XOXOXOXOXOXOXO...AMY...XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS AND THOUGHTS
THE FOLLOWING BEAUTIFUL TREES AND THEIR
STORIES CAN BE FOUND AT
WHAT ON EARTH DID WE DO BEFORE THERE
WAS A MARTHA STEWART???
THERE WERE ALL MY BEAUTIFUL, ARTISTIC
FRIENDS I HAVE MADE THROUGH BLOGGING....
ONLY BLOGGING WASN'T CREATED YET!!!!!!
COMPLIMENTS OF MARTHA STEWART.COM
THERE ARE 34 CHRISTMAS TREES THAT MARTHA
TALKS ABOUT. ON SOME SHE TELLS HOW TO MAKE
THE ORNAMENTS THAT GO WITH THE THEME OF
THE TREE.
THIS FIRST TREE IS CALLED THE ROSE TREE. NOW I
KNOW WHY I LOVE TO PUT ROSES ON MY CHRISTMAS TREE.
ACCORDING TO THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS ROSE, A
POOR SHEPHERDESS NAMED MADELON WAS TENDING
HER SHEEP ON A HILL NEAR BETHLEHEM ONE SNOWY
NIGHT WHEN SHE SAW THE WISE MEN BEARING GIFTS
ON THEIR WAY TO VISIT THE CHRIST CHILD.
MADELON WEPT, KNOWING THAT SHE COULD NOT AFFORD
A PRESENT FOR THE NEW KING. JUST THEN AN ANGEL
APPEARED AND TURNED THE GIRL'S FALLEN TEARS INTO
PALE PINK ROSES. A JOYOUS MADELON GATHERED THE
BLOOMS AND CARRIED THEM TO BETHLEHEM TO GIVE TO
BABY JESUS.
SINCE THAT TIME, THE CHRISTMAS ROSE (IN FACT NOT
A ROSE AT ALL BUT A HELLEBORE) BLOOMS EACH DECEMBER
AS A REMINDER OF THIS LOVING GIFT.
THE ARTICLE GOES ON TO STATE,
"OUR FLOWER-THEMED TABLETOP TREE IS A BLOOM WITH
CHRISTMAS ROSES AND CAMELLIAS, BOTH OF WHICH BLOOM
IN WINTER, AS WELL AS TRUE ROSES. RENDERED IN PAPER
AND SATIN AND INTERSPERSED WITH PAPER CONES AND GLASS
ICICLES, THE BLOSSOMS ARE ALMOST AS DELICATE AS THEIR
NATURAL COUNTERPARTS. UNLIKE REAL FLOWERS, HOWEVER,
THESE WILL RETAIN THEIR CHARM FOR MANY A CHRISTMAS."
THIS IS A SIMPLY DEBBIE HINT:
SEVERAL YEARS AGO I WAS AT AN ESTATE SALE AND
BOUGHT A BAG OF 400 FLOWER HOLDERS USED IN CORSAGES
THAT HOLD A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER......THE GREEN PLASTIC
THINGS THAT LOOK LIKE A TEST TUBE.
EARLY CHRISTMAS EVE YOU COULD BUY REAL ROSES...AND ADD
ONE BEAUTIFUL ROSE TO EACH TUBE WITH A BEAUTIFUL TAG
ATTACHED. BEFORE YOUR GUESTS LEAVE, SHARE THIS STORY
AND GIVE THEM EACH A ROSE WITH THE TAG. I THINK THEY
WOULD TRULY LIKE IT. THE ROSES WILL LOOK PRETTY WITH
THE ARTIFICIAL ROSES, TUCKED INTO THE TREE,
AND ADD THE AUROMA OF REAL ROSES
THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.
IN POLAND, WHERE THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS
SEEN AS A TIME OF RENEWAL, ORNAMENTS ARE
FASHIONED FROM STRAW TO SYMBOLIZE THANKSGIVING
FOR THE HARVEST AND HOPE FOR GOOD THINGS IN
THE COMING YEAR. EGGS REPRESENT THE PROMISE OF
FUTURE PROSPERITY, TOO.
I LOVE THEIR THOUGHTS OF CHRISTMAS.
