Is this house just really a house? I suppose it all depends on the kind of “house” you grew up in. We have all heard discussions about what makes a house a home, and again, this can be very subjective. What happens when a home is sold and it is your first Holiday Season thinking about someone else making memories in that home? I am thinking about a very special home this Christmas season. It is the home where I spent every Christmas day for most of my years, and fortunately, my children were able to share in many of these memories.

900 Flying Fish street, my grandma and grandpa’s house. The home was sold this past summer and I was so anxious awaiting the close of escrow. Of course we all know that memories don’t get sold with the house…as memories are all in your mind and in your heart, but that’s much easier said…

Truth be told, I haven’t been able to drive near Flying Fish since the home sold. I actually drove down the street for the first time the other night (happy to say it was in the opposite direction) to look at the eventual winner on his lights contest. Even this was difficult. It is very hard to think about my grandma and grandpa’s house and not envision a large Santa sign on the door which read “The Minkey family wish you a Merry Christmas”, or the lights my grandpa hung so meticulously. Or the best…the 10 or so different types of cookies grandma made which totaled hundreds and hundreds of dozens. The smell walking up the driveway was amazing, but the love and laughter coming from inside was even better. Everyone was always welcome in this home, always.

I wonder all the time what kind of family will live there. Will they feel the love and joy that we experienced in that house? Will they play games until the wee hours of the night? Will there be children who will run back and forth from the path to Gull Park over and over again? Many kids form Foster City ate snacks and lunch that my grandmother lovingly made after play in that park. Of course, those were days when kids could stay in the park all day with no adults and go freely back and forth, but that’s a story for another day…

Houses get sold, people move on, but memories that are built in a home can move with you wherever you go. My children’s memories are now being built in the home my husband and I have made, and also in their grandma and grandpa Minkey’s home. Even though I will always have a difficult time driving by grandma and grandpa’s house I plan to keep the memories alive for my children with the hope that it will move with them to their home someday.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a joyous New Year from our home to yours!

It’s been obvious for awhile, huh? Congratulations to the Magro family from 999 Flying Fish on a fabulous display! They win a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay at the Metro Center. Also winning a similar gift certificate was one of you folks who commented…there were 87 comments, “likes” on facebook or e-mails sent to me. The winner here was drawn out of a hat by my lovely and faithfull wife Lesley…and it belongs to a person named Ricky who has yet to reply with his/her full name. (It’s still early after all…and we just pulled the names too). I’ll get back to you later with the full details.

Thanks very much for playing!! This was fun…I hope it was for you too!

Well, here it is! Your chance to vote for the best 2009 Christmas Lights in Foster City. Double click on any of the videos to see them in their larger version on YouTube.

By the way, it’s one vote per computer per day.. Any and all comments made here, or on any of the other posts will enter you into a seperate drawing to be held on Wednesday for a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Restaurant. The owner and creator of the best lights display will receive one too. You can also submit a comment or inquiry regarding the contest by clicking on the Ask Me button on the right margin. All of them are really great and all of these families deserve congratulations! Voting will end Monday night, December 28th at Midnight. Thanks for playing!!

Last, but certainly not least, is our final contestant. The Wenzel’s house at 515 Pitcairn. I had to avoid traffic so many times I ended up shooting this video at an angle that probably doesn’t show it off as well as I wanted to…but I can tell you it’s a fantastic display. One that’s well worth seeing! They were very high in the voting last year and I have no doubt they will be again this year. Remember…the voting starts tomorrow and ends at midnight on Monday the 28th.

Remember, each and every comment placed on any of the “lights” posts enters you into the eventual drawing for a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Restaurant…so feel free to engage your friends and family to participate.  There will also be a second $100.00 gift certificate that will be awarded to whoever is voted best lights display in Foster City out of the total contestants.

Some whole neighborhoods are ripe with lights this year. Most of Flying Fish is great, Pompano is terrific as is Catamaran as it turns into Spinnaker. Alden Park is another outstanding choice if you’re looking for a neighborhood to go see and this entry, 711 Anacapa is really outstanding. It’s the product of the Gregori family and it’s really fun!

