O.T.T.

      It was a great shock to me when first arriving in Los Angeles on a Wednesday 11th December to see brightly lit houses like this. I've never got used to what is generally referred to as "the holidays" beginning so early and ending so promptly right after Christmas day. And of course there's Channukah and Kwanzaa at this time of year too.

       I grew up in a village where decorations were modest and indoors: a tree, paper decorations, and sometimes a crèche (a tradition begun by St Francis of Assisi). We usually decorated on Christmas Eve.

       Carol singing around the village during the week before the festive day was always fun especially the evening we'd ride an old Bedford bus to outlying farmhouses and cottages.

       Where I live now a lady for whom Christmas means so much organises a community choir and invites other groups to contribute to a concert of Christmas music early in December. From the beginning of December a star is lit on the top of Flat Top which is visible all over the valley.






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