It was such a clear, crisp night as I was driving home, a little after 9 pm, that I almost thought I might want to string Christmas lights on my house. That’s ridiculous, I know, but the few houses where lights are already strung stand out so brightly on a night like this.

It seems a lot of the folks who hang lights this early are the ones who go all out, with all the extra trimmings like lights in reindeer shapes and candy cane trees, rather than just a few icicle lights along the eaves.

It’s no use thinking this has anything to do with me, though. I’m afraid of heights for one thing, and I’m also afraid of exorbitant electric bills. And I wouldn’t want to go the halfway route, with a single string of lights. Plus, what’s the point? No one can see my house anyway, unless they deliberately come to visit.

In fact, I’ve pretty much decided that the only reason I have to decorate at all is for my own amusement and satisfaction. It’ll nudge me into the holiday mood, when I get around to dragging my big box of decorations in from the garage. Even if no one else is around to enjoy it, I’ll still set up the figurines and candles and such. In fact, I should probably do it sooner rather than later. I could use that nudge.

Tonight I got my weekly dose of the real meaning of the holidays, yes I did. I was at Tammy and David’s house (for dinner and Survivor), and I was drawn in by the happy chaos of D.J. and Dakota staging a living room rodeo in their pajamas and cowboy hats. I got a big kick out of Titus lumbering around the house as if he were the tiny puppy he believes he is, instead of the big ol’ goofy dog he really is. And then there was Aiden, cuddling with his mama and delivering big, deep belly laughs at everything his daddy did. Who wouldn’t be filled with cheer by all this?