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Pilgrims venerate the relics of St. Therese in Aylesford, England. Credit: Catholicrelics.co.uk London, England, Oct 13, 2009 / 09:19 pm (CNA).- As many as 100,000 pilgrims are expected to visit Westminster Cathedral to view and venerate the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux during their month-long tour of England and Wales.Agence France Presse reports that the cathedral has ordered 100,000 candles and 50,000 pink roses to meet the demand. The cathedral expects 2,000 pilgrims every hour until Thursday.St. Therese became a Carmelite nun at the age of 15 and died in 1897 at the age of 24. Known as...

Three times in a row, the moonbats have been a NO SHOW! A little birdie told us their website stated different times and other location on certain Saturdays. So, Lurker Bill and I rushed down early to find them not there. We even stayed a bit longer to make sure they didn't show up and they didn't. I guess they follow the clock in Westminster and think it’s always 12 o’clock, therefore never the right time to protest, especially against a WAR that is no longer Bush’s but Obama’s. BELOW: Time stands still for the moonbats BELOW: 3 strikes and...

2 FReep/Rallies in a row and moonbats are a NO SHOW! Since I have no pictures to share, I’m using one from a previous AAR. Seems appropriate, don’t you think? OK, it’s not Under New Management, it’s Under No Management, but you get the picture! We certainly don’t have the numbers we want in Westminster, but there are at least 2 of us there supporting our Troops the 2nd and last Saturday of each month. We cannot let them down, especially in these troubled times. God Bless our Troops and America. We need to take America back! Keep attending those...

It's been awhile since our last FReep/Rally and my AAR. We were scheduled to be on Main St. the day before Mother's Day, but were informed that there was a Mother's Day flower show, which shut Main St. down. So, we haven't disappeared like the moonbats did today. Lurker Bill and I held our ground and showed support for our Troops. It was a pretty uneventful day and just like the big clock on Main St., time stood still for a bit. [Mr] Trooprally can attest that time does stand still occasionally in Westminster! BELOW LEFT: Lurker Bill covering traffic...

Using the ancient rite that's long installed the archbishops of Canterbury, Vincent Gerard Nichols was enthroned this morning at Westminster Cathedral as the eleventh primate of England and Wales since the Reformation. With the 63 year-old formally at the reins, Pope Benedict's appointees now sit in four of the English-speaking world's top six ecclesial posts. Britain's Catholic Herald has full coverage in real time, including the text of Nichols' homily, given below. * * * My brothers and sisters, I welcome you and I thank you all for coming to Westminster Cathedral today. I appreciate the presence and the...

That's exactly what the guys did! The 2nd all-male Freep/Rally! Not much action to report but Anomoly99, [Mr] Trooprally and Lurker Bill were taking care of business by supporting our Troops. Only 1 moonbat showed up. With 1 lame sign, no other signs set up, or any flags, I don't see how he can possibly think he's having any impact. I guess they think 1 moonbat is better than none. Whether there are 10 moonbats or 1, they are no match for our faithful and dedicated patriots. Spirit is always high even when numbers are steadily low. I would like...

Washington’s Tea Party was beckoning all week but we had to settle for Westminster. [Mrs] T, Fraxinus and myself, [Mr] T, arrived around 6:10 and a good size crowd of about 100 was already there. A light rain was falling but nothing like in D.C. earlier in the day. [Mrs] T took off to start taking pictures, Fraxinus held his sign, and I started to put together my flag pole. Another Tea Partier came up to me and asked if he could hang his “Don’t Tread On Me” on yellow background flag on my pole. Getting some plastic ties, it...

Our local Hero and Marine, LCpl. Joshua Staples returned home safely from his 1st deployment! He looks great and we can’t thank him enough for serving our country and making us so proud. Joshua’s Mom, PatrioticMarineMom planned a surprise Welcome Home Party for him and invited a few more family and friends than Joshua expected. He was definitely surprised! We had a great time at The Stables of Westminster, which we decorated with a few signs, flags and centerpieces. The time flew by, but what a night to remember! Our favorite Hero and Marine, home at last, at least for...

