David Dwight Sturgeon, a local electrician, whose home just happened to be not that far from the Ranch, wanted to brighten his ill son’s spirits so he hand dipped light bulbs in red and green paint and strung them around a tree in the yard so his son could see them from his bed.
Sturgeon had no idea how his efforts would change the way that people celebrate Christmas all over the world. Although Sturgeon did not invent indoor Christmas lights (that was Thomas Edison, back in the 1800s), according to Sturgeon Electric’s Marketing Director Erin Stromberg — his innovation spread like wildfire throughout early 20th-century Denver.
“People went past the house and saw it and liked the look of it,” Jason Hansen, History Colorado’s director of interpretation and research said. “And we then as now knew that they had to keep up with their neighbors. “And so, the next year, there were a few more houses with Christmas lights, (and) after that even more houses had Christmas lights, and it spread really rapidly throughout Denver,” Hansen continued. As the outdoor lights became more widespread, an intrepid reporter from the Denver Post took note. Francis “Pinky” Wayne picked up the story and wrote several articles on Sturgeon’s invention, according to local freelance writer and historian Rosemary Fetter. The idea’s popularity spurred Wayne to organize the first outdoor Christmas lighting contest — which drew hundreds of participants. Soon after, the tradition had gained a foothold across the front range.
Wilson: Whoa, that’s pretty interesting info. Who knew?!
Elsa: I know, right? What a brilliant idea by Sturgeon, all in his quest to make his son feel better. ‘Course, we’ve whistled past those humble beginnings as lights tend to be mass produced and imported from China these days. Still, you gotta tip your hat to that loving Dad for his efforts.
Wilson: Well, I’m quite happy to that actually since Mum’s been ‘decorating’ me once again. When I was less than enthusiastic, she told me not to get my tinsel in a tangle. I’m sorry, don’t see any tangled tinsel here, do you?
Elsa: Dude, it’s a figure of speech. Why do you have to take everything so literally?
Wilson: Well, I’m from the “show-me” state where we expect people to mean what they say.
Elsa: {eyes rolling} You gotta lighten up and stop being so serious. Hey…wait a minute, I thought you were a British dog?
Wilson: I am, but I grew up in Missouri.
Elsa: You just can’t help yourself, can you?
Wilson: What do you mean? I just think everyone should mean what they say.
Elsa: {moving along} So, do you have anything else? I know Mom’s activity has been curtailed with her bizzaro injury. Leave it to our Mom to figure out how to fracture her sternum.
Wilson: She’s been pretty wiped out from it and hasn’t been able to get outside as much as she normally would. She got pretty exhausted after our hospital visits and has been trying to keep a low profile when it comes to being out and about. She can’t take deep breaths without a whole lot of pain so I’m doing my best keeping her pinned down by laying on her by making sure she doesn’t hurt herself while trying to find interesting scenes to photograph.
Elsa: Yeah, she’s been extra careful on the walks. I walk pretty slowly these days and she hasn’t tried to hurry me along. She’s hoping she will get better soon to be able to keep up with her scheduled commitments.
Wilson: Apart from her injury, there really hasn’t been all that much to photograph anyway. The landscape has been drab and brown, so we decided to share some interesting Christmas wreaths from around the ‘Hood. They sure beat those tacky inflatables.
Elsa: Wreaths, huh? Ok, I’m in. Waddu got, House Pony?
Wilson: We looked around our neighborhood and tried to find the prettiest, most unusual and even one odd one that’s not really a wreath but Mum just couldn’t resist taking a picture of it. So what’s a wreath anyway you ask? Wreaths were originally constructed of evergreens to represent everlasting life brought through Jesus and the circular shape of the wreath represents God, with no beginning and no end. We’ve come a long way since ancient times.
Elsa: Well here’s a pretty traditional wreath. Put me down as liking this one. It’s tasteful and subtle on a second story balcony.
Elsa: I really like that last one. It’s so wintery looking, even though our temps have been in the 60’sF this week. Yeah, you read that right, s-i-x-t-i-e-s! Here are a couple more. Mom liked the jingle bells wreaths and just couldn’t resist that guitar…which isn’t a wreath at all…it’s just a single ornament, but how cute is it??
