I Love Cheese Curds and Christmas Lights

Happy little lights

We did our part in adding joy to the world, or at least our neighborhood, by stringing Christmas lights around part of the roofline of our house. I don't have it in me to do it all. Bless those who do. Bless them.

We also stuck some bows on the lampposts in front. We means I. Since I'm the one who cares about it, I do it, and we get the credit. That's just how it works sometimes.

We all came out and admired the lights as in Christmas Vacation. The little lights aren't twinkling, but I'm fine with it. They're on, spreading joy and cheer to all, at least to us, and that's what I wanted.

In an effort to have some family time, I suggested we make popcorn and slice apples and take a drive to see other people's Christmas lights.

My suggestion was met with less than hardy approval--groans, in fact. Oh, well. I popped popcorn, sliced apples, and threw yummy beef sticks and cheese curds (both straight from Glen's Market in Watertown, WI. The best! Thank you, W & C!) into our car picnic basket.

By the time food was ready, my crew was in a better mood about going.

Some people have Christmas flair for days, enough to light up an entire block. Others have a Christmas spark, just a few lights around the door.

Some have flair, but no knack for matching anything. In any case, those people are spreading cheer to colorblind people.

So we went up and down the streets of Peru, Indiana, with our popcorn, apples, and real Wisconsin beef sticks and cheese curds, admiring other people's hard work.

(Rabbit trail alert: the cheese curds from Glen's Market in Watertown, WI, are better than any I've tried elsewhere. Maybe they're better just because they're from Wisconsin. The grocery stores around here have something they call cheese curds, but the texture is awful compared to the heavenly ones from Glen's. I need to visit my cheese curds, I mean family, in Watertown soon.)

We took a spin around our own neighborhood to enjoy the lights once we returned, and we all agreed it was a great time together. Lots of good family fun.

This was our first year ever putting up any exterior lights. It's a pretty 5 strands strung together.

Still, I'll never be the Griswold's from Christmas Vacation. Plenty of other people are good at throwing up that many lights.

I'm good at driving by slowly with my coffee and carload, admiring all the lights, designs, and creativity on display.