not home and you can't reach me. What would you do?

Him: I would wait for you to get home.

Me: Pretend I don't exist, what would you do?

Him: I would be devastated and wouldn't decorate

Me: Pretend I am Helen Keller and I can't speak or communicate to you what I want...then how would you decorate.

Him: (Closes his eyes for a few minutes and sits in deep thought)....

Me: Are you thinking of what you would do with the lights?

Him: No, I'm thinking how nice it would be if you were Helen Keller right now.

No matter. Once we got rolling, he completely participated and the lights look good as a result of the combined effort of Me and the Scrooge McScrooge I married...