Wilson: Pretty adorable I say, Ninja. Well that’s all I have for this last week before Christmas. We hope you have a festive weekend and are able to get outside to see some nature. Be safe and don’t break anything. I’m booked solid for the next several weeks providing therapy to my Mum.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Thank you for tasteful rather than tacky, we are so over the latter, too. And also for sharing such interesting stories of Christmas lore …. on another note: take care of you, be well soon, rest easy … Wilson, lay off Mommy, no sleep, nap, jump upon her, okay, okay?
Thanks so much for the well wishes. We needed to start focusing on more pretty scenes of the holiday, not those tacky inflatables and definitely not every single possible decoration crammed in a single yard. Wilson is trying to be good about providing so much therapy. He means well…he’s just larger than life. 🤣
omg – so sorry about your injury – wishing you a speedy recovery. love the idea of decorating the dog rather than the rest! to me, those inflatables are metaphors for xmas – the over the top blown up, then the gassed out deflation…
Thank you. It’s a 6-8 week recovery period. Eek. I’m with you on the inflatables. They look so cheap. And then you have to store them for 11 months out of the year. Totally not worth it.
Lovely wreaths and a splendid picture of Wilson. Happy Holidays, Monika!
Thank you. Right back atcha, Sue.
Yikes,A broken sternum?? OUCH, need. May your pain levels subside and I hope it heals well.
ears ago, (1982) I was in an accident, and the seatbelt shoved my jackets think zipper, a thick locket and the underlying shirt button into my sternum…you could see the imprint on the X-ray, but I couldn’t take deep breaths either…or lift my arms, and driving the loaner car I had for a while, was very hard to turn the steering wheel…no power steering…sigh… I feel you pain for sure! my cat had been totaled, but other than bruises and the sternum issue, I walked away from that mess, as did the other driver, Phew!! God has=d some strong angels around me and him.
What a quaint story about the origin of Christmas lights! I had no idea!
I love those wreaths, too. simple, and ever so beautiful in their calm way.
Take care of your Mom, Elsa and Wilson! Wilson, you have the perfect training to do that work! Imagine that!
Look at all of those typos!! Auto correct is funny sometimes…I like the red underlines better…
No worries. Technology has a strange sense of humor at times. My break was similar. The sterling silver bone I always wear with some of Norman’s remains, was on a long chain. The impact of a sudden braking (I was in the back seat) hit exactly at the fracture spot. You couldn’t recreate that incident again in a million years. Like Santa, my sweet boy gave me a sign he continues to watch over me. 💙 Whenever an airbag goes off, it almost always results in a broken sternum from the seatbelt. Guess that’s better than going through the windshield but dang, it sure hurts. Thankfully, the break wasn’t displaced. Whew. I could do without the hiccups. LOL
Those wreaths were so beautiful. Happy holidays!
Thanks guys. We hope you have splendid holidays!
Lulu: “Your poor Mom! 6-8 weeks recovery! We hope she starts to feel better before that!”
Java Bean: “Sí, we sure do! How long is she going to have to wear a Cone of Shame?”
Bwahahaha! She’s a human and should wear the cone of shame ALL the time. 🤣 Thanks guys. She needed that smile.
Nice wreath finds, I’m glad you shared these creations, their symbolism and the origin of tree lights (in Denver, no less…who knew?).
Hope you have a speedy recovery, Monika. Sounds painful!
Take it easy!
Thanks much, Eliza. The story about Sturgeon was very heartwarming. Fascinating too as my Dad worked for Sturgeon Electric a couple of times during his career. He always said it was a good company and the touching desire of the father for his son seemed to underscore that. I always enjoy seeing a lovely wreath any time of year, but they’ve been particularly enjoyable this year in the midst of all the claptrap holiday decor that’s popped up. Have a lovely weekend.
Oof, take it nice and easy mama. That’s nothing to mess around with. And hey, you have two wonderful kids who will be looking out for their mum so you’ll be just fine with time.
As for David Sturgeon, I think he retired the “Dad of the Year” award.
We had temps hit 60 the other day and while it felt good in the moment, I kinda wish they had topped out in the mid forties, because going from 60 to low 20s . . that’s just no fun at all.
Have a great holiday weekend everyone.
Thanks so much, Marc. Those wide temperature shifts are brutal. It’s been hovering around 60 most of the week and I know the other shoe is gonna drop. I’m already shivering just thinking about it. The nursing corps are doing an admirable core. Had they had thumbs, they’d no doubt would have done something similar to Mr. Sturgeon to brighten my spirits. 🎄
They are!
