The Cozy Mystery List Blog

I just want to send a quick holiday greeting to ALL of you. 

Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just simply because winter is here:

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and/or Season’s Greetings to all of you!

My daughter came home on Friday, and one of the first things she noticed was that I hadn’t yet taken down my autumn leaf stickers that I decorate my computer desk with… She couldn’t believe that I hadn’t put up my wreaths and tree light stickers. I won’t go into detail (again) about how I decorate my computer desk throughout the year… suffice it to say that I do! (I’m pretty sure that it’s a fall-back to the days when I put up bulletin boards, etc.)

Anyway, I finally just got up some of my holiday stickers, but I have decided to forgo putting all of the stickers up since I’m getting such a late start. I don’t know what it is, but I just love to be surrounded by wreaths, stockings, tree lights, and more lights!

I think that because I find myself at my computer so much of the time, I simply want reminders of what is actually going on outside of “my own little world.” It’s easy for me to get wrapped up in my work at the computer, and every once in a while I simply enjoy looking up and being reminded of the time of year.

And, of course, since we don’t really have seasons here in San Antonio, I enjoy being reminded that there are actually trees with orange, red, and gold leaves that fall off of the branches in October and that snow does indeed fall from the sky during the winter.

So, I finally have some of my Christmas stickers up on my computer desk, but in less than a week it will be time to change them out for snowflakes!

Our children are in their early 20s, but we still drive around and look at Christmas light displays every year. We are so lucky that both of them are still able to join us for the holidays, and we take full advantage of their schedules. We love to “oooooh” and “aaaaaah” at the particularly good displays of light. (I know that the economy is hurting a lot of people, but there are still a lot of beautiful displays of Christmas lights all around.)

Most people already know about the Riverwalk Christmas lights. The lights are just one of this city’s beautiful attractions. I believe that the lights are on from Thanksgiving until past the New Year. I truly don’t know how the city is able to get all of those holiday lights into the tall trees that overhang the Riverwalk, but somehow, each year, it is a fête accompli! And, of course, all of the businesses that are on the Riverwalk also have their holiday lights twinkling.

Be sure not to miss the Christmas tree lights on the tree which is located right across from the Alamo’s entrance. I think that they try to change the tree’s decorations each year…

Years ago, when we still got the newspaper in paper form, the Express News had an article about a little subdivision called Windcrest that actually holds holiday light competitions every year. Boy, did we luck out because of Windcrest’s competitions! We have a lot of “oooooh”ing and “aaaaah”ing each year we visit that neighborhood.

University of the Incarnate Word has a dazzling display of white Christmas tree lights. The college’s campus has all of its many trees lit up, making it a truly sparking holiday world.

This year was our first year to go to Shavano Park to see the holiday light displays. A lot of the subdivisions are gated, but we drove through an area which isn’t gated. You can find it between Huebner and De Zavala on Lockhill Selma. The holiday displays of lights were phenomenal on the houses that were decorated. Be forewarned… be careful with the deer! We were able to see a buck and several cows in the yards… so drive safely!

Leaving San Antonio and heading north on I10, there is a little town named Boerne which participates in an event called the Texas Hill Country Regional Christmas Lighting Trail. We drove through Boerne’s main street last year and we had a whole lot of “oooooh”ing and “aaaaah”ing going on in our car!

There are two other areas which I cannot vouch for, since we haven’t driven to either of them. I can say, however, that we are going to be making our way over to both of these areas very soon:

I have found out that there is an area right behind The Forum shopping center that is quite nice to drive through. I have read (on some of the blogs) that you are supposed to go south on a street named Olympia. Olympia turns into Universal City Blvd., and apparently the holiday lights all the way down this stretch are beautiful.

The last place that I have discovered (but not visited yet) is Johnson City. I believe that it is located off of N 281, on W 290… an hour away from San Antonio. It is supposed to have the most beautiful display of Christmas lights found near San Antonio.  Apparently the whole town gets festive, from the Court House to their electric company!

Well, mystery readers, I know that this entry has nothing to do with mystery books, but my husband thought that I might be able to help someone in San Antonio who is searching around to find a new “oooooh” and “aaaaah” place to drive through and enjoy some beautiful holiday lights.

Be sure to take along your favorite Christmas CDs or cassettes!

PS>>> If you have any particularly good holiday light displays in your town, you are more than welcome to tell us about them in a comment to the blog…