At this time of year, despite the upheaval and chaos around the world in so many places, Pam and I wish you all the very best of the Christmas spirit. I hope you wake to joy and peace and are surrounded by people you care for, and who care for you….
There is so much wrong in the world, but there is also a lot right. .
In the past I have offered you a video by Sean Quigley, and I unashamedly do so again. This is my favorite Christmas song – one that I know my father also very much enjoyed. He probably wouldn’t appreciate this version, mind you!
I’m including this next song, even though it is a real tear jerker… it’s probably not a Christmas song in the traditional sense, but it’s really a remarkable thing. It makes Pam cry every time she hears it.
So I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. And remember to hug everyone who is around you – it will make you all feel better.
PS: I miss my dog. Merry Christmas Bailey. We’ll be home soon – woof woof!
I realize it’s a little late but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Pam and I have been very sick with a mean version of the flu, that has left us still suffering since getting it before New Year’s. Not been a fun six weeks.
Anyway – we’re slowly getting both feet back in the puddles around here in the Lower Rainland, so I thought I’d put up a little post here to show you our Christmas yard.
It was Pam’s great idea to make a “hockey rink” and have the “Penguins” play against our Santa ref and players! It was tons of fun. We’ve already started plotting how to make it better for next year!
This year we were a bit under the weather. We’ve been getting some immunizations and they have just knocked us out! Who knew going away could hurt so much?
But the weather in the week leading up to Halloween was full of rain and windstorms, so our display took a bit of a hit. But the funny thing is, the couple of new things we did really hit it big with people. We got more compliments this year than ever.
A big part of that was Pam’s costume. She did a nasty witch, and I tell you, she terrified the kiddies! Her ghoul in previous years was scary, but kids kinda know that a ghoul is “fake”… but a witch!? They’ve read Hansel and Gretel, and seen enough Disney movies to know that witches can’t be trusted!
I apologize all over the place for the pictures and video. I was so wiped out by getting the display up, I had time for one quick pass then needed a nap!
Hope you all had a nice evening and scared lots of kids!
Halloween was a buncha fun this year! We did our usual display, with some different touches this year. We did a grave yard, with lots of extras. We lined one side of our walkway with blow ups, so people were kind of funneled in towards Pam in her ghoul outfit, with smoke billowing out at them.
It was really quite cute to see the kids come bravely strutting up, then slamming on the brakes and backing up a few paces when the smoke comes wafting out from under the table Pam uses to keep the candy bowls on…
I’ve got a movie of one little girl who needed to be quite convinced by her dad to continue on. I do apologize for how dark they are; I thought they were coming out very nicely, but no, they are quite dark.
The movie is about five minutes long – maybe too long to watch. But hey, if you’ve got some time, it does really give you a sense of how hectic things can get for Pam. Even though it is a bit dark, you can see some kids react when I give them a “Happy Halloween” shout-out!
We had a couple of “body-less” heads on poles on the opposite side of the walkway from the blowups. I stood in completely black clothes, hidden behind a rather ghoulish mask. The mask was so creepy, one woman said, “Love your display, but that one – (pointing at me, standing still, completely quiet) is just creepy!” I’d let them go get their candy, then as they walked away, I’d shout at them, “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!” and people would just freak! The lady mentioned above, shouted, “OMG you’re alive!”
Sometimes after I shouted, the kids would start running and not stop for a long time! One young lad took off like a shot, and his father was laughing so hard, he could barely stand up! We got lots of thank yous, and compliments… One fellow said, “No matter what anyone else does, we can always count on you to give us a scare!”
We had 228 bags of candy, and we ran out by 8:15 PM. That’s earlier than most years. I think it might have to do with us having the display up for quite a few days before Halloween. But also the weather was really terrific – nice and warm, with no rain and next to no wind.
It was a really fun evening – and the kids and parents were having so much fun. I’m sure Pam’s picture is on Facebook a thousand times! You wouldn’t believe how often they were taking her picture. Super gratifying stuff… really really enjoyed the evening. A really BIG Thanks to all of you who came and got scared, and chatted, and laughed.
It’s been a long time since I sat down and put in a post. This year, we did a smaller Halloween display than usual. I’m still a little angry about the vandalism and thefts. The stealing of the skeleton I get… but to just kick and destroy all the tombstones I’d made was just so nonsensical. I just don’t get what prompts people to do that.
Anyway, we concentrated all the display around the driveway, and it was actually quite effective. Lots of people complimented us on the display, much more than in other years. My theory is because everything was so concentrated, it was more intense. We added one major piece and it was a zombie who “pops up” and growls, “Welcome to my graveyard.” It caught people unaware and added a little spooky experience.
One thing I did new was to put some masks we had over paint cans and put them on the candy table. I think they look darn spooky, especially in the night with the fake fog on them! (You can see them in the picture – the one on the right is pretty cool.)
One kid had to come back – his mother apologized for that! She said he wouldn’t go home til he saw it one more time. Pam told her that that was ok – anyone who liked it that much gets another chocolate bar!
If you turn the sound up when you watch the movie, you can hear Pam calling in some kids, the spooky music from the karaoke machine, and the reaction of a kid approaching Pam to get her candy.
The Christmas season is here, of course, and Christmas tunes are everywhere. The following video is done by a 16 year old guy from Winnipeg named Sean Quigley. He played all the instruments himself, had his sister shoot some of the video, and then he put it all together himself. It’s shot outside, in and around Winnipeg. He played the drums in a light snow fall, on a popular walking trail in the Charleswood area of Winnipeg.
This is one of my favorite Christmas songs, and this version is definitely a “rocked up” version… In a CBC radio interview, he says he started thinking about making a video of a Christmas song about a month ago, and this song just “speaks to him.” The idea that you don’t need money to make Christmas special just appeals to him…
Pam and Max and I wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas! It’s been a tough year for us, but it’s been a good year too. When someone mentions that they’ve had a tough time, people will respond, “at least you have your health.” And that has been the reason for such a bad year. We’ve seen the insides of so many doctor’s waiting rooms, we could probably become designers for waiting rooms!
Pam is holding up well, and we’re going to focus on positive things, not negative things. The cancer was caught early, it’s small, and the doctors are optimistic and the prognosis is very good.
So friends – have a great Christmas! Rejoice in the things that went well. Enjoy being with family and friends. Tell someone you love them. Take the time to smile at strangers.
Here is a movie of our light show this year. We got home late from our vacation this year, and I really didn’t get a great show going. It’s a little subdued from previous years, but next year I promise to knock it out of the park! If you turn up your sound, you should hear the music that the lights flash on and off to…
Oh – we found a little Christmas bag on our doorstep this morning. In it was some home made short bread cookies, and a note thanking us for “sharing our Holiday Cheer with your Festive display of Lights!” Isn’t that swell!? Made my day! What a sweet thing to do! Thanks!
At this time of year, despite the upheaval and chaos around the world in so many places, Pam and I wish you all the very best of the Christmas spirit. I hope you wake to joy and peace and are surrounded by people you care for, and who care for you….
