The Story of the Christmas Tree
Deep in a forest
a long time ago,
In a small quiet place
all covered with snow...
There once lived a fir tree-
so stately and tall
That it's trunk
and it's branches
gave shelter to all...
Dozens of bird songs
were heard day and night,
As the tree rocked the nests-
holding gently, but tight...
From out of it's hollows,
in high and low places,
Peeked chipmunk and squirrel
and little mouse faces...
Some slept in its shade
while some roosted up high
In that wonderful tree
that reached up to the sky...
Everone loved it
and everyone cried
When the old tree grew weaker
one winter-and died...
They planted a cone (it's last one)
with great care-
And then jumped with delight
when a small tree grew there...
They put nuts and berries
all over its branches
And then celebrated
with glad songs and dances...
The snow fluttered down,
adding glistening white-
And the tree was a happy
and beautiful sight...
That tree's come and gone now
and new animals play
Deep in that forest
a long way away...
But still, every Christmas,
we all trim our trees
With balls, lights and tinsel-
and yet, more than these...
We trim them with joy-
and their beautiful glow
Reflects all that love
of that tree long ago!
Author Unknown
This is Holly, my Christmas Fairy.
Picking the Perfect Tree
To select a fresh tree slide a branch through your fingers; the needles should not come off. Thump the tree on the ground; it should shed only a few outside needles.Sniff the tree; it should be fragrant.To make the tree last once you get it home cut off 1 inch across the base of stump and put the tree in water immediately.Maintain the water level above the bottom of the tree.Don't place the tree near a working fireplace, television or any heat source.
Douglas Fir: Graceful pyramid of upswept branches; long, deep-green needles have slightly bluish cast.Holds its needles longer than most trees, even after they've turned brown.
Balsam Fir: Deep-green needles banded with white on underside for a beautiful silvery cast.Fairly slender shape.Has been the most popular Christmas tree in the U.S. for years.Holds needles well, but does shed them faster than the Douglas fir.
Scotch Pine: Needles have a lovely grey-green tint; bark is orange-brown.A showy tree in its own right.The full, slightly rotund shape doesn't need loads of ornaments.Excellent needle retention.
Blue Spruce: Gorgeous color that ranges from blue-green to greyish-blue; rigid needles give tree a dense, compact shape.Not as widely available as (and more expensive than) other varieties because it's usually used for landscaping.Has long-lasting needles.
White Pine: Bundles of feathery, soft bluish- to grey-green needles create an airy appearance.Long branches sweep upward a bit at the tips.Needles remain on tree for quite awhile but tend to get brittle.Generally one of the least expensive of the Christmas trees.
Red Cedar: Needles can be dark green or bluish.Grows in a columnar shape; short branches grow more upright than horizontal.The favorite Christmas tree of 19th century America.Sheds needles faster than other trees mentioned here.
Norway Spruce: Dark green, stiff, sharp needles with four sides (you can feel them if you roll the needle between your fingers) make for very dense growth; branches dip and sweep upward gracefully.Like the Scotch pine, can take fewer ornaments.Very good needle retention.
Taken from an article in the magazine:
Family Circle
Smells like Christmas
Here are some things you can do to make your home smell wonderful:- Boil citrus peels in water on the top of the stove.
- Dab essential oils on light bulbs before turning them on.
- Place cotton balls soaked in vanilla extract in hidden corners. (Remove them after the holidays, if you have pets or very young children you might want to skip this one).
- Toss potpourri in bowls and place everywhere.
- Add pine cones to a roaring fire, or find some seasoned applewood to burn.
- Bake cinnamon sticks and cloves on a cookie sheet with the oven door ajar.
- Hang cut evergreen branches through the house.
- Spray cologne on the radiators.
- Burn scented candles.
- And of course bake plenty of cookies and breads.
Taken from an article in the magazine:
Woman's World
Here's some Holiday reading I hope you'll enjoy.The first one is a bit "different".It's written by my favorite author Dean Koontz, who is not a children's writer, but this appeared in one of his books as a story written by the lead character of the book for his two daughters.
Santa's Evil Twin (story/poem)
The Elf Who Almost Bungled Christmas (story)
The song playing is "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas"
obtained at Laura's Midi Heaven
