November 27thThanksgiving Day5:00 p.m.  Traditionally, Lake Forest residents decorate their homes for Christmas no later than Thanksgiving Day just because they wish to enjoy the fruits of their labor for the entire holiday season. This year was no exception. The homes were decorated to the extreme. Hundreds of hours were invested in each house as the owners expressed their Christmas spirit in their own unique way.       A large crowd gathered toward the middle of the block of Festive Lane.      The house sitting at 148 Festive Lane was no longer the ugly duckling home of the neighborhood. It may not have been the largest or the newest home, but it was, without a doubt, the most festive and cheerful.       A large Plexiglas-covered display centered on the front lawn just below a large beautiful bay window, which recently was installed. The display on the grass was lit from within, where the lights shined on an array of mechanical characters that moved and sang. The theme was "Twas the Night Before Christmas," as was indicated by a red and white sign that acted as a marquee attached to the top of the display.     As the elves loaded Santa's sleigh with lots of shiny wrapped presents, Santa and Mrs. Claus watched from the house's bay window. Audio speakers played various Christmas melodies, including one long-forgotten tune called "Hardrock, Coco, and Joe."      Red, blue, green, white, yellow, and orange bulbs lit up the entire area with a warm and pleasing glow. At the very top of the house was a sleigh with Santa inside calling out to eight life-size reindeer, "Merry Christmas to all a goodnight!" The sleigh and reindeer gave the illusion of flying in mid-air, but in reality, it was connected to this grand old house and the most contemporary mansion that stood next door.      A young couple and a small boy walked out of the house carrying more decorations. As they walked toward the display on the lawn, the crowd still gathered, applauded, and some of the people shouted, “Hey, nice job,” and “It looks beautiful!” The young man carrying a string of colored lights waved as he smiled at the gathering.     As the crowd migrated down the block to the next estate, they undoubtedly could recall that this old house was the neighborhood's eyesore less than a year ago. The exterior improvement included newly painted gray and white trim and eaves, the richness of the deep reddish-brown brickwork tuck-pointed and sandblasted. Also, newly installed windows and freshly planted evergreen bushes and trees landscaped the home impeccably. This was, once again, a stunning home... listen now.

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