Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Signs of Holiday Madness

A couple of weeks ago I was heading into a grocery store with some female family members, and the Salvation Army guy who was ringing the bell out front said, "Hey, Ladies, you wanna ring my bell?" in a very suggestive manner.

My mouth dropped open.

My boys love the cute, lighted, wire sculpture reindeer at our neighborhood entrances. One morning, at the crack of dawn, I saw those cute little reindeer posed in a compromising position.

I burst out laughing.

Everywhere I go, every store, has holiday music playing. And before I even realize what I'm hearing...I find myself singing along, in my head. And it's darn addictive. AND, I notice other people singing OUTLOUD. And wiggling or dancing. It's infectious.

I can't help but smile.

And the craziest part of all? I imagine myself baking all kinds of holiday goodies to wrap and give to people. I have visions so strongly that I can smell the cookies, taste the chocolate turtles in my mouth...and then I realize I'll be lucky if I can make one batch of holiday cookies, much less bake enough that look good and are edible to give to people!!

My mouth waters.

What holiday craziness have you seen out and about? Good or bad.

I've seen cars decorated with Rudolph noses and antlers.
I've seen blow-up Santas on motorcycles.

Do you have decorations in your yard or on your house?
I haven't put up our lights yet. We're fairly low key on decorations but we like to do something.

I see some houses with no decorations at all, and I wonder why.
I see some houses with decorations out the wazoo, all chaotic and crazy, and I wonder why.

Gotta love a little holiday madness.
As long as it's harmless.


35 comments:

lynette355 said...

My favorite holiday madness was in a cartoon in Readers Digest.
It had those lovely lite up reindeers. Looks sweet yes! But off to the side was a lite up STALKING wolf. I howled with laughter. Yeah I want that set up in my yard.

Keeper of the Skies Wife said...

Ive seen the Santa on the motorcycle.

We just put up wreaths and lighted garland around the door. The roof is to high and at a crazy angle.

I've been in a baking mood....but haven't baked 'cause this darn sickness.

Kate P. said...

My next door neighbor has an EIGHT FOOT Santa on her front porch. that sings. loudly.

It's scary. BUT O-well...Its Christmas!!

Happy Holladayz!

sassy stephanie said...

I'm pretty depressed about this crap house we are living in right now. Stupid cancer. I'm not putting anything up this year.

Divine Chaos said...

I'm one of those people that would decorate out the wazoo ... like National Lampoons Christmas .. but I'm terrified of heights, so I can't climb around to hang my lights outside lol .. At the moment I just have lights on the porch, the christmas tree in the house, and the light up snowmen carolers out in the yard. Hopefully I'll be able to talk a friend into hanging the outside lights for me this year.. then, yep, I'll be one of those people that never takes them down :p

Lula! said...

Um...Rhea? I am a little concerned about you. 'Cause the Rhea I know and love would have totally taken a picture of the neighborhood reindeer...getting their buck on.

Girl.
That could've been the best Christmas present for me.

Sigh...

Anonymous said...

I drive by a house almost everyday and it looks like Christmas threw up. It is so over the top it makes me sick. I really need to post a picture of it.

I only decorate for the season. I love snowmen and I have four cut out of metal in my yard. Other than that no Christmasy stuff at my house.

All Things BD said...

I'm almost always the first one in the neighborhood to put lights up outside, but we have NOTHING right now. It's in direct correlation to the amount of stuff I need to do before leaving for California. I think we're just going to put up the inflatable decor and leave it at that.

TerriRainer said...

Don't think I've seen or heard anything as interesting as you have!

My only quirky decorating that I do drives my husband crazy every year.

I put Santa hats on his shoulder mounted bucks that reside on the walls of the man-cave. I also put a piece of red felt on the biggest one's nose.

:) Terri

Mama Dawg said...

I've got to finish the exterior decorations and we just finished the tree on Tuesday night.

Not too much craziness. I find myself singing out loud while in Wal-Mart. I'm sure the other patrons wished I wouldn't! LOL!

Marrdy said...

We are trying to sell our house so hubby has limited the decorations. So I have to live through others. Funny stuff with that bell ringer...kinda creepy too.

Burfica said...

We are down to one strand of lights, so it's on the tree not on the house. Hoping I can pick some up the day after Christmas.

I love to bake but I'll be lucky to get my presents wrapped this year.

We have one house that the guy made some wooden moose. And each year, teenagers make them humping moose. It's so dam funny.

I didn't see him put them up this year, they have been humping for about 18 years, and no moose this year.

Captain Dumbass said...

I LOVE decorating for Christmas. I just wish my house was bigger so I could put even more lights on it!

