AKA......Grandma G's latest obsessive, compulsive project.....
I MEAN.....Grandma G's latest unique, creative endeavor requiring intense mental concentration and physical persistence....
With my freshly repainted deck looking so nice I figured this is the year to join the several outside decorated houses in the park.
What to do? What to do? What kind of theme? How does one fill up a rather large almost empty front yard?
One starts the Friday after Thanksgiving by browsing several stores for ideas.....that is, what do they have on sell for an economic price? I don't know what I am looking for but I will know it when I see it....
Freddy's had lots of "stuff" on sale for Black Friday...half price lawn ornaments, $12 large princess pines, large supply of Christmas decorations. (I think I blogged a few weeks back about aimlessly wandering around that store.) I hauled the makings of a potential outdoorsy scene home that day,
On Saturday grandson Jake came over to get out what decorations I already have and to help clean leaves out of my yard. He helped put together and hang a "ribbon" decoration along the porch.
Throughout the following week there were many visits to stores to check out possible additions to a woodsy scene. First I had to create the "woods". A clerk at Freddy's helped put 2 tall bushy princess pines into my vehicle. How to get them out once I got home would be tackled once I got home.
On Friday Dec. 4 the weather was chilly but not rainy. I set out the forest critters. They looked isolated on my red rock yard. 
I put on my handy-dandy knee pads and "planted" trees. First I looked around hoping a strong gentleman would happen to be walking by and I'd ask him to haul the trees from my car. (But there aren't too many strong guys walking around the park. If anyone of them would help me I might be looking at paying his back injury bills.) So taking a deep breath and asking an angel's help I tugged on one to get it out and then used my leg as a lever to roll the tree and stand into place. Yeah! Now for the second one.
Once set up I figured the weight of the dirt in the pot would secure them in place. The small artificial trees weren't any problem but I did dig them into the rocks a bit. Then with some garland things were starting to look woodsy.
Enjoying the PNW good life....snack time on the porch.....
Blue sky break in the clouds....about 15 minutes worth. Looking back, that was the last such sky I have seen even to now on Dec. 16.
Friday night the rain and winds returned.....the mighty trees did not withstand the wind (the first time they fell forward)...hmm....now what....I will tie them to the side of the house.....(tip over #2)....now what....I had some thin iron rods...that should hold them into the ground....(tip over #3).....a trip to Lowe's to find heavy iron stakes to pound into the ground....so far the trees are still standing...lesson for next year....SHORT bushy trees anchored with heavy iron stakes..... My favorite find.....
a set of carolers (with nice looking faces) for $30 at a local consignment shop......I was wanting something to fill in under my porch.....
The next challenge was lighting around the yard. At some point I decided on a red and white candy cane theme. The perimeter is about 70 feet (I think). That's a lot of lights and a lot of how to secure them and how to make red and white. And what is this LED stuff all about? Off to go research all that. At one retailer there were short shepherd's hooks. I had already decided on LED lights in red and white. They come in only a single color. No problem, buy the red lights and alternate them white.. Yes problem. LED are made so one cannot exchange bulb colors. OH...What to do? Suddenly the red and white lights went on in my head. Buy a string of both and simply string them together. Hold them up with the short shepherd hooks.....( God put that thought in my head cause I didn't know how to manage all that.)
Close-ups for my Indy Sisters.....
Santa Gnome
Easy enough....NOT
Start with a wood plaque and white glossy paint.
Stick on some red and white stickers....
All good until you buy the stickers, cut them out....AND
Loose them....
Then go and buy another package.....
One downer to all this.....I have to go outside to the street to look at and enjoy Grandma G's Candy Cane Lane....
(And to plug in and unplug the lights....timer still coming)
Key word for today....Restraint....NOT ME....rather the impulse to fill in and light up the left side of Candy Cane Lane.....
Gotta save something for next year's OC project....
Still looking for a nice "just right" nativity set...
Main activity for this non-rainy day....trip to 4 stores to return several "not gonna use" items...OH, YA.....with a quick walk through to make sure I didn't miss any "gotta have it" stuff.
You all come for a cup of Christmas tea and a candy cane!
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)
No comments:
Post a Comment