Archbishop Vincent Nichols Vatican City, Apr 3, 2009 / 10:55 am (CNA).- Today Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham to become the 11th Archbishop of Westminster. The "prayerful" and "consultative" archbishop will take over an archdiocese that is considered the head of the Catholic Church in England.Nichols, who is 63 years old, was once considered a "liberal" by some, according to the Telegraph, but has shown to be a powerful force in the British Catholic Church for defending Church teaching and is not afraid to challenge the media.In a press conference today after the announcement was...

Last week, we occupied moonbat territory. This week, the moonbats were back again. Only 2 though. One came early to leave early and the other came on time to leave the same time as the other. I traveled from the north. [Mr] Trooprally and Lurker Bill traveled from the south. Neither places were quite as cold and windy as the conditions in Westminster, but at least it was just misty and no need for umbrellas. At first, there wasn’t much traffic, but then it was backing up. We started receiving lots of beeps, waves and thumbs. I saw 3 salutes....

Starting this August, elementary and middle-school students in one school district in Westminster, Colo., won't be assigned to grade levels based on age. Instead, they'll fall into multi-age levels based on what they already know and will move up only as they master new material. The concept makes sense to many education experts because it matches how kids actually learn: One student needs three hours to figure out fractions while another takes a full day.

I didn't want to give it away from the start, but it was too good to wait! Yes, you read correctly. FReepers occupy moonbat territory! Moonbats = NO SHOW. With half hour remaining, we unanimously voted that I should take advantage of the situation and secure moonbat territory. After noticing me turning left and right repeatedly to cover both directions of traffic, Mr. Trooprally later came over to raise his USA and USMC flag over the battlefield as a sign of VICTORY for our Troops. 1 occupier then 2 occupiers took control due to the moonbats' retreat. Maybe they cut...

As Tom the Redhunter reported in his Walter Reed AAR, it was pretty windy out, but warm. Well, that wind blew in the precursor of our snow fall - COLD WEATHER. The temps never made it out of the 30s on Saturday, and never out of the 20s thru today, Tuesday. The wind was blowing from the north, into our faces. This had Legionnaires Glenn (WWII - Iwo Jima) and Frank (Korea and having health problems) leaving early. The other Patriots this Saturday included Legionnaire Halsey (USMC - Korea), Lurker Bill and FReepers Cindy_True_Supporter, and myself. Even with 8 moonbats...

Lurker Bill joined Anomoly99, My Hero (Chris) and me on Valentine’s Day. Lurker Bill gave me a special sign on loan from [Mr] T. Being a girl, of course I loved the hearts and message! I was proud to hold the sign. After reading [Mr] T’s Olney AAR, I would like to thank Legionnaire Dave’s lady friend for the request. A special thanks to [Mr] T for obliging a lady’s request and sharing the love! When not present, his spirit is still with us. BELOW LEFT: RockerMom holding awesome signs BELOW RIGHT: My Hero (Chris) being the typical trooper BELOW...

Apparently the Super Bowl ad didn't get enough attention.

The Westminster Dog Show crowned Stump the 10-year-old Sussex Spaniel as best in show. Stump is the oldest dog to ever win best in show.

We just don't get it. If you say you support our Troops, shouldn’t you show it also? Where are their signs that support our Troops? There were only signs referring to peace. That’s all fine and good, but where is the credit to our Troops who are achieving that? The moonbats brought a new sign. Not only do they want us to imagine peace, we should picture it as well. Oh, wait, the sign also said “make it happen”. In their eyes, who do they think is going to make it happen? We just don’t get it and probably never...

