The forecast is calling for frigid air. The cold will soon send everything into a wintry dormancy. I picked some ivy today to root in water as a last of 2016 cutting. The tiny holly tree beside the ivy is a volunteer. I will soon have to decide what to do with it; the space it is growing in is in front of the gas meter and it will need to be moved.
Holly and ivy have been a mainstay of British Christmas decoration for church use since at least the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when they were mentioned regularly in churchwardens’ accounts. ~ Wikipedia
Ivy is an often overlooked Christmas Green.
The ‘Holly and the Ivy’ is an old Christmas Carol that tells the story of Jesus.
“The holly and the ivy,
Now both are full well grown.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the quire.
The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Savior.
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas day in the morn.
The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
MINDING MY P'S WITH Q 
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I thought I did…I will have to remedy that…thanks!
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WordPress has been doing odd things. I have not been able to view share buttons on my posts but other people can. Now tonight I can view the share buttons.
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I thought I had a few…I’m not sure at times what others can see or not.
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Kathy,
I just saw this post.
I have read that mistletoe, holly and red berries of a sort make for a beautiful Xmas decoration in the old days before there were plastic ones.
Please transplant the little holly tree.
Susie
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I will Susie, I must do it in the Spring because it will soon block the gas meter and the reader would cut it back.
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Oh, it is surprising the gas meter is outside the house- at home, we have the electric, the water and every other meter outside or on the verandah as we call it.( porch)
Susie
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Hi Susie, I love the word verandah. It is used in the southern portion of our country quite a bit. It has such an elegant sound to it…I sometimes read a magazine called Verandah, filled with beautiful ideas for the home. All of our meters are outside around the house. We have to keep them clear and easily accessible to the meter readers, that is why I know I must move the holly soon.
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Oh, you have just taken me back to my childhood. Thank you! Curiously, I saw a florist selling mistletoe in Houston yesterday – does it grow in the subtropics?
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I’m not sure about the mistletoe…what a great name…I wonder what it means?
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Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that usually grows on apple trees in colder climate. It has white berries and in Pagan times was worshipped as a fertility plant. These days, we just kiss under it!
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We have a lot of apple orchards. Now that the leaves have fallen for the winter maybe I’ll be able to spot some. Thanks for the info.
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Mistletoe is quite rare now but good luck. You might google it to see where it grows.
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Thanks.
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