We are in the twenties this weekend and it really blows when just a few short days ago, it felt like spring.
They are the best.
Love your Santa Hat! That was a cool story about the outside Christmas Lights. The door decorations are very pretty too.
Thanks, Terry. We thought the story about how outdoor Christmas lights came about was pretty cool. And we’ve really enjoyed finding pretty door wreaths-they’re so much nicer than those inflatables. Wilson is becoming a pro wearing hats. Now if only they’d stay on him. 😉
We have never heard of anyone with a fractured sternum, it sounds awful! How in the world did she manage that? Goodness! Love the wreaths. We love color at our house, so the one with the ornaments, and the berries one are our favs. Mom saw the jingle bells one and imagined all the noise that would make when the door opens and closes, yikes.
Be grateful you’ve never encountered this type of injury. Almost every airbag deployment causes broken ribs or sternum. It’s awful but probably better than going through a windshield. My injury was not caused by an airbag deployment though. I love those colorful ornament wreaths, too. So cheerful and festive. A lot of those jingle bell wreaths don’t have a regular ball/ringer and if they do, it’s fairly muted.Thank goodness-nobody needs racket whenever they answer their door! Have a great weekend.
Beautiful pics for the season. I appreciate their simplicity. But wait … Wilson can dress for the season but Elsa can’t … (or won’t)!
Thanks, Frank. Elsa dressed for the photo shoot but nothing quite like Wilson. I try to minimize her stress levels so as not to trigger a seizure. I’ll post her pic Monday.
Definitely a good reason. 🙂 Forgot to say, I enjoyed the video about Christmas lights in your city. … Broncos may have lost last night, but they are still in the playoff hunt!
Thanks, Frank. I’d heard the story once but didn’t realize there was a whole video about it. Silly me…YouTube has everything!
Time will tell with the Broncos. The AFC West is loaded with lots of talent and better teams but we’ll see. I’m more interested in the Av’s playoff chances. As usual, injuries have really hurt them this season. Hard to play consistent hockey with new linemates.
Those wreaths looks wonderful Monika and we send lots of love and healing thoughts your way 💜💫 xxx
Aww, thank you, Xenia. The wreathes have brought the Christmas spirit to my heart.
Oh, Monika. That does sound painful. I hope you heal quickly. I enjoyed the wreaths a lot. Much better than some of the stuff I will be showing on Sunday. Merry Christmas to you, Wilson, and Elsa.
Thanks so much, John. It has been excruciatingly painful but I’ll get through it eventually (it’s a 6-8 week recovery period). Luckily my 4-legged nurses are taking good care of me. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got cooked up for Sunday. Have a festive weekend!
Thank you, Monika. Wishing you less pain.
You’re too kind-many thanks.
😊
First and foremost, we sure hope your Mom heals up quickly!
We really enjoyed learning about the Christmas lights…and all those wreaths are so very pretty!!
xoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
Many thanks for the well wishes, Rosy & Sunny. We have to admit looking for wreaths instead of at those inflatables has improved Mom’s Christmas spirit and let me tell you she needed it!
Your fur-iends,
Elsa & Wilson 🐾
These wreaths are just beautiful! The plain one on a modern house looks so right. And the little guitar is adorable as is the house pony! Have a restful weekend, time heals.
Many thanks, Martha. Those wreaths have brightened our Mom’s spirit significantly. She just chuckled at that guitar ornament hanging like a wreath. Someone living there must be a musician with a sense of humor. Have a festive weekend!
that was a super interesting christmouse information… youw wilson maybe has this special showtime genes, like one of his cousins who was in a tv show for many years… the mama watched it only because of this pup…
The breed definitely draws attention. Luckily they don’t mind so much. Have a great weekend.
This is grand and “electrifying” history.”
{Giggle} Indeed!
Very festive blog, it’s putting me in the spirit! Outdoor Christmas decorations here in San Diego still crack me up (lights and fake snow on palm trees, etc.)
{Snicker} Don’t recall the fake snow back 100 years ago when I lived in SD. That Corona beach commercial with the lighted palm tree always makes me smile. Here’s wishing you a festive weekend!
The fractured sternum sounds absolutely miserable – I hope it heals soon. Ouch!! But lovely wreaths. I’m with you – nice tasteful wreaths and forget these inflatable miseries. They’re so lacking in the creativity that these beautiful wreaths demonstrate. Have a merry Christmas!
