~ Oy! Bloomin' Roses ~ & GIVEAWAYS

Please join us at our NEW blog (blushingrosetoo.blogspot.com) ... this old blog had too many issues to deal with & was collapsing. We hope to see you & that you each had a blessed & loving Thanksgiving holiday. Hugs to all ~ Marydon

GIVEAWAYS ~ I have posted our new delayed giveaway that will end Dec. lst. Please also visit our friends lovely giveaways ~

****Rebecca @ A Gathering Place has a giveaway ending Dec. 6th

**** Gail @ Shabby Cottage Shopped has a giveaway ending Nov. 30th

TA-DA!!! ... Memories & Exciting News To Share ...

Memories of yore ~
I was probably a mere 9 or 10 years old. I went to St. Joseph's with Patsy Ann (a cousin) for Thanksgiving Bingo. Mother was so worried about not having money for food that year & as we played Bingo for my first time officially I got a BINGO but didn't know what to do so, I tapped Patsy Ann & said 'I have a Bingo, I think' ... she went bonkers yelling BINGO & embarrassed me to death ... I WON A HAM & we had meat for dinner ... Mother was so surprised, I got a hug. Patsy Ann won something, too, but I don't remember what.

Do pop over for a visit. Due to glitches on Feedsack Fantasy & Blushing Rose Boutique (this blog) we are now visible at this new blog. We invite you to 'follow us' once again ~ ~ we are now @ www.blushingrosetoo.blogspot.com ~ ~

~ HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL ... GIVEAWAY ~

We had hoped to post the next giveaway today, but blog issues prevail so it won't be until we are able to correct this issues. Stay tuned, I apologize.

May your Thanksgiving be blessed, full of warm memories to be made ... watch out for the pecan pie!

Hugs to all ~
Marydon & Harold

~ GIVEAWAY WINNERS ... & Memories & More~

*** Send the ACLU a nice CHRISTmas card to remind them CHRIST is the reason for ALL season's & that our country was founded with God included in all our principles & documents ... flood them with nice cards ... here is mine. Let them know we do NOT support the actions they are taking to remove HIM!

*** Xerox is helping say MERRY CHRISTMAS & THANK YOU to our TROOPS, for FREE, follow this link & let's have an overwhelming response for our 'protectors of our freedoms'.

http://www.letssaythanks.com/

*** Christmas Memories ~ as a child we went thru some really rough moments after Dad took off with his girl friend, leaving us in the dust. Julie Marie (idyllhours) & I have been sharing some moments & memories of the joy we each had as children. We were thrilled to have nuts & candy & our stockings filled with crayons or pencils. It didn't take much to make us happy. Mother would stay up into the wee hours of the morn sewing special dresses or pinafores or ribbons, sometime even coats ... but the memory that will stick with me forever was the year all we got were barettes for our hair ... I don't recall what my brother got. Mother took us to Berryhill's 5 & 10 store ... Mother had exactly $1 to spend on gifts. We oooooh'd & awwwww'd over the barettes & magically Santa delivered them to us on that crisp, cold exciting Christmas morn. We were tickled with these pretties for our hair. A neighbor girl across the street got everything money could buy ... when we shared our beautiful gifts with Helen Jean, she asked 'is that all you got?' I shall never forget that wonderful moment of pride & joy became instant pain that knifed thru forever ... it hurt to the quick.

Since that time it was one of the factors in changing my life forever in 'giving' to others. I love the warm radiant smiles when I give ... the appreciation that is extended ... a moment of happiness given to another, without strings ... just sheer love & fulfillment in my heart & soul.

