Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Christmas Lights

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the light displays.  I could go for a ride every single night in a different neighborhood to ooo and ahhh.  The photos I took don't do them justice, but here are a few from around town.  



The first is the Kaminski house on the water, right on the main street, one of the 60 antebellum homes left in our small town.


The walkway from the street, an old brick sidewalk, is lined with colored lights while all the rest of the display contains only small white lights.  


The narrow ends of the house face the street and the harbor with the main entrance and a park-like lawn on the side.




The traditional mansion is one room deep along its length, with a central hallway at the entrance.  It was built in the mid-1700s for John Trapier, who began his career as a merchant in Georgetown, supplied the army during the Revolutionary War, and became one of the wealthiest men in the colony. He moved to Charleston and gave the house to his aging and unmarried daughter to enhance her marriage possiblilites.  It apparently worked as she landed a good husband shortly thereafter!  

It isn't only the mansions of our town that are lit up for Christmas.  Here's a little favorite right in our neighborhood.

I don't believe I've ever seen the inflatable Peanuts gang portraying the nativity before!

The next is a house we always make sure to visit and I showed you their offering last year of hundreds of inflated snowmen crowded onto every single balcony and porch.  This year they went for a simpler but no less fun statement:

one giant tipsy snowman (I believe he's been sampling the peppermint schnapps 😁) swaying on the lawn, being watched over by two very interested reindeer from the porches!  


The Writer has done his shopping (he settled for a tropical Santa Christmas tie, thank goodness!), the cards are written, packages wrapped and mailed.  In a couple days we leave for Christmas #3 with my daughter from Germany (she's coming to the US, we're not going to Germany -- this year) and Christmas #4 with my mom.  

Oh, and Hey Santa, I've been real good, are you listening?

13 comments:

  1. Love your Christmas list. Lights are always so much fun to see. THere's a light show here in Symphony Woods each year to benefit the hospital. We took family there last year to ooh and aah. Might have to do it again.

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  2. Impressive pre-Civil war home.

    By God, Don't allow Paul to buy, little own wear one of those coats.
    He'll scare the living shit out of the neighbours and the wildlife.

    All being organised here for family gatherings.......fingers crossed for PEACE to prevail?????

    My residential village party is today.......I will IMBIBE carefully????????????
    Merry Christmas to you, "That possible Coat Wearer!!!" (with reservations if worn) and the family.
    I hope Sarah is enjoying her work in Deutschland???
    Colin

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  3. Always a delight to see Christmas decorations on the outside of people's houses - we have some people doing that here and many drive all over the place to view these in the late evening when it begins to darken..
    Merry Christmas - enjoy your time with family..

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  4. Love the Christmas list - I'll certainly raise a glass of port to that. These over-the-top light displays seem to be less frequent over the last couple of years in this locality - some are worried about global warming while many more are worried about the size of their electricity bills. my next door neighbour's Santa is looking rather deflated this morning!

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  5. I agree with you about the lights outside, I love it. We didn't know that tradition with outside light decorations here. I remember when my daughter was in Canada in the ninetees she wrote to me, "Mom it is crazy here, flying lighted rendeers above the houses! But as usual, everything from the US come to Europe in the end, and now they are flying around here too! Have a nice time with the family, Love Marianne

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  6. Your adult Christmas list reminded me of another saying:

    Me: Santa, I want a unicorn for Christmas.
    Santa: Sorry, there are no such things as unicorns.
    Me: Ok, then. I want peace on earth.
    Santa: What color do you want your unicorn to be?

    A little joke with a serious message.

    Happy Holidays to you and your family.

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  7. Have fun! Those suits are funny...a tie would be a great choice! We have to go for a drive at night soon:)

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  8. I love Christmas lights. That suit would have brightened up any Christmas gathering. Enjoy your next two Christmas family events.

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  9. Dear Cynthia, what a lovely wish list for Christmas, filled with the essence of what the season means and what the story of the Christ Child truly tells us. thank you for sharing it and also for the lights, the symbolism of which always fills me with awe. Peace.

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  10. It is very thoughtful Christmas list. Love it. I also love to see Christmas light. Usually we go out 2-3 nights to see the lights.

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  11. Love the early shots - even love the jackets (for their shock/comedy value). But, only the other day I was joking about the idea of an inflatable Nativity; I had no idea anyone would actually do it!

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  12. That grown up Christmas list should be obligatory reading in school and worked into the charter of the United Nations.

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  13. I love looking at Christmas lights. That second picture of the Mansion is the most beautiful I've seen, anywhere. We all need to make that out Christmas wish list.

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