MARK MY WORD: DECK THE HALLS AND ROOF: OUR HOME IS WIRED FOR THE HOLIDAYS

These days, it seems you can't celebrate Christmas without first decorating the outside of your home with enough lights to illuminate a major airport runway.

Last year, Joni and I were Mr. and Mrs. Scrooge when it came to outside lights: we didn't put up any.

Actually, it wasn't intentional on our part. All that outdoor lighting stuff just took a back seat to diaper changing, bath time, bed time, decking the halls and Christmas shopping.

But daughter Becca was disappointed by all that darkness. Naturally, we wanted to make amends this year and we did.

Joni and I spent the entire day last Monday decorating the front of our home and yard.

We put up so many lights that we had to go out and buy some extra extension cords -- Christmas green -- and other assorted electrical supplies.

I'm sure Union Electric is thrilled that we decided to plug into Christmas. I know Becca and her sister, Bailey, are.

For the next few weeks our yard will be home to two Christmas-tree shaped light displays, as well as displays shaped like a wreath and a reindeer.

We even have Season's Greetings spelled out in lights across the outside of one of our front windows.

Four reindeer, outlined in lights, decorate the front of the house. One of them even has Rudolph's nose.

Our street, however, doesn't have the Christmas glow of some neighborhoods.

You know the places I'm talking about. Some local neighborhoods are virtually awash in a rainbow of lights, Santas and sleighs.

Our family drove by one house last week that was blanketed in so many lights that you wanted to reach for the sunglasses.

Some people even count their lights. They know they've put up 4,500 strands of lights and they're proud of it.

I think this is a bigger deal for guys than gals. It's that "more power" thing with guys.

If you are going to put up lights, you might as well put up a ton of them, provided that you can untangle all those strands that apparently played "Twister" while they were stored in the attic.

With all those lights and that huge electric bill, Santa won't have any trouble finding your house.

Of course, Christmas lights often seem possessed with a mind of their own.

No matter, how many times you check the strands of lights, the fuses won't burn out until after you have outlined your entire roof with those colored bulbs.

Those little bulbs burn out, too. I've discovered an epidemic of burned-out bulbs along the gutter over my garage. Clearly, the Christmas Grinch has been hard at work.

Of course, it wouldn't be the holidays without bulb burnout. You don't want to miss the fun of standing on the top rung of the ladder on a pitch black, freezing, windy night, replacing all those little bulbs.

Things were easier a century ago. Either the candle burned or it didn't.

When it did burn, it was a definite fire hazard -- especially on the tree. But at least, those candle burners had the Christmas spirit. Never mind that they burned down the house or scorched Santa's nose.

But I have to confess I like electricity. Christmas trees and outdoor decorations wouldn't be the same without it.

It puts a lot more charge into Christmas.

~Mark Bliss is a staff writer at the Southeast Missourian.