May | 2013 | Raising Jane

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 4,945 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—6,765 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/I Should Have Been in the Movies! Merit Badge, I had to conquer a lifelong fear. A phobia. Not spiders, those misunderstood little gentlemen of the buggy world. Not heights, which give me a delicious, butterflies-in-the-ol’-tummy kind of thrill. Not deep water, which only makes me practice my mermaid kicks and hair tossing. Not even the dark, which just makes me crave warm milk and a nap. No, no, my fear is of … public speaking.

I know. You’re shocked, right? I kinda am, too. I mean, I’m an exuberant personality! A talkative gal! If I were to write my autobiography, it’d be chock full of exclamation points!!!!!!!!

But there’s something about putting me on stage, or *gulp* focusing a camera on Yours Truly, and I freeze.

Just ask my third grade teacher, Miss Trunchbull, who demoted me from Pretty Princess to Rock #4 faster than you could say, Speak up, Miss Jane, I can’t hear a word you’re saying over all that melodramatic knee knocking.

Memories. Some light the corners of your mind and some just need to be buried under a mountain of chocolate pudding.

Continue reading →

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Nicole Christensen!

Nicole Christensen (texdane, #1155) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Expert Level Knitting Merit Badge!

“Calling me a ‘knitting addict’ doesn’t quite cut it. It’s become an extension of who I am. My friend called me a ‘Master Knitter’ the other day when she introduced me to someone new. I was so complimented. Since I last applied for the Intermediate Badge in knitting, I have knitted up a storm! In addition to knitting projects along with my students in my knitting classes that I teach, I knitted a ruffled shawl, several drop-stitch lacy scarves, and made a size 4T jumper for my niece Kristina in Denmark. Her mom begged me to make it, having fallen in love with some beautiful cotton/wool blend hand-dyed sock yarn. We laugh that she is the only Danish person who can’t knit! It was very fine yarn, on small needles in the round, with an intricate pattern on the chest. That dress took a year and at least 50+ hours) to complete, but thankfully, she still needs to grow into it a bit!

I’ve taught several classes each semester, passing on everything I can about the art of knitting. This past Saturday, I was asked if I would have a booth at our town’s Earth Day celebration. Continue reading →

Winnie Nielsen says:

May 31, 2013 at 4:34 am

Great job Kristina! Some Farmgirl is going to enjoy this beauty in the summer swap! I wonder if I will be the lucky one?? I too signed up for the same swap. Whoop!

Kristina Smith says:

May 31, 2013 at 10:15 am

Thank you so much! I am honored to be chosen as the awardee of the week. I just happened along the announcement today. My username is actually kristina72 (guess I typed it incorrectly on my badge application). It was a lot of fun to do the bookmark and I hope my swap partner enjoys it.