 The Show of Shows in Hesperia By Ken De Laat There are few things that remain more consistent in my childhood memories than the appearance of Christmas lights. Our cul-de-sac street (referred to back then as a ‘dead end') had just over a dozen or so houses and only a few bothered with holiday lighting. My friend Hank lived across the street and his house was the most festive as his Dad put some time and effort into his display. Our house had a small collection of lights around the area by the front porch and and a couple of other homes maybe put out a string or two but just seeing them begin to pop up here and there produced a bit of Christmas spirit and more, importantly, it meant the Big Day was surely in sight.A couple streets over was house that, at the time, seemed like a massive display. There were lights along the house and even in the shrubbery and lo and behold some of them even blinked off and on. But that was as they say ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far far away’. When my kids were young house lighting had truly come into its own. Massive displays were common in our suburban neighborhood and reports of houses around and about the area that bordered on spectacular meant a nighttime drive to check out the efforts. There is still a bit of a thrill seeing the lights come up and hereabouts there are several places that utilize technology to create some impressive displays. Then there is the Deater Family show. Last year Doug Harmon did a story for us on the spectacle that piqued our interest, (https://www.nearnorthnow.com/the-pulse/christmas-lights) and running into Bobbi Jo Deater a while back she hinted that husband Tim had developed a few more tweaks to the display, apparently an ongoing, ever evolving process for him. Lil and I decided to combine one of our ‘in need of a really good burger’ visits to the Brown Bear in Shelby with a stop at the Deater Show. This, my friends, is the absolute motherlode of lighting excellence. If you have not paid a visit to the Hesperia area residence of Tim, Bobbi Jo and family you are missing perhaps the hands down best show in the region if not the universe. They have put together an innovative and downright magical show that begins on the hour and runs for 45 minutes AND includes musical accompaniment that can be tuned into your car radio while you watch. It is absolutely stunning and the photos here don’t come close to doing it justice, thus we refer you to the fb page called Deater Family Light Show. However, the only way to truly experience it of course, is to immerse yourself with an up close in person viewing. The house is at 6344 E Garfield Rd and easy to locate after 5pm for obvious reasons. If this doesn’t thrust your Christmas spirit into the stratosphere, you’ve way too much Grinchiness in you. Well done, Deater Family. Well done indeed. 
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“One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone It is indeed in full bloom and I don’t mean the Christmas cactus residing in the upper reaches of N3 World Headquarters and Endless Emporium of Decorative Christmas Spirit sometimes referred to as ‘Bronner’s West’. We’re talking gift seeking season. When you’ve Black-Fridayed, and Cyber-Mondayed all those deals on the array of electronics, gadgetry, and big items from big places it becomes time to truly shop. I mean set out on the hunt for those whose gifts might take a tad bit of thought and exploration while providing a smidge more meaning than, say, a gift card or other artful dodge. Never fear. Shopping With Ken (aka SWK) began several years back to shine a light on finding unique places for present buying pursuits. Having long been in possession of a personal prowess for procrastination, particularly when it comes to seasonal gift buying, starting SWK led to forging forward much earlier than the traditional day or two before Christmas, once an annual endeavor. Of course waiting until the clock starts ticking down is still the norm but the early exploration helps narrow the field of gifts when the “What do you mean Christmas is this Monday?” panic begins to settle in. I truly empathize with those who are mystified when it comes to finding just the right gift. I mean we all want our present to be valued if not downright treasured, right? It’s just that time seems to always be at a premium these days so this is our effort to bring a little perspective, perhaps provide a pointer or two for those in need of ideas. Thus the journey ahead. Starting this week we will explore some area options, in search of unusual, eclectic, adventurous or frighteningly useful items for gifting and follow through with checking out any reader recommendations that might sound compelling. So send suggestions via email ([email protected]) or through our comment section under this story and the crack SWK team will investigate and report on the grand array of gifting opportunities that thrive here in our beloved Near North. Remember, off-beat, non traditional, distinctive, quirky, novel and eccentric ideas are especially welcome. Here’s one of our stories from last year https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/shopping-with-ken-the-quest-for-creativity-brings-us-to-bitely Now send us those ideas, folks.And of course always remember…. Buy Local, Be Local, Rock the Mitten.  