December 17, 2012

• The Mikivity Scene: A Holiday "tradition" since 2011

  The  MIKIVITY Scene

  In the early evening hours of December 22nd, 2011, I began a new "tradition" by creating what I call "The Mikivity Scene" in the dining room window of my house. It was only three days before Christmas, and I have never really been one for holiday decorating. In fact, I'm not really one for opening my curtains and letting anyone see the inside of my house, which, as longtime readers of my blog already know, is filled to the brim with movie and cartoon collectibles, a massive entertainment system, multiple filled bookcases. Almost every wall is covered with art, cartoon cels, and my own drawings.

  

  That afternoon, stuffed and happy after our annual Christmas lunch and party at work, and helping in the cleanup since I'd drank a couple of beers and wanted to "sober up" before driving my month old new car home, I noticed one of the small lighted Christmas trees used as a table centerpiece had a broken base. Our controller told me I could take it home with me (along with a partial six pack of Corona). I figured I could fix the base and set the tree on my own dining room table. Some of the folks in the large mobile home park in which I live really go all out during the holidays. As I take my daily power walks around the park, I'm quite delighted and filled with the spirit when passing by the lavish decorated homes. We don't have real snow and icicles, but we have lots of Christmas lights. I propped up a cardboard Gumby and set some of my own collectibles around the tree, including Betty Boop, "Santa Croaker" and Nutcracker Guy.

   

  For my second incarnation of the "Mikivity" (a play on the word "nativity" although most of my decorating (so far) is of a secular nature) I planned ahead, and added a second window display, or tableau, containing my collectible figurines and dolls. I posted some photos in my previous entry showing last weekend's progress. 

  

  The ISO settings on my old Olympus digital aren't fine enough for me to shoot glorious nighttime shots, so I snapped this in the early morning hours at dawn. I looked around for some inexpensive light sets last weekend, and the Target store by my workplace was already pretty much sold out of light sets. On Friday, I scoured the Big Lots and local Target, and there was an even more meager selection. Yesterday (Sat.) morning, I ventured over to the Home Depot (I usually have a rule of not going shopping AT ALL during the three weeks before Christmas. You can't get a parking space, people are sometimes quite rude, the checkstand lines are always too long, and I feel "rushed". ) At 8am a lot of folks aren't up yet, so I looked around for decorations, specifically larger light sets, and couldn't find too much. What was available was already being marked down. I bought some small LED light strings. (they're QUITE bright). 

  

  After returning home, I made an attempt to trim the arborvitae in front of my house to make them look like Christmas trees. The pictures in my head were a lot more conical than the reality. You can't really make an older arborvitae any more sculpted than the oval shape God intended for it, before beginning to cut into wood. A late afternoon trip to Big Lots and the 99C Store got me some really inexpensive ornaments. With the lights and ornaments, I was only able to decorate two of the four shrubs. (I hope to get more "big balls" after Christmas for less than a buck each if the 99C Store still has any on clearance for next year.)

  

  Only one rail has garland and a light string. Our controller gave me two more of the Christmas tree centerpieces. I don't have enough electrical cord, but with materials I have at hand, I think I've got at least some of the effect I wanted. I'm pleased with the overall result, and I'm already planning 2013's Mikivity Scene. I don't go in for the same lighted white branch deers, santa hatted penguins and geese, and inflatable Santas and snowmen as everyone else. I like to be a bit different. I haven't noticed anyone else hanging candy canes from their shrubbery! All four arborvitae will be ornamented next year, and I hope to have a porch instead of a wheelchair ramp. 

  

  Close up of the right window. Betty Boop Santa plate, A 1987 Kris Mutt Target Christmas collectible stuffed dog, Santa hat on Gumby this year, plus Santa Croaker and Nutcracker Guy. Resting above Santa Betty is one of the plaques I got back in Sunday School for reciting the Christmas Story from the book of Matthew in the New Testament.

  

  Close up of left window. King Nutcracker Guy is new. Betty figurines. My "Ted" bear is on the left although you can't really see him through the screen. Another Santa hatted Gumby. Micky Mouse is in there and so are the Bailey's cups. Dream catchers hang to the left of both displays. 

  

  Here you can see Ted but not King Nutcracker Guy. The "Lenny Um Bug" from 1999 is resting on my limited edition 70th Anniversary Wizard of Oz Blu-ray. I hung the blue tarp behind the display so I don't see the lights when watching my entertainment, and nobody can see me either. I think I have a green tarp, and I'll hang that one next year, and possibly decorate it somehow. My place is in one of the back corners of the park, so there's not a lot of traffic on my street, but the gal across from me really decorates here home every year, and I thought I'd give her a wee bit of "competition." Three of my neighbors have complimented me on my Mikivity. 

  

  Now for something completely different. Here I'm flexing my new muscles. Sorry about the stained tee shirt. Just what I happened to be wearing around the house. (If it weren't so cold, I'd probably be naked. My sometimes clothes free lifestyle is yet another reason why I usually keep the shades drawn. ) This is a preview of my upcoming "Mike's ultimate body image post". Everyone I talk to in the park tells me I look incredibly healthy these days. Still have a bit of the spare tire to deflate, however. (And you heard it here first. In May, for the "Big Sixty", I think I might get inked somewhere. (not a dragon on the bald pate, either)

  

  After snapping photos of the Mikivity, I got this of the sunrise. It's behind a cloud, but at least it's not raining (right now.) I hope to make some time to do some visiting later today. I was almost thrown into depression again Friday afternoon, but decorating has brought a bit of the spirit back to my psyche.

   

  GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!

  December 16, 2012 11:27 AM

  • 9:51 am
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