BLUE PASSION FLOWER

~Blue Passion Flower~

Good evening 

My dearest friends & followers

I was going through some of my old

photos that I took during my summer holiday

and for some reason I never had a chance to 

share my favorite potted flower plant

that I have in my garden 

and when I visit my parents home.  

they have enormous plants all around their home.

This time I was able to get a small video

which I hope you enjoy.

I have some lovely photo's too.

And photo's around my parents

yard which is so beautiful.

My hope is to take a bit of the winter

blue away with the beauty of our 

creators give to us all Earth and

all within it. Enjoy and have a

 Wonderful Evening

WENDY

ScroogeEbenezer-My Favorite Christmas Tale-Movie

Ebenezer Scrooge-

Favorite Christmas Carol
Movie with George
C. Scott.

Welcome my dearest friends & followers and for this post today I am going to write about my favorite Christmas Movie/Story that I watch every year--My most favorite of all the Christmas Carol Movies is the one in 1951 in which George C. Scott plays the part as Ebenezer Scrooge. I think it's because I have fond memories of the actor George C. Scott with my father one time I was able to buy prime seats at the Hollywood theater for the fiddler of the roof and George C. Scott played the part of the Father with the fiddle. It was the wonderful play and time with my dad. So that is why I thought I would do a post on Charles Dicken's Story 'Ebenezer Scrooge' 1843 novella---A Christmas Carol. 
The Story came of course before the movies and there are quite a few movies that were made from Charles Dickens 1843 Novella. I am going to try to put as many full movies as possible in this post for you all my wonderful followers & friends.If you don't know the story Of Ebenezer Scrooge~

At the beginning to his novella, Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas. Dickens describes him thus;'The cold within him froze his cold features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice---." His last name has come into the English language as a byword for miserliness and misanthropy. The tale of his redemption by the three Ghost of Christmas---Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas Present and lastly the Ghost of Christmas yet to Come---has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday in the English-speaking world. Ebenezer Scrooge is arguably both one of the most famous characters that were created by writer/novelist Charles Dickens and in English Literature. 
Scrooge's catchphrase, 'Bah, humbug!' is often used to express disgust with many of the modern Christmas traditions. Several theories have been put forward as to where Dickens got his inspiration for his character Ebenezer Scrooge!
-It has been suggested that he chose the name Ebenezer-because it means 'stone to help'. To reflect the help given to Scrooge to change his life is but the 3-spirits. 
-The Surname may be from the now obscure English verb Scrouge meaning 'squeeze'or 'press. 
-One school of thought is that Dickens based Scrooge's views on the poor on those of demographer and the political economist of Thomas Malthus.
-Another thought might possibly have been that Dickens influence on the owner of the Gloucester Old bank who was possibly Britains first millionaire.
- However, the man that Dickens eventually portrayed after his character in his novel; A Christmas Carol was John Leech a noted British eccentric and miser named John Elwes in 1714-1789.

Scrooge with his former business
partner Marley coming to warn
him of his faith.

The Story of a Christmas Carol starts on Christmas Eve in the year of 1843 with Scrooge at his money-lending business. Charles Dickens refers to flaws, he despises Christmas as a 'Humbug', and subject his clerk, Bob Cratchit, to grueling long hours, shows his cold heart to others by refusing the prisons and workhouses and claims they are all better off deceased and decrease the surplus population.'' So as a result while Ebenezer prepares to go to bed in his dark and cold empty enormous home, he is visited by the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley, who had died seven years earlier on Christmas Eve, to warn Ebenezer to change his ways of he will have the same faith has he. Just like Scrooge, Marley had spent his life hoarding his wealth and exploiting the poor and not giving. As a result, he is damned to walk the Earth for eternity, bound in the chains of his own greed which is 7years long...............!
Marley hopes to warn Scrooge that he risks the same faith tonight if he doesn't change his ways and that his final chance to redemption will be tonight by three spirits tonight. The first at 1am-Christmas Past spirit 2am-Christmas present 3am-Christmas Spirit of Yet-to-Come.  First- Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to see his