***GIVEAWAY WINNERS*** (Thank you all for your entries)

1) winner ~ Garage Sale Gal selected gift #3

2) winner ~Gary & Elizabeth selected gift #1

3) winner ~ Jean Tuthill selected gift #2

4) winner ~ Kim selected #1 but will receive #4

(Send me your addresses ladies, to the ~ blushing_rose_boutique@yahoo.com

Tomorrow we will post the next giveaway, drawing will be Nov. 30

~ Milkweed Silk & WWII ... & Trivia ... GIVEAWAY ~

GIVEAWAY ~Drawing tomorrow, enter on Nov. 16th post.
~~~~~~~~~~
Yesterday Lilly commented on my Antietam Illumination post about milkweed silk for parachutes. This hit a bell in memory so I decided to look up some data ….

Country school children were given gunny sacks to gather milkweed pods so they could dry. They were harvested for the kapok inner silk & used for filling life vests for bouyancy for our troops. They were also used in gloves & jackets to keep the troops warm.

This plant is highly toxic, but one child's mom said it was ok to eat before the sun rose & shone on it ... hmmmmm! I am not so sure.

While I was reading this data I ran across a couple of interesting notes & my personal memories ~

**People were asked to save old tin cans & old cooking fats ... the reason was make explosives. Fat contains something like 10% to 20% glycerine, which is vey useful in making things go 'BOOM'!

**Tin foil was saved by school children from gum wrappers & cigarettes.

**V mail ~ the sender would write the message on a special form which was then microfilmed to reduce space/weight & flown across the Atlantic ... at the other end the microfilm was photogrphcally enlarged, printed & mailed to the recipient.

**Stars were hung in home windows to indicate they had a family member in the military & a gold one for a soldier lost while serving.

**Margarine was white like lard with a packet of yellow (like food coloring) 'stuff'. We would squeeze it into the margarine & have a ball squeezing it until it was a bright buttery yellow. To this day I dislike margarine.

**Nylon was rationed for the war, so rayon stocking (nylons) were in vogue. Many women literally painted their legs with some coloring & took their eyebrow pencils & drew a line up the back of their legs. Or, they would paint their 'bobby socks/anklets' onto their legs ... that would 'wash' off in the rain.

**How children would play war killing their 'enemies'.
**I actually remember the black outs in the eves when lights went out, but we had heavy draperies on our windows that blocked out the light ... brown outs when power was dimmed by

the utility companies.

**War Bonds cost 10 cents a stamp, & when the book was filled ($17.50 value) we were issued by the bank a $25 savings bond that matured in 10 years.

~~~Awwww ... memories hopefully NEVER to return to this country.

Raise her high, protect her wide, she is our land, we hold in pride. (written by me)

Antietam Battlefield Illumination ... the Bloodiest Single Day Battle ~

The first illumination was held in 1988, held every year on the first Saturday of December yearly.

It is the most emotional, moving, solemn event as you drive thru ... each candle will bring to mind a soldier lying in this field. It brings tears to eyes .....

We have volunteered working on this project from day one. Hence yearly tradition, we take out our bbq grill & I cook 100 hot dogs, a gigantic pot of homemade soup, all kinds of cakes & cookies, hot tea & chocolate ... Harold & I donate it to the other volunteers in appreciation of our joint efforts to make this event a success.

Our volunteers come from all over this great USA, & from overseas.

Around 2PM we start lighting the candles in the bags that we set out all morning, as dusk slowly ebbs. The fields are dimly becoming vibrant with 23,000 lights representing each soldier that was killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17,1862. Sharpsburg was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history.

Marydon serving Don Beck a bite to eat.

Our 'troops' with their company flags.

A volunteer preparing a bag for lighting.

As dusk approaches, the night comes alive as we view the beauty of ...

the memoriam ...

for the souls of the brave soldiers that fought courageously ...

brother to brother to father to son to cousin ...

to defend what they believed in ...

taps can be heard in the distance, the carollers fill the air with blessed song.

Then the gates are opened to miles & miles of cars for the public to drive thru.

(If you should visit us this year we hope you will come say 'hi'. We are on Mansfield Ave. @ Clara Barton monument.)

~ Tidbits & Trivia *** FOUR GIVEAWAYS ~

I cannot leave a post for any of you today, I cannot edit, I cannot post pictures, I have no functions on the posting page such as color, fonts, adding pictures, etc. If I want to leave a comment it asks for word verification, with no word no verify with ... OY! it is a mess ... Sorry all, as I am trying to write you ... have a wonderful day. It also dumped part of my post just now ...
~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoy these tidbits of trivia...

Dick Smothers is 71 today ... remember that dry humor of 'Mother liked you best'

******************************

1947 Princess Elizabeth (now queen) married Philip Mountbatten ... & the world was enthralled with the movie that came out of their wedding. Gosh! the lines at our theatre were sooooo long to get in to view


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY ~~~~~
RULES ARE SIMPLE & THE SAME ~ Drawing Nov. 23rd
1 ~ All who ENTERED GIVEAWAY #1 & #2 will be re-entered automatically into NEW GIVEAWAY #3 drawing

2 ~ ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY #3, by leaving a comment on THIS POST ONLY & you will be entered AGAIN

3 ~ State which giveaway you would prefer ... #1, #2, #3, #4 (#s in front of each giveaway)

Spread the word ... ~~~ GRAND PRIZE ~~~ in December we will be having one huge GIVEAWAY celebrating all you wonderful new friends & in celebration of Christmas

