update:

Katie graduated from MWSU, moved to Nebraska and is working on her Masters Degree. Lindsay is engaged. Nicole graduated from Hillyard Tech. Kayla & Kelsie got married.

3 more Mercer Girl Scouts graduated this year...

they lost their senior trip and months of school to Covid-19, but did get prom and graduation in June. best wishes to Aubrey, Jazmine, and Braelyn.

our littlest Girl Scout Maddie has a few years of school left. then that will be the end.

once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout....here's what the girls have been up to....

Kayla, Katie, Lindsay, Nicole, Breanna, Brittany, & Mackenzie are in college. Dominique, Rayne, Cortney, Morissa, & Morgan graduated high school. Braelyn works at Hour Place. Aubrey plays basketball. Maddi is very involved in every activity. Jessie & Danielle work. And Danielle has bought a house! Kayleigh and Brandy graduated last year, not sure what they're up to. Moriah has a baby. Kelsie has a baby.

it's been a long time since I was a Girl Scout leader. it was an all-consuming thing. so much planning and prep. looking for ideas and projects. themed meetings. I loved about 95% of it. not the cookies and candy sales, though. ugh. anyways....that was long ago and far away. but sometimes something pops up on Facebook that brings back some memories.

Miss Jessica got married! pretty sure she's our first bride!

our youngest member just graduated from 6th grade. yay, Maddi!

Kassie has a baby.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

some musings....

our troop has been disbanded for what, a year now? maybe two? I was thinking back over the years. since I was an asst. leader/leader: my former Girl Scouts have been Miss Mercers, 1000 point basketball players, traveled internationally, graduated high school, started college, gotten jobs. there have been competitive dancers. state competitors in track. all kinds of athletic and scholarly honors. state FBLA and FFA competitors. and now, one is going to be a mom! we didn't do things the official GS way, I tried to teach them the Promise and Handshake and Law. we learned GS songs and traditions. we camped in my yard. it was a girl driven program, things that interested them got made into the meetings. there was laughter, tears, bonding. girls become bestest friends. I am proud of what we had. and yeah, I do miss it. the planning. the fun. I taught a few girls to sew. to cook. they were all thinkers. and planners. and dreamers. we bowled and skated and swam. we made crafts. we had parties....Juliette Lowe's birthday, Halloween, Christmas, Chinese New Years, end of year, Girl Scout Sunday, Bridging. they loved to party. we went to a high school football game and a intercollegiate baseball game. we donated stuff to the animal shelter and the hospital. we mailed postcards and Flat Girl Scouts to other troops. we had penpals. we did many many themed meetings....Friendship. Animals. Newscasters. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Movie Stars. you name it. we even did a few county GS activities.

I don't miss cookie sales and counting money. I do miss smiling girls. and tea parties. and giggles. we had something really special, I think. those girls really changed my life. each one of them.

I didn't sign up girls this fall....or attend the fall product kick off meeting....or run the baby show or have a float in the parade....

today I met a well dressed woman at the bank and closed the Troop 8044 account. it is done. I am no longer Girl Scout Leader Deb. I am just plain old deb again. and it feels good. threw away the checkbook.

notified by email today that the Troop 8044 account will be absorbed by the Princeton troop that Maddi joined....

so will have to go to bank and sign papers, and it will all be a done deal. already donated our leftover 'supplies' to the local school art dept. spent some time removing myself from GS emails and unliking and unfollowing GS stuff on facebook...

a Sookie Stackhouse Girl Scout quote!

"She is very kind, and sweet, and helpful, like a supernatural Girl Scout, because it's her nature and because she's trying to work her way up the magical ladder to become an angel."

All Together Dead, Charlaine Harris.

(although I have retired as a Girl Scout leader, I still enjoy a good Girl Scout quote!)

The Last Awards Ceremony

tomorrow nite is my last-ever awards ceremony

how many of these have I planned over the years? (sigh). put awards together....red and white mardi gras beads in the bottom of pink plastic mason jar glasses the girls will keep, with their badges on popsicle sticks like a bouquet. and I wrote a little good-bye speech.

Last night I was thinking about the girls in Troop #8044 over the years: Maddie, Jazmine, Kayleigh, Braelyn, Kassie, Brandy, Jessica M., Jessica P., Kayla, Kylie, Lindsay, Breanna, Dominique, Morissa, Nataleigh, Danielle, Nicole, Rayne, Kelsie, Melissa, Mackenzie, Sierra, Cortney, Liberty, Trinity, Emily, Katie, & Morgan.

I have loved watching you girls grow up, become friends, and learn so many things. Since our troop is multi-level, girls that might not have hung out did-Maddie learned a lot, but she taught the older girls things, as well. I appreciate you girls and your families for all the help over the years. I'll always be here if you need me. Princeton has amazing, very active Troops that will welcome you.

Girl Scouts is about so much more than selling cookies. You girls are the future and you will make a difference in the world.

Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.

a thank you letter from Enchanted Makeovers!

March 15, 2014

Dear Girl Scouts,

Your generous donation of beautiful handmade capes has been received. We cannot thank you enough for your support of Enchanted Makeovers!