Remember, each and every comment placed on any of the “lights” posts enters you into the eventual drawing for a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Restaurant…so feel free to engage your friends and family to participate.  There will also be a second $100.00 gift certificate that will be awarded to whoever is voted best lights display in Foster City out of the total contestants. Voting will begin Christmas Eve…and will last until Monday night the 28th.

This noble effort is Jeff and Kim’s townhouse at 747 Neptune and they are the reigning champions…having won this contest last year. It’s really an accomplishment and one that was hard fought for them as it was a battle with their HOA to keep it up. It’s great stuff, alot of fun, and worth the effort to go see it.

Remember, each and every comment placed on any of the “lights” posts enters you into the eventual drawing for a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Restaurant…so feel free to engage your friends and family to participate.  There will also be a second $100.00 gift certificate that will be awarded to whoever is voted best lights display in Foster City out of the total contestants. Voting will begin Christmas Eve…and will last until Monday night the 28th.

I misspoke on this video. This home is actually 296 Shearwater and is the product of the Wallace family. Not having a boat, it’s sort of a challenge to get good shots of waterfront lights displays. This one is clearly and wonderfully visible from Gull Park.

Remember, each and every comment placed on any of the “lights” posts enters you into the eventual drawing for a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Restaurant…so feel free to engage your friends and family to participate.  There will also be a second $100.00 gift certificate that will be awarded to whoever is voted best lights display in Foster City out of the total contestants. Voting will begin Christmas Eve…and will last until Monday night the 28th.

If you’re here looking for the Friday Foto contest…it’s on hiatus. Instead, here’s another opportunity for you to win something. Just like last year, we’re voting on the Foster City home with the best light display! There will be 2 gift certificates to Turtle Bay of $100.00 each given out, 1 to the winner of a drawing that will be done on December 28 that you can be eligible for simply by making a comment or by asking me a question in the “Ask Me” link on the right margin. The other gift certificate goes to the best house as voted on by you! Have fun, voting officially begins on Christmas Eve but feel free to comment right now. There’s more details on the posts from yesterday and Wednesday…so check it out.

Today’s contestant is the house at 999 Flying Fish and is the product of the Magro family. It’s a really terrific display with lots of moving parts…amidst a street filled with great displays. Check out the video!

Remember…any comment you make here will enter you into the drawing for the Turtle Bay gift certificate…so jump on it.

This fantastic entry is the product of the Turtletaub family at 394 Pompano. It’s got a ton of detail and is a strong competitor this year. Honestly, I’m surprised how many really great light displays there are in Foster City this year! Remember to check out the rules noted on yesterday’s post.

Remember, each and every comment placed on any of the “lights” posts enters you into the eventual drawing for a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Restaurant…so feel free to engage your friends and family to participate.  There will also be a second $100.00 gift certificate that will be awarded to whoever is voted best lights display in Foster City out of the total contestants. Voting will begin Christmas Eve…and will last until Monday night the 28th.

I’m suspending the Foto Contest for the rest of the year and in it’s place we’re going to, once again have a competition to see who has the best light display in Foster City.  Between now and Christmas Eve I’m posting a photo of a Foster City home that out does itself with a light display. This will include condo/townhouses as well as single family homes. This year…all on video! There’s two types of winners for this contest, 1) the homeowner who created these displays and 2) you who will vote on which one’s best. How will that work? From December 24th until Monday December 28 I’ll have a post with all the choices and you can vote for who’s best. The winners will be announced on Tuesday the 29th and will win a $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay Restaurant at the Metro Center. How can you win? All persons voting will be entered into a drawing for another $100.00 gift certificate to Turtle Bay. You win and the light creator wins too! Just to make it a little more fun, since we won’t be voting until all of the photos are published, any comment you make on these photo posts will be considered an entry into the drawing. Also, if you send me a message through the link on the right hand margin that says “Ask me Something, I know stuff” I’ll consider that an entry as well…You can just say “hi” as far as I’m concerned.

By the way, I’ve discovered that I am, indeed, not PC. I use the word Christmas. I’m truly sorry if I offend you, but I will have no problem wishing any and all of you Happy or Merry Kwanzaa, Diwali, Hanukkah, Ramadan…etc. Use of the word “Christmas” by me has no political or evangelical connotation here, although my family and I do indeed celebrate Christmas….it’s simply a fact of life in December.