~ Lincoln Today In History ~ & ***FOUR GIVEAWAYS ***

TODAY IN HISTORY ~ 1863 President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania.
~~~~~~~~~~
Here we go with the next round of GIVEAWAYS, ladies. Go to Nov. 16th post to enter.

RULES ARE SIMPLE & THE SAME ~ Drawing Nov. 23rd
1 ~ All who ENTERED GIVEAWAY #1 & #2 will be re-entered automatically into NEW GIVEAWAY #3 drawing

2 ~ ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY #3, by leaving a comment on THIS POST ONLY & you will be entered AGAIN

3 ~ State which giveaway you would prefer ... #1, #2, #3, #4 (#s in front of each giveaway)

Spread the word ... ~~~ GRAND PRIZE ~~~ in December we will be having one huge GIVEAWAY celebrating all you wonderful new friends & in celebration of Christmas

Lovely Vintage Verse, Art & *** FOUR GIVEAWAYS ***

Heart O'Gold
This is one of my very favorite verses that I found while collecting memory verses & silhouettes.
The graphics are what caught my eye ... I enjoy the beauty of the old art.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY ~ ends Nov. 23rd
Go to Nov. 16th post to enter

~ FOUR GIVEAWAY GIFTS ~

#1 Giveaway ~ Mary Engelbreit fabric tea cozy (made by designer Vera in Canada), rose cup & saucer & vintage tea spoon, silver sugar, victorian silverware posey vase, 2 napkin/candle holders, bath salts, Vineyard Harvest soap (yum!), friendship spoon.
#2 Giveaway ~ Vintage bird saucer picture frame (created by us), bird stationary, bird vintage calling card note card, desk organizer, victorian lady tags, Greenleaf Flowering Orchids Savon Perlier soap, bath salts, heart sachet, gourmet coffee, Token of Affection book by Alda, keepsake bookmark
#3 Giveaway ~ Sweet white keepsake box with dividers inside, pillow sachets, tea wallet, teaspoon ornament, bath salts, designer soap, teaspoon magnet
#4 Giveaway ~ Blueberry Woodsong decorator candlestick, Wedgwood (old piece) dish/ashtray (great spoon rest), vintage tea infuser sachet, ice tea spoon magnet, lady slipper ornament/accessory, lovely sweet potholder, gourmet box of A Spot of Tea

~~~~~~~~~~~

Are we having fun yet?
Here we go with the next round of GIVEAWAYS, ladies.

RULES ARE SIMPLE & THE SAME ~ Drawing Nov. 23rd
1 ~ All who ENTERED GIVEAWAY #1 & #2 will be re-entered automatically into NEW GIVEAWAY #3 drawing

2 ~ ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY #3, by leaving a comment on THIS POST ONLY & you will be entered AGAIN

3 ~ State which giveaway you would prefer ... #1, #2, #3, #4 (#s in front of each giveaway)

Spread the word ... ~~~ GRAND PRIZE ~~~ in December we will be having one huge GIVEAWAY celebrating all you wonderful new friends & in celebration of Christmas

******************
Thank you ALL for your best wishes, notes & love ... today was a really good day, I almost sound like myself finally. I got a ton of cleaning & wash done ... it was driving me UP the wall but at the time who cared, not me! for sure. Hugs, Marydon

~ the WINNERS are .... & Ida approaching ~

These are pictures as Hurricane Ida approached our area ... I was travelling about 25 miles SE from our home.

I am doing so much better today, TY each, for all your prayers, love & concerns. Truly I appreciate each of you ... the best medicine one can receive.
~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY WINNERS ARE ~ We will post another GIVEAWAY tomorrow

#1 ~ Connie ~ Living Beautifully (Tea cozy parcel)
#2 ~ Bennie & Patsy ~ The Smith's Bennie & Patsy (Tote parcel)
#3 ~ Missy Melissy @ Lilac Lane by Melissa Stramel (Scottie dog parcel & magazines)

THANK YOU ALL for participating. Your names all stay in the pot, you may up continue to post on each giveaway for another entry change.

~ May God Brighten Your Day, Leading the Blind ~

Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown
For the world was intent on dragging me down
And if that weren't enough to ruin my day
A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play.

He stood right before me with his hand tilted down
And with great excitement, "Look what I found!"
In his hand was a rose, what a pitiful sight
With it's petals all worn - not enough rain or too little light.

Wanting him to take his dead rose and go off to play
I faked a small smile and then shifted away.
But instead of retreating he sat next to my side
And placed the rose to his nose and declared with surprise,

"It sure smells pretty
And it's beautiful too
That's why I picked it
Here, it's for you."

