Christmas Threw Up on the Farm

First off, I'd like to say I'm not a huge Christmas person.  I don't believe I need a holiday to prompt me into sending out love and cheer, nor do I feel bound to give gifts at this time.  Don't get me wrong, I love to send out care packages, but I do them when I feel like it.  My friends will tell you, they love to get things out of the blue and just because I saw something that made me think of them!  I also think the true meaning of the holiday has lost its way, and I'd rather have joy, generosity, and general sunshininess in my heart every day of the year, not just Dec. 25th.  I feel the same about sending out cards, Christmas is great, but what's really truly wonderful, is sending out notes to folks just because you wanted to say "hi, you are in my thoughts" and not because its a socially EXPECTED norm for a holiday season.  
(On to my story, sorry about the tangent)
Since my arrival in Eastern Pennsylvania, I have been making a few friends.  Not so easy when your main hobby is writing letters- a generally solitary activity.  So when I got the call to go out to a Christmas display with a group of great ladies, of course I accepted. We drove to Bernville, PA in the Blue Mountains to see a 60 yr old Christmas display on a farm .   The farm is no longer a working farm but is the home of a gigantic Christmas extravaganza. I was warned to dress in layers as the exhibits were outside and the we followed a path with a few hundred other sight seers that snaked through about 3 acres of lights. 
Much to my eyes amazement there were lights, lights and cold everywhere.  They also had 5 warming stations with items for purchase which is where I found these nifty postcards for sale!

I really liked the little vignettes they had made into the out buildings (the chicken coop was Santa's Workshop, the milk house was a winter wonderland, etc).  If Christmas could throw up, I'm pretty sure this is what it would look like!

All in all we had a good cold time!  And I got some terrific postcards for postcrossing.  I'm not sure I would brave the cold to do it again next year, but it was definitely a site to see and a tradition for many of my fellow local Penn staters.
Hopefully the holidays will bring you plenty of cheer that will make your whole year Christmas!
-b