Selection and Care of Fresh Christmas Trees

There’s nothing like having a fresh Christmas tree in your home for fragrance and beauty. Some of the best varieties for freshness and keeping quality are Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir; Balsam Fir and Scotch Pine. My favorite is Fraser Fir because of its long-lasting fragrance, beautiful pyramid shape, branch flexibility and needle retention. Regardless of what your favorite is, here are some tips to ensure that it stays looking beautiful and fresh throughout the Christmas season.

Make sure that when you select a tree the branches are pliable and not brittle. There should not be excessive needle drop when you shake it and it should appear fresh and green with no broken branches.

You should cut about an inch off the bottom trunk no longer than 1 hour before placing it in the stand. The trunk starts to seal up again after this time period preventing water uptake. Place the tree Continue reading “Selection and Care of Fresh Christmas Trees”

ADD and ADHD from a Teachers Perspective

ADD and ADHD from a Teachers Perspective

This article is intended to be the “Reader’s Digest” version of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I am not someone who is certified to diagnose either of these disorders, but I am a person who has made my profession dealing with them.

The most important thing to remember is that ADD has NOTHING to do with over-activity. The attention deficit in this case can sometimes go unnoticed. Sometimes parents and teachers say that these students “zone out”. They can miss entire portions of lectures or miss time in class to complete assignments because of their inattention. This will affect all aspects of life. Even as adults people with ADD have trouble “remembering” things. It really isn’t a memory issue; it is the lack of attention when the informaContinue reading “ADD and ADHD from a Teachers Perspective”

Love and Care of Poinsettias

Poinsettias for the Holidays
Deborah Chaves

When you do your Christmas decorating and giving don’t forget the Poinsettia. Today’s poinsettias come in many colors ranging from the traditional reds, whites and pinks to multi-colors, gold, purple and burgundy. You may find blues, sparkles and polka dots this year also as growers expand their creativity through the use of floral paints.

The colorful bracts come in many shapes and sizes. One of my favorites is �Winter Rose’ which looks markedly like a rose unfurling. Then there’s �Strawberries and Cream” whose unique cream and dark pink bracts are oak leaf shaped.

Poinsettias require about 6 hours of bright light each day. Water when soil becomes dry to the touch but avoid letting the pots sit in standing water. Fertilize it with a balanced fertilizer after thContinue reading “Love and Care of Poinsettias”

Christmas Planning


Do you plan to attend a church service to celebrate the Birth of Christ?
Do you plan to have a Christmas Tree? Is so, Why?
Do you plan to have a nativity in your home or yard?

“If your plan is having no plan, do you have a plan?”

When I reflect on the fact that Jesus left heaven to visit with us on earth and fulfill the plan for our salvation through The Virgin Birth, the Cross and Resurrection I want to celebrate. I really don’t think I have celebrated Christmas without a Nativity scene as a reminder of such a miraculous birth. It would not be Christmas for me without this reminder because I always think a Royal without a place to be birth is more than humble. When I see the magi (Matthew 2:1) riding on camels to worship this King they have so long awaited for it turns my hard heart to honor, worship and adore the amazement of this woContinue reading “Christmas Planning”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY

The Rose of Sharon School of Learning wish all a
Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to all for stopping by today to visit.

We are thankful for so many things but we would like to share three things for which we feel most thankful.

1) We are thankful for this site that gives us the freedom to share and express our thoughts and faith.

2) We are so thankful for the new friends and the old friends that meet here often and share with one another.

We would like to share with our friends today one of our favorite poems:

NEW FRIENDS AND OLD FRIENDS

“Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
New-made friendships, like new wine
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test-
Time and change-are surely the best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray;
Friendship never knows decay.
For �mid old friends, tried and true,
Once Continue reading “HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY”

Celebrate the Birth of Christ with a Boycott

“Boycott Stores for the Holidays!
There is an anti-Christian bias in this country, and it is more on display at Christmas season than any other time.” – Bill O’Reilly, The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel – (Speaking about the decision of Target and other stores to ban the use of “Merry Christmas” in their stores and advertising.) American Family Association

We understand that Target has also banned the Salvation Army’s Kettles from the front of their stores. Now we hear they have banned the use of “Merry Christmas” from their advertising in papers and TV as well as their greetings within the stores.

I recently heard this news so I passed it along to my friends and family.

After all these stores have the audacity to stock their stores with every Christmas item imaginable. Yet, they cannot even acknowledge the fact it is Christmas?

What HolidaContinue reading “Celebrate the Birth of Christ with a Boycott”

Holiday Beauty Tips

This Holiday Season…
It is important for us to remember to take care of ourselves this holiday season. So many times we put all of our thoughts and energy into taking care of others’ needs and we run ourselves down. It is important to take care of others, but we should also keep our own health in mind. We want to feel healthy, energetic, and great about the way we look.

Here are a few suggestions for taking care of our appearance this season:

1. Remember to use a moisturizer to keep skin soft and supple. The extremes in temperature will really dry skin out. (I believe that oil free moisturizers are best.)

2. Continue to use a sunscreen in winter. The harmful effects of the sun do not disappear just because it’s cold outside. Consider moisturizers with an SPF already included. (This will take care of suggestions one and two in one easy step.)

WheContinue reading “Holiday Beauty Tips”