Christmas lights and counting blessings
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! A favorite quote that’s particularly appropriate in this season of thankfulness:
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
— John F. Kennedy
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For decades our house was one of the most brightly lit and decorated in the neighborhood, rivaling the fictional Griswolds. My husband was a good sport to make it a wonderland for me and our daughters. Our rule was, even if the lights were put up on the house before Thanksgiving, it was only after dinner on that day would we ceremoniously flip the switch and light it up. The lights would shine through New Year’s Day and then the plug was pulled.
Although we’ve been empty-nesters for years, I do miss having festive outdoor lights beyond what we now do — which is to light up the front porch. The exception is that if one or more of our daughters comes home for Christmas the lighting game is upped for nostalgia’s sake.
We’ve enjoyed a relatively mild last week before Thanksgiving, so I asked friends who do outdoor lighting how early they turn it on, and it seems we’re pretty much the norm.
Brad and Tanya Peugh are in a new house this year, and according to Tanya, they took advantage of the good weather to put up their outdoor display. They’ll wait to officially turn it on until after Thanksgiving. Kathy Kunz also took advantage of the weather to get most of her outdoor lighting and decor in place, again not lighting up until Thanksgiving.
Meilee Anderson responded, “My husband insists we wait until after Thanksgiving weekend is quite over. He much prefers the lights and decorations hibernate until Dec. 1. The poor man bristles at the mere suggestion of displays being hung on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Somehow he manages to bristle and remain handsome enough that I always give in and wait until Dec. 1.”
Suzanna and Bob Spencer live in Spirit Lake off the beaten path. “We have them (the lights) up all year and change the color based on the holiday. They are the new-fangled sort that can be changed with the push of a button,” Suzanna said.
Pat Thyssen tells me that a longtime tradition in the Highlands neighborhood in Post Falls is for many of the homes to have trees created from strings of red lights which everyone lights up after Thanksgiving. Tip: Chisholm Court features great participation.
Doug Eastwood follows the same Thanksgiving to New Year’s schedule, but has expanded his lighting display to include the backyard for their own visual enjoyment.
An exception to the Thanksgiving rule is Brenda Elliff, who says she doesn’t light up until Dec. 20 and she takes everything down on New Year’s Day.
So no matter when you flip the switch on your Christmas lights, thank you. I always love driving through the town and seeing the joyfulness of the season in each and every twinkling light.
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The difference a year makes ... Last November in this column, I wrote about seeing the faux coyotes on the docks at the Cedars Floating Restaurant, which had been placed to deter the ducks, geese and seagulls from making a mess on the docks. The plan appeared to be succeeding a year ago.
I had to chuckle when this past Friday I was again attending the Soroptomists’ Women of Distinction luncheon at the Cedars. The faux coyotes were standing sentry on the docks in the November sunshine ... surrounded by dozens of Canada geese lounging (and pooping) on the docks, some even cozying up to the coyotes. Looks like the wiley coyotes may need to be replaced with more menacing faux predators.
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Big doings in Coeur d’Alene this weekend with the Christmas Lighting Parade, holiday lighting and fireworks over the lake on Friday night and the kick off of Kootenai Health’s Festival of Trees events. And you’ll want to be sure to see the Travolta sisters, Ellen and Margaret, along with Molly Allen, in “Christmas Unwrapped,” opening on Friday at The Coeur d’Alene Resort through Dec. 16. “It’s a Wonderful Life Live Radio Play” opens next Tuesday and runs Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Dec. 19 at the Best Western Plus Coeur d’Alene Inn. The “Traditions of Christmas” show at the Kroc Center opens Dec. 7. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our little corner of the world!
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Why shop local? Local businesses pay local taxes, provide paychecks, donate and contribute to organizations and events throughout the year. If not for local businesses, who would be donating to the auctions, raffles, scholarships, grad night parties, senior centers, charitable causes, youth sports sponsorships, etc. This Christmas season let your gift giving pay it forward in our communities ... SHOP LOCAL!
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Happy birthday today to Maureen Dolan, Bob Driscoll, Noel Adam, Kaci Medlock, Bill Storlie Sr., Susan Martin, Barbara Bryan, Gary Schwalbach and Vonnie Satchwell. Tomorrow TJ Barnhart, Dustin Ainsworth, Sam Inman, Kim Anderson, Rodney Duncan, Noel Adam, Tyeson Bennett, Brenda Hanson and Leland Johnson share a Thanksgiving Day birthday. On Friday David Eachon, his daughter Dana Ortega, Chris Beck, Dennis Hall, Dee Dee Morris, Julia Hopkins, Ronda Mitchell, Stephanie Morrison, Tim Williams and Carol Daniels. On Friday Mike Jarrett, Jeff Morrison, Lisa Black, Jesse Gunderson, Debbie Magnuson, Mike Lindquist and Eric Knudtsen can stick a candle in their leftover pumpkin pie and then hit the Black Friday sales. On Nov. 25 Aniyah Colbert (1!), John Cocoran, Sue Thilo, Sue Servick, Kelly Westover, Buck Wilhelm, Mike Reagan and Babette Banducci blow out the candles. Tom Torgerson, Marilyn Fisher, Elijah Ott, Danell Phelps and Sandy Osburn celebrate on Monday. On Tuesday Rocky Shaver (1!), Sue Hutter and Bob Eachon take another trip around the sun.
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.