I’m calling you out!!!! On a roll … call, here’s where you can read about the amazing accomplishments of Sisters who earn Merit Badges. “Hear YE!”
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Emily Race!!!
Emily Race (Simply Satisfied, #3591) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning a Beginner, Intermediate & Expert Level Speak for the Trees Merit Badge!
“This summer we did all these badges while at home or camping. Our family went to Glacier National Park and used a tree guide to identify trees around the campground as part of my daughters earning their junior ranger badges. We identified both deciduous and coniferous trees. That got us thinking so we came home and went through our yard. We planted all our trees so my husband and I knew what they were but we worked through the guide with the girls. We have blue spruce, a red maple, weeping willows, and Ponderosa pines. The red maple and the willow aren’t native but the others are.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
At our nearby park we found more maples and a few spruce trees. There were some Douglas fir as well. The Douglas firs and Ponderosas are native. All over our area we have windbreak rows of trees. We also have them for snow breaks to help keep snow from drifting onto the roads. This last week we went Christmas tree hunting in the woods. We found Douglas fir, Spruce, and Grand Firs to pick from. When looking for the perfect tree we found many growing too close to each other making them not grow branches between their neighbors. We also some little trees struggling to grow underneath their much larger neighbors. In Montana we don’t have a lot of undergrowth vegetation but there were a few willows trying to survive in the area between the bushier firs and down closer to the creek. With all the snow on the ground we didn’t find any garbage but we are always in the habit of picking up other people’s trash while hiking and camping.
We had so much fun identifying trees with the girls. I always love sneaking in education where ever we are. It is funny how solving a puzzle of what tree we are looking at can really be a fun thing for the family. I also smile every time my girls pick up trash from someone else or from their own pocket if it falls out. We have two beautiful daughters that respect our environment and love to be in it and learning about it.”
Winnie Nielsen says: Emily, what a fantastic family project! There is nothing better than befriending trees that are so vital to our own well being on this planet. Thank-you for sharing this badge work that you did. It is inspiring!
Super! Can I borrow your family to help me ID all my trees? I have over 7 Tree and Shrub ID books and I am still having problems with what’s what. Of course I live in PA so it’s a bit of a hike, haha.
I have 2.5 acres which is mostly woodland. I am bounded by about 100 acres of undeveloped woodland to the back and another 75+ acres across the road. Lots to look at and try and figure out. A good mix of deciduous and coniferous .
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Nikki Hurlbut!!!
Nikki Hurlbut (#5131) has received a certificate of achievement in Make it Easy for earning a Beginner, Intermediate & Expert Level Make it Easy Merit Badge!
“I had my latest daughter in Jan of this year. I am in the National Guard, so I am required to get back down to weight and physical fitness in 180 days.
Starting in March, it came time to start losing the weight. My family and I started eating organic farm-raised eggs (which we usually do, but we were more strict about it), drinking raw milk when I was able to, and cooking with coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I ran every day and was able to lose weight quickly.
To lose more weight for my National Guard requirements, I increased my workout. This consisted of running every day, eating a light breakfast (which was difficult since I wasn’t use to eating breakfast at all), a small lunch and snack during the day, and a healthier dinner for the whole family.
In Sept of this year, I ran my first 5K. I didn’t finish last, so I am very happy about that. I have lost a total of 60lbs since the beginning of my journey. I am extremely happy about the results!”
Winnie Nielsen says: Congratulations Nikki on getting fit this past year. You really worked hard and look fantastic!!
Bonnie ellis says: Great job. Three levels. Congrats!
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,760 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,508 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For this week’s Each Other/Civic Heritage Expert Level Merit Badge, I was super-thrilled to try out my acting chops. You see, in order to earn my next badge, I had to participate in a local reenactment. It just so happens, chickadees, that my local downtown does a Wild West bank robbery reenactment for the tourists every year.
Annie Oakley via Wikimedia Commons
Boy howdy, this was gonna be good. I was ready for this—I was born for this. I had spent all my years perfecting drama and all the skills therein; never would the part of Third Tree to the Left be played with such convincing heart!
