Lunch Break Play Break

I'm working from home again today so I can focus for maximum productivity. The benefit right now is that I have a built in play break (which I hear is healthy) any time I venture downstairs. I fixed lunch for myself ... and the 8 pups ... and the 2 big dogs ... then enjoyed this scene in my living room before diving back in to preparations for our Girl Scout Adult Recognitions. AWWWWWWW!

Someone To Say, "WOW!"

I was part of the Junior Badge Blast weekend at one of our camps last weekend. I have a CRAZY schedule, so it was definitely a sacrifice to fit it in. But I had a very important personal reason to