I'll Be Home For Christmas

I love Rosemary Harris’ Dirty Business gardening series – "Slugfest" was my favorite. Her debut novel, "Pushing Up Daisies." was nominated for an Agatha and an Anthony for Best First Novel. Rosemary has returned to her roots with her new novel. "The Bitches of Brooklyn" is the ultimate female buddy novel. And yes, I say the B-word like it’s a compliment. This novel is hilarious. Leave a comment and Rosemary will put your name in a drawing for a copy of "The Bitches of Brooklyn."

by Rosemary Harris

One of the best things about setting my latest book in Brooklyn was that I got to go back home and call it research. None of my family stills lives there, so it was a bittersweet return - but more sweet, than bitter.

It's been said that one in every six Americans has a connection to Brooklyn. I'm a second generation Brooklynite, born in Fort Greene, now hipster haven but just a nice, warm mixed ethnic neighborhood when I was a kid. We felt safe, there was a sense of community.

I had a lot of wonderful times but one of my favorite memories is of driving around the borough in search of the most incredible - and sometimes outrageous - displays of holiday lights.  An annual tradition when I was a child, on our way to and from buying the tree, the exercise became a cheap group date when I was a teenager.  We'd kick in for gas and pile into three or four cars (as teens, not many of us in Brooklyn had or needed cars until we were older) and head for those areas that the grapevine had told us excelled in the holiday spirit.

Perhaps in an attempt to shake off the grim, daily procession of black cars, the folks who lived across the street from the funeral home on Ralph Avenue usually took first prize. They constructed stables with lifesize models of reindeer - moving heads, of course - and a complete North Pole workshop. Mrs. Santa came in and out on an electric track bearing a tray of cookies. And the lights? Fuggedaboudit. The display covered an entire block. Over time, the owners' neighbors got into the act and before we knew it there were just a few areas to visit in between hot chocolate stops.

These days, the indisputable zip code with the highest wattage is Dyker Heights - now famous for its Dyker Lights. It's become such an attraction that even jaded New Yorkers make the pilgrimage across the bridge.  Every year the local news agencies send teams to see what the newest displays are. Yes, there are moving parts, inflatables and full-scale Nativity scenes but this is mostly about LIGHTS. And it's not just a few overly egg-nogged families. It's hundreds. It's been said the lights can be seen from outer space.

I'll be making the trek again this week, but here are some of my pix from last year. Does your neighborhood have a holiday tradition? And what's your holiday style? Pottery Barn minimalist or Dyker Lights?

Visit Rosemary at www.rosemaryharris.com  and Like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RosemaryHarriswriter. And don't forget to leave your comment.

THIS JUST IN: Congratulations to Angelique Armae. She won the drawing for Rosemary Harris' new novel, THE BITCHES OF BROOKLYN.

 

Comments

[Charlaine Harris]

Oh my gosh, Rosemary, some of those displays are so over the top that I'm gaping! I thought we had some extravagant ones here, with their own radio frequency so you can admire the lights flickering to the music . . . . I've got to say, I love the book title!

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

Hey darling Ro! xooxo

I've gotta say..almost any kind of decoration is fine (to each his own, right?)--EXCEPT for anything inflatable. Yeesh. Whose idea was that??

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

(And love your new LW photo!!)

[Debbie Carroll]

I love the title of your book, and that Elaine Viets shared information about it to our Mystery Babes group! Merry Christmas!

[Karen in Ohio]

Wow. Can you say "energy crisis"? I guess that's not a consideration.

In the 90's we visited a friend in Palm Springs close to Christmas. She took us on a drive around town; they do some incredibly elaborate displays, including turning the garage into Santa's workshop, etc.

Right now there is a home in our community that has a small plane in the front yard, with Santa inside. The propeller slowly turns, 24/7.

[rosemary]

Hi ladies!
Yes...we don't exercise a lot of restraint in Brooklyn. But they're fabulous...I've learned to love them. I thought I was wild this year for letting my hubby put colored lights outside instead of white..

[rosemary]

Thanks Charlaine, for the kind words on BOB, I went back and forth on the title but I figured anyone who didn't see that the term was used with affection wouldn't "get' the book anyway.

[catriona]

I absolutely love over-the-top Christmas lights. More is more if you ask me and next time I'm in NYC in December I'm going to be crossing that bridge, finally. Here, by the freeway there's an old plumber's truck (Walton-era) with lights all over it and "Frank's Septic" picked out in red. Classy.

