~ The Winner Is ... ~

Another beautiful country ride we came upon this awesome setting ...













So peaceful, scenic ... such charm!


I've been down with a kidney infection you do NOT EVER want to have ... &
I had eye surgery on Friday. Been a
month ...







Our precious Little Miss M is now 6 mns. Oh, where has the time gone so quickly ...

And the winner is ... send me your addresses ladies
(blushing_rose_boutique@yahoo.com)

1st ... Anni @ HootinAnnis
2nd ... Nezzy @ cowpattysurprise
3rd ... Deb @ dragonflytreasures

GIVEAWAY Anniversary ~ Last 2 Days To Enter ...

Once upon a time we were a young enlisted USN military family. We counted pennies, oh, yes we did! But no matter how lean our
circumstances, we always 'gave' to others when needed to help
them thru the rough spots of life ... & we smiled. This continues
for us even today. It didn't matter that we would only have a
can of chili & noodles for dinner ... actually it turned out pretty
good sprinkled w/a spot of cheese on top ... what a treat it was to go out for a juicy cheeseburger.

We are joining Donna @ Brynwood Needleworks for
Memory Lane Monday

Love Is... ladies are ~
Sherry
Anne



Life has been good to us over the years, tho our lifestyle of giving has never changed.












To celebrate our 3rd year blog-a-versary
we are having (3) giveaways this week.

RULES ~ None, leave (1) comment.










All these goodies in the first (4) pictures
are the grand prize. The drawing will
be FRIDAY 3/30 for these gifts.











This includes ~
the pastel tea candles
raspberry cookies
raspberry gourmet tea
chai tea
coaster tile
vintage tea strainer
(2) vintage linen doily coasters w/lace trim
cameo lady teacup & saucer




First draw ~ You will receive this adorable vintage door knob redesigned vase with clay flowers which can be removed to place real posies.

• 

• Celeste's shop is filled with wonderful items
  
• http://celestinamariedesign.etsy.com
• She creates the most awesome roses ever!
• These are a mere few of her exquisite creations.
  

Second draw ~ A beautifully created mug mat by Donna @ Brynwood Needleworks. Donna sews divine fabric creations.

Please visit Donna's shop to view these gorgeous creations. You will love her workmanship on her designs.


Thank you for being a part of my life, a wonderful friend & for the joys of friendship you have given to me. I am VERY blessed & love you all.

Civil War & A Lone Gravestone @ St. Rose of Lima

Germantown Then & Now: A Lone Gravestone at St. Rose of Lima

Germantown didn’t see any major battles during the Civil War, but many troops moved through here. Though they didn’t stay for long, their presence was remembered.

This article was written ... By Susan Soderberg.

• May 8, 2011

Imagine 20,000 soldiers marching north on Rt. 355, with 2,000 mounted cavalry racing up the road toward Clarksburg. Picture 5,000 men camped along Brink Road between Seneca Creek and Goshen Road with cannons placed on the high ground above the creek. This is just what you would have seen if you had been in Germantown from Sept. 6 through Sept. 10, 1862.

Germantown may not have experienced any major battles, but a whole lot of troops moved through here during the American Civil War, filling the roads and mucking up the streams. They didn’t stay for long, but they were not soon forgotten.

The Confederate army had crossed the Potomac River into Maryland from Sept. 4 through 6, 1862, at White's Ford, a few miles below the Monocacy River, and had moved on to Frederick with cavalry fanning out to camp as close as Hyattstown. The invasion would be stopped at the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, but Gen. George McClellan, in command of the Union Army of the Potomac, did not know that at the time. Fearing the invading rebel army was intent on attacking the nation’s capitol, he immediately sent troops north to defend the major roads and bridges that the enemy might use.

The main north-south road in Montgomery County at that time was Frederick Road (Rt. 355), and the main east-west road was the Baltimore Road, now West Old Baltimore Road and Brink Road. Major bridge crossings were over Seneca Creek at Frederick Road and at the Baltimore Road (now Brink Road). On Sept. 6, the 1^stU.S. Cavalry was sent to defend these bridges, going on to Clarksburg on Sept. 8 when the IX Corps under Gen. Ambrose Burnside reached Seneca Bridge from Brookeville and camped between the bridge and Goshen until Sept. 10, when they went on to Damascus. Meanwhile, the II Corps under Gen. Edwin Sumner and the XII Corps under Gen. Alpheus Williams --- each corps numbering about 10,000 men --- marched up Rt. 355 from Rockville and camped at Middlebrook on Sept. 9 before moving north.

