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Showing posts from December 23, 2009

Oh Christmas Lights

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It's surprising to think that a street named after a humble 3x5 card could be so ostentatious, but drive along Index Street between Louise and White Oak on any December evening and you'll be dazzled by the number of houses with elaborate, twinkling Christmas light displays. The show continues as you wind through the neighborhood on Donmetz, Lahey, Encino, "Candy Cane" Lasaine, and Jellico streets. This density of decorating can't be an accident, I assume; it looks like an agreed-upon, coordinated effort. And in fact it is, but only in part. This neighborhood light display grew somewhat organically -- one house started up, and then the house across the street from them, and so on, and so on. And ground zero for this explosion of Christmas cheer is Cheryl Ford's house on Jellico Avenue -- the one with the Ferris wheel. "My husband and I moved onto Jellico avenue in 1977, so this is our 32nd Christmas here," Cheryl says. "When we moved in, th