On the House: That glow lights up our lives
I once again succeeded in annoying my daughters last weekend, this time by taking down ouroutdoor Christmas lights.
I thought it was about time. I don’t want to be the one guy in the neighborhood to celebrateValentine’s Day with a string of blinking green and red lights around the roof.
My daughters, on the other hand, thought the house was prettier and more fun with thelights.
The more I thought about it, the more I thought they might be right.
The truth is, Christmas lights are a nice treat. They add a bit of cheer to dreary winterevenings. When it’s dark at 5 p.m., a street of twinkling lights can brighten a mood.
The truth is, we praise homes for many reasons but rarely for being fun or even pretty.
Think of the words we use to compliment homes: solid, sound, livable, nicely laid out, secure.
Decorating trends lean the same way. The past 30 years have been a celebration of browns, graysand shades of white — a far cry from the eye-popping colors of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.
When “neutral” is the highest compliment offered a home, fun isn’t going to be part of thepackage.
But why shouldn’t homes offer a bit of whimsy?
Two homes near ours leave a hint of Christmas lights up year-round. Not the big ones rimming theroof but smaller strings on low shrubs.
They add a pleasing glow when I drive by them at night.
Still, I realize there are legitimate reasons to remove the lights. They can annoy neighbors ifthey shine too brightly. They chew up electricity. They can be messy when the rain and leaves fall.They’re a headache to plug in and unplug nightly.
And, in some places, they’re prohibited. Condominium associations and some deed-restrictedsubdivisions set firm guidelines on when Christmas lights can be up.
The city of Worthington, where we live, considered such a proposal in 2005 but abandoned itbecause of complaints from residents and because of the difficulty of enforcing such a rule.
After all, what’s an enforcer to do when a homeowner explains in mid-February that the lightsaround his house are not in honor of Christmas but Presidents Day?
Like it or not, we’re probably going to see more lights in the future, not fewer. Halloweenlights are becoming more common, along with solar lights lining walks, patios and decks.
So, in concession to our daughters, this year we left a strand of LED lights on a small magnoliatree at our entrance.
It’s modest, but it will carry us to spring.
Jim Weiker is the home and garden writer. Reach him at 614-461-5513 or by email.