MARTHA AND HER NIECE KRISTINA WRAP PRESENTS
AND TRIM THE SMALL SPRUCE. ALONG WITH GREEN
GLASS BALLS, THE ORNAMENTS THEY USE INCLUDE
EGGSHELLS IN SHIMMERING GOLD TONES AND WHEAT
DECORATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN A BURNISHED GLOW
USING METALLIC POWDERS IN A RANGE OF HUES, FROM
LIGHT COPPER TO A DEEP VERDIGRIS. THE CHOICE OF
ORNAMENTS IS INTENDED AS A TRIBUTE TO
MARTHA'S POLISH HERITAGE, AND
THEIR COLORS WERE CHOSEN TO ACCENTUATE THE
ROOM'S DECORATIVE DETAILS - FROM THE GOLD-TRIMMED
DRABWARE PLATES TO THE GILDED FEDERAL-STYLE
MIRROR.
THOUGH THERE IS NO WIDESPREAD CHRISTMAS
TRADITION IN JAPAN, PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS HAVE
LEARNED A LESSON OF PEACE AND GOODWILL FROM
THE STORY OF SADAKO, A LITTLE GIRL WHO DEVELOPED
LEUKEMIA FOLLOWING THE 1945 HIROSHIMA BOMBING.
SHE LEARNED OF A LEGEND THAT TOLD IF A PERSON
FOLDED ONE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES, THE GODS
MIGHT GRANT HIS OR HER WISH TO BECOME WELL.
ALTHOUGH SADAKO NEVER REACHED HER GOAL, AFTER
HER DEATH HER CLASSMATES FOLDED ENOUGH CRANES
TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. SINCE THEN, PEOPLE
THE WORLD OVER HAVE SENT FOLDED CRANES TO
HIROSHIMA.
AT THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
IN NEW YORK CITY, "PEACE TREES" ARE DECORATED
EACH CHRISTMAS WITH PAPER CRANES. TRIMMING
A TREE WITH ORIGAMI CRANES AND PAPER FANS
(WHICH ARE EASIER TO MAKE) IS A LOVELY WAY TO
HONOR SADAKO'S MEMORY AND TO CREATE A BRIGHT
SYMBOL OF HOPE.
THANK YOU MARTHA STEWART FOR BEING
"MARTHA!"....FOR SHARING THESE BEAUTIFUL TREES
AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM.
WE ALL AT THIS TIME OF JOY AND CHEER, HAVE
MANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO NEED HOPE...THEY
NEED ANSWERS TO THEIR PROBLEMS...THEY NEED JOBS
AND MONEY...THEY NEED HEALING...
PLEASE REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IN
PRAYER:
BONNIE...OVARIAN CANCER
LEILA...OVARIAN CANCER
ASHLEY...OVARIAN CANCER
CEEKAY...OVARIAN CANCER
SHEILA'S SISTER...OVARIAN CANCER
PAM...CANCER
ANGEL DAWN...CANCER
DEBBIE(MOSAIC MAGPIE)...THYROID CANCER
KORBI...NEEDS A JOB
IRENE, MY MIL...FELL AT HOME
DEEDEE...SEVERE BACK PAIN
JUDY...DIABETES
SHELIA
MOLLYE
DONNA
PATRICIA
TED, MY BROTHER...GOING TO START INSULIN AND
SEVERE NEUROPATHY
JACK AND KATE
SOUTH KOREA
HAITI...OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA
ALL THOSE BATTLING DEPRESSION AT THE
CHRISTMAS SEASON
"THEREFORE EVERYONE WHO HEARS THESE
WORDS OF MINE AND PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE IS
LIKE A WISE MAN WHO BUILT HIS HOUSE ON THE ROCK."
~MATTHEW 7:2
AND KEEP YOU UNTIL WE BLOG AGAIN.
ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU ARE SPECIAL AND CAN DO
ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO.
A BIRD DOESN'T SING
BECAUSE IT HAS AN ANSWER
IT SINGS BECAUSE IT HAS A SONG.
(I DO NOT KNOW WHO WROTE THIS BEAUTIFUL
QUOTE...IF YOU DO LET ME KNOW AND I WILL
GIVE THEM CREDIT.)
HERE'S TO SINGING YOUR SONG...........
HUGS
SIMPLY DEBBIE
