published: Sunday, December 09, 2012

'Tis the season

I have a friend named Amy who has an incredible gift of decorating. She can make any place look fantastic. Give this woman a room to spruce up and she will have it looking fit for a photo spread in no time.

I was at her house last night and she is totally set up for Christmas. Tree up and decorated, garlands and lights out, wreath on the door that plays Christmas carols ... the whole nine yards.

That's her. And there are of course the people who turn the outside of their house into a holiday wonderland. These are fun to drive by and look at while you ask the burning question: What must their electric bill be like?

Seriously, some of these are quite extensive and I admit they are fun to look at. I think it takes a certain type of person to put something like that up, knowing perfect strangers are going to be staring at their house for the next month.

That's them. And then there's me, whose sole nod to the season thus far has been to place a small ornament I got from Amy on a shelf in the living room.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not anti-decorating. Don and I will get around to doing something, though it will likely be confined to one room in the house. We will pull out the artificial tree we bought last year and maybe even hang ornaments on it this time. We will lay out the Christmas stockings since we don't have a mantel to hang them on. Maybe put out a few other things. It will look ... OK.

I just don't have the touch that people like Amy have. Give me a place to decorate and you will find me hours later staring at the walls wondering what to do.

And neither Don nor I are motivated to string hundreds of lights outside for people to gaze at. I don't know how other people find time to set up these elaborate outdoor displays. Don't they have other things that have to be done?

My friend Tina tells me she's ahead of me in the decorating game thanks to her son Matthew, who got out their Nativity set and put a wreath on their door. However, she points out that the Nativity set remains in its box and her tree, while up, is undecorated, so I have time to catch up.

Speaking of outdoor displays, I ran into a story on Facebook that was posted by local talk radio station WWTK (AM 730). According to the post, someone thought it would be a wonderful idea to vandalize a Nativity scene that is set up in a field in Frostproof.

The vandals apparently took a donkey and "a representation of the baby Jesus" sometime last weekend. City officials say there's an investigation going on but really, they just want the items put back.

If they haven't been returned by the time this column is out, let me appeal to the thieves. It's not cool to steal the baby Jesus. Just put the items back where you found them. Don't put a black mark on someone's holiday for a cheap thrill.

Whatever you happen to be celebrating this month, my hope is that you enjoy the time. That means doing as much or as little as you want when it comes to decorating, whether you go all out or not.

Oh, and my friend Tina tells me her husband says they're going to get their lights and decorations up on their tree this weekend. Looks like I have some work ahead of me if I'm going to catch up. 'Tis the season, after all.

Laura Ware is a Sebring resident. She can be contacted by e-mail at bookwormlady@
embarqmail.com Visit her website at www.laurahware.com. Guest columns are the opinion of the writer, not necessarily those of the staff of the News-Sun.