When they were gone, local residents picked up the trash and got on with their lives, thanking God that the Confederate army had not come south to attack Washington, and that a battle had not been fought here.

A year and a half later, however, the Confederate army did march south down Rt. 355 intent on attacking Washington. Not as strong as before, and with only about 14,000 troops instead of 35,000, they still posed an enormous threat to the undefended capital, and still managed to create havoc among the local citizenry.

After getting a $200,000 ransom from the City of Frederick, sending the main body of cavalry off toward Baltimore to destroy railroad bridges and telegraph lines, and fighting a battle at the Monocacy River on July 9, 1864, Gen.Jubal Early led his army down Rt. 355 toward Washington. They would camp at Rockville on July 10, menace the capital at Fort Stevens on July 11 and 12, and retreat across White’s Ford on July 14.

A lone gravestone sits in front of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church on Clopper Road like a sentinel, a reminder of this final invasion. Pvt. William Scott of Company D, 14^th Virginia Cavalry, was riding with his unit in front of the advancing Confederate army when they skirmished with a retreating federal cavalry unit. Scott was wounded and he made his way to the nearest farmhouse, which was owned by Francis C. Clopper (where the visitor center for Seneca Creek State Park is now). The Clopper daughters, being kind of heart, nursed the injured soldier, sending for a doctor from the Confederate army passing by, but nothing could be done to save him.

As he lay dying they sent for a priest and the young man converted to the Catholic faith. They did not want it to be known that they had helped an enemy. Many of their friends and neighbors had been arrested for such acts. So they buried him under the hedge in front of the church in the middle of the night, making sure that he rested in hallowed ground, undisturbed. Many years later a stone was erected to mark the grave.

About this column: Every week we'll bring you a little taste of Germantown history. For more information about the History of Germantown, visit the Germantown Historical Society at the Historic Germantown Bank 19320 Mateny Hill Rd., Germantown (across from the MARC Train Station) or visit www.germantownmdhistory.org.

Clopper Family, St Rose of Lima, Civil War

Did you know that St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, which dates back to the Clopper Family of the early 1800’s, has a Civil War secret?

Francis Cassatt Clopper of Pennsylvania loved the beautiful Maryland landscape and dreamed about buying a farm one day and living off the land. In 1812, Clopper bought the huge tract of land between Old Germantown and Gaithersburg which we now refer to as Seneca Creek State Park.

Clopper, a Protestant, and his Catholic wife, Ann Jane Byrne, relocated from Philadelphia and constructed a large 24-room residence, naming it “the Woodlands” because of the many giant oak trees.

The Woodlands quickly became a hub of activity for Catholic families in the area, with masses often celebrated in the large ballroom.

In 1834, at the request of his wife and her sister, Ellen Maher, Clopper donated a small corner of the Woodlands estate for a church and cemetery.

Using bricks made on the Clopper plantation, the plan was to build the most beautiful church in Western Maryland, and by the end of 1835 a small Romanesque-style church was erected at the site.

Clopper named the church St. Rose in honor of Mother Rose Landry White, a close family friend and Mother Superior at St. Joseph’s Academy for Women in Emmitsburg, MD.

In July of 1864, Union and Confederate troops were engaged in a battle on the Monocacy River near Frederick. Union forces were badly outnumbered and were in retreat.

With Confederate troops advancing into Maryland, Private William Scott and a group of about five Virginia cavalrymen were passing through Germantown as part of a scouting unit. They halted briefly for dinner at the home of Joseph A. Taney.

Union soldiers happened upon Scott and his unit and fired on them. They quickly mounted their horses and got away. But Scott had to retrieve his horse from the stable and was struck in the side by a bullet as he rode off.

Scott managed to stay mounted on his horse and avoid capture by riding through the woods, across Seneca Creek and past the mill. He could see a large house in the distance and set his course there.

When Scott reached the house, he spotted a young slave girl and asked, “May I die on your porch?”

