Lights Out for Earth Hour!

“Hey, don’t forget to turn out the lights from 8-9 on Saturday night.”

I heard snippets of conversation in the halls, at tables in the cafeteria and even from various bathroom stalls (I kid you not) about Earth Hour tonight. Folks seem to be interested and embracing the idea. I got an email from a friend weeks ago about it. And for once, I was actually in the loop--even got to tell someone else. Wahoo. So what’s the buzz? Tonight from 8-9pm is Earth Hour. And the point is to turn off your lights. All of them. (Hmmm, maybe the TV too, but that is just me.)

From what I understand, the aim of the campaign is to show that our individual actions on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.

If you plan on burning candles during Earth Hour, make sure you use 100% beeswax candles which are gentler on our planet – smoke free, non-toxic and non-allergenic and the ones I get are drip free!!! They are also made of natural products, not petroleum-based stuff, so they are effectively carbon neutral. I use them exclusively (alright, alright I do have a fondness for the scented Yankee Candles in the jar-the Caribbean mango one is perfect for Spring), for the dining room table and anywhere I have tapers.

I am planning my day around it. I have finished the laundry and vacuuming. I am off to the store now because I want to cook Indian food for dinner and I need to get started soon. Then, I will light the candles, open a nice bottle of wine and voila! Here’s to Mother Earth. Chin. Chin.

Cruising the streets

One of my favorite things to do at this time of year is drive around the neighborhoods to look at the Christmas lights, although perhaps I should say displays. Lord knows they are bigger, bouncier and more animated than ever. After dinner with friends last week, we drove on snowy roads listening to Nat King Cole sing Yuletide carols. We crept along admiring and often laughing at what people had done to their homes.

Some houses had no decorations that we could see. Others were subdued with only a lighted tree in the window. Most of them though had some outside lights. There were the ubiquitous white lights everywhere from icicles to those shrub nets. One house had an enormous lighted palm tree. (We actually stopped and backed up to get a better view.) Many houses had articulated reindeer or angels. We paused to see if they would move or not---whooping in delight if the angel’s wings flapped or the reindeer munched the snow. The little girl in me still prefers the multi-colored lights. It is so much prettier in the black and white winter night.

I have to confess that I dislike the craze for inflatables. But my friend in Minnesota had a good point. They do look nice in the daytime when the holiday lights are not on. Most of the blow-up ornaments are holiday specific. The snow globes are even clever. I have seen one left over Halloween inflatable of Garfield and a random Scooby though. Odd. Why would you still inflate them?

My house? Well it has candles in the windows and the tree upstairs this year. The tree will come down after Epiphany but I will leave the candles in the windows until late January.

Wordless Wednesday

City sidewalks, Busy sidewalks

I stepped out of the hotel into the bustle of Michigan Avenue. In the air there was a feeling of Christmas. I could see it. I could feel it. There were crowds of people clutching shopping bags in both hands crossing the street. There were Salvation Army bell ringers wearing their Santa hats. The stores were decorated with Christmas trees and garland, their windows filled with manikins in finery, outerwear or the latest fashion. The shoppers were strolling bundled against the cold wind with their children peeking out of their wrappings. I joined the flow; let it draw me up the street.

The excitement on the street was palpable. The Lights Festival would start at 6pm. It is the only parade I know of that is at night. The kids on the street were laughing, people passing them by with smiles. Excitement was building. Santa would be there of course, but best of all, Mickey Mouse would wave his wand and the lights along the avenue would magically light up.

I had been struggling. The holiday season was approaching and I couldn’t get with it. I don’t know if it was the warm weather, my crazy schedule of late or the general humbug that was going around. I had heard many people say they were not in the spirit. Well, my friends, I found mine on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.