I jest, of course. A gal like me—born for the stage—was awarded the part of Millie-Ann, a very prominent and important tavern owner.
And by awarded I mean chosen. And by chosen I mean they let me sign up for whatever part I wanted.
But still, Millie-Ann was meant for me. She spoke to me: her flaxen curls, her bossy demeanor, her way with the gentlemen, her flair for pouring a good sarsaparilla … it was Me to a T.
Being a thespian of such high quality, I naturally am what they call a Method Actor. This means I was fully immersed in the character of Millie-Ann for a full week before we began shooting. Er, I mean, performing. Well, there would be shooting; it was a bank robbery, after all. But I’ve gotten off track.
I peppered my speech with lots of “y’alls,” and other such Wild West slang. I piled my hair high in a bouffant style that Miss Kitty would have envied, I tossed back root beer with reckless abandon, I sauntered and walked bow-legged, and I rode attempted to ride my neighbor’s filly to the watering hole. In short, I became Millie-Ann.
The day of the reenactment arrived and I was so nervous. In fact, I was so nervous, I kind of misplaced my script, and when the first bank robber arrived, peeling through downtown on a black stallion, my knees gave way and I nearly fainted. Millie-Ann would not be such a pansy, though, so I snapped out of it—pronto! Having no idea what the script called for (and assuming scripts were nearly as unimportant as owner’s manuals or directions—totally unnecessary and strictly for amateurs), I improvised. I tossed my sarsaparilla in his face, shrieked like a banshee, smacked the stallion on the rump (and nearly got nipped in the process—bad pony), and used my index finger like a proper Wild West shotgun. Bang, bang!
A True Girl of the West, George Bancroft Cornish via Wikimedia Commons
The other actors were not as skilled and proficient as I was in the whole improvising realm, though, so things got a little weird for a while. The audience seemed to enjoy my portrayal greatly though, and that was the important thing.
In case you, too, want to enjoy participating in a Wild West reenactment, here are a few slang terms you really must learn:
Angelica: a young, unmarried woman
Amputate your timber: go away!
Jimmying a bull: shooting an officer
Kansas sheep dip: whiskey
Luddy-Mussy!: Lord have mercy!
Dough wrangler: the camp cook
See the elephant: going to town
Settle one’s hash: to properly punish
Seven by nine: someone of inferior quality (comes from the most common window-pane sizing)
Sparking: courting
Well, that’s enough skittles (nonsense) for now. I gotta join these small fries (kiddos) for some slapjacks (pancakes) with a side of taters and skunk eggs (onions) made in a spider (three-legged, cast-iron skillet), all in apple-pie order (tip-top shape)!
Pat Miller says: I’m a newbie. Just happened to read your Annie Oakley/Millie-Ann article and laughed my sides off! Was good for my soul. I will return for more of your posts.
Winnie Nielsen says: MaryJane , you are the most clever! I bet you would make a fine Annie Oakley too! Once, in the 6th grade, an arts theater group came to our elementary school to wrangle us kids into doing something sort of professional. Somehow I auditioned and got the role for Morgiana in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Baba
Ludde-Mussy did we have a blast!
Cindi says: Oh my gosh ~ my brain did a pretty good job of imagining that entire scene but I really would have loved to see it!! Coming from an area that regularly had summertime melodramas, complete with a dastardly villain sporting the appropriate mustache and a booing audience, I learned very early that such reenactments are priceless fun. They used to do such reenactments in the Fred Murphy Days parade here years ago. A sad loss when they stopped. Everyone should be treated to such fun! Next time, Mary Jane, video at 6:00!!! Pretty please???
Bonnie ellis says: just as much fun to read your well-written scenario as it must have been to act in it. In other words delightful. Great job!
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sandy Merrigan!!!
Sandy Merrigan (#6186) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner, Intermediate & Expert Level Families Forever Merit Badge!
“Here are some of the things we did at family night for my Beginner level: crafting a clothespin doll, played with dolls, and played board games. Every night, I read to the girls, and the girls read to me too.
It was hard to create a journal for my Intermediate level. I live with my daughter and her family and she has 3 girls. They don’t watch much TV—we are too busy. My son-in-law has his father living here and he watches several hours a day, but in his room, so the rest of us are not watching it.