Scrooge and the
Ghost of Christmas Past

time as a schoolboy and a young man just started out in the world of business. These visions reveal to Scrooge that he was a very lonely child whose unloving father sent him away to boarding school due to the fact that he was the cause for his mother's death giving birth to him- sources say his father always had a grudge to his son, but not his sister. Scrooge's only solace was his beloved younger sister Fan, who repeatedly begged their father to allow her brother Scrooge to return home. and one day the father did relent, however, with happiness there came sadness for Scrooge. Soon after Scrooge had come home Fan had later died giving birth to her first child her son, Fred, Scrooge's nephew. It would seem the same faith was for Fan as well as her mother. It was a hard life in those days for women for birth. The spirit of Christmas Past then takes him to see another Christmas a few years later in which he was happy at a Christmas party held by his very kind-hearted and festive boss-Mr. Fezziwig. It is there that he meets his love and later fiancee Belle; his love of his life. However, the Spirit of Christmas shows him a Christmas in which Belle leaves him because she realizes his love for money is strong for her and has replaced his love for her. This, of course, starts the beginning of his shame and heartbreak. Then to truly show Scrooge his mistakes in life over money of love, the Christmas spirit shows him a Christmas Eve several years later in which Belle is happily married to another man filled with love and family. This is yet another blow to the Ebenezer that just wants to go home. Then on the dot 2-am he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present-

The Ghost of Christmas Present 

This ghost is quite different that the last spirit, he is dress very much festive and is very tall. When he arrives the room is very bright full of Christmas cheer and food and gifts. that seem to surround him to the top of the ceiling. of Scrooges house. The Spirit of Christmas Present was the one to show Scrooge the whole city of Celebrations of the present here in London. Including his nephew Fred and the impoverished Cratchit family that is is an

The Ghost Spirit of the Present
Telling Scrooge the boy will die
if something is not done very soon
about his health!

employee at his business. Scrooge at this, point is both bewildered and touched by the loving and pure-hearted nature of his employee youngest son Tiny Tim-who is in very bad health, do to the health insurance Scrooge has not given Cratchit for his family. When Scrooge shows concern for the sickly Tiny Tim health, the ghostly spirit informs him that the boy will die unless something changes very soon. A revelation that deeply disturbs Scrooge. Then the spirit uses Scrooge's earlier

Ghost of Christmas Present 

words about 'DECREASING THE SURPLUS POPULATION', against him. The spirit then took him to a spooky graveyard. There the spirit produces two misshapen, sickly children he named Ignorance and Want. When Scrooged ask if they have anyone to care for them, the Christmas Spirit throws more of Scrooge's own words back in his face; "ARE THERE NO PRISONS, NO WORKHOUSE?'' 

Lastly the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come at 3-am

Ghost of the Future

This is when Scrooge is shown by the Ghost of the future what is to come one year later. Just as the previous spirit predicted, Tiny Tim has died; His father could not afford to give him the proper care on his small salary that Scrooge was paying him and he had no social health care to help either. The spirit also showed the scene that related to the death of a 'wretched old man'. His business associates snicker about how it's going to be a cheap funeral. Also, that all his possession were stolen and sold by his housekeeper, undertaker and laundress, and a young couple who owed the man money. They were relieved that he was dead, as they done have more time to pay off their debts. The Dark spirit then shows Scrooge the man's tombstone, which bore Scrooge's name. 

At this point,

Asking for forgiveness

Scrooge weeps over his own grave, begging the spirit for a second chance to change his ways, before awakening to find it was Christmas morning.

He immediately repents and becomes a model citizen of generosity and kindness; He visits Fred and accepts his earlier invitation to Christmas dinner, Gives Bob Cratchit a double-raise and becomes like an 'A SECOND FATHER' to Tiny Tim. As the final narration states, 

'Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas wee if any man alive possessed the knowledge.  