The weed before me was dying or dead
Not vibrant of colors, orange, yellow or red.
But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave
So I reached for the rose and replied, "Just what I need."

But instead of him placing the rose in my hand
He held it in mid-air without reason or plan.
It was then that I noticed for the very first time
That weed-toting boy could not see -- he was blind.

I heard my voice quiver, tears shone like the sun
As I thanked him for picking the very best one.
"You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to play
Unaware of the impact he'd had on my day.

I sat there and wondered how he managed to see
A self-pitying woman beneath the old willow tree.
How did he know of my self-indulged plight?
Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true sight.

Through the eyes of a blind child at last I could see
The problem was not with the world -- the problem was me.
And for all of those times I myself had been blind
I vowed to see beauty in life and appreciate every second that's mine.

And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose
And breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose.
And smiled as I watched that young boy -- another weed in his hand
About to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.
(Author unknown)
~~~~~

Thank you God for giving me the insight to know & see clearly all before me.

~Cleaning For A Reason ~ (Cancer Patients ~ Awesome Article of Giving)

I just read a wonderful article about a fantastic service for cancer patients that I believe to be so warm & giving from the heart. Hopefully you will also enjoy this piece ~ Have a beautiful giving day. TTFN ~ Marydon

*** FREE HOUSECLEANINGS AVAILABLE TO WOMEN UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENTS ***

ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT ...
Cleaning For A Reason offers four (4) FREE house cleanings to women who are undergoing treatment for any type of cancer. This service has been around for several years, but many women don't know about it.

All that is asked of the woman is that she get a doctor's note stating she is under going cancer treatment.

Cleaning For A Reason is a national organization that uses local housecleaning companies to provide the service. The local companies donate their time, & the client gets a clean house at a time when she may feel least like cleaning it.

It presently only offers this service to women but is thinking about adding men (my opinion ~ yes, this would be nice).

People are afraid it's only for people in a lower economic status but it is available to all women, no matter her income. It's to help a woman in need. After treatment it is nice to come home to a clean house.

More information may be found ~ www.cleaningforareason.org (It is a non-profit organization)
On this site you may also make contributions to this program. What a wonderful way to give from the heart.

~Japanese Antique Feedsack Shop ~ TRIPLE GIVEAWAY & Trivia

Our dear friend, Mii, is the Japanese lady that I featured re the Relay for Life for Cancer Survivors last month. Mii is a survivor. She is very precious to us. Here is her shop that some of you requested viewing. TY Mii for sharing with us.

*** GIVEAWAY ***
Visit our November 10 post for our TRIPLE GIVEAWAY. Drawing on Nov. 16.
~~~~~
Kathleen "Memory Mittens inc" said...(Please visit her, info in yesterday's post)

Marydon ~
I want to personally thank you for posting my story!! I am sitting here w/ tears in my eyes reading all the beautiful comments people are leaving on you're site. God Bless you & Coralie and all you WONDERFUL women!! My work is heartfelt for certain;I am meeting such terrific people;I wasn't prepared for the out-pouring of love & support for my work..I truly am touched beyond words!

Kathleen
"Memory Mittens Inc."

~~~~~

** VISIT these lovely ladies for your Christmas & holiday gifts, they have wonderful creations **

Celestina Marie ~ http://larearose.blogspot.com

Rebecca ~ http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com

Gail ~ http://shabbycottageshoppe.blogspot.com
~~~~~

