half-lit

Yep, that's me this past Christmas! 

Half-lit.

Wait, really, not me half-lit,

but my Christmas was half-lit.

That still sounds bad!

OK, here's my story

of my being

Half-lit this past Christmas....

I started my Christmas decorating...
pulled out boxes and plugged in all of the light strands.
I always start that way, plugging in all the light strands.
I like fiddling with the light strands that don't work.
It's a fun challenge to me - finding THE ONE
that will make the burnt-out strand magically come to life light.
And those little lights make me smile...

I started decorating with the outside light strands...
So, the lights on the outside greenery for the porch rails and front door?
Yep, more than half of it was out, and no matter how long I worked on it, no more lights would come on.
So, I pushed it all back into the box, lights, greenery and all, and added twinkle lights to my shopping list.

Moved onto the sleigh lights.
Plugged them in, and both strands worked.
Put them all onto the sleigh, and plugged them back in.
Guess what?  Yep, half didn't light up. 
Messed with them a little bit as it was starting to get dark,
took them all off the sleigh and put MORE lights on my shopping list.

I moved onto the grapevine tree
that sits permanently on the little table outside my front door.
The middle of it was un-lit, so Sweetie took the light strand off, as it was an old strand, at least 7 or 8 years old.
I knew this needed replaced, so I had previously purchased new lights for this.
I pre-tested the new lights, they worked, so I put them on the tree.  Plugged it back in and wa-la!  It looked so much better!

Next, I pulled out the box of decor for the inside tree - only an eight foot tree this year, so only used half of the lights stash...Yes, they worked!, those great little twinkle-y lights with programmed twinkles, so I climbed the ladder and decorated the tree with lights.  As I was finishing the light-wrapping back down on floor level, I realized that every third light wasn't twinkling...What????!!!  Really????
Contemplated adding more lights to my list.

Finally, I pulled out the little twiggy, folk-art tree (on which I leave the light strands when I pack it up).
Plugged it in, and the MIDDLE didn't light!!!

If you are keeping track, that's FIVE for FIVE! 
Half-lit.

I took a deep breath,
grabbed my shopping list and my Sweetie
(grabbed: literally on the list, figuratively on Sweetie:)
and headed to town.
The first TWO stores were sold out of little twinkle lights...
Went to the mega store and found less than ten boxes of twinkle lights on the shelves.
And the boxes looked a little worse for the wear for only sitting on the shelves.
Bought lights, and headed back home in the dark.

Next day, I pre-tested all the lights while indoors,
then took them outside and started replacing...

Started with the sleigh:
got them wrapped around the sleigh, turned them on  - - -
and they were the COOL LIGHTS - neon-looking...
NOT cool on an antique sleigh. 
SO, remember the box was a little worn?
They were evidently returned lights!
In the wrong box!!!
Took those back off, again.
Moved on to the porch railing greenery. 
Double checked the lights - they were correct/warm lights.
And yes, they worked.
Wrapped the greenery, swagged the rails and doors, cleaned up my tools, and went inside.

Sweetie came in as darkness was settling in.
He hemmed and hawed just a little, then spit it out:
A third of the porch railing greenery WAS NOT LIT!!!

I must have had a very pathetic look on my face,
as he immediately put his coat on,
grabbed my hand, put my coat across my shoulders,
and out we went with a light-tester and re-wiring supplies.
He did some snipping and wire-nutting
and all of the porch-railing lights were back on in just minutes.

SO...It was now the week of Christmas,
and I had lights everywhere....
just not all of them were lit.
And really,
a few light bulbs short of a strand?
Not a big deal.

So, here are the beautiful lights

on Christmas eve:

sleigh - notice that all the lights are burning brightly:

The little grapevine tree at the front door:

Yes, that is the new strand that was all working...

but notice that the top is not lit!

Here is the twiggy-folk-art tree:

note the middle section not lit...

Here's the inside tree:

Not as many lights as usual,

but you can't tell unless you are up close and personal...

And, finally, the porch railing garland:

Yes, there is a new section not burning! 

So, it was on Christmas Eve

that I decided that

THIS was the Christmas

that I would be was HALF-LIT.

That's my story of my half-lit Christmas.
And I'm sticking to it.

p.s.  even this little bowl of lights:

I dropped the old-fashioned bulbs

around the twinkly lights

and when I turned them on the next morning,

THEY were not working either!!!

Do you think I have some weird electrical pull thing going on this past year?