By Bud Kennedy
bud@star-telegram.com
Ann Louden's Christmas lights are softer this year, and there's a reason.
That is, if there's anything soft about a 24-foot-tall tree with its own soundtrack and more than 4,000 lights.
Families making the drive into Rivercrest to meet Mrs. Claus or Superfrog handing out candy instead find a more graceful display focusing on Christmas music and miracles.
The way Mrs. Claus tells it, she was running out of reindeer and elves.
"Rudolph got married and moved to Florida," said Louden, host of the holiday attraction for 18 years along with her husband, Malcolm.
"Frosty the Snowman is somewhere in Wyoming. Buddy the Elf is on stage."
Buddy doesn't play Rivercrest lawns anymore. Singer Tim Halperin, a former
American Idol contestant, is touring to promote his
Under That Christmas Spell CD, including the song
Miracle.
"It was great to be out there and see the smiles on kids' faces," he said by phone.
"I think it was a tough decision for them to tone down the lights. But the new display is pretty awesome."
The Loudens' decision was not solely a case of attrition.
Ann Louden, a cancer survivor and chairwoman of TCU's Frogs for the Cure campaign, lost her mother last Christmas Day. So along with ornaments and candy canes, the changing tree lighting scheme includes Susan G. Komen for the Cure-Greater Fort Worth pink ribbons.
The Loudens and daughter Carey, 15, also scaled back on the thousands of incandescent lights to slow the nonstop traffic past neighbors' homes."For 18 years, our goal has been to give a Christmas gift to the community," Ann Louden said.
"We thought this year we'd focus more on music."
The flashiest light display in town now is probably on Montego Court in Ridgmar. It relies on a handful of tunes for a block-long LED show.
But the Loudens' tree changes colors to more than 600 songs, fifth-year creator David Abrams said. "The colors are cooler, more greens and blues," he said.
Plus plenty of TCU purple.
Bud Kennedy's column appears Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 817-390-7538Twitter: @budkennedy
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