Scott was brought inside the Clopper home, which was now also home to their daughter Mary Augusta Clopper, and her husband, William Rich Hutton. A Confederate surgeon from Rockville arrived later that day and extracted the bullet, but it had penetrated his liver and stomach and he lost a considerable amount of blood.

With death looming, Private Scott requested baptism and Hutton performed the Rite. Scott survived the night but died the next morning.

The family feared repercussions for Confederate sympathies, so they constructed a coffin and buried Scott in the churchyard of St. Rose in secret, after nightfall, in an unmarked grave.

It was not until the 1930’s that a headstone was placed at the grave of Private Scott by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The solitary gravestone can still be seen under the large oak in front of the St. Rose historic chapel.

After undergoing significant renovation in 1882, St. Rose Church was destroyed by fire in April of 1883. The community quickly regrouped and a new church was constructed and dedicated in 1884.

From the beginning, St. Rose was as a mission church, first under the parish of St. Mary’s in Rockville, then St. Mary of Barnesville and later St. Martin’s in Gaithersburg. More than 130 years after Francis and Ann Clopper opened the doors of the first St. Rose Church, St. Rose of Lima became a parish on June 1, 1972.

Research for this article was gathered from “The History of St. Rose Church and the Catholic Community,” compiled by Gene Domalski, Parish Historian, 2004 and “North South Trader’s Civil War,” Vol. XXl No. 5, Sept-Oct 1994.

~ Love Is... ~ SPRING? or a TEASE?

The birds are nesting, the ants are marching, the bees are buzzing. The flowers are all at least 2 weeks ahead of schedule, the cherry blossoms in Wash., DC will peak mid-week which is very early for them here. Such a sight to see.








The first thing we do when spring arrives is
pull out the lawn furniture & crank up the bbq.












I walk thru my gardens to see each bud as
it blossoms.












We are having a record breaking warm streak here in Maryland ... feels like June. Doors flung open to greet the warmth of the day, sleeping like a baby with the windows open all night ... absolutely awesome.








There is a magic about seeing the buds
bloom ...











Join our Love Is... ladies ~
Anne
Sherry
Tete












Have a beautiful day.

BIG GIVEAWAY coming next week for our 3rd year anniversary blogging.

~ Six Boys & 13 Hands ~ GIVEAWAY WINNER IS ...

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! May the angels shower you with love, may you have shamrocks beneath your feet ...

VERY TOUCHING AND GOOD FOR US ALL TO REMEMBER!

Each year I am hired to go to Washington , DC , with the eighth grade class from Clinton , WI where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation’s capital, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.

On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history -- that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II

Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, 'Where are you guys from?'

I told him that we were from Wisconsin . 'Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, Cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.'

(It was James Bradley who just happened to be in Washington , DC , to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington , DC , but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.)

When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. (Here are his words that night.)


'My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin . My dad is on that statue, and I wrote a book called 'Flags of Our Fathers'. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.


'Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team.. They were off to play another type of game. A game called 'War.' But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.


(He pointed to the statue) 'You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph...a photograph of his girlfriend Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old. It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima . Boys. Not old men.

'The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Let's die for our country' He knew he was talking to little boys.. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.'

'The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona . Ira Hayes was one of them who lived to walk off Iwo Jima . He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?'

So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down, drowned in a very shallow puddle, at the age of 32 (ten years after this picture was taken).

'The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky . A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, 'Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night.' Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

'The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley, from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say 'No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back.' My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press.

'You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a combat caregiver. On Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died on Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.

'When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, 'I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.'

'So that's the story about six nice young boys.. Three died on Iwo Jima , and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.'

Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.

We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice

Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom...please pray for our troops.

Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also ...please pray for our troops still in murderous places around the world.

STOP and thank God for being alive and being free due to someone else's sacrifice.


God Bless You and God Bless America .


REMINDER: Every day that you can wake up free, it's going to be a great day.


One thing I learned while on tour with my 8th grade students in DC that is not mentioned here is . . that if you look at the statue very closely and count the number of 'hands' raising the flag, there are 13. When the man who made the statue was asked why there were 13, he simply said the 13th hand was the hand of God.

SHABBY APPLE WINNER IS ~~~~ DOGMOM DIVA ~~~~~

~ Calling All Angels & Quilters ~ GIVEAWAY

Shannon, age 4, has brain cancer & will be joining Jesus soon.