[Nancy Roessner]

I have BOB on my Kindle, so if I acquire it in the form of a 'real' book I'll give it to my daughter. She will love it as much as I did. Maybe more since she's in the age group depicted in the book.
We don't have the fantastic light displays your neighborhood does, but there are modest drapings of lights and a few inflatable Santas and reindeer. My son edged our porch in lights and I'm very happy with that. To see impressive displays we could drive down Lakeshore Drive/Jefferson Avenue in Grosse Pointe where the Ford mansion is.

[Velda Brotherton]

Fantastic photos and displays. Every year Northwest Arkansas has the festival of lights and the Fayetteville square is breathtaking. We toured it one year on our anniversary in a horse drawn carriage, listening to the music and being immersed in the fairyland effect. Lovely time of the year, great post.

[Mare F]

What fun. We did that when I was a child, but we had a distance to go between houses in northwest Connecticut. Have a wonderful time.

[rosemary]

Hi Velda and Mare - it's a fun tradition. Back in the day,we'd stay warm with a shared bottle of sangria and paper cups. We've graduated...;-)

[Gwen Mayo]

Reminds me of some of our Kentucky neighborhoods. Some folks have moved away just to escape the lights and music of Christmas.

[Kathy Reel]

I secretly would love to have a lit up yard for Christmas, but I'm basically too lazy. I know someone who does a huge display, and it takes a couple of months to set up.

I have been wanting to read The Bitches of Brooklyn, so I would love to win a copy. I speak fluent sarcasm, so I think it would be right up my alley.

[Angelique Armae]

Great post!

For years we decorated in one color. When I was a kid (in Brooklyn) I remember the tree always had red ornaments. In more recent years we've switched to all purple. Lights were either white or now purple.

Another thing I remember is that my grandmother always put up a nativity set. But the funny thing with that was whatever the grandkids tossed in the box while packing it away every year, went into the manger the next year. It grew to be quite the collection LOL! A matchbox car, a toy soldier, even R2D2 from Star Wars. I have no idea why my grandmother kept those items in the manger, but she insisted on it.

Here's to all memories and to making new ones.

Happy Holidays!

[rosemary]

Angelique, that's hysterical - R2D2 in the manger? Is anyone here old enough to remember a color wheel? One year my mother had one of these gizmos that turned your aluminum tree all different colors. We protested both innovations. Only lasted one year.

[Karen in Ohio]

My mother bought one of those silver trees one year, and we had a color wheel. None of us liked it, once the initial oohing and ahing was over.

[Renee Paley-Bain]

Is it too late? I already have the book on my iPad, but I'd love to be in the drawing as well. We natives of the Bronx, ahem, contend there are just as fabulous lights in the northern borough. But we enjoy hearing about Brooklyn, too. It's the New York City vibe that sparkles at Christmas. Fun, blog, Rosemary.

[krisneri]

Great photos, Rosemary! We're more the minimalist types, with just a simple wreath on the door. But that's because, if we did use lights, we'd be the people who left them up until summer. The book sounds super.

[Elaine Viets]

I loved BITCHES OF BROOKLYN, Rosemary. I couldn't put it down.
I'm a Christmas voyeur. I like to look at the big displays. But I can't get used to Christmas lights on palm trees. It ain't natural.

[Dru]

I use to love going to see all the lights. In Canarsie, one of the law offices would decorate with moving parts and you should see all the cars that stop, pause, glare and look before moving on.

[Maryann Miller]

Hi, Rosemary. I loved PUSHING UP DAISIES and can't wait to read the new book. I love funny stories, and you do have a way with humor.

Also loved the blog post. We, too, would always go looking at lights after buying our Christmas tree, but never saw quite the displays you described. Did you happen to watch the TV show that had families vying for a cash prize with their outdoor displays? I forgot the name of it, but the displays were awesome. I don't remember if Dyker Heights was one of the places, but there was one family from somewhere in New York.

[StorytellerMary]

Love the lights! . . . and a friend has assured me that children love the inflatables ;-) I was amused as could be by the multitude of snow persons (and one snow dog) in a neighborhood I drove through -- in this "darkest season" we need all the light we can find, and especially in friendship, which your BoB have in abundance. <3

[rosemary]

hi Maryann..so glad you enjoyed Pushing Up Daisies - my current plan is to have the gals from Dirty Business meet the B*tches of Brooklyn! i haven't seen that tv show but I wouldn't be surprised...there's a contest for everything on tv these days.
Ans thanks Storyteller Mary...it is above all a book about friendship.