I Know We Can Make It

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I was going home one night in mid December past a house that in past years has offered very creative and large lighted Christmas decorations ( the year before it had been "Fa la la la la la la la la" on colorful stacked blocks about as tall as a house). This is what I saw and I only had my cell phone camera at the time. I intended to go back with the real camera and get some decent shots to show you, but we had all that snow and then we were out of town, more snow, yadda yadda. . . I was hoping it was still up when I went back in the fog last night with the real camera and tripod and it was. The home owner has mounted the 3' high letters (made of polyester batting, 3 types of Christmas lights, and some shiny embellishments) on flexible metal fencing grid and hung it from a tree at an angle facing traffic. It lights up the whole street. I'm betting there's a party there next Tuesday night ;^) .

Update: Although folks are probably more likely to crank up the Goo Goo Dolls' "Better Days" as inauguration day gets closer, here are the lyrics to the Pointer Sisters huge hit song Yes We Can from many, many moons ago. Perhaps they will serve to inspire US folks considering following through on the president elect's request that Americans spend a few hours volunteering time and service in their communities on this Monday's national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday:

Now's the time for all good men
to get together with one another.
We got to iron out our problems
and iron out our quarrels
and try to live as brothers.
And try to find a piece of land
without stepping on one another.
And do respect the women of the world.
Remember you all have mothers.
We got to make this land a better land
than the world in which we live.
And we got to help each man be a better man
with the kindness that we give.
I know we can make it.
I know darn well we can work it out.
Oh yes we can, I know we can can
Yes we can can, why can't we?
If we wanna get together we can work it out.

And we gotta take care of all the children,
the little children of the world.
'cause they're our strongest hope for the future,
the little bitty boys and girls.

We got to make this land a better land
than the world in which we live.
And we got to help each man be a better man
with the kindness that we give.
I know we can make it.
I know darn well we can work it out.
Oh yes we can, I know we can can
yes we can can, why can't we?
If we wanna, yes we can can.