At the beginning of the year I bought a couple strands of solar-powered small white LED lights. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, although part of my brain said it might be just the thing for during power outages.

Instead, I put the first strand along the inside edge of the front porch, by the dorr. I put the solar panel facing out, tucked above one of the posts. It was a few days before the lights lit up at all. Then, if I was home for the day, I’d see them on for about an hour just after it got dark.

I loved looking at them. They were blue-white, not too bright. They seemed so comforting and cheering. Every time I got to see them, it seemed like such a good, simple, good thing.

I’d bought, during that same trip to the hardware store, a programmable time. I set that up with my main floor lamp in the front room downstairs. I set it to turn on in the evening, not too long before I’d be coming home most nights. I thought it was a much better option when going away than asking neighbors to turn lights on and off.

So during the short days that followed, when I would come home, there was a light on inside. Usually the little LED lights had already gone out. It was nice coming home to a house that wasn’t dark. I wondered why I hadn’t done that earlier.

Recently we had some very sunny, warm days. I noticed that the little lights started staying on longer. Now they stay on quite awhile past when I come home. I love them.

I am very big on the idea of reducing light pollution. I hate the gazillion little solar lights people stick in their yards and the spotlights etc. But I love these lights. I look forward to seeing them.

So what can I say? This funny little hardware store purchase had made my life better in a completely human sort of way. We like to have a little more light in the dark days of winter. A light on inside makes the place look more homey. More welcoming. More like we want to live there.