We're wearing green-- for the Girl Scouts and the Irish!

Happy  100th  Birthday

 to the Girl Scouts of America!

               Although I wasn't a Girl Scout, as a mother and grandmother,

           I much admire and support the organization.

           Many famous women were Girl Scouts, from business, science,

           government, and  the entertainment industry, including all our 

           female astronauts, many president's wives and daughters, and

           even some of  today's pop singers!              

                Among the alumnae  are Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, 

            Martha Stewart,  Trish and Julie Nixon, Dr. Joyce Brothers,

           Barbara Walters, Condoleeza Rice, Katie Couric and Taylor Swift!

             Juliet  (Daisy)Gordon Low started with a troop of 18 girls

            in Savannah, Georgia, so that girls too could  experience

            nature by hiking and camping, and  do community service. 

           Now there are 3.2 million members, and 50 million alumnae .

 The mission is to:

 "build girls in 3C's, courage, confidence, and character,

 who make the world a better place".

  Nowadays the girls earn badges in technology, 

 web design, engineering and movie making. It's not just about

 selling cookies,but developing girls leadership potential.

 Girl Scouts have a strong commitment to diversity

 and pledge to serve God, country and help others. 

They have declared 2012 as "The Year Of The Girl"

For celebration events, and to learn more, visit  www.girlscouts.org 

I recently sold this cute little vintage brownie outfit.

 I imagine the buyer was making a display to celebrate

 the Girl Scouts 100th  anniversary.  Isn't it cute?

A brownie is a Girl Scout in grade2-3  here's a uniform from the 60's

Now,   I'm looking for my Claddagh earrings, 

which symbolize love, friendship and loyalty, and my green clothes!

I'm "Wearing of the green", for in a few days, we'll celebrate

   St. Patrick's Day!

 I'm reading the story of St Patrick again this year. Visit my friend at www.writersreverie.blogspot.com for his amazing life story.                 

My family will have an Irish-American meal of corned-beef and cabbage,

 a lot like a New England boiled dinner with potatoes and carrots,

and the next day, with the leftovers, I will make delicious Rueben sandwiches.

We will make Irish potatoes candies, a traditional Philadelphia confection,

 first made commercially by See's, a hundred years ago.

 Now O'Ryan is the biggest producer, selling 80,000 lbs.  a year.

The candies are not Irish and they do not contain potatoes,

 but making them is our  fun family tradition..

My kids made them in grade school,

 and we always made them at home too.

 The wonderful coconut cream is rolled in cinnamon,

 and shaped to resemble potatoes. 

  Some people think that they were first made to commemorate

 the Irish potato famine.

Here's my recipe:

Irish Potatoes Candy

Mix together 1/4 cup softened butter

4 oz. cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

7 oz. flaked coconut

Chill for about an hour, then roll into 1 1/4 " balls.

let  dry a little while, then roll in a mixture of 1 tablespoon cinnamon 

and 1 teaspoon cocoa, shaping like small potatoes.

Store in refrigerator, but they probably won't last long!

Yummy!    I arrange them on small plates for gift-giving.

May the blessing of light be on you---

light without and light within.

 May the blessed sun shine on you

and warm your heart

till it glows like a great peat fire.

"With my hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my love"

Love, Linda