In Focus

Well, the light show is over.

Time passes so quickly...I feel like I just finished setting up Christmas decorations and now it’s already over.

It’s always a sad day for me to turn off the show for the last time. Then the hard part comes...taking it all down.

Last year, thanks to the ice and snow, I couldn’t dismantle my yard full of decorations. They had to stay up until the ground thawed, which was about April. I like my light show...I just didn’t want it out “all” winter.

Thankfully, this year was better. New Year’s Eve was the final night of the show. The cold weather and climbing a ladder are usually my biggest challenges, along with the snow, when it comes to taking it down. There may be some tent stakes still in the ground that will be easier to find this spring, but it’s all packed away. The giant knot of extension cords was untangled with the help of my mom and neighbor. That would have taken me all day without their help.

My poor house was trashed from the aftermath of the teardown. Even though I put down rugs, there were leaves and glitter everywhere. I sometimes question why I keep doing this, but I also greatly enjoy it. I guess I have to take the good with the bad.

It took me three days to get the yard stuff and the decorations inside the house taken down. I don’t like how dark my yard is and how naked the inside of the house looks now.

I will probably put out some floodlights for Valentine’s Day. I still have my hearts from The World of Hearts display...might as well use them.

When the light show started, I was doing pretty good at keeping up with the donation box and counting the money that came in. Then, I got busy. I was just taking the money and putting it in an envelope, uncounted and unorganized. After the success of the funds raised for Halloween, I also wanted the total raised to be a surprise for everyone. It’s more fun that way.

Well, mom got tired of waiting and counted the money donated herself. I was beyond shocked at the total. For Halloween, $400 was raised which was awesome! Christmas was nearly double that at $713.50. I was not expecting that at all. I know there were a few large bills in there again. That was also very awesome! Thank you all for your generosity to make this donation possible. This would not be possible without you. You made the Bertha Community Food Shelf very happy!

Consider donating to your local food shelf to help your community and those in need, especially since we are still suffering from the pandemic.