Greensboro's Festival of Lights!
(even if it's 74 degrees outside)
for anyone who remembers downtown Greensboro, say, even ten years ago,
it is astounding to be there with thousands of people in the streets.
it is the.place.to.be. & it is fabulous.
not fabulous enough to convince our teenage boys to join us -
and this is what they missed:
1. fake snow pelting them in the face.
2. roasting marshmallows over coals in strategically-placed metal drums.
3. watching ice carvers battle melting ice (see temperature notation above).
4. the silver drummer woman/statue who came to life for pocket change.
5. the trains! trains! trains! that gave Greensboro its name as the Gate City.
6. the swings at Elsewhere, of course (http://www.goelsewhere.org/).
7. touring soon-to-be Scuppernong Books - yay! (http://www.news-record.com)
and....
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| Mack&Mack's annual "dress like a present" window |
there are so many beautiful old storefronts along Elm Street.
this is one of them - the Kress Building.
(&, next time we go to DC, i really want to see this museum: http://www.nbm.org)
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| more of Mack&Mack's winter window dressing |
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| UNCG's glowing Tuba Band...always a favorite! |
the 300-block of South Elm Street is a work-in-progress.
next to Scuppernong Books (see #7 above) is a building UNCG interior design students have worked to 're-imagine'....(link below is to brief article by Mike).
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| http://ure.uncg.edu/prod/cweekly/2013/11/27/interiorarchitecturelights/ |
meanwhile, back on the homefront:
we are busy preparing (in our own ways) for the Christmas season. after years of me somehow finagling a big-as-we-can-fit live tree (even though, okay, we had originally "agreed" on alternating between a live tree and a super economical artificial tree from Mike's bachelor days), we have, to said former-bachelor's delight, put up the PrestoPine this year (see old advertisement for PrestoPine).
& i have to say....it sure did simplify things. no repetitive stress injuries from cranking the tree stand & going around and around again to make sure the tree isn't wonky; no pine needles trailing from the front door to the living room; no crouching under the tree every day, attempting to water it, & the contortions involved in ensuring all the water goes into the tree stand rather than on the carpet - then clamboring back out again and knocking off more pine needles.
& the kids, who have (i admit) been my excuse for the live tree, just looked at the PrestoPine and grunted (as teenage boys do).
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| Mike and his PrestoPine |
as i said, we are each preparing for holiday enjoyments in our own ways. to some, that means eating a candy cane every single day (not naming names...Samuel); to others, it's tying a garish orangey-red bow to the light post (hey, i consider it retro); and, to the youngest in our house, it is SPORTS on TV.
When my coworkers are jovially comparing the latest hoot-filled 'Big Bang Theory,' I can only smile vaguely. I watch zero tv series. This is why.
Joseph's essential TV viewing schedule:
(oh, and improvised marshmallow incineration...)
speaking of sports,
speaking of sports,
we are about to head to the Spartans (UNCG) vs. Tarheels (UNC-CH)
basketball game in Chapel Hill.
i have decided to be Switzerland & am wearing red.
