It’s been cool here the last couple weeks. And rainy. Floridians abide six months of hurricane season and four months of brutal heat and humidity. But after three wet winter days, we start whining. Last weekend several events were canceled due to rain. By Saturday morning, it had slowed to a drizzle…prompting many to stay home in their jammies.

The weather seems to have hampered outdoor Christmas decorating too. Our neighborhood is usually lit up by now, with light-covered eaves and Santa blow-ups on the lawns. But this year many houses are unadorned. I can’t blame it all on the weather. The economy has dampened plenty of spirits.

This morning when we walked, Ella skittered past a Santa that was flapping on a rooftop. I spied a house farther down the street with a small lighted tree and one strand of lights across the eaves.  The people who spend their weekends wrestling tangled lights to dress up their houses do it for those who pass by. It feels like a gesture of goodwill and it never fails to brighten my day.