Nostalgia & Christmas Concert

Nostalgia

There was a place that my family went in December occasionally to look at the seasonal displays of lights and decorations.  I'm pretty sure I was singing Christmas carols on the way at least one of the times I went.

One of last times (perhaps not the very last) I went, we took my Grandma out of a nursing home to go see them.  We couldn't get her out of the car I'm sure, but...

It's kind of sad to see from a search that Mr. Balian of that house died a few years back, and things were being sold off from the estate (including the decorations). We also have visited another street with lights (probably Christmas Tree Lane), but it wasn't to the level of the Balian house. The lights and decorations of the Balians were quite something spectacular to look at.  They also often had audio music going on.  I'm wondering if one of the last times they had that silenced.  I wasn't a fan of the Santa parts of the decorations, but they had a section for the nativity and other things that were of interest to me.  

I've seen people (more than one source) sharing some of the luxuriousness they saw at the estate for the sale (including the inside).  Art, architecture, carpets, light fixtures, fancy windows, furniture, swimming pool, a grandfather clock, and expensive looking (and probably older) doodads.  There was a painting or art of the couple which looked like it depicted their wedding.   I know they were supposed to be known for their ice cream, but I don't remember ever having Balian ice cream.  Perhaps some of you do.  I don't know what has become of the house since the estate sale, but perhaps someone else can do more research. 

BALIAN HOUSE DISPLAY someone else took perhaps 7 years ago (date on video upload).

BALIAN HOUSE ESTATE photos.

I realize that Christmas is more than about decorations for Christians.  The mythology about Santa was always a distraction from remembering the Incarnation of Christ.  My parents didn't teach me to believe the myth (though reportedly the myth was based on a real person or two from history).

Christmas Concert

Grace Community Church in California usually streams their Sunday Christmas concert in December (not the other ones), so if you live a long way off like I do you probably will be able to watch on December 18, 2022, on the church live-stream site.  If I learn differently, I'll try to update this post.  The concert starts at 6 PM Pacific / 8 PM Central / 9 PM Eastern / 2 AM Monday for GMT.  It's a 2-hour concert.  Look HERE about the concert & HERE.