Busy Brownies

Hiking during a camping trip.

I am a leader for a group of 18 Girl Scout Brownies (second and third grade), and I work very hard to plan and help them plan activities. Some things like outdoor and art activities are by their request. Sometimes I plan activities based on what I think they need, but they never knew it. This is why when I started to see some cliques forming, I planned some some fun cooperative games.

This year alone, my girls have been very busy.

They had a chance to earn 11 badges, one Journey and one award:

I have two girls who have earned the Summit Award, the highest award a Brownie can earn. To get this award, a girl has to complete three Journeys. Journeys usually take 10 hours or more to complete and include a Take Action Project, which is a step up from basic community service. For a girl to earn a Summit Award is a big deal because it takes so much time.

Helping at a Veteran's Day ceremony.

Some girls attended the Girl Scout Convention in Columbus, Ohio, where they got to connect with Girl Scouts from all over the country. We went to MedExpress as part of the First Aid Badge, Field & Stream as part of the Cabin Camper Badge and Apple Store to earn the Computer Expert Badge. We are using our cookie money for an overnight at the science center in the next month where they will earn two robotics badges. We had girls participate in a Veteran’s Day ceremony and a Christmas parade. We went camping and have another camping trip planned for June. I plan on taking the Citizen Scientist Journey out-of-doors at camp.

My daughter showing off her catch during one of our outdoor activities.

My Brownies have learned about Leave No Trace. They have learned how to identify trees. They know how to treat basic outdoor injuries. They learned what to do in case of a disaster and planned a meeting place in case of a fire at our meeting location. They learned knots. They know how to safely use a knife. Instead of just playing with computers, they learned how to create with computers. They will be learning how to build and program robots. They had fun with science. They learned how to be more independent in the kitchen, making small meals. Some girls washed dishes for the first time during our camping trip. They learned how small changes can affect the entire world and that Girl Scouts and Girl Guides are a worldwide sisterhood.

Notice I’ve only mentioned cookies once and only in regards to money for an activity. Girl Scouts are more than just cookies. We create strong women in a no-pressure environment. That is what our founder, Juliette Low, did. That is what we did when I was a girl in scouting in the 1980s and 1990s. That is what we do now. That is what we will continue to do.

One More Year

Next month I turn 39. I will only have a year until 40.

My 30th birthday was ominous. It was frightening. I had things I wanted to do before I was 30. Personal goals. That was how I got my master’s degree.

But as 40 approaches, I find I am fine with getting older.

The only things on my bucket list for 40 are about friendship, fun and travel. That seems easy, but in some ways it’s harder than any personal goal I have set for myself. Mostly because it depends so much on other people. With personal goals, I only have to set my mind to it and do it.

With travel, you have to have money. And that is something of which I don’t have a lot of extra lying around.

The 2016 NKOTB Cruise was just announced, and even though I think the other passengers would drive me crazy, it’s still something I would like to do. But it’s too expensive. Over $800 for a three-day cruise! That’s for the cheap cabins and without airfare. I cannot justify it.

And although I would love to visit some friends overseas, the $1,000 airfare holds me back.

So, that’s okay. I really just want to spend time with friends. Not just at home. I would like to have a trip with a group of girlfriends. We could leave behind the children and menfolk and just have some fun not being in Pennsylvania. I would love to go to some resort or rent a beach house, but even a road trip to Graceland might be fun. I’m not that picky. Just any place new that’s not home.

I have a whole year to figure it out and get it done. Bring it on.

Song, dance....Steeler jerseys?

Going to the theater is not like going to the movies. Each performance is different. You cannot go out and buy a DVD of the performance and watch it later. Seeing a performance from high in the balcony is different from seeing it at the orchestra level. And even if you see the same show several times, each time will be a different experience.

Last night I saw "The Phantom of the Opera" for the gazillionth time. (I think it might have been the eighth time.) And, while I loved the show, the audience made me want to scream.

It's more noticeable with popular shows like "Phantom" and "Wicked," but it's started creeping into more and more performances: The rude audience members who seem to don't know theater etiquitte.

I can overlook the way people dress, as long as they're dressed neatly. So, you in your jeans and T-shirt, you're okay. I can even overlook you in your Steelers jersey. I mean, there was a game right before the show.

It was the candy-unwrapping, drink-slurping, gum-snapping, texting, photo-taking, and getting up during the performance that drove me nuts!

