Oh Christmas Tree!

Oh Christmas Tree!
Originally uploaded by The Stitchin Sheep.

First off, this picture is really fuzzy, and I apologize for that. We just don't have enough lighting in our living room to take decent pictures. Lighting is a real problem in our little trash heap house. The electrical wiring is a homemade job (done by our very own electric shock therapy expert - should I be worried?). No fires yet, after 3 1/2 years of living in these "temporary" quarters, so we're probably safe. That still doesn't help the lighting situation, though.

My theory is that he was really tired of running wires when it came time to install a light in the living room. We've got one plug in the entire room, and it's monopolized by the tv and various video machines. The only light comes from a tiny reading lamp he installed in the first week we were here. Adding more lights wouldn't really help, I guess, because the real trouble with the wiring is the fact that we don't have enough electricity for everything we need to run.

Now that it's winter, and we need to use electric heaters, we can only have one large appliance (aside from the fridge) on at a time. No more washing and drying at the same time! We have to reset our alarm clock each night before we go to bed. You'd think I'd learn that lesson and buy one of those little 9-volt rectangular batteries to put an end to that sob story. That's a thought. Maybe I'll get around to it by the time we move into the new house.

All this lighting talk brings me to the topic of our new house. I had a picture of it to share with you, but Flickr seems to have higher standards. I'm not sure exactly what they are, though, since it let me upload this fuzzy shot where Lampchop #1 has those possessed red eyes (Christmas and the prospect of unwrapping gifts does this to children). This happens with Flickr from time to time, and I sometimes wonder if some other Flickr account has mysteriously received my photos by mistake. We'll likely never know.

Anyway, Flickr's moodiness has robbed me of a great joke opportunity. I'll share the joke anyway, but the accompanying picture will have to wait. See, yesterday, before the electrician left, the new house was beautifully lit up from all rooms. With all of the windows, it was quite a sight to see. In my excitement, I walked over and recited the only Bible verse I know in French: the equivalent of "And, The Electrician said let there be light, and there was light." Okay, so I modified it slightly to fit the circumstances, but he seemed to appreciate it.

So, though I don't have any proof of it, just know that our new house is now alive with luminescence.