Just 4 days after the Election, the moonbats were putting politics before our Troops. We support the Troops, they say, but do they really? We thought for sure there would be a whole swarm of them, but only 3 showed up. I suppose the rest were too busy celebrating the defeat of America. Brad Brown had no sign, other than a big peace sign on his shirt. The older moonbat had his sign “War is not the answer”. Howard Stern look-alike was there dressed in upscale clothing and guess what sign he was holding? An Obama/Biden sign. Gloating when your...

Our 1-year Anniversary in Westminster wasn’t what we hoped for; nevertheless, it wouldn’t deter the 6 of us from enduring the wind and rain. PatrioticMarineMom and her son (Adam), Lurker Bill, Anomoly99, My Hero (Chris) and I stood together in solidarity. We were wishing to celebrate with some of the wonderful people and groups that came out to join us on our very first FReep/Rally but it wasn’t meant to be. That’s ok because we do this for our brave troops and they certainly can’t choose their conditions. BELOW LEFT: Lurker BillBELOW RIGHT: Anomoly99 BELOW LEFT: PatrioticMarineMom (PMM)BELOW RIGHT: PMM’s...

It was a beautiful day as we stood on the sunny side of Main St. There were 7 patriots vs. 7 moonbats, who were on the shady side of Main St. The 7 patriots included [Mr] Trooprally, Lurker Bill, PatrioticMarineMom (PMM), her son (Adam), Anomoly99, My Hero (Chris), and RockerMom (Me). PatrioticMarineMom’s daughter (Eden) was occasionally present. Whether it’s sunny or not, there is a significant difference between our patriotic spirit and enthusiasm vs. the moonbats’ gloom and doom. As the sun was shining brightly upon us, a monarch butterfly fluttered between PMM and me. To make it a serene...

The moonbats changed their regularly scheduled time, so we adapted. [Mr] Trooprally and Lurker Bill were already at their posts as Anomoly99, My Hero, Chris and I joined them. The lonely moonbat was the first to show up on their side. Howard Stern look-alike approached and asked if I was the one writing the weekly blog in the Carroll County Times. I told him that PatrioticMarineMom was the one. He wanted me to tell her that the blog was touching and that he prays for LCpl Joshua’s safe return home. I said I would pass the message on but it...

ONE is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do! You guessed it folks, at least those old enough to remember and boy, am I aging myself! That tune from 1969 by Three Dog Night (WOOF) popped into my mind right away as we opposed ONE moonbat. Since their own surge is failing, I suppose that’s why they won’t acknowledge that the most crucial surge is working. The rest of the moonbats hung their friend out to dry and showed up after we were gone. PatrioticMarineMom (PMM) notified me of their presence after their scheduled time. Trying to throw us off...

Perfect weather for a FReep/Rally in Westminster! Lurker Bill came from Olney to join us. There were only 3 moonbats. One of them was holding the flag that we despise so much. The USA Flag desecrated with the peace symbol. A guy driving by conveyed his displeasure to them a couple times. He told them that they were defacing the USA Flag and should go home. The 2nd time, I heard the moonbat say that the guy had already driven by and said the same thing. OK, well he gave them a piece of his mind and spoke the truth...

BELOW LEFT: Who's that Blue Star Mom?BELOW RIGHT: It's PatrioticMarineMom! We’re back again and look who was able to join us! PatrioticMarineMom (PMM) finally had a free Saturday from work, so that was a nice surprise. PMM’s presence along with [Mr] T, Lurker Bill, Anomoly99, My Hero (Chris) and me was enough to override the moonbats by just 1! There were 2 people at different times that held a sign and stood with the moonbats. Each was there for about 10 minutes, so that doesn’t count. Thank you [Mr] T, Tolerance Sucks Rocks and “Mr” of Mr.Mrs.RedWhiteBlue for opposing the...

PRICELESS!!! It was a hot and humid day with a passing shower. After dealing with the dilapidated umbrella that I gave [Mr] Trooprally for our 1st Rain FReep , he gave us big umbrellas just in case! The shower was quick and luckily not enough to even break out the umbrellas. It was, however, enough to get a rain drop on [Mrs] Trooprally's camera lens at one point. So, when you see a little spot in the middle of a few pictures, you will know the reason! Great pics courtesy of [Mrs] T. What a day full of surprises...