The kids have show restrictions, and any adult that is watching a show has to explain to the girls if they ask about a comment on the TV. No one wants to do that, so very little adult TV.
For my Expert level: We are continually doing outdoor activities and camping in canvas tents. We are involved in rendezvous. We will continue to camp and learn as long as we can.”
Winnie Nielsen says: Sandy, congratulations on earning this badge at all the levels. It is very hard to change routines with families and appeal to varied interests. Plus keeping kids and adults engaged in activities that are appealing is challenging. I think your camping in the tents was a great idea for fun and learning. Plus, who doesn’t love to snuggle up with kids and read every night!
Winnie Nielsen says: WOW!!!
Lisa A says: So pretty. We have this kind of frost this morning as well in SE SD.
Bonnie ellis says: Fuzzy frost around leaves are so beautiful and they only happen under special conditions. Ephemeral beauty.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sherrilyn Askew!!!
Sherrilyn Askew (Sherri, #1350) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“Last year, I spoke with my new-to-me chapter about having a bag swap and the importance of reusable bags (I was preaching to the choir). This November, we were finally able to have our sew-in and do a bag swap (YEAH!).
We had fun!!!!! We originally started with 7 people and 1 virtual member for our bag swap, so I tie dyed 8 canvas bags with blackberries. Due to attrition, we only had 4 people in the swap, but I made pockets for all the bags anyway.
The bags were barely dry and had no pockets when my daughter decided which one was going to be hers (I still need to complete the pocket). Using some of my hand-dyed fabrics from another badge, I made pockets and stitched them onto the bags. I then flipped the bags over and using dyer’s crayons, stenciled a bug on the back side of each bag.
MaryJane sent our chapter several blank canvas bags that we have since proceeded to decorate. I made a pocket for one of the blue and white bags. Watch the mail, as no swap is complete until you receive a bag in return.”
MaryJane says: Sherrilyn,
Your bags turned out fabulous!!! In the last month, we’ve been taking our blank bags (like those I sent you) and doing fun things with them also. Ha, they’re literally a blank canvas.
Winnie Nielsen says: You know what? Sherriyln sent me the apple tote as a ROAK because I love apples and she had it left over from their HenHouse project. Included was also some organic OPAL apples which are in season now and her favorite! The tote is so darling and I was totally surprised! The apples were also delicious too.
Karlyne says: Cute! And I immediately thought that a Christmas bag swap would be fun; a few years ago I made dozens of sizes of them with leftover (and cheap) pieces of Christmas fabric and the kids’ flannel quilt backings (I put their Christmas PJs in those so each kidlets knows which is theirs), so that I’d never have to wrap a present again. I just serge them on three sides and then use ribbon to tie them shut and hang a tag on. So much easier and more fun than all that dumb, hard-to-store, throwaway wrapping paper!
Winnie Nielsen says: Aren’t the colors of fall leaves magnificent? Even the stems match. It is amazing how decreased sunlight and cooler temperatures signal the trees to move towards dormancy for the winter months.
Connie-Killarney says: Beautiful!! The natural beauty of Fall Colors! I went for a walk early this morning to fill the bird feeders. Along the way, so many shades of Orange and Red and Gold. My neighbors Dogwood tree is a Red- Orange! I try to enjoy every minute before the Winter winds take it from us!
Marilyn Collins says: That photo is just breathtaking. Thank you for sharing it with your readers. Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.
Marilyn
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,724 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,486 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For this week’s Young Cultivator Each Other/Thank You! Beginner Level Merit Badge, I enlisted my handy-dandy, go-to, MBA newbies, Piper and Andy. No, it wasn’t just that they were the only two whippersnappers in my circle; it was actually their mother’s idea.
You see, she had noticed a bit of … well, negligent and perhaps slipshod behavior in her sweet little angels as of late.
Okay, I candy-coated it. What she really said was,
These gremlins who live with me and call me Mom have become entitled, selfish Twerpensteins with ATTITUDES. Suggestions?
Suggestions? Boy howdy, was I the farmgirl for the job!
