{"id":9688,"date":"2019-12-04T06:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T11:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spritewrites.net\/?p=9688"},"modified":"2019-12-04T11:36:38","modified_gmt":"2019-12-04T16:36:38","slug":"virtual-advent-tour-2019-day-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spritewrites.net\/?p=9688","title":{"rendered":"virtual advent tour 2019: day 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Virtual<\/a>
\nWelcome to the fourth day of the Virtual Advent Tour!<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

Every year my best friend, Karen, and I get together the weekend after Thanksgiving to catch up and do a little Christmas shopping in Putnam, Connecticut, which is roughly halfway between her house and my parents’.<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

For the past three years, the town has gone all in on being a destination for holiday merriment, adding many events to promote their Main Street businesses. One of which is their Gingerbread Trail, where businesses vie to create the most impressive gingerbread structure.<\/p>\n

These range from traditional North Pole villages to Victorian mansions.<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

Some make good use of confections, such as this house’s marshmallow snow:<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

While others depict whimsical scenes, such as Santa and Mrs. Claus relaxing in their hot tub:<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

Then there are the more eclectic entries:<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

And those that skirt the traditional definition of gingerbread house by using a more mixed-media, but visually arresting, approach:<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

There can be casualties:<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

But in the end, with a lot of elbow grease — and even more sugar — beautiful things can be made.<\/p>\n

\"Putnam<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

Putnam always puts on a good show, and Karen and I enjoyed wandering the Gingerbread Trail once again this year.<\/p>\n

Thanks for letting me share it with you.<\/p>\n

\n

Would you like to share some of your holiday festivities as part of the Virtual Advent Tour? Drop me a note in the comments, and I’ll get you signed up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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