Anne @ annesphamily blog has asked me to help her spread the request to assist her in making a quilt remembrance for Shannon's family. Please contact Anne @ annesphamily.

Please pray for this precious child & her family.

I have offered fabric for a quilter to use for this project, since I can't sew.

Thank you all for helping another precious child & family.

Suzanne is now pulling together this effort, please go to her blog for details & contact.
http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2012/03/quilt-blocks-needed-for-quilt-for.html
~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY ENDS 3/15 for Shabby Apple necklace

~ Love Is... ~ Win A Necklace

When I was a little girl, there was nothing more fun than dressing up in Mother's fur stoles, hats, heels &
dresses. Ahhh! Those magical moments of fantasy!

I was about 4 yrs. old. We lived on 5th St. in Chehalis, WA

My sister, Carolyn & I, used to play tea party on this
front porch ... what treasured moments of our
childhood.

~ Read about precious Angel Dawn in previous post ~







Peek-a-boo!
There is nothing cuter than little girls dresses, so full of
ruffles & sweet designs.

This darling tangerine fabric & style so reminds me of vintage dresses in my childhood. Many were made of feedsack fabrics.












When we grow up, we still love to dress up & go to tea ~
this gorgeous hat, fabulous purple romantic dress & elegant jewelry are a part of Shabby Apple exquisite creations.

Do take the time to visit this fabulous boutique ...














To win this gorgeous Lost In Wonderland necklace (no exchanges) from shabby apple in honor of St. Patrick's Day ~ 2 chances ~ ends March 15 midnight

* Leave me a comment here & a way to contact you

* LIKE them on Facebook to receive exclusive discounts
& promotions. Leave me a comment here saying you did this for a second chance

*Open to USA only

** Receive a 10% coupon code for your next purchase using "feedsackfantasy10off". It expires in 30 days.



Join our Love Is... ladies ~
Sherry
Anne
Tete

~ Guardian Angels Hover Near ~ Love Is ...

W are truly blessed with our guardian angels.



If you are not familiar with Angel Dawn's story, you may read
here, & in my previous post. She has been sick again with her
brain cancer.

I am overwhelmed by all who have responded with my call for our precious Angel Dawn. They will bring a warm touch to her heart & smile to her precious face.

You each have lifted me ... from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!

If you would like to share a wee Love Is... with her, write me
@ blushing_rose_boutique@yahoo.com for her address.

~~~~~

Join our Love Is... ladies ~
Sherry
Anne
Tete

~ Angel Dawn Needs Our Pinky Love ~

2012








Angel Dawn suffers from a malignant tumor at the base of her brain stem. Her smile will melt your heart.




2010

About 18 months ago you may remember our efforts for this precious child of God, to bring her support & joy. She is surrounded by many angels & our God almighty.

Angel Dawn, now 13, has been thru many rounds of chemo & radiation.

Recently she collapsed in school, not knowing who she was or where she was.

Our fellow blogger, Nezzy @ cowpattysurprise keeps me posted of Angel Dawn's progress. It just tears at my heart not to be able to SNAP my fingers & WIGGLE my nose to make her healed. Prayers lift constantly, ever most on my mind.

I am asking each of you to consider lifting her in prayer, sending her a card or small gift to brighten her days for Easter. If you wish to do so, write me directly for the mailing address ~
blushing_rose_boutique@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your consideration & my heart felt love to each of you.

**Please join me for Pink Saturday with Beverly @ http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Frosting For Cookies, If You Like Maple Bars ...

Just sayin', BJ.

In January I shared this fabulous cookie recipe (link below) that is knocking the socks off everyone who tries it. Well, I got this superb frosting to top them with now. In the recipe ONLY use vanilla for the cookies.

~ Maple Bar Cookie Frosting ~
6 Tbsp. of melted butter (have to use real butter)
1/2 c. of carnation evaporated milk
1 tsp. maple extract

blend them well together.

Then add about 5 c. powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, blending well. I like mine just short of stiff, this way you can really pile it on.

THEN smother those fabulous cookies. You'll never have a need for another maple bar. 2D4

http://blushingrosetoo.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-for-bj-yummies-prayers.html

Gorgeous teacup mat created by Donna @ Brynwood Needleworks. Love it, Donna. TY