This is the story of Charles Dickens and how Scrooge finally discovered the true meaning of Christmas. As Tiny Tim say's 

'GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE'.

I hope that you enjoy the history and hope

the movies came about. I have always loved the 

Christmas Carol and I watch it every Christmas

Here is a few different version of the

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

WENDY

CHRISTMAS FAIRY OF STRASBURG GERMANY-

Christmas Fairy of Strasburg-
A German Folk-Tale 
by J. Stirling Coyne 

Good Afternoon my dearest friends & followers I found another wonderful/delightful Christmas German Folk-Tale for you all by; J. Stirling Coyne. I hope that yu all will enjoy the wonderful X-mas Tale. If you would like the link where I found this wonderful
Christmas Fairytale-link is---christmas/books/gs-christmas_fairy. 

0nce, long ago, there lived near the ancient city of Strasburg

 Germany, on the river Rhine, a young and handsome count whose name was Otto. As the years flew by he remained unwed & never so much as cast a glance at the fair maidens of the country round; for this reason people began to call him 'Stone-Heart.'

It chanced that Count Otto, on one Christmas Eve, ordered that a great hunt should take place in the forest surrounding his castle, He and his guests and his many retainers rode forth and the chase became more and more exciting. It led them through thickets and over pathless tracts of the forest until a length, Count Otto found himself separated from his companions. He rode on by himself until he came to a spring of clear, bubbling water, known to the people around as the 'Fairy Well.' Here Count Otto dismounted. He bent over the spring and began to lave his hands in the sparkling tide, but to his wonder he found that though the weather was cold and frosty, but the water was warm and delightfully caressing. He felt a glow of joy pass through his veins and as he plunged his hands deeper, he fancied that his right hand was grasped by another soft and smaller one, which gently slipped from his finger the gold ring he always wore. When he drew out his hand, the gold ring was gone!
Full of wonder at this mysterious event, the count mounted his horse and returned to his castle, resolving in his mind that the very next day he would have the Fairy Well emptied by his servants. He retired to his room and throwing himself just as he was upon his couch tried to sleep, but the strangeness of the adventure kept him restless and wakeful. Suddenly he heard the hoarse baying of the watch-hounds in the courtyard and then the creaking of the drawbridge as though it were being lowered. Then came to his ear the patter of many small feet on the stone staircase and next he heard indistinctly the sound of light footsteps in the chamber adjoining his own. So Count Otto sprang from his couch and as he did so there sounded a strain of delicious music and the door of his chamber was flung open. Hurrying into the next room, he found himself in the midst of numberless fairy beings, clad in gay and sparkling robes. They paid no heed to Count Otto but began to dance and laugh and sing to the sound of the mysterious music.
In the center of the apartment stood a splendid Christmas Tree, the first ever seen in that country. Instead of toys and candles there hung on its lighted boughs diamond stars, pearl necklaces, bracelets of gold ornamented with colored jewels, aigrettes of rubies and sapphires, silken belts embroidered with Oriental pearls and daggers mounted in gold and studded with the rarest gems. The whole tree swayed, sparkled and glittered in the radiance of its many lights. Count Otto stood speechless, gazing at all this wonder, when suddenly the Fairies stopped dancing and fell back, to make room for a lady of dazzling beauty who came slowly toward him. She wore on her raven-black tresses a golden diadem set with jewels. Her hair flowed down upon a robe of rosy satin and creamy velvet. She stretched out two small, white hands to the count and addressed him in sweet, alluring tones;--
'Dear Count Otto,'said she, 'I come to return your Christmas visit. I am Ernestine, the Queen of the Fairies. I bring you something you lost in the Fairy Well.''
And as she spoke she drew from her bosom a golden casket, set with diamonds and placed it in his hands. He opened it eagerly and found within his lost gold ring.
Carried away by the wonder of it all, and overcome by an irresistible impulse, the count pressed the Fairy Ernestine to his heart, while she, holding him by the hand, drew him into the magic mazes of the dance. The mysterious music floated through the room and the rest of that Fairy company circled and whirled around the Fairy Queen and Count Otto and then gradually dissolved into a mist of many colors, leaving the count and his beautiful guest alone. 
Then the young man, forgetting all his former coldness toward the maidens of the country round about, fell on his knees before the Fairy and be sought her to become his bride. At last she consented on the condition that he should never speak the word 'Death' in her presence. The next day the wedding of Count Otto and Ernestine Queen of the Fairies was celebrated with great pomp and magnificence. The two continued to live happily for many years. 
Now it happened on a time, that the count and his Fairy wife were to hunt in the forest around the castle. The horses were saddled bridled and standing at the door, the company waited and the count paced the hall in great impatience; but still the Fairy Ernestine tarried long in her chamber. At length she appeared at he door of the hall and the Count Otto addressed her in anger.
'You have kept us waiting so long,' he cried, 'that you would make a good messenger to send for Death!'

