Sidewalks and Sights of the Holidays!

I enjoy walking busy city sidewalks during the Christmas holiday season.  Lots of lights and decorations to look at, there are many decorated store fronts, people seem happier, and I enjoy the quick pace of things. 

Unlike life in the country, where the pace pretty much keeps a slow beat and when it snows even a little bit the pace can become a crawl, the busy-ness of a city seems to add excitement to shopping and sight-seeing.  Add a little music from store fronts or at outside venues and you could almost say that all you need for the holidays is a trip to the city.  For me, it can be a complete holiday experience.

I will admit that there are decorations and sites to view out here in the sub-suburban areas that you'll see as you're driving around, but you'll want to do that at night when everything is lit up.

However, be sure not to stop in front of houses too long or try to peer in to see what's going on in the house.  I hear there are"peeping" laws, and people in the country get nervous when cars slow down and creep by their house.

Unlike a store front where the proprietor is hoping that their decorations will draw you in, folks in the country will take pictures of your license plate, call neighbors to see if they have seen your car and report, to anyone, this "strange" activity. For weeks, they'll peer frantically outside their windows to see if you return!  The talk at the local diner might very well be,"Yeah, a blue car went by my house, real slow, too.  I don't know anyone with a blue car, do you?"

Once, a friend of ours turned around in a nearby driveway to head back in the direction of their house.  As they headed home, they found that a strange car following them.  It was the homeowner of the driveway they turned around in wanting to know why they pulled into their place!  You'll want to move quickly by...and know that the blur of the lights as you're speeding by can be as dazzling as a long stare.

There are people who like to decorate the outside of their houses for the holiday.  When you live far away from neighbors who may be decorating, it's not easy for you to see their designs, without getting in the car, again, to check them out.  When you decorate your own house, three acres back from the road on your seventy acre spread in the hinterlands, about the only thing you can see is the reflection on the snow of all of those money burning lights.  You have to remember you're doing it for yourselves.

One year, realizing that I was going to all of the effort to decorate so that we could go out and stand in the freezing cold to look back at the house, I decided to decorate an outbuilding on the property of place we rented just across the drive, rather than our house, so that when we looked out of our windows we saw a completely decorated edifice!  No more dragging everyone out to take in the views! My wife thought it was genius (that occurs very, very infrequently) and the kids appreciated not having to stand in snowbanks, in their pajamas, because their mother said, "You have to come out here and see the beautiful decorations!"

Another thing you won't see, as we don't have sidewalks out in our realm, is the Salvation Army bell ringer!

Those people do a great job, collecting money to help other people in all sorts of situations, and have come to be a part of the holiday scene.

Growing up,  sometimes I would drop change in the kettle if I had any, but these days I'm compelled to.  You see, now it's a family thing.

Pictured at the top of this post is my wife's Great-Aunt, Anna McNulty.  Born in the latter 1800's, she was involved with the Salvation Army and was known in Binghamton, New York as a generous person, giving  time and money to people who needed it. We're researching the family tree to try to get more information about her, but the little that we have says alot about her...including comments from a prominent person in Binghamton who, at her funeral, told everyone that "she was a living saint."

Now, I know better than to make fun of saints.  Great-Aunt Anna has had a profound effect on us.  Each time we see the Salvation Army kettle anywhere, we think of her.  We can't pass it by without throwing in whatever we can and tossing a "this is for you, Aunt Anna" to the universe.  My wife will repeat, when she sees the kettle, "You know, Aunt Anna!"   And, at times, we've noted during shopping trips that we haven't seen the familiar sight with the assigned bell ringer.  We actually miss seeing them.
 
When I was thinking about monetizing my blog, remember I just took a class on blogging and that's part of the process, I was doing so with the intent of producing some income (many do).  However, with the holidays approaching, I thought I'd start practicing by trying to make some money for people who need it more.

So, on the top side here, my Salvation Army kettle.  This way I can be a "bell-ringer" out in the boondocks, without a sidewalk.  Don't feel compelled to donate...many are most likely doing your own thing.  However, if you do, rest assured that Great-Aunt Anna would think you're a living saint!

Along with reading all of this, I am asking is that you leave a comment about why sharing is good.  (Just hit the comment button).  In an upcoming holiday blog, I'll put together the top ten reasons why sharing is good, based on what feedback you provide!  That way we'll all be a part of talking about good things and sharing warm holiday feelings, and that's saintly, too!

