There was nothing -- absolutely nothing -- on the calendar today, and certainly nothing pressing enough to hassle and hustle the kids (sick and well) to clean their zones, get presentable, double-check their belongings, etc.
As a matter of fact, today was such that all the well people naturally slowed to the pace of the ill people, and it made for thoroughly satisfying peacefulness.
Moe crafted felt ornaments, Squeak wrapped her homemade gifts for her friends, Priss and I worked on a newly designed stocking to replace the one she's had for the past six years or so. Leisurely.
Then I got a bright idea to find some drive-through Christmas lights in the area, which would be a perfect evening venture, even for the sick folks. Free fun and wonderment, and no one would even need shoes. I found...
Lights to Music Spectacular
Crowley City Hall, 425 North Parkerson
Crowley, LA
Dec. 2, 2013 - Jan. 3, 2014
5:00 PM to midnight
"Over 200,000 dazzling animated holiday lights synchronized to music. Listen to the lights by tuning in on your car radio -- tune to 93.3 FM."
To get the full effect, one should approach City Hall from the south, traveling north on N. Parkerson. Tune in to 93.3 FM, and drive slowly!
We made several passes up N. Parkerson, and each trip was a stimulating treat. At one point, we pulled off of the street and just sat curbside listening to the music and watching the Christmas lights pulse and dance.
Before leaving downtown, we hung a right on E. 4th St. to check out the First Baptist Church nativity. It was a simple display (no live animals or people), but it was perfectly appropriate in keeping with the night's theme of simplicity.
We decided to have dinner at Sonic in Crowley and briefly discussed the concept of community support through tourism. A yummy (if nutritionally lacking) illustration, our family visiting Crowley to enjoy the lights display (which costs the city x-dollars each year to publicize and power, for visitors' free enjoyment), then flowing our dinner-money into the Crowley city economy instead of driving all the way back to spend it in Lafayette.
An analogy:
You kids spend weeks preparing a beautiful Christmas lights display in our front yard. You also set up a hot cocoa stand in the driveway so visitors can purchase a warm drink and also contribute funds toward the display expenses.
Visitors come from all over to see your display. They love what you've created. BUT...
...instead of buying your hot cocoa, they go to the kid on the next street over and buy his hot cocoa. Hmm.... Why is "community support" important?
We're definitely going to try to offer community support during our little outings, in our own limited ways. The kids agree: art, history, and enrichment are worthy causes.
So, it was a wonderful, slow-paced day/evening, even with sick family members. Peaceful, savored, and in no way ruined by what was not aspired to, or what was unaccomplished. It was absolutely lovely, just as it was.
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