We had our 1st Rain FReep last week and now the first hot and humid FReep/Rally of summer. I began the FReep alone and then my mom-in-law was kind enough to join me. All In The Family (Tree) meaning my mom-in-law and I shared a tree for shade! Sorry, folks - not much to report and no pictures for this week but we were there to Support Our Troops. We received a good amount of beeps, waves and thumbs up. A lady walked by and said "God Bless You". A guy in a GoArmy.com car stopped to thank us...

It finally happened. Our 1st Rain FReep/Rally in Westminster! Since October 2007, we have managed to stay outside the window of rain. Well, not today. It rained steadily the entire time. [Mr] Trooprally came from Olney to join us. Wouldn’t it figure that he missed the rain at Walter Reed and Olney but got soaked in Westminster. I think the rain really likes [Mr] T! Just as I helped Anomoly99 unfurl the flags, [Mr] T pointed out the rain was going to hit and also found a good spot under one of the shop canopies for My Hero (Chris) and...

Memorial Weekend – A time to remember and honor our fallen heroes who have proudly served their country and bravely defended our freedoms. Because of their sacrifices, we celebrate this Memorial Weekend. God Bless Our Heroes and the USA! It was a beautiful spring day with plenty of sunshine. We received our share of beeps, waves and thumbs up. We got one salute and a SEMPER FI shout. A man across the street gave us thumbs up. One lady approached us to tell us we were doing a great job. Two ladies on scooters, who are becoming regulars riding by,...

ARMED FORCES DAY MAY 17, 2008 I would like to take a moment to thank all of our brave men and womenwho have served and currently serve in the Armed Forces. We take pride in standing up for you and showing our support. It is the least we can do for the true heroes that protect and defend our freedom and enable us to live in the great USA! From the bottom of our hearts - THANK YOU! After a 2 week absence due to prior commitments and a Festival in Westminster, we were Back In The Saddle Again...

Legs (Trooprally) was the 1st at our Westminster Rally. Check out Post #3 by WVNan and then my Post #5. Our comments grew on Legs as shown in Post #6. Legs just craved the attention for himself before my hubby- Anomoly99, My Hero and I joined him! Jimmy Valentine's brother continues the fun and encourages the ego of Legs Trooprally! LOL Honestly, I don't know if it was the USA and USMC Flags that Mr. T was flying proudly or newly nicknamed "Legs" getting the positive responses! All joking aside, we know that people appreciate us being out in Westminster...

PatrioticMarineMom and I had a warm, windy day consisting of spring flurries. Flurries of supporters and white petals from the flowering pear trees that line Main Street! PatrioticMarineMom was holding her USMC Flag and her favorite Marine son sign. I had my USA Flag and one of my favorite signs: God Bless The Military and Their Families. We received a decent amount of beeps, waves and thumbs up. We also received a few salutes, SEMPER FI and OOORAH shouts. Those are always good gestures to see and hear. One man thanked us for being there. We told him that we...

YES, we have the moonbats on the run once again! Around 2:15pm, a moonbat whom we nicknamed “Howard” as in Stern, walked to his position to see nobody there! He walked across the street to talk to us. He approached me first as I was the closest. He asked me how I thought the war was going. I told him I thought it was going fairly well. He then wanted to see if he understood us. He asked if we were for peace but just in a different way. I told him that was right, that we believe in peace...

Finally, SPRING arrived in Westminster! PatrioticMarineMom and I were blessed with beautiful blue skies and sunny warm temps. Not much excitement for this particular FReep/Rally, but we did get our share of beeps, waves, thumbs up and a few conversations. One young girl driving by held her military cap out the car window. An Army wife walking by stopped to praise us and tell us she was an Army wife and they needed to be supported too. We agreed. Too bad all you male FReepers missed this one. The warm weather brought quite a few ladies out! A few said...