Scarcely had he spoken the forbidden and fatal word, when the Fairy, uttering a wild cry, vanished from his sight. In vain Count Otto, overwhelmed with grief and remorse, searched the castle and the Fairy Well, yet no trace could he find of his beautiful, lost wife, but the imprint of her delicate handset in the stone arch above the castle gate. Years passed by and the Fairy Ernestine did not return. Count Otto continued to grieve. Every Christmas Eve he set up a lighted tree in the room where he had first met the Fairy, hoping in vain that she would return to him. Time passed and the Count Otto died. The castle fell into ruins, but to his day may be seen above the massive gate, deeply sunken in the stone arch, was the impression of a small and delicate hand. 

And such, say the good folks of Strasburg was the origin of the Christmas Tree. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

WENDY

www.kraftmstr.com/christmas/books/gs-christmas_fairy.html
LINK TO THE STORY-

Christmas in Russia

Christmas in Russia~

This is an wonderful story in Russia around Christmas time. It's the Story of Babushaka, it tells of an old woman who meets the Wise men on their way to see Jesus. However, most the people in Russia have never heard of the story. So the story might have been created by an American poet 'Edith Matilda Thomas in 1907'.
christmas.com/cultures/russia. 
The above link is where I found the story/ and there are many other stories around the world on the link too, if you wish to find more stories or look at this one, you can have a look---
The Story of Babushka~

