Week of December 19, 2021

In comparison to wintery Upstate New York, CHRISTMAS at our Florida Home is some of the year’s most comfortable weather, with high temperatures around 80 and low temperatures around 60. There are still some Pentas and fire bush blooming to feed the butterflies, and there are lots of migratory and local birds in the trees. Our neighborhood, Richmond, with its wonderful diversity of inhabitants has the full range of Christmas decorations on display, from extravagant light shows to no decorations at all. Our approach has been modest and understated. We have purchased and installed new burgundy-colored front doors and we have sconces to match for the holidays. The entrance is bordered by mature Sasanqua Camellia bushes in full bloom with light pink flowers. The walk to the front door is bordered by a crepe myrtle tree, now devoid of leaves, making it a great place to hang huge Christmas ornaments viewable from the street. I have recently supplemented the drainage beds with new white marble chips. Our garage door has a modest wreath. Certainly, a favorite pastime in Richmond is an evening walk to view our neighbors’ decorations and to share holiday greetings with others doing the same thing.