We held down the fort on Saturday while PatrioticMarineMom and hubby were away for the weekend. Mr. T helped us out and brought along Kristinn, another fine, dedicated DC Chapter FReeper. It was pretty quiet at first, but things started to pick up. A girl driving by said her husband was in the Army. I said God bless him and thank him. There were a couple of drivers that saluted us. A Vietnam Vet held his hat out the window and we thanked him. A younger Military guy held his hat out the window as we thanked him also. These...

WESTMINSTER, MD RECRUITER APPRECIATION FReep - AAR BACKGROUND ON MILITARY RECRUITMENTtaken from WikipediaPrior to the outbreak of WWI, military recruitment in the US was conducted primarily by individual states. Upon entering the war, however, the need for a large and quickly mobilized military shifted the responsibility to the federal government. The increased emphasis on a national effort was reflected in WWI recruitment methods. Peter A. Padilla and Mary Riege Laner define six basic appeals to these recruitment campaigns: patriotism, job/career/education, adventure/challenge, social status, travel, and miscellaneous. Between 1915 and 1918, 42% of all army recruitment posters were themed primarily...

We were back in Westminster after our big trip to Walter Reed and Washington DC the previous weekend. There were some snow flurries and rain ahead of time but it cleared up and sprinkled a little at the end. It was a mellow but supportive Rally. We were getting a few beeps here and there. Just as I mentioned to PatrioticMarineMom that we weren't getting many beeps, a few drivers must have heard me because we got more! Quite a few people waved and gave us thumbs up. PatrioticMarineMom and I were on our own this Saturday. PatrioticMarineMom brought her...

There was no Westminster Rally this Saturday as PatrioticMarineMom, her hubby, my hubby, my son, my dad and I headed to Washington DC for the Support the Troops March. Gathering together and joining hundreds of Vets, Military Family Members, Eagles, FReepers and True Patriots was a truly incredible experience. There is just no way to convey the pride and joy we felt standing up for America and our brave Troops who defend us and our freedoms. All that patriotism was so astonishing and what a wonderful sight to see all the RED WHITE & BLUE marching towards the Capitol then...

How we lucked out, I’ll never know but Mother Nature sure seems to be a big supporter in Westminster. The weather before and especially after was nasty but it left us with a 2 hour window of decent weather for the Rally. Trooprally and LurkerBill drove from drizzly Olney through a heavy rain to Westminster. We were surprised that the rain stopped, the winds decreased and the sun came out as we approached our local spots on Main St. Trooprally had asked me to save a couple of “dry spots” for them. I told him I would, but little did...

Britain's richest man was exposed as a serial user of prostitutes yesterday. The Duke of Westminster, who is worth £6.6billion and is the country's biggest landowner, paid for four vice-girls in six weeks to visit his mews house in the West End of London. Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 55, who is head of the Territorial Army, was said by the News of the World to have openly discussed military matters and Osama Bin Laden. He declined to comment on the claims, which must inevitably raise questions over his suitability to lead the TA. Reckless, boastful, stupid, weak - such lacerating words...

What a very windy day in Westminster! Great for the flags, but not so great for my sign, which was already starting to come off the foam board. The wind finished off the job. At least I managed to save the sign several times from blowing all the way down Main Street! The good thing about the wind was that it blew several family members into Westminster. PatrioticMarineMom (PMM) had the wonderful surprise of her Marine son, Josh coming home for a visit. Originally, PMM and I were to be the only ones standing out for the day. Because of...

Looks like the moonbats' CUT and RUN was temporary. They outnumbered us 10-4 but we still received the majority of beeps, waves, thumbs up and positive verbal responses. A few beeps and peace signs were enough to please the moonbats. We had much more reason to be happy though. Will get to that in a minute but the first thing that caught us off guard was Death driving by in yet another truck (think that is the 3rd different one). Not to mention all that OIL he needs to supply them with, he just had to shout at us. He...