Once a time a long time ago in a small town in Russia, there lived a
woman called Babushka. She had always worked hard doing the sweeping, polishing, dusting and cleaning withing her house, the best that she could. It was said her house was the tidiest house in the whole village. Her garden was beautiful as was her cooking too. One evening Babushka was busy dusting and cleaning like she always does and didn't hear all the villagers outside in the village square talking about and looking at the new star in the sky.
Babushka had heard about the new star but, thought 'All this fuss about a star! I don't even have the time to look because I'm so behind with my work. I must work all night!' So, Babushka missed the Star as it shone brightly, high overhead. She also missed the little line of twinkling lights coming down towards the village at dawn. She didn't hear the sounds of the pipes and drums either. Babushka missed the voices and whispers of the villagers wondering whether the lights were an army or a procession of some sort. It seems that she missed
the sudden quiet of the villagers and even the footsteps coming up the path to her door that night before.
But the one thing that she couldn't miss was the loud knocking on her front door! 'Now what is that? she wondered, opening the door. Babushka gasped in amazement.
There were three kings at her doorway with one of their servants. 'My masters need a place to rest. 'the servant said. and yours is the best house in the village.' You want to stay her?' asked Babushka. 'Yes. it would only be until night falls and the star appears again.' the servant replied. Babushka gulped. 'Come in, then.'she said. The kings were very pleased when they saw all of the home-baked bread, pies, and cakes. She dashed about, serving them and asking lots of questions too. 'Have you come a long way?'' A very long way.' sighed Caspar. 'Where are you going?' 'We're following the new star.' said Melchior. ''But where?' The Kings didn't know. but they believed that it would lead the why to a new-born king. A king of Earth and Heaven. "Why don't you come with us?" asked Balthasar. 'You could bring him a gift like we do. I bring gold and my colleagues bring spices and perfumes.' 'Oh. I'm not sure that he would welcome me.'' said Babushka. And what could I bring a gift? Toys! I know I could bring a toy. I've got a cupboard full of toys.' she said sadly. ''My baby son. died when he was small.'' Balthasar stopped her as she went to tidy the kitchen up. "This new king could be your king too. Come with us when the star appears tonight.' he said. "I'll think about it.' sighed Babushka. As the kings slept. Babushka tidied up as quietly as she could. 'What a lot of extra work there was, she thought and this new king, what a funny idea to go off with the kings to find him.''
Babushka shook herself. There was no time for dreaming. all this washing up and putting away had to be done. 'Anyway, she thought, how long would she be away? What would she wear? What about the gift? she sighed. 'There is so much to do. The house will have to be cleaned when they've gone. I couldn't just leave it. Suddenly it was nighttime again and the star was in the sky. 'Are you ready? Babushka?''asked Balthasar. "I'll come tomorrow, 'Babushka called. I must just tidy here first and find a gift.' The kings went away sadly. Babushka ran back into her house keen to get on with her work. Finally, she went to the small cupboard, opened the door and gazed at all the toys, but they were very dusty. They weren't fit for a baby king. They would all need to be cleaned. She cleaned all of the toys until each one shined. Babushka looked through the window. It was morning! The star had come and gone. The kings would have found somewhere else to rest by now. She could easily catch them up, but she felt so tired. She had to sleep. The next thing she knew, she was awake and it was dark outside. She had slept all day. She quickly pulled on her cloak, packed the toys in a basket and ran down the path the kings had taken.
Everywhere she asked. Have you seen the kings? Oh yes, everyone told her, we saw them. They went that way. For a day, Babushka followed the trail of the 3 kings and the villages got biggers and became towns. However, Babushka never stopped. Then she came to a city. The palace, she thought. That's where the royal baby would be born. 'No, there is no royal baby here, said the palace guard when she asked him. 'What about the three Kings? asked Babushka. 'Oh yes, they came here, but they didn't stay long. They were soon on their journey. But where to? asked Babushka. 'Bethlehem, that was the place. I can't imagine why. It's a very poor place, but that's where they went, replied the guard. She then set off towards Bethlehem.  It was evening when she arrived in Bethlehem and Babushka had been traveling for a very long time. She went into the local inn and asked about the 3 Kings. "Oh yes, said the landlord, the kings were here two days ago. They were very excited, but they didn't even stay the night and what about a baby? cried out Babushka. Yes! there was, said the landlord. The 3 kings asked about a baby too. When he saw the disappointment in Babushka's eyes, he stopped. If you'd like to see where the baby was, he said quickly, it was across the yard there---I couldn't offer the couple anything better at the time. My inn was really full, so they had to go in the stable.

Babushka followed him across the yard. Here's the stable. He said. He left her in the stable. Babushka? Someone was calling her from the doorway. He looked kindly at her. She wondered if he knew where the family had gone. She knew now that the baby king was most important thing in the world to her. 'They have gone to Egypt and safety, he told Babushka. And the kings have returned to their countries, but one of them told me about you! I am sorry, but you are too late. It was Jesus that they found the world's Savior.
Babushka was very sad that she had missed Jesus and it is said that Babushka is still looking for him---
www.whychristmas.com/cultures/russia.shtml

Again If you want to know where I found this
 lovely story
just go to this wonderful site with the link Above. They have
lots of more stories too. Enjoy---Wendy