What????

I'm sure that's what you're saying when you look at this photo!

This, my friends, is a "Gooney Ball" in progress. Yep. My DH is building a Gooney Ball.... but let me tell the whole story...

Once upon a time, a few years after we moved into our house, our neighbor walked across the cul de sac with a gift! It seems that his son had been given this gooney ball - which he passed on to his dad, who passed it on to us - because it just seemed like it would be perfect on top of the big "christmas tree" in our front yard.

So, knowing it was sort of a half-joke - J decided to figure out a way to mount the gooney ball atop the tree.... and wow - our neighbor was right - it was PERFECT on top of our tree! So... every year since, we have faithfully mounted the gooney ball atop our big tree. Each year the tree grows, and it becomes more challenging for J, and then last year - tragedy struck... the gooney ball DIED. (I mean, when you think about it - the fact that it kept lighting for something like 8 years is pretty amazing - it was bound to die sometime!!)

J went searching - and found and purchased what he thought would be the perfect replacement. A big, store made gooney ball - with light effects!!! (ooooh.... ahhhhhh.....)

Problem was - he couldn't figure out how to get it up on top of our tree (too heavy - no way to attach it to the giant pole he's used in the past) AND once it got up there - all those fancy effects? We wouldn't be able to reach the controller.

So, last week, he came to the conclusion that he was just going to have to BUILD HIS OWN GOONEY BALL. Thus the photo above - the new gooney ball - mid construction. We've had a minor setback. He underestimated the number of cups it would take - so he has to go buy more.

But - never fear - the gooney ball WILL rise again (even if it's Christmas Eve, J says).