It was a brisk, cold day but thanks to several reasons, we stayed warm and toasty! First of all, the sun was shining brightly as it seems to do quite often for us. Secondly, fellow GOE (Gathering of Eagles) members, Dawg and SassySuz joined us! It was nice to catch up with them since we haven't seen them for awhile. I had my family with me and PatrioticMarineMom had her hubby, bringing our total to 7. Extra presence brought more beeps, waves and thumbs up, although we do get great response when we have fewer numbers. Overall, Carroll County citizens...

Early last week Buzz Krohn of Columbia, MD discovered That guy called me Horse pucky! That's the nicest thing [sniff] anyone's said to me in a long time! a fundraiser was planned at a nearby community college featuring an awards ceremony honoring members of Code Pink. Trooprally posted this thread to alert FReepers. Buzz played the biggest part in gathering info and getting the counter protest organized. The ceremony and fundraiser was organized by the local chapter of Women in Black. What grand honor were the WIB bestowing on Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans, and Gael Murphy? VAGINA WARRIOR AWARDS!...

Downstate Beagle 'Uno' Named Best In Show At Westminster, Helping Boost His Breed A dog with downstate roots is now America's numero uno. CBS 2's Vince Gerasole introduces us to this year's Westminster Kennel Club's best in show. The underdog is now the top dog as a beagle named Uno becomes the first of his breed ever to win the title of Westminter's best in show. Showing as much spunk as style, Uno's barking echoed through the concourse. His well-coiffed competitors sat there speechless as the crowds uncharacteristically jumped to their feet and cheered. "He's the people's dog, that explains...

A great turnout and wonderfully, warm day! There were a total of 8 of us, including a new Westminster FReeper. It was a pleasure to have Buzz join us. His brother is in the military and currently serving in Iraq. We hear that he will be bringing a few extra patriots in the coming weeks. After the snow and rain in the morning, the skies gave way to the bright sun and plenty of warmth. It was a heat wave compared to the past few rallies! The beeps were intermittent, but when the drivers beeped, they were no ordinary beeps....

NEW YORK (Feb. 12) - Uno the beagle turned Madison Square Garden into his own big, green backyard. He barked and bayed. He nipped at a newly printed sign. He tried to grab his leash. He took a flying leap at a piece of filet mignon. "Snoopy would be proud," handler Aaron Wilkerson said Monday. "He was being his merry little hound self." He also did something out of character: He became the first beagle to win the hound group at the Westminster Kennel Club show since 1939 — that's 483 years, in dog years. America's top dog competition has...

NEW YORK (AP) — Good ol' Snoopy, a champion at last. Barking and baying up a storm, Uno lived up to his name Tuesday night by becoming the first beagle to win best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club. The nation's new top dog was clearly the fan favorite, and drew a roaring, standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden when he was picked. Uno got right into the act, jumping up on handler Aaron Wilkerson and confirming his other title: noisiest in show. Years from now, he'll be known for the "ah-roo" heard 'round the...

Best in show TRIBUNE-REVIEW By: Salena Zito In the most significant stunner of the evening, Uno the beagle won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this evening at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Uno’s victory is considered a moral victory; he broke canine breed lines by becoming the first beagle to ever win best in show at

Patty Hearst's bulldog wins at WestminsterFebruary 12, 2008 Patricia Hearst poses for a picture with her French bulldog, Diva. (AP) NEW YORK---- Uno the beagle turned Madison Square Garden into his own big, green backyard. He barked and bayed. He nipped at a newly printed sign. He tried to grab his leash. He took a flying leap at a piece of filet mignon. ''Snoopy would be proud,'' handler Aaron Wilkerson said Monday. ''He was being his merry little hound self.'' He also did something out of character: He became the first beagle to win the hound group at the Westminster...

Tired of all the dogs in politics? Here's a nice change.