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Every year, Bobby and I have a bet about when we will see the first outdoor Christmas decorations in our area. The winner gets bragging rights. Our area has an exceptional amount of jollitude: that seasonal spirit that inspires people to leave up Christmas decorations November through February.
I won the bet last year; this year, I picked the 11th and Bobby chose the 14th. Come the 12th, I was pretty nervous, as we hadn't seen any Christmas lights ... well, let me qualify. Shortly after Halloween, I noticed what appeared to be a garland with white lights around the door of a house down on Old Fort Schoolhouse. However, there was an iota of a possibility, I suppose, that they were Halloween lights.
Driving to SCA on Friday, we saw a roof with JESUS spelled out on it in white lights, but that turned out to be a church, and we decided last year that only private residences count. (Westminster turned on the jollitude weeks ago, before Halloween even, by putting ribbons and garlands on the lampposts.)
Then I saw a Christmas tree with white LED lights in a window in Hampstead and was sure I'd won! But Bobby said the lights had to be outside. >:^(
Then I saw a lamppost up on a hill wrapped in rainbow lights, but Bobby didn't see it (he was driving), so I didn't think it fair to count it.
By this point, Bobby was pretty cocky, because we were leaving Carroll County, and starting the next day, any lights we saw meant he'd won. It was unlikely we were going to see Christmas lights down in Woodlawn. And we were going to Hanover for dinner at El Rodeo, and Hanover is the town for jollitude.
Then we were turning into the church where our baronial meetings are held, and I happened to glance over at the apartments across the street and--jollitude! One of the balconies had white lights wrapped around the railing! They were clearly Christmas lights. They were outside. And Bobby saw them too. Score! The win goes to Dawn for the second year in a row!
The next evening, we went to the heart of jollitude in Hanover. Actually, Hanover is currently representing three holidays. People still have up Halloween decorations, including orange lights. We saw a garland of lights twined with autumn leaves and a large, inflated, illuminated turkey in someone's front yard, presumably for Thanksgiving. And several people had their Christmas lights on already. I ♥ Hanover!
I won the bet last year; this year, I picked the 11th and Bobby chose the 14th. Come the 12th, I was pretty nervous, as we hadn't seen any Christmas lights ... well, let me qualify. Shortly after Halloween, I noticed what appeared to be a garland with white lights around the door of a house down on Old Fort Schoolhouse. However, there was an iota of a possibility, I suppose, that they were Halloween lights.
Driving to SCA on Friday, we saw a roof with JESUS spelled out on it in white lights, but that turned out to be a church, and we decided last year that only private residences count. (Westminster turned on the jollitude weeks ago, before Halloween even, by putting ribbons and garlands on the lampposts.)
Then I saw a Christmas tree with white LED lights in a window in Hampstead and was sure I'd won! But Bobby said the lights had to be outside. >:^(
Then I saw a lamppost up on a hill wrapped in rainbow lights, but Bobby didn't see it (he was driving), so I didn't think it fair to count it.
By this point, Bobby was pretty cocky, because we were leaving Carroll County, and starting the next day, any lights we saw meant he'd won. It was unlikely we were going to see Christmas lights down in Woodlawn. And we were going to Hanover for dinner at El Rodeo, and Hanover is the town for jollitude.
Then we were turning into the church where our baronial meetings are held, and I happened to glance over at the apartments across the street and--jollitude! One of the balconies had white lights wrapped around the railing! They were clearly Christmas lights. They were outside. And Bobby saw them too. Score! The win goes to Dawn for the second year in a row!
The next evening, we went to the heart of jollitude in Hanover. Actually, Hanover is currently representing three holidays. People still have up Halloween decorations, including orange lights. We saw a garland of lights twined with autumn leaves and a large, inflated, illuminated turkey in someone's front yard, presumably for Thanksgiving. And several people had their Christmas lights on already. I ♥ Hanover!
