You might recall that I’ve got a bit of an obsession with holiday decorating. I never could hold a candle to Christmas Light Kelly, but Halloween, at least, always belonged to me.
Tara did not share my enthusiasm for holiday excess when we first began dating. Some years, she and her ex didn’t even bother putting up a tree. When I learned this, I was aghast.
“What do you mean you don’t put up a tree for St. Patrick’s Day?!” I asked. “You can’t just throw a plate of corned beef and cabbage on the table and call it good!”
Turns out she was talking about Christmas, which is even more of a shock.
Gradually though, she came around. I guess sharing a home with a spouse who’s so gung-ho for the ho-ho-ho will rub off on a person. By our last Halloween in Rapid City, she was all in. Especially when everyone in the neighborhood complimented us on our ghoulishly grand decor.
Last year, confined to a subterranean apartment, we had to settle for a few thrift store knick-knacks, a far cry from our usual over-the-top displays. Ever the optimist, I made a prediction.
Next year, though. We’re going to OWN IT, I wrote. Mark my words.
Sure enough, as soon as we returned home from the Deerfield Apple Festival on Sunday, we set about owning it.
The best part of our awesomely decorated yard? This was pretty much all Tara. I hung a few of the figures in the trees, but otherwise, she did the rest: the spiderweb and straw bale, the flamingos, the tombstones, the rat on the mailbox. She’s even découpaging a pumpkin with colorful leaves from some of the trees on our property, for crying out loud.
Not bad for a gal who once never even bothered with a St. Patrick’s Day tree, amirite?! #proudhubbymoment
You know what’s funny? We have no idea whether we’ll even get any trick-or-treaters out here in the sticks. And there’s certainly no fun-loving over-the-top neighbor to compete against (we miss ya, CLK). Good thing we did this for ourselves.
I think my weather app might be broken.
Slight chance of no precipitation? Huh? That would mean it’s probably going to precipitate, but a 25% chance is hardly a ringing endorsement for rain. I’m thinking a “slight chance of no precipitation” would mean about a 95% chance of actual precipitation. And what’s with the question mark? Are you admitting it’s all one big crapshoot anyway??
(This is the work of AI, right? It’s gotta be.)
In any case, “slight chance of no precipitation” certainly applied today, as it rained all morning, nonstop for five glorious hours. Fall was in the air, and with the decorations, I really felt it.
Holiday decorations: yay or nay? If yay, do you/will you when your kids have flown the coop? Does it feel like fall in your neck of the woods yet? Ever découpage anything?
Mark My Words 
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