Man, does time seem to be speeding up? I know septuagenarians as myself often speak to the rapidity of time as one ages but doesn’t it seem as though the Halloween season has morphed quickly into Thanksgiving mode? And now Christmas itself sits a mere 5 weeks away! For those of us who are staying put this winter there is hope that perhaps January and February will zip by with the velocity of September and October. However,having weathered a lifetime of those months in Michigan, I am not foolish enough to be overly optimistic. All of us here at N3 World Headquarters want to wish our readers the happiest of Thanksgiving Days with hopes that within the abundance of things to be thankful for each of us find the majority of these to be the people in our lives. A few quotes for your Turkey Day amusement: “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.” - Oscar Wilde “If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get. “-Frank A. Clark “I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.” - Jon Stewart “Thanksgiving is possible only for those who take time to remember; no one can give thanks who has a short memory.”-Unknown “Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants.”- Kevin James “Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” -W.T. Purkiser “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.” -Erma Bombeck "As we express our gratitude we must not forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”-John F. Kennedy “I like football. I find it’s an exciting strategic game. It’s a great way to avoid conversation with your family at Thanksgiving.” - Craig Ferguson “Thankfulness is an attitude of possibilities, not an attitude of liabilities.” -Craig D. Lounsbrough “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.”-Oprah Winfrey “May your stuffing be tasty May your turkey be plump, May your potatoes and gravy Have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious And your pies take the prize, And may your Thanksgiving dinner Stay off of your thighs.” -Grandpa Jones Feast on, friendly readers, feast on.  By Ken De Laat Wow. Consumers Energy wasn’t kidding when they sent out word of the Reliability Roadmap initiative they unveiled in late September. https://www.nearnorthnow.com/the-pulse/consumers-vows-more-reliability The first step listed in their press release read… “Tree Trimming: Significantly increasing and staying at the cycle time needed to keep our lines clear of interference from trees, which is the most effective way to prevent and shorten power outages and improve system reliability.” Or in simpler language “We’re amping up the tree cutting.” Trees Inc. trucks have been seriously clearing the area around power lines. In fact their Grant office has been hustling to hire some folks to keep up with the cutting. Granted, from what we’ve seen and heard the cuts have been deep in some places and the roadsides are a feast for kindling collectors but hey, if they can achieve the #1 goal of “ No customer will be without power for more than 24 hours.”... Well… * There is an election Tuesday and on the ballot is a renewal of financial support for the Career Tech Center and county-wide Special Education services. A yes vote does not, repeat… DOES NOT increase your property taxes. This is a no brainer. Not only do these programs provide a broad spectrum of services for our special needs kids but with the trades taking center stage with an emphasis on promoting these careers to students, the classes offered at the CTC are more vital than ever. Of course you could stay home next Tuesday like somewhere around 80% of registered voters do when it isn’t a national election. When candidates are involved this inevitably leads to people getting elected by drawing something like 11% of registered voters. This opens the door for fringe candidates often leaving us with inadequate and ineffective representation. But if you care about the young people in our community you might care to get yourself to the polls this Tuesday and give them a big Yes. * Snow on Halloween? It’s been years since I did the door to door thing with kids or grandkids but I am a veteran of the white stuff during the haunted holiday along with a couple of freezing rain nights that brought about early endings to the candy collecting. And speaking of Halloween a recent broadcast on NPR explored the never ending myth of drug laced candy that persists despite no evidence of any incidents. No surprise here. I never knew of any drug user who would willingly give away any part of their stash. Ever. But given what people are willing to believe these days the ongoing survival of this conspiracy theory is all but solidly assured. * Having recently returned from Ireland where limericks are a popular genre for expressing oneself we were inspired to put this one together. There once was a bitter old bloke Who called N3 “Everything Woke!” He thought his signs wise But to no one’s surprise Most saw them as just a bad joke Gach rud dhúisigh  |
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