Jennifer said...

since this year we are trying to settle into the new house and get things worked out with that... it is a little crazy here anyway... but add THREE very excited and into SANTA and CHRISTMAS kids ages 5 & 3 and you have all the holiday madness you can dream up. :) lol

we put up some snowflakes and silver and blue ornament/balls from the ceiling in the living room, garland and lights on the mantle and garland on the tv stand with two ceramic cookie jars, one is a tree one is Santa and some multi-colored icecicle lights around the living room that my parents bought for us... and we have some other holiday decorations here and there around the house... something on each of the kids door for their rooms and on the bathroom door, in the kitchen and that is pretty much it... but I have more to put up.. I'm just waiting to get my bedroom painted and move some things around before I decorate the playroom. :) we also like to do an Elf style decorating where we make paper chains and cut out snowflakes all in white paper and hang them up... HUGE hit and cheap!! the kids LOVE to help do it too!! :)

we are so Christmasy here we are throwing it up!! lol

great holiday stories of what you have seen out and about. :)

xoxox

Unknown said...

Hallmark has an ornament this year that plays the chicken dance... the Ladies and I keep going in there and playing it while doing the Chicken Dance... repeatedly.....

Anonymous said...

Yes, there needs to be a balance in holiday decorations. Too much is no good. None is terrible!

The Blonde Duck said...

I've been on a cookie baking streak with no one to help me eat them. It's terrible for my hips!

KimmyJ said...

Geesh, the bell ringer, trying to get rung! What's this world coming to. I think you should put the bucking reindeer on your Christmas cards. hehe!

Claremont First Ward said...

Have you gotten any sleep yet? Sorry Remy's sick. My kids were sick last week, too.

I haven't seen anything crazy this year, but now I'll be on the lookout! We didn't do outside lights......just the regular old inside ones and the tree, of course.

Jennifer and Sandi said...

All done since Thanksgiving weekend. I tend to pound out the decoration process early so I can enjoy it longer!!!

- Jennifer

Anonymous said...

I burst out laughing at 'ring my bell', that was pretty funny. Clearly inappropriate, but funny.

We've put up our traditional Christmas lights on the house, and we just got a tree, lit with shiny new (bright!) LED lights.

Twisted Fencepost said...

I will have decorations in my house and outside.
I'm like you, no time.
But I WILL!!!

Kally said...

I haven't seen anything crazy but then I really haven't been looking for crazy either. Our house is one of those w/out decorations. We are Jewish and most of the holiday decorations available are for Christmas. We have decorations for the inside like dreidel streamers and a few Chanukiyot for the window, entertainment center & where ever else the family puts them. There are other things we put out also but at the moment my house looks as average as always. I hate digging all of those decorations out with the knowledge that I am going to be the one to clean it all up when it's over.
Oy vey humbug! (I guess.) :)

Heather said...

Okay, I would have BUSTED UP if I'd have seen the reindeer. I kinda want to go through my neighborhood and do that to some of the reindeer I see. If you lived closer, we could enjoy some adult beverages and then you could help me defile the reindeer. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take Lula a whole lot of convincing to help us.

Justine said...

Hey, that's MY car with the reindeer antlers!!!!!!!!! Did you see it on my post? Huh? Huh?

And now tonight I've posted (well, it was scheduled and it had better have posted) about my outdoor lights. Don't miss it!

Justine :o )

the mama bird diaries said...

i like the cars with the reindeer antlers.

Shannon said...

OMGosh. My mom has those reinder... you just gave me an idea!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


We have some decorations outside. Wreaths on the windows, lights and garland wrapped around the porch banister & hadnrails.

Susie said...

I haven't really seen anything that I would call crazy...other than the weather:-(

We don't decorate the outside of the house yet. Once we get new siding we will.

Tiffany said...

I'm not sure what is up with me, but I'm just not feeling it this year. I love the reindeer in compromising positions... I don't care what anyone says, that is always funny.

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

We have nothing Christmas-y up yet. Not even the girls advent calendars. I've only gotten one Christmas card in the mail. I am waiting for the excitement to hit me. But it hasn't happened yet. I think you totally need a picture of those reindeer. Even if you have to stage it again...

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Oh, and maybe you can wonder if the people who aren't decorating have kitties. That might be as destructive as ours...

OHmommy said...

Where's you camera for all of this? LOL...

Mariah said...

I must photograpg my house for you, it's obnoxious. Loving the reindeer in compromising positions...classic

Jen said...

now that is some craziness, funny but crazy.

Amy said...

I am with you on the baking. I can just see myself doing it, but then I think WHEN THE HECK WOULD I HAVE TIME FOR THAT?????? Not gonna happen :)