When I was a child, there were MANY households that put up decorations during late November or December. For unknown reasons, fewer and fewer people are doing this. In my neighborhood, I can count the houses on both hands. Maybe it is the cost of electricity, to run the lights? Or fewer people wanting to go to the trouble?
Part of it might be that I live in a relatively aging neighborhood. I am in my 60s and a widow, but I am one of the youngest of many widows that live nearby. I visited with the lady across the street earlier today, and she is 95, with a few indoor decorations. She only put them up because her children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, were coming to visit. The widows on both sides of me only have a few decorations outdoors because their grown-up grandchildren did it for them.
The past few years, the merchants in the small towns nearby have continued to arrange displays of decorations in their windows. Since my husband passed a few years ago, I cannot tolerate crowds. So, I usually wait until evening when the shops are closed to avoid the crowds, take my pictures, and enjoy the sights.
Last night, I went to my favorite local coffee shop — well, heck, it is the ONLY coffee shop in this small town — and got a Howlin' Hazelnut, which features my beloved hazelnut syrup in a chocolate-coffee blend. I sipped it as I headed out in search of the pretty things.
Even though I no longer follow a religion that celebrates anything specific this time of year (our big holidays have already passed), I still enjoy the festive trappings that appear in December. It does, indeed, add a bit of cheer to the cold, dark winter.
I went to a different small town nearby, ten miles away, this year to see what they had to offer. It's a slightly smaller town than one near where I live, so the pickings were slim, but a couple of shops had great displays!
And this little Santa, below, is just adorable!
And this one, with his dark little eyes is precious...
Some of the decorations look handmade, as folks used to do them long ago!
Thanks for window-shopping with me to see the pretties! I might post more in a day or so! 😊
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