WELCOME TO SIMPLY DEBBIE. IT IS MY DESIRE THAT
YOU WILL FEEL AND SEE THE HAND OF GOD THROUGH
ARTWORK, CRAFT PROJECTS, RECIPES, AND THE SHEER
LAUGHTER OF ME LEARNING TO SEW ON MY NEW
SEWING MACHINE. THIS IS A PRAYING BLOG AND
A BLOG THAT LOVES TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS.
WON'T YOU JOIN ME AS WE GREET 2011 AND ITS'
BLESSINGS, CHALLENGES, AND SMELLING THE ROSES
EVERY DAY. I'LL BE YOUR UMBRELLA WHEN STORM
CLOUDS COME YOUR WAY AND ASSURE YOU THERE
WILL BE A RAINBOW COME AGAIN.










Sunday, November 28, 2010

THE ROSE TREE

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

9 comments:

Stella said...

What a beautiful heartwarming post. Thanks you for sharing.

The Old Parsonage said...

Hi Debbie

What a beautiful post. We just got our tree this weekend, the house smells divine. I do have a prayer request from my neighbor Mary - she's battling lung cancer.

God Bless
Leann

Nellie's Cozy Place said...

Hi Debbie,
What a fun and lovely post, love all those stories, so neat!
So how are you sweetie??? It was good to see you post!!
I used to really love to watch Martha stewart when she had her old show, I haven't liked it near as much since she has had the Movie Stars on.
Course, I haven't seen it for about the last year, so they might have changed it again.
Will have to go to her web site and see the others trees, I am sure they are all gorgeous, as everything she does is!!
May you have a blessed time this Christmas Season. Am looking forward to every minute of it!!
Blessings, Nellie
Also hope you had a grand Thanksgiving!!

Doris Sturm said...

Thank you, Debbie, for this lovely post and the images of various Christmas trees. I love Christmas so much, I could have a tree up every day of the year...with different color schemes to keep it interesting...I've had mine up and decorated since November 1st (it's an artificial one) but I love it as a night light too and it gives my apartment such a cozy glow, who knows, I may keep it up till Easter this year ;-)

Take care and have a blessed first Advent Sunday!

Love,

Doris and Gizzy

pchickki said...

Lovely post. Thanks for sharing all of these beautiful words :)

Unknown said...

Dear Debbie thanks, again for such an inspiring post. You are such a loving and compassionate person we are all blessed to have excess to your writing. I love Martha's things too. She is so full of beautiful and traditional things.
QMM

Mya said...

Somewhere in all the legends of Christmas there is usually a little truth tucked in. I love these legends.
One legend, not particularly just for Christmas, is the legend of the dogwood tree. A story how God reveals his son through his creations of nature.
Thank you for this post,and as always the prayer list.

Mollye said...

You are such a sweet treasure. Love you my friend, Mollye

Chatty Crone said...

What would we do without Martha? They used her as a scapegoat for the stocks and bonds scandal and now she is back stronger than ever.

Nice blog. Thanks for taking your time to list others for us to pray for.

sandie with love.