These things annoy me during the movies as well, but at least you know that you can see the movie again. Also, it can disturb the performers on stage. You do know that the show is being done live in front of you? Seeing how many people act, I am guessing that they don't realize that.

And the theater staff has become too scared of angry patrons that they are afraid to enforce many theater rules, so those of us who are frequent theater-goers are stuck dealing with these awful people.

I use the dirty look. It doesn't usually work. When I saw Wicked a couple years ago, the dirty look didn't work on a woman who was loudly eating next to us. But a woman in front of us actually turned around and said, "Do you mind? Some of us are trying to watch a show." I was surprised when the loud-eater put away her candy (angrily) and was quiet the rest of the performance. Although she did loudly complain at the end of the show about the "rude" lady who dared to tell her to quit eating!

There are times and places to be rude. Since when has it become okay to be rude whenever and wherever you want? I've seen it everywhere, but, please, could we try to keep it out of the theater?

What unemployment has taught me

I've been without a full-time position for almost a year. I've learned a bit about myself in that time:

I don't mind being a stay-at-home mom. My daughter has become my life. I love reading to her, even if she wants to read the same book a dozen times in a row. I love teaching her new things. I love playing with her. I love to listen to her learn how to talk. I love cuddling with her before naptime. She has kept me grounded. And I thank her for that.

Freelancing is not for me. I'll do it because I have to keep my resume current, but I really am not a fan of freelancing. I need an office setting to keep me focused. And with the little one home, I've got a small window in which to work. And because I am at home, I always seem to have some sort of chore I need to do: laundry, dishes, dinner, grocery shopping, cleaning, etc. Plus, I would recommend if you want to freelance while on unemployment, try to find some sort of under-the-table gig. Apparently you can't freelance while on unemployment. I got caught because I reported my wages (like you are supposed to). I will be losing unemployment.

My last full-time job did not prepare me for new media. I actually already knew this one. I desperately tried to get them to let me take on new responsibilities that included social media. They didn't agree that the communications department was where those things should be handled(!). And now I believe it is hurting me. Even though I know social media, because it wasn't part of my responsibilities at my last job, no one wants to take a chance on me.

Day care cost a lot of money. We haven't had to pay for day care since I was laid off. And we learned that even though on unemployment I was making less than half what I was making at my last job, we were doing just fine. But now we know what the minimum amount of money I have to make, as long as we don't have to pay for day care. Lucky my mom is retired.

So those are a few things. I'm heading back to work now. I got a full-time job in retail. It's good, and it's bad. I'll be making a little more than I did on unemployment, but I'll be working some evenings and weekends. I'm working, but it's not in my field. I'll continue to look for a job in communications. I'll take on freelance gigs here and there. I'll keep keepin'on.

A note on reaching me.

Why do hiring managers insist on calling cell phones? I list my home phone number as my primary number for a reason. I don't get very good cell phone service in my house, and I don't carry my cell phone with me around the house. So I don't always hear when it rings. And I'm at home at least 80 percent or more of my waking day. And when I'm at home, I tend not to check my cell. Not on purpose. It just slips my mind to check it.

So, if you want to reach me, e-mail is best. But if you want to actually talk to me, try my home phone first. If I don't answer, leave a message then try the cell. Chances are I'm at home but changing a diaper or making a meal or doing some chore. I can hear that phone ring. We have phones upstairs and downstairs. I will check the caller ID. I will check the answering machine. I'll call you right back. If I'm not at home, then my cell is then on me, and I'll answer.

This blogging thing

I realize I need to get a regular schedule going for my blogging. And I also realize I need to have some sort of direction. This blog is my random thought blog. Years ago I started a blog in my cat's name and in her voice. It was very creative, but I lost interest in it quickly. I started a portfolio blog. I stopped that one once I set up a portfolio Web site (www.elizabethfulton-pr.com).

I need to have a focused blog. I need ideas. Any ideas out there?

Optimism and fresh air

It feels like spring.

The air is warm. The sun is shining. There is a threat of rain.

It's the best time of the year.

Everything seems new and optimistic. The sun makes the stress melt away.

My daughter sits in her stroller with her sunglasses on, smiling and barking back at the dogs as we take a walk around the neighborhood. Her bad mood and teething pain has seemed to disappear.

I open a window for the cat. She breathes in the fresh air and gives me an appreciative meow.

And even though the snow is still on the ground in patches and the grass is brown and muddy, everything about the day screams spring and all it represents.