Christmas in July

OK I admit it. I love to decorate for Christmas. Right now there is a two foot clay dwarf in my basement, waiting to be popped out of the mold and painted and glazed. Yesterday I wandered into the consignment shop on Main Street and asked if they had Christmas decoratons. She said they were all in the basement. I told her I come to Valentine once a week - so no rush! - but I needed outdoor lights and decorations. So next week she'll have them out for me.

I have moved from a 1000 sq foot home to a 1750 sq foot home (that admittedly includes a huge basement). I blew most of the outdoor sockets on the old house with outdoor lights over the years. Here there are 10 - count em, TEN - outdoor double plugs. Outlets everywhere you turn. Outlets put up because the face of this house is huge - and this is one of the biggest houses in town, a town designated by the governor of Nebraska as The Christmas Village. Unlike most older homes, this house has outlets everywhere - many underneath or next to windows. It has wide windowsills on the inside. Guess why.

So yes I am already plotting where my decorations will go. The four Christmas trees (two ceramic, one fiber optic) the wreaths, the garlands, the village with the train and pond and skaters. The snow family under the blowng snowstorm - a huge tabletop display. The giant cutout ceramic Christmas ornament, with the little girl inside, under the Christmas tree with her teddy, and a grandfather clock in the corner. The arbor at the end of the sidewalk needs lights. The walkway needs lights. The verandah needs lights. The roof peaks need lights. Since all of ths is likely to be covered in snow, I have to think about what goes where and how it will look...

After all, when one is a newcomer in a designated Christmas Village, one has to participate, right?
Well it is 630 AM and my neighbor down the street who drives his sand truck home every night is just leaving for work. Time for me to get up and get to work, too... but in the back of my mind, it's Christmas...