It’s no secret that I (we) think
Mike’s Farm is the I-Ching. I’m not
trying to really promote another farm, but they really have it all. When you go there, it’s got a down home feel
(plus, the restaurant doesn’t hurt. If
you have not eaten there, you NEED to eat there. It’s fantastic and worth whatever wait time
they have to go. For years I went
without having discovered the perfection that is their restaurant, until my
friend Lindsey insisted we go and now I have her to thank for my
obsession. Thanks Linds!). Anyway, so when we plan out our farm, that’s
kind of the ultimate goal we have in mind (except for the restaurant. I can appreciate it, but the idea of having
to run it kind of freaks me out. I know we can hire people to do that and
whatever but I’m not ready to entertain that yet). This year, it seems The Husband has managed
to somehow talk me into saying yes to Christmas Lights.
First, let me tell you why I am
against it. Number one, by the end of
October I am kind of over the farm. Don’t
get me wrong I love my job and I love my customers, but I usually reach a point
in October (generally after not having time to do anything but eat, sleep, and
be at the farm) where I am burned out and need a break. It’s been a long hot year starting in April
and this year has been even more difficult since he’s not been around as much
to help. I need some time to recharge
and get excited about doing this again, and that’s usually not until after
Christmas when I start thinking about the upcoming CSA program. Number two, Christmas is stressful enough
(not for him mind you, because I don’t have one of those progressive men who
help his wife in every-thing she does. I
have another phrase for it but since this is PG I won’t say it but let’s just
say apparently those women possess something golden which I do not have,
therefore I get stuck planning and buying and cooking and wrapping all on my
own), without adding a Christmas Light circus to it. Between shopping (and more importantly in my
case, figuring out what to shop for since I am not an expert gift giver. I’m an expert gift-card giver), and family
events (my parents are divorced, and I’m not close to my bio-dad, therefore any
family event on his side is complicated), and parties and church events…I’m
tired just writing that. My anxiety
level just thinking about it goes to 10.
Finally, number three, the weather.
It’s typically raining in December.
The year I had The Girl it rained every weekend, I remember, because I
told The Husband I was glad we weren’t doing Christmas Lights because we’d have
been in trouble. Plus you add the
strongest El Nino event on record to that mix and it’s like a perfect storm
(pun intended).
Now I can tell you why I’m for
it. Number one, (and I know this sounds
hokey) but to me, Christmas is magic.
There’s something about going to see lights on a crisp starry night,
there’s something about seeing the colored lights twinkle in the darkness (when
I was a little girl my mom always made the best fudge in the world [still does,
it’s on the back of the marshmellow crème can and I can never get mine to be
that good] and I’d get up before she did, get a piece, and lay under the
Christmas tree staring at the lights), and there’s something about seeing your
kids light up when they see all the wonder that Christmas brings. Number two, our customers seem excited about
it. I was amazed by the response I got
when I posed the question on Facebook.
Usually when I run ideas by the customers I get a few likes, a few
responses. I wasn’t prepared for 100+
and the wonderful ideas in the comments section. Number three, The Husbands will can be a
force of nature and if he wants it then by God he’s going to make it happen.
Based on that, we feel like if we
build it you will come, so I guess we’re going to build it. The plan is to make a walking trail in the
corn maze, widen out the paths and put some sort of lights or illumination to
mark them, then place different scenes along the way. At the end of the trail, the tractor’ll pick
everyone up and bring them back here. We
might sell some trees, but I think the hot chocolate, s’mores, cookie thing
will definitely be happening. The only thing really holding us back now is time and weather. All we
have to do now is cross our fingers and pray the rain comes on the week days
and we manage to get it all done before we open, which is probably going to determine when we open. Though, I do have to say, writing this post has got me a little
excited about it…(just don’t tell The Husband. I’m using this as leverage to make up for the
golden thing I do not have and making him shop with me J).
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| Freshly Untangled Lights |
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| The girls had a little too much fun testing these lights |
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| Trying to fix the broken strands, AND only 2 out of 4 got shocked! |
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