Wishing you all a
Merry Christmas
and a
Happy, Healthy New Year.
Tag: Christmas
Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
Isaiah ‘twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The Virgin Mother kind;
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
This lovely hymn was originally published in 1582 in Gebetbuchlein des Frater Conradus whose German words “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” were inspired by the Song of Solomon, 2:1 referring to Mary: I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. The words and music appeared in Katholischer Geistlicher Kirchengesang in 1599. Among the many English adaptations, the best known is by Theodore Baker (1851-1934).
Until next time, stop and smell the roses.
Rosalinda
Get your copy today at www.amazon.com/author/rosalindarmorgan.
DECK THE HALLS the simple and inexpensive way
“Deck the halls with boughs of holly” sums up the mood in every household everywhere for the next few weeks. Decorating for the holidays sometimes can be so daunting, time consuming and worst of all expensive. It should not be that way.
I used to live in a century-old Victorian house and for the exterior decoration, I had blue lights on a swag of greens with a wreath in the middle on the porch railings. A wreath of greenery with a few sprigs of berries, pine cones and some red flowers in a florist vial with a large ribbon is a fresh welcome sign at your door. Swags of greenery with berries and silver and gold grapevine draped at the stairway banister add to the festive mood. To deviate from the traditional mistletoe, you can make a red rose kissing ball by inserting cut red roses into a water-soaked sphere-shaped oasis and hanging it with a green ribbon. Several big red or blue ornaments in a large silver bowl make a great statement on your coffee table or on the hall table. Citrus fruits studded with cloves, wrapped with tulle and tied with colorful ribbons make wonderful pomanders and displayed in an attractive bowl.
For an innovative arrangement, pick a clear glass vase and fill it with cranberries and top it off with white roses. Red and white or gold and blue are always a good combination during the holidays. You can also do a table setting with vignettes of candles, group of various containers of red flowers, berries, and different shades of greens. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations. Another simple arrangement is a wicker basket big enough to accommodate four pots of mini poinsettia or red flowering plants. You might want to add some greens around the edges of the basket, tie a big red bow for a Christmas basket and presto! You’re done. A red or gold tablecloth will always look grand during the holidays.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home festive. Go outside and pick up some branches from any tree or shrub. Scatter them on table tops, shelves, sideboard and mantelpiece. When entertaining for the holiday, tuck a red rose inside the napkin ring or an individual bouquet of three roses with some greens in a mint julep cup which you hand to your guest when they leave as a party favor.
Enjoy the Christmas Season!!!
Until next time, stop and smell the roses.
Rosalinda
Get your copy today at www.amazon.com/author/rosalindarmorgan.
GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS? HERE IS A CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION FOR US ALL.
With all that are happening around the world, here is something to think about this Christmas season. I prefer “Christmas season” instead of “holiday season”. After all, this poem is titled “Christmas Bells” written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, long before the country has gone crazy with “politically correctness”.
CHRISTMAS BELLS
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Until next time, stop and smell the roses.
Rosalinda
Get your copy today at www.amazon.com/author/rosalindarmorgan.
Rosalinda R Morgan 