On My Honor, I Will Try....

Oh, how I miss my time in Girl Scouts, Troop 210.  I don't think I ever fully appreciated it when I was little, but I've never forgotten all those times Camp Wildwood, all that time spent in my bedroom, pouring over the pages of my badge book, thinking, "Hmmmm....what should I work on next?  Should it be "Food, Fibers and Farming" or "Architecture" or "Folk Dancing"?  My issues began very early on in life....LOL.

I'll never forget the summer when about 8 of us were assigned to this tiny cabin and there was a ginormous Wolf spider hanging from the ceiling.  We all crammed into two little twin beds and slept in a heap all night so no one would get attacked by the arachnid. 

Or how we all had to line up to get drops in our ears EVERY SINGLE TIME we went swimming.

Or how me and my friends were signed up by our parents to attend a special "All About Me" weekend campout where I learned about puberty and died of embarrassment when they picked me up because they KNEW that I KNEW stuff now.

I made my first Jacob's Ladder at Camp Wildwood.  That year, we had a tyrant of a Camp Leader named Ivy.  But the Jacob's Ladder craft made it all better.

Our meetings were each week in our leader's living room.  Rita Pritchett was my Brownie Leader, then it was Debra Lancey when I was a Junior Girl Scout.  We met in the Mulberry Fire Station.  I don't know how large the troops are these days, but back then there were easily 25 girls in my troop, which made field trips, tubing trips and campouts all the more fun.  I was actually involved in Girl Scouts until I was a Cadette, which is high school level.  I dropped out in 10th grade, when the social implications of being in a scouting uniform at school became more than I could handle.

  This week, I was going through some of my treasured things from my childhood, holding my badges and my green sash with such a fondness and nostalgia, I could almost cry.  Why is it that we never appreciate the good stuff while we're "in it"?  I guess that's just human nature.  I'm sad to say that my beloved badge book disappeared through the ages, but I located an exact replica on Ebay and bought it.  So Sara Humble of Public School 229 in New York City, I am the proud owner of your Badges and Signs book.  And I'm not giving it up! 

This week at the public library, I checked out the current Handbook for Girl Scouts.  I'm amazed at how many badges have stayed the same.  They may have a new name, but the design is exactly the same as it was in the early 1980's.  And they've added some about Eco-Action and Girl Power and all that, but I'm actually jealous of the tremendous amount of arts and crafts merits that are available now.  There's a Yarn and Fabric Arts badge now!!!

As I am the proud mother of two sons who are active in Royal Rangers, a world-wide scouting ministry, I'm glad to see they're building character and skills that are so helpful to have.  They love whittling, astronomy, studying birds and insects and of course can't wait to work on their firearm safety and B.B. Gun merit (God, please help us all). 

I'm fairly certain they'll never work on a Folk Dancing merit, but that doesn't mean that I can't go back and work on the requirements, right? Just for fun? If you're constantly bettering yourself, then who cares how old you are or how juvenile your pursuits may be.  I may even go back to Ebay and order the old badges to add to my sash!  Okay, who wants to come to my ceremony?  I promise there will be cake.

My Idea of a Good Time

Hallelujah.  A day to myself!  The Man took Thing One and Thing Two surfing over at Cocoa Beach.   I got to do all the things I love to do, but don't enjoy doing them with two complaining children at my side.  Can't blame them--they have a mom whose idea of a good time is 5 hours in a bookstore.

I started off with some yummy sushi, but not wanting to waste time eating in, took it to go and ate it in the car.  With chopsticks.  Luckily, I have wicked coordination when it comes to driving and eating!

Look at this amazing selection of sewing and decorating books from Borders and Barnes and Noble.  3 hours in Borders and about 2 in B&N.  It flies by for me, I was sad to leave. 

I've always been fascinated by the design of Scandinavian scarves and Christmas stockings.  This book shows all sorts of patterns and ideas for projects around the house.  Love it! 
The book Perfect English Cottage by Ros Shaw was one of those $60 decorating books that was actually worth buying.  Every page was full of color photos containing practical, easy decorating ideas.  Each page was reminiscent of my time in England and all those BBC movies that I love to watch.  I wanted to climb through the pages of the book and snuggle up on the chintz-covered loveseat by the window, overlooking the herb garden outside.  (Sigh).

Freaking out at this book called "A is for Apron".  It has some cool page layouts like this that uncover aprons through the ages, but it also has about 50 patterns you can whip up--everything from a butcher's utilitarian apron to frilly, flirty ones.

When you just can't decide on that perfect end of the year teacher gift, how about this "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" journal? You'll enjoy sharing your innermost thoughts in this elegant/macabre notebook.  Only $14.95! 

Or for that Grateful Dead fan on your gift-giving list, a Monopoly game just for them!

On to the next stop, Lakeshore Learning Store on Kennedy Boulevard......I'm homeschooling the boys for the upcoming school year and needed some U.S. and world maps.  Of course, I spent over two hours browsing everything else they carry.  Lots of great art papers, whiteboards for doing math, Unit Studies on Greek and Roman times, you know, lots of fantastic nerdy stuff!

Hello?  Can't be on Kennedy Boulevard without a Scooby snack.  As fate would have it, as I pulled in the parking lot, they switched on the Hot and Fresh sign.  It was meant to be.....

All in all, it was a great day....I got home just in time to watch and weep over The Blind Side (well, most of it) before the boys got home from the beach.  I love "me" days....gives me the chance to refresh, recharge and relax.  Thank you, David!