Should you want to know more of what the Salvation Army is up to, here's their link:

http://salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf


My brush with sainthood?  I once thought that someone saw me as a saint.  Back in my hometown there was a family nearby whose mother was of Russian descent.  She had then what we know now to be Alzheimer's and she only spoke Russian.  In those days, I had a beard and each time I'd visit the house, and got to walk on a sidewalk to get there (why did I move out of town?), the woman would do a "sign of the cross" in front of her and say a few words in Russian.  I asked her daughter why she'd do that each time I showed up. She said, "She thinks you're a monk from the monastery...the beard, you know...and she's saying a prayer because you're here!"  And I thought she saw my halo...oh well...almost saintly in someone's eyes, at one time.

Now that you've read this, also let me know about your "of the season" sidewalk experiences this December.  Yes, hit the comment button!  And best wishes for all of the "bells" and whistles of the season for you and yours...Happy Holidays!!!

Blogged Down

I haven't blogged in many a week as I was taking a class on blogging.  There were several things with the site that weren't working for me, and then I wanted to do some design work and spiff it up before I sent it out again!  You'll have to let me know what you think of the changes.  The postings are still here, duh, it should look better.  Different.  Hopefully, it all works together in a much better fashion and such that you'll want to look at it several times each day!!!  How many times do you say, "Gee, what am I going to do on my coffee break?"  Ta-da!

You see, I headed off to blog land on my own.  I got pointed towards blogging by someone who told me that I should be writing, that blogs were a good way to go, sometimes free, and they steered me to this blog site.  That all started in July.  And it worked for me, until I thought it could be more.

In October, I decided that I didn't know enough about it, so I signed up for a class.  Wish I had taken it before I started blogging, but nonetheless it's proved invaluable.  One learns so much when we take a class.  It's almost like studying anatomy before you operate on someone!

The first thing I learned is that when the transformer blows in front of the school, the power is cut off and classes can't be held.  That put the schedule back a week and I went home disappointed, but still looking forward to class the following week.  What I learned the following week is that you can add an information link.  Here's one about "why transformers blow."

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081009130927AAAMWRt

On the way home, I swung into McDonalds for a milk shake...that's my reward for going to school.  I know, I didn't have a class, but I intended to take the class...they canceled it, not me.  I prefer vanilla.  Vanilla ice cream, vanilla milkshakes, vanilla cookies...all good.  Using my new skills, I add here a recipe on how to make a vanilla milkshake.  I know it says chocolate in the url, but trust me it's vanilla.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4607_make-milk-chocolate.html

Excelsior, I headed off the next week for class one and after an introduction about starting a blog we talked about the links (as above), and adding images, attaching video and the like.  If you're interested in learning what I learned, check out this one...

http://defogtheblog.blogspot.com/

I then heard from someone in the class that they are tearing down the McDonalds in Kingston and building a new one that won't be open until next Spring.  So, either I have to get that milkshake recipe going and stock up or I can't take another class until the new building is up!  I couldn't find the article on the web about the rebuild, but include here McDonalds url so you can check them out (see, I was paying attention in class) and see what they offer besides milkshakes.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.html

We learned how to add links to site about things that interest us, as in my admiration for the works of the Impressionist artist Claude Monet.

http://giverny.org/monet/welcome.htm ...and pictures, too!  Here's the man, himself:

Claude Monet (I added this caption after loading the picture!)

Then we added a round of items to add interest, such as Widgets and Gadgets...but no Gidgets...knowing you'd now be looking for that once I mentioned it, here's a Gidget video...

Then we got to the money shot...the part about making money!  I'm still working on that part, and you'll know when it takes hold, but I am enjoying the writing while I figure that out.  And, in the meantime, you might start saving!

Anyway, I think I'm done with this reconstruction part (you'll let me know of changes you'd like to see) and I'm off and writing again.  Look for additions as we go along.

By the way, it only took four weeks to come up with a new title.  After the instructor told me my title was, "Boring," "Doesn't have anything to do with what you're writing about," "It should say something about a main topic," I began driving my wife, sons, brother, sister-in-law, and several friends crazy, asking them every day, "What do you think of this for a blog title?"  I got Blog Block, as a result.  They got blogged-down...I finally came up with "Sidewalk Envy."

All I talk about is moving to be near a sidewalk so I can walk places, instead of driving an hour each time we want a quart of milk, and much that I do centers around me being somewhere else, with my art, travel, and family adventures.

Just before I picked this title, I do think that all of those people I was driving crazy talked to each other and said, "Whatever he comes up with next, just say great!  We'll be done with it!!!"

I do have a list of several hundred titles I'll share with you sometime soon.  Perhaps I'll start a list blog and attach an url for you to check them out!!!  Well, probably not.  But, if you're in the market for a blog title, check with me first.  I probably have it written down here at the house and everyone here will be happy not to hear it again!  Hmmm...one my family and friends might write, as they put up with me..."Stop the blog, I want to get off!"