You see, I too, have struggled with being negligent and slipshod an entitled, selfish Twerpenstein, and have recuperated nicely.
Hello, my name is MBA Jane and I am a recovering gremlin-with-an-attitude.
Hello, Jane!
I knew the root of the problem with the rugrats lay in their lackadaisical, cotton-pickin’ hearts. They needed a job, a purpose, a sense of thankfulness.
And maybe a cookie.
photo by Jason Lam via Wikimedia Commons
(Because everything—including jobs, purposes, and merit badges—go better with cookies).
In order to earn their Beginner Level badge, they simply needed to start a Gratitude Journal.
Easy peasy, lemon squeasy, righto? I mean, come on. Who doesn’t like to journal things in cute, little, cloth-bound booklets?
Evidently, Piper and Andy, that’s who.
You’d think I was pulling their teeth or forcing them to drink kale juice. The sounds of whining coming from my kitchen table practically made my ears bleed, I kid you not.
“But Auntie!” they cried, in unison, “It’s SUMMER! School is over! We refuse to learn anything! Bloody murder! I won’t do it! The pencil hurts my fingers! The paper smells weird! I need more cookies! This will give me Black Lung! You’ll be sorry when we’re dead!”
Yadda yadda yadda, etc. etc. etc., blah blah blah.
Trust me: I’ve toughened up since becoming an auntie. It’s not a job for the faint of heart. You need a will of iron, a spine of steel, a big heart, and a whole lotta chocolate chips.
After they realized I was not going to back down on this (and that their mother wasn’t going to let them come home until their attitudes changed), they cracked open their journals and buckled down. Well, sorta. Andy banged his head on the table a few more times for good measure, but after it made his eyes cross and I didn’t soften (but did hand him some ice), he sighed and got to work.
They were kind enough to let me read their lists:
I thought it was a lovely list.
P.S. I may have forgotten to mention they have to write in these journals for two weeks to earn their badges.
photo by Danni Suplicki via Flickr.com
Ahem. Pray for me.
And send chocolate chips.
Winnie Nielsen says: This is a comprehensive list coming from the little gremlins! Attitude journaling is also a great idea if you can get cooperation and having them take it seriously. The journal shown is beautiful and an inspiration to write in. Let us know how the project goes and if a cookie celebration day is enjoyed. I think you have an edge here;I mean very few people I know won’t work for homemade chocolate chip cookies, including me!!
Krista says: I really like this merit badge. It seems to have even more power with Thanksgiving just right around the corner. A gratitude journal is a great way to get youngsters to come to terms with the things they truly are grateful for and potentially get them started on writing. And who can turn down cookies! Especially those chocolate chip cookies. I hope they can continue to write in their journals for 2 more weeks without as big a fuss.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … CJ Armstrong!!!
CJ Armstrong (#665) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Expert Level Origami Merit Badge!
“Folding paper into tiny little articles of clothing is one of my favorite origami projects. I call these clothes “Tiny Togs” and have used them to make cards, wall hangings, tags and journals. There are several variations on folding for a blouse or shirt. You can add a tie or vest to a shirt for a masculine look. There is the A-line skirt and the pleated skirt, shorts, pants and little purses. Some of the folding is intricate to get the tapers and tucks just right. And, of course, your own imagination can take you beyond what the instruction pages, if you have them, tell you. Buttons, ribbons, and other embellishments can be added as well.
I’ve chosen this project for the expert level because it is my favorite and these “Tiny Togs” are still things I use in my papercrafting projects. It has taken approximately 3 hours to complete this project. This project, when framed, will be a great wall hanging for my sewing room or my craft room. I’ll be making more “Tiny Togs” in the future as they are so adorable and fun!”
Winnie Nielsen says: CeeJay, this project is wonderful!! Your Tiny Togs are the cutest and the collection of them on a clothesline card is a work of art. I love the colors you chose for each garment and all the tiny details. You did a great job!!
Bobbie calgaro says: So cute
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
Stunning sky as the backdrop to the signature wall tent bungalow!
That sky is awesome! Once again the lace you use enhances the picture.
Lovely!