It's National Girl Scout Cookie Day

To my mind, there are few things as wonderful as Girl Scout cookies.  Don't get me wrong, there are better cookies (sorry, Girl Scouts), but there's just something wonderfully old-school about neighborhood girls knocking on your door asking you to purchase a box or two and then having to wait weeks and weeks (oh, the anticipation) for them to arrive.

There was a time when I bought lots and lots of cookies (an embarrassing amount, actually), as I shipped some overseas to a relative and to cookie-loving grandmothers far away and saved some for my own family, but these days I try to limit my purchase to just a few favorites. And, I always freeze a box or two so that about 7 or 8 months from now, everyone is delighted when I break out the Trefoils or Samoas or, let's face it, the Thin Mints.

At this year's Texas State Fair, the Girl Scouts had an entire exhibition hall celebrating the organization's 100th birthday. Despite the fact that I was a Brownie for just one short season, and here's the proof,

The Christmas ornament I made in Brownies. (You would have thought
40 years would have been long enough for me to replace the ribbon!) 

the exhibition was terrific, a real tribute to the past and founder Juliette Low, the present and the future.

I must admit I was pretty nostalgic as I took a glimpse of the orange paperback Brownie Handbook and the adorable uniform with its brown elastic belt.  I remember being particularly taken by the faux leather  tiny purse (I'll call it a pursette, for lack of a better word) that attached to the belt. It was so small, I'm not even sure what it was meant to hold.  Coins? A membership card, perhaps?  But that would be sort of silly wouldn't it, given that you were already wearing the uniform. Anyway, I was clearly sans my pursette when the photo above was taken, so here's a photo in case you are unfamiliar. Just to be clear, I did have my beanie on in the photo, it's just a little hard to see against the lovely hedge in my troop leader's back yard.

At the State Fair in July, any woman/girl  touring the exhibit who was ever a Girl Scout (or a Brownie) even for a very, very short while, as I was, received a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies.  Now that was something to celebrate.

Ronald Reagan's Birthday and a Field Trip

Robbie and I did something really intellectual last night (a sort of Bachelor protest, if you will - sorry Bachelor lovers). We attended a lecture given by Presidential historians Michael Bechloss and David Brinkley. Can I say, if I haven't already lost your interest, that it was a really thoughtful, and not too long, discussion of the legacy of the Presidents of the second half of the 20th century. It was, in my mind, super interesting. Of course, I've long professed my love for all things Presidential. Mr. Bechloss said, it takes about 40 years from the time a President leaves office for his legacy to really solidify but that a legacy is perhaps a very fluid thing, regardless. I won't attempt a recitation of all that I learned last night but trust me when I say it was super informative and left me even more curious about the 44 men who've served in the country's highest office.  

But, the real point of this post is that today is Ronald Wilson Reagan's 102nd birthday!  Now, I've written before about President Reagan. He was the first President I was old enough to cast a vote for (November 1983) and I had the good fortune to see him up close and personal in the White House Rose Garden (why yes, lucky me). But this year, while we were visiting California, our family made the trek to Simi Valley to visit the Reagan Library (the most visited of all of the Presidential libraries). A spectacular setting, an endearing childhood, Americana, an enormous time capsule of the 80s, Air Force One, it was all a treat.

The view from the library.  

The statue of President Reagan, rancher-style,  that welcomes visitors.

A portion of the Berlin Wall.

The burial site.  

I could probably wax on incessantly about this, but suffice it to say, if you have the opportunity to visit  a Presidential Library, regardless of the man's policies, politics or persona (though if you're an admirer, it will no doubt enhance your experience), it is totally worth it.