Xtreme Christmas on HGTV

Howie and I enjoyed the Xtreme Christmas special on HGTV tonight. Did any of you catch it? We were blown away by the display in New Orleans. The man who does it is Al Copeland, founder of Popeye's Chicken. Here's HGTV's link: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/remodeling/article/0,1797,HGTV_3659_1581560,00.html

Hey you Louisianans...Have any of you seen this in person? It looks awesome!

We saw it and loved it. One of the ones shown is here in Nashville and we hope to get a chance to go and see it. Thanks for telling who the New Orleans gentleman is. I knew that I had heard of that man but we couldn't figure who in the world he was. You solved the mystery for us.

I searched Google for Al Copeland New Orleans and it brought up tons of links. When I added Christmas to the search, it brought up HGTV's page first.

Fortunately they are rerunning the show now and I am watching it. Some of these homes are astounding!

There used to be a whole neighborhood in Long Beach that we took the kids to see every year that did it up and the small huse in the middle of the block always had Santa wisit the kids rain or shine from 6 pm to 8 pm every evening from December 1st through the 23rd. I often wonder if they still do it.

I actually had that show on last night, but turned it off to visit with friends.

I remember well the excitement as a youngster when we would go for a ride to "see the lights" in the various cities where we lived. Not much to see out there anymore as a rule, except those few really big displays and then the traffic is terrible.

I was pleased to see some lovely Christmas lights on the farms all along the back-roads highway coming back from Boone one late night this week.

Kim, although I've never been in person, he does make the news here quite often. His decorations go on with much controversy. There was an outcry from neighbors over the years. Seems all the sightseers were a bit much for the neighborhood folks. I *think* (not sure) he was made to move his decortaions to another home he owned or he had to move..or the city councel closed him down one year..I can't remember what the story was. Maybe this year I should go check it out, we always make the annual treck to Christmas in the Oaks at the City Park Gardens, which is beautiful.

Do any of your towns have home decorating contests? Most do around here. You can spend hours touring all the beautful decorated homes. Some places every house for blocks will be decorated.
We live 5 miles from the closest town, their contest includes anyone with that post office address.
About 7 years ago we won their contest.
We cut way back because our electric bill hit the ceiling from all the lights.
Bernie

The local paper here in town holds a lighting contest and publishes pictures of the displays. I think they just have stringers cruise the neighborhoods and check out lights, plus check out tips from neighbors.

Lisa - if you go, get pictures! :D

We went last night to see two home that were out of this world. The homes were on the same cicle drive and it was almost a mile long.

I guess I'm kinda weird, but I have morality issues about this kind of excess, when there gets too be so much that it isn't even very pretty. Is this what Christmas is supposed to be about, even at the secular level? Besides, W.W.J.D.?

I guess it's a matter of personal taste and balancing that against the joy it brings people, especially kids. Our town lights the courthouse every year, and it's a big family tradition for many -- they cover the cost with some cruise-in's and other fundraisers through the year.

In talking to my children about their favorite Christmas memories, it is not the toys under the tree, but the displays they remember. Those people who decorated "over the top" made their little eyes shine with joy and expectation.

In the center of one yard, bathed in light from Santa Clause and reindeer displays, there was a life size manger scene. Santa was sitting in a chair at the end of the walkway for the children to come tell him their desires. My then 4 year old daughter and her 4 friends we had brought along jumped from the car and ran toward Santa. Their giggles filled the air as they skipped down the walkway faster than I could keep up.

Suddenly, the 5 girls stopped and stared at the manger. Without a word they held hands and started singing Away in a Manger. Sunday morning they had forgotten half the words and giggled their way through it but standing there they sang it all, beginning to end, without a giggle. You could have heard a pin drop as the mass of people stopped to listen. Then the entire crowd gathered about that manger and sang several other songs of praise.

Then the girls turned and skipped on down to sit on Santa's lap. He had tears welling up in his eyes and could hardly get out a HoHo Ho!

Those kids came to see the bright lights and Santa Clause The crowd there came for the lights and displays that this man had put out as a gift to the community. But what they all, myself included, came away with was the true meaning and spirit of Christmas.

So for me, there is no display too gaudy or over done. I just have to remember to stop and see the joy in a childs face and remember 5 little girls who sang slightly off key in innocent voices long enough to put it all into perspective.

Well, I do admit to being a northern Baptist prude. I don't have any kids, either, so I also lack that perspective.

I find ostentation and conspicuous consumption to be morally wrong when so many people in the world go without as little as adequate food and clean water. Maybe I feel this way since I live in one of the U.S. capitols of ostentation and conspicuous consumption.

If you think I am too judgmental or inflexible, feel free to pray for me about that. I don't want to be a "Pharisee".



This message was edited Dec 1, 2003 7:32 PM

Oh, Zany... that brings happy tears to my eyse...

Kelli, I understand your point and am not willing to judge you for your convictions. We just see things from different viewpoints. You see the extravagant displays and think of the poor who are suffering. I see them and think of the gift of beauty and joy they are offering to any who wish to view them and the pleasure and excitement they bring to a world that is all too often shrouded in darkness.

Darius, :~) it makes me smile when I remember it.

Guess we missed this 2 years ago in New Orleans. We spent Christmas there in 2001 and we did go to see the decorations at the Fairmont, an entire block long inside the hotel. We took a buggy ride on Christmas Day (before heading to Harrah's) and wound up at one home of Anne Rice and I met the lady who played George's mother on Seinfield and had a photo taken with her in front of Anne's limo. What a great Christmas that was! If we go again, will have to check out the Copeland place, can't believe we missed it as we were all over the place.

Candy, a buggy ride at Christmas sounds perfect!

It was fabulous!

Me and Estelle from Seinfield, now remember I was back stage with Tina Turner also!!!

And the Fairmont Hotel lobby New Orleans! What a blast!
Candee