Thanks, Debra. Wreaths are so much more welcoming that all that clutter from over the top inflatables everywhere. Holiday decor doesn’t have to ‘entertain’ me…in fact, less is always more and easier on the eyes. It’ll be a 6-8 week recovery process. Mom is hoping to avoid sneezes and hiccups for the next few months. Have a festive weekend!
6-8 weeks….yikes. Feel better as soon as possible.
Thanks. Yeah, that’s the best case scenario. It could be 3 months or longer. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Ugh!!! Paws crossed here too for the best possible scenario.
I did not know that about Sturgeon inventing outdoor Christmas lights! How very interesting!
Wait … what’s this about breaking your sternum? Ouch! I do wish you a speedy recover from a painful injury.
And if you don’t post again before Christmas, have a wonderful Holiday!
Thanks Amy. My dad worked for Sturgeon’s at various times over his career and even I had no idea. Also didn’t realize how close the family home was to ours. It was a truly freak accident. I got ‘lucky’ the bone wasn’t displaced so no surgery to protect the nearby organs. But yeah, it’s a colossal pain, literally. And hiccups…yikes…so awful! Very best wishes for a very Merry Christmas to you and yours, including your sweet pups.
Fractured sternums are painful because they move every time you breath. Wishing you a speedy recovery (if that even exists! 🙂 ) Beautiful wreaths!
Thanks, Kate. Yes, it’s ironic that you seem to experience more sneezes and hiccups when you have an injury to the rib cage. I look forward to being able to take deep breaths in about 6-8 weeks. 🤞🏼
That’s a common injury with airbags even in minor accidents. Yes 6 to 8 weeks. Can’t hurry love or healing!
Yup, almost everyone breaks ribs or their sternum from airbags deploying. My injury was compounded with a sterling silver necklace containing a bit of Norman’s remains that laid right at the sternum. Impact at that spot is what broke the sternum. You couldn’t duplicate that injury if you tried. At least it wasn’t displace-that would have required surgical intervention to protect nearby organs.
Wow! I didn’t have any jewelry on when it happened to me but it still was painful.
What are the odds? 😉 And yes, it was extremely painful in so many ways.
Such a lovely header! And those wreaths are super!
You two take care of your mum, make sure she takes it easy….such a horrid thing to happen to her, so hoping she can recover soon.
Thanks so much for the kind comment and well wishes-recovery should take about 6-8 weeks. In the meantime, we’re keeping a sharp eye out for her. Clearly she can’t be trusted to stay well on her own. Luckily she has us. Have a terrific weekend.
We are not fans of the “ticky tacky” overdone yard decorations BUT we also think some people just can’t help themselves with excitement over the holidays. We don’t do much here on the outside – some lights on our porch railing, a door wreath and wreaths in our garage windows. We like to think it’s tasteful BUT who knows! Wilson we think you look ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE in your Christmas garb. Hope your Mom has less discomfort every day and is 100% recovered soon – in fact – we’ll make THAT one of our Christmas wishes!
Love, Pam and Teddy
Thank you for good wishes. It’ll be a number of weeks before that bone is healed (there’s nothing you can do to help it along-just time). We’re with you on overdone decorations which seem to be becoming more prevalent these days. Have a great weekend!
Thanks for the info on Christmas lights, Elsa. I didn’t know when/where they began. Whether it’s lights or wreaths, I prefer, as you said, “tasteful and subtle” – that’s a good combo, Give mom our best wishes for a speedy recovery, and go easy on her for a few days.
Thanks Dan. Us dogs aren’t familiar with the term ‘easy.’ What does that even mean? 😆
Well, it means, um, never mind.
We all like the 2nd one best. Wondering if those berries are good to eat… XOX Xena
Thanks, Monika for the video. It was so enlightening (no pun intended) and heartwarming, too. Hope your poor sternum heals quickly and no more pain. Amy
Thanks, Miss Amy. It’s about a 6-8 week recovery period. Mom keeps wondering why you tend to sneeze or cough more with a rib injury. We think maybe she’s just ‘lucky.’ We didn’t know the story about Christmas lights and thought it was interesting. Sadly those berries aren’t edible but they look like they’d taste just fine-at least that’s what Wilson thought/was hoping for, too. Have a lovely weekend.