The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,825 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,626 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! ~MaryJane
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For this week’s Young Cultivator Stitching and Crafting/Toys Beginning Level Merit Badge, I decided to make it easy on myself and hand the reins over to my niece, Piper. In order to earn her very first Young Cultivator badge, Piper needed to interview an adult about the toys they played with when they were young.
Ahhh, nostalgia, thy name is toys …
Photo by Webms via Wikimedia Commons
Take it away, Piper!
*tap, tap, tap*
Piper: Testing, testing, 1 … 2 … 3?
Jane: Isn’t that a plastic karaoke machine, Pipes?
Piper: I’ll do the questioning, ma’am. First question: what was your favorite toy growing up as a youngster in the 1850s?
Jane: Yikes! I’m not that old. My favorite toy only recently, as I am very spry and youthful, was my dolly, Adelaide.
Piper: I see. And what was said Adelaide made of? Wood?
Jane: Wood?
Piper: Yes. It’s my understanding that toys that long ago were likely actual sticks.
Stick doll or penny doll. Photo by Wolfgang Moroder via Wikimedia Commons.
Jane: A stick toy?
Piper: No, a stick used as a toy.
Jane, feeling ornery and deciding to go with it: Yes, Adelaide was a lovely stick. She was cherry mahogany, you know.
Piper: I see. And did you play with your stick for hours at a time?
Jane: Oh, yes. I dressed her up and braided her hair, which of course, was made of moss. Once I misplaced poor Adelaide and had to go looking for her. After I walked to school uphill both ways in the snow, naturally.
Piper: Goodness. Did you find her?
Jane, shaking her head sadly: It was a tragedy. It turns out my father had gone to gather kindling that morning for our stove while I was writing chalk verses on my slate for school.
Piper, gasping: Oh, no! Poor Adelaide!
Jane, chuckling: Just kidding. Adelaide was a real doll, and a posh one, too. She had little leather boots and a bunch of different outfits.
Vintage Bradley brand dolls from Japan, Photo by KeiBi via Wikimedia Commons
Piper, looking relieved, and also disappointed: Oh. Yeah, I have one like that. I don’t really play with her, though. I mostly play my iPad and stuff.
Jane: Really? Have you ever told her your secrets? Or sent her on secret missions for you?
Piper, looking slightly interested: Nooo … that sounds kinda fun, though. What else did you do with your stick? I mean, with Adelaide?
Jane: Well, I also had an old tape recorder. Kind of like the one you’re using now to interview me, except mine was way cooler.
Piper: Hey!
Jane: Just keeping it real, kid. Anyway, I was always transcribing stories into it, or rehearsing play lines, or predicting the future. Sometimes, my friends and I would sing songs or tell ghost stories into it.
Piper: Neato! Do you still have the tapes?
Jane: I think I may have buried a couple.
Piper, frowning: What’d you do that for?
Jane: Like a time capsule. You’ve never done a time capsule? You mean to tell me iPads can’t do time capsules? Huh. Well, anyway, we buried a cigar box full of tapes and Polaroid pictures and nifty stuff. We buried it under that old oak tree out back.
Piper, looking mischievous: Really? Well, that’s enough interviewing for one day … thanks, Auntie Jane.
Jane: Anytime, pipsqueak. What are you doing the rest of the day?
Piper: Oh, you know, the usual. I thought I’d take the iPad out to the yard. Maybe sit under that nice, shady tree there.
Jane: Hmm. Is that so? Well, don’t forget your stick.
Winnie Nielsen 
Cindi 
Krista 
Karlyne 
Bonnie ellis 
Cecile Clausen 
Deb Larrabee 
Vera-Ellen Turner 
Erin McBride 
Daizy 
How well I remember our regular visits to the library when my children were young. They are some of my fondest memories. My children loved to read, be read to, and attend the children’s library story hours. They even have a cool old bus, BookMobile, that brings books to large shopping centers. Those trips were especially loved as there was something really special to my girls about getting on that big bus and getting/returning books. I can’t imagine what childhood would have been around here without the beloved stores and series from our Public Library. Our libraries are one of America’s greatest national treasures!
When I was young our little itty bitty southern town had an old decommissioned church as their building. I was stunned to later learn that not ALL libraries had lovely stained glass windows! We also had a bookmobile that came to my one room schoolhouse, which was ever so cool . I loved the bookmobile. I adored books and it was the only time my parents didn’t bug me if my nose was in a book.
AhhhhLI…bless you for sharing the library with the future generation! I remember going to the library as a girl and am so grateful for my local libraries to share with my children. Let’s all share the magic!