Ooh Pretty Lights

Well, I'm officially back home and I have to admit that I am sort of surprised by the changes that I've noted this year in relation to the amount of Christmas tat around. Usually by this time of year the houses are in full technicolour glory with inflatable snowmen and Santa's, fake snow, more lights than you can shake a stick at and so on. This year things seem different. Yes there are lights and tacky decorations but there just aren't as many, things are just more restrained. Which is a shame as I enjoy observing the peculiar decorations that people decide to decorate their houses with.

The funniest, if slightly peculiar, one that I remember fondly belonged to the apartment building opposite where I used to live. They had a Santa figure who hung out of the window on a rope. I think the idea was that it was supposed to look like Santa was climbing up to deliver the gifts. Unfortunately, that was the theory, it didn't work too well in practice. Instead Santa looked like he had been hung. In high winds it was even funnier as he was blown horizontal.

In other news the Christmas tree is now up and decorated and most of the gifts placed beneath it. And around it. And in stacks up against furniture. And the stockings are on the other side of the room. There seems to be an awful lot this year, and my other half hasn't added his stuff to the pile yet... It's getting to the stage where the presents are going to have to be strategically arranged so we can fit them all in, but I guess it is a season of gross indulgence.