VOTE FOR ~ REBECCA @ Divine Caroline (link below) if you haven't yet, contest nearing end.
http://www.divinecaroline.com/awards/Aug-09/2032-a-gathering-of-thoughts

~~~~~
BARN RESTORATION VOTE
Our friend Jodie is (1) of (10) vintage barns nominated for restoration by the Campbell Soup company & raising money for FFA, a very worthy cause ... please VOTE @ link below ~
http://www.helpgrowyoursoup.com/barn_waitsee.aspx

NOTE ~~~~~
TY for your sweet notes & well wishes. I am having a really rough time with this getting well & am still pretty sick going back in for more meds. I'll be back up in full swing as soon as I can. Sorry. TTFN ~Marydon

~Mitten Memories of Love ~ & *GIVEAWAY*

Memories You Can Hold In The Palms Of Your Hands!

***Thank you, my friend Coralie, for bringing Kathleen to my attention. This is a wonderful story***

"Over the weekend, I picked up sweaters for "Memory Mitten" orders from persons who had recently lost loved ones...I walked away from each meeting with the "chills." After listening to each of their heartfelt stories, I felt completely overcome with God's hands on my work!"

(Kathleen King, Gladstone, Michigan)

I have never met Kathleen personally but I learned of her labors of love through my son Paul (Coralie's) who with his family has known Kathleen for many years. I was so stirred by her inspiring work that I wanted to share it with all of you!

This is Kathleen's story, in her own words:

"One day while at work, I overheard a co-worker talking about how her mother-in-law was busy making mittens out of old sweaters. My mother and I had just talked about what she should do with a box of my father's sweaters...he had passed away five years earlier and I had suggested she donate them to St. Vincent de Paul...winter was coming and someone in need could use them.

I was in an instant panic! Hopefully my mother still had the sweaters and had not followed my advice! I called her right away and, to my relief, she still had them!

Over the next month, I went on an emotional, heartfelt mitten-making journey. Everyone was coming to my house for Christmas and I was going to give them each a memorable gift of mittens made from our loving father's sweaters. The thought brought tears to my eyes. It would be a gift that I would put my heart into.

On Christmas day after a huge holiday feast and lots of goodies, we sat relaxing by the beautifully lit Christmas tree, music playing in the background and a feeling of contentment of being together. It was the perfect time to retrieve the basket full of wrapped gifts.

They slowly opened their gifts and, although I was tearful, I was also very excited! Tears, laughter, and awe were just some of the emotions I saw around the room. My mom put her mittens on and cupped her face with them—tears in her eyes, yet joy, too. I will never forget that look!

The making of Memory Mittens for my family sparked a passion in me to create custom mittens for others. If I could bring joy to someone else by creating Memory Mittens out of their loved one's sweaters, as I did for my family, what could be better?

I take creating these mittens very seriously. People are entrusting me with a prized possession from someone they have dearly loved. Each pair of mittens is made with tender love and care in hopes of giving them a heart and hand-warming keepsake."

(Please take time to visit Kathleen's Memory Mittens website! You can also click HERE to see more of her completed mittens!)

UPDATE 11/11/09:

Kathleen's website is currently under reconstruction but will be ready for viewing soon. In the meantime, you can contact her directly at email: memorymittens@gmail.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~

***Visit our Nov. 10th post for our TRIPLE GIVEAWAY***

~~ An Honor To Thank You ~~

It is with profound gratitude we honor you. Today and every day ... Keep all of our brave men and women who are fighting for OUR FREEDOMS in your hearts and prayers every day ... Keep our FREEDOM ringing out, loud & clear!

Served proudly ~ My husband Harold 11 1/2 yrs. USN, my son Emery 4 yrs. USN, my brother Buck USA, my Uncle Bill USA, my dad Don USA, many cousins & nephews, great-uncle USN & uncles USA.

***I asked Lynn Cliburn to help set this up, as she was so impressed with the choral group, & I am not into all this computer jibberish. THANK YOU LYNN, it came out beautifully.***

A MUST TO VIEW ALSO ~ http://connie-livingbeautifully.blogspot.com/

Be sure to turn off my playlist volume before playing this magnificent performance.

~ Triple GIVEAWAY Triple ~

Giveaway #2 ~ a pretty ragged tote 13 x 15, a hand created country bunny doll, (2) button cards, shea butter, a vintage tea strainer lavender sachet & a lovely handcreated heart.

****SORRY these got messed up somehow, they were fine originally ... they are titled correctly so when you select please note they may be out of order but the #s are correct.****
Giveaway #1 ~ Dog Tea Cozy (designed by Vera, a wonderful designer in Canada), English teacup & saucer, spoon, sachet, bath salts, saucer picture frame (created by us), victorian teaspoon posey vase, (2) napkin holders/candle rings (made by Gifco)

Giveaway #3 ~Scottie dog approx. 6" stuffed creation, (3) new issues of Country, Decorating & Quilting magazines, a hand created country heart, (2) vintage button cards, apple vintage teacup cup/saucer wall pocket (we created)

***********************************
THANK YOU all for the well wishes, I'll live, just waiting for the antibiotics to kick in full force. Love to all ~ Marydon


RULES (simple!) ~ DRAWING NOV. 16th ~

1 ~ All who ENTERED GIVEAWAY #1 will be re-entered automatically into NEW GIVEAWAY #2 drawing (read #2 ~ this will continue all the way thru all our drawings into mid-Dec., carrying you over into each new giveaway, increasing your chances as we go along)

2 ~ Now ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY #2, by leaving a comment on THIS POST ONLY & you will be entered AGAIN

3 ~ State which giveaway you would prefer ... #1, #2, #3

Spread the word ... ~~~ GRAND PRIZE ~~~ in December we will be having one huge GIVEAWAY celebrating all you wonderful new friends & in celebration of Christmas.