A big part of Enchanted Makeovers' mission is to nurture women and children living in long-term stay homeless shelters. Through various projects, programs and makeovers of the physical space, women and children are introduced to a way of life, thinking that helps to shift their outlook about their lives and possibilities for the future.

We are especially excited about how well our "Capes for Kids" mentoring program has been received! It is so wonderful to have sewers across the country create hand-made capes for children living in homeless shelters as a reminder to believe in themselves as the super girls and boys they already are! It's about the power of our minds and tapping into our imaginations. This is a positive coping skill for children living in shelters.

Please follow the journey on our Website and Facebook page. Thank you again for being a part of "the village" that is changing lives!

With my deepest gratitude,

Terry Grahl, Founder and Visionary

when your troop only has 4 girls, you don't sell as many cookies.....

but we did ok! all the extras (have to order by the case to fill orders) went quickly.....girls got $ turned in, and for the first time ever (I think....) it was perfect! not long, not short, just right! mailing the deposit slips in tomorrow! my term as GS leader is coming to an end....it has been bittersweet. adoring little girls....watching them learn stuff...and making friends...watching them grow up....kind of like having a lot more daughters....I believe in Girl Scouts, although it seems like anymore it is more about selling shit to raise money to put in the council account than anything...paying other people to be adult GS, while we have to pay membership fees and volunteer our time....I don't know.

Girl Scout Sunday 2014

I had to work, so did evening church for the first time....Brandy, Maddi, Kayleigh, Angel, & I met at Mercer Baptist Church, then had ice cream at Hour Place. The church has an amazing baby grand piano and an awesome piano player!

Happy Unbirthday To You!

tea party! the girls read their tea leaves...had some interesting findings....snakes, bats, snail, cat, turtle, horse, pac man, heart, flower, smiley face.....which translated into everything from someone doesn't deserve your attention to a productive busy phase...

then they stuffed their won easter eggs and hunted for them in the rain....

how to make fairies in a jar....

How To Make Fairies In A Jar

This is something everyone will love! Just imagine the look on your childs face when they see this.

FAIRIES IN A JAR DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut a glow stick and shake the contents into a jar.

2. Add diamond glitter

3. Seal the top

4. Shake hard

This is something they will never forget so its worth a little work on this one.

GS Sunday~

it happens just once a year....and it always seems to happens a week late since I work weekends....I didn't put a lot of planning into this one, because, quite frankly, I am too exhausted to function...I had told them Jack's church, which was in our rotation of the 4 Mercer churches, and that we'd go swim at Stacy Center, which we hadn't done for several years....but forgot the detail of lunch in between....so went to Hour Place and let them all pick something from the kitchen....they ate cheeseburgers, cheese balls, don't remember what else.

Kayleigh, Sierra, Jazmine, Brandy, Braelyn, & Maddi continued the tradition of Girl Scout Sunday....

GS Sunday~

it happens just once a year....and it always seems to happens a week late since I work weekends....I didn't put a lot of planning into this one, because, quite frankly, I am too exhausted to function...I had told them Jack's church, which was in our rotation of the 4 Mercer churches, and that we'd go swim at Stacy Center, which we hadn't done for several years....but forgot the detail of lunch in between....so went to Hour Place and let them all pick something from the kitchen....they ate cheeseburgers, cheese balls, don't remember what else.

Kayleigh, Sierra, Jazmine, Brandy, Braelyn, & Maddi continued the tradition of Girl Scout Sunday....

GS Sunday~

it happens just once a year....and it always seems to happens a week late since I work weekends....I didn't put a lot of planning into this one, because, quite frankly, I am too exhausted to function...I had told them Jack's church, which was in our rotation of the 4 Mercer churches, and that we'd go swim at Stacy Center, which we hadn't done for several years....but forgot the detail of lunch in between....so went to Hour Place and let them all pick something from the kitchen....they ate cheeseburgers, cheese balls, don't remember what else.

Kayleigh, Sierra, Jazmine, Brandy, Braelyn, & Maddi continued the tradition of Girl Scout Sunday....

GS Sunday~

it happens just once a year....and it always seems to happens a week late since I work weekends....I didn't put a lot of planning into this one, because, quite frankly, I am too exhausted to function...I had told them Jack's church, which was in our rotation of the 4 Mercer churches, and that we'd go swim at Stacy Center, which we hadn't done for several years....but forgot the detail of lunch in between....so went to Hour Place and let them all pick something from the kitchen....they ate cheeseburgers, cheese balls, don't remember what else.

Kayleigh, Sierra, Jazmine, Brandy, Braelyn, & Maddi continued the tradition of Girl Scout Sunday....

GS Sunday~

it happens just once a year....and it always seems to happens a week late since I work weekends....I didn't put a lot of planning into this one, because, quite frankly, I am too exhausted to function...I had told them Jack's church, which was in our rotation of the 4 Mercer churches, and that we'd go swim at Stacy Center, which we hadn't done for several years....but forgot the detail of lunch in between....so went to Hour Place and let them all pick something from the kitchen....they ate cheeseburgers, cheese balls, don't remember what else.

Kayleigh, Sierra, Jazmine, Brandy, Braelyn, & Maddi continued the tradition of Girl Scout Sunday....