Happy New Year?

Dear readers,

First I just want to wish all of you great winter holidays and may all of your wishes come true! So, I'm Inga Drani, an aspiring young journalist with a mysterious background. I hope this little introduction can help you understand my stories, so here we go. Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said "A goal without a plan is just a wish." This quote has been my motivation for all of my life, no matter where and how I lived. Back in Scotland, as a kid, I once wished I would achieve something beyond my wildest dreams, and I guess I'm working towards it, slowly, but patiently. My life has been full of excitement lately, but now I'm just taking sometime to relax and spend time with my favorite cat Lorei and his girlfriend Rochelle. I hope you will enjoy my little story and will keep reading my work!
Love always,
Inga Drani,
Buffalo Grove, IL


The holiday season isn’t only filled with cheer, but house owner’s crazy over decorating their houses just in time for the jolly old man.
“We usually start decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving because we are all free and it’s a chance for us to spend some time together,” said Marsha Karey, a local housewife.
However, this traditional decorating is only a happy memory in some lives.
“I felt really close to my parents. This whole season was way better when we got to do everything together because the winter holidays are all about celebrating family,” said Ethan Klegerman, a 15 year old whose family stopped decorating 2 years ago because of family issues.
Christmas is that special time of the year when families bond over some string popcorn, eggnog, and the excitement. The decoration of the house, however, is not only quality time for everyone but that special piece of spirit even the neighbors can see.
“Since our street doesn’t have street lights, our house was so bright with all of the decorations, it was like a star!” said Klegerman.
Unfortunately, the holiday cheer doesn’t spread onto every house and some families never get to feel that special bond that can only appear over quality time.
“We don’t really get along so when my mom tries to make us ‘bond together’ over decorations and stuff like that, it’s just really awkward for all of us,” said 16 year old Bailey Davis.
There are also some families that just don’t have the time to decorate, and this is when house-decorating companies like GP Resources and Window Washing Services come in. These local businesses mostly focus on washing windows, cleaning gutters, and pressure washing for the decks, driveways, etc; but they always find the time to help the house owners with their annual decorating of the trees, roofs, and other unreachable areas of their property.
“We don’t really decorate houses on regular basis, but it’s a good way to earn money during the holidays,” said Tadas Mernarusis, the owner of GP Resources.
However, these Russian businesses barely ever get any Russian customers for the decoration service, but not many wonder about the reason.
“Russians never really use our services because they are pretty much used to doing everything themselves since childhood,” said Mernarusis.
The many immigrants in U.S. are amazed at this tradition.
“I think it’s just happiness finding a way out of our heads! Every time I pass a house with lights or decorations on it, I feel the magic of the true Christmas cheer and spirit,” said Olga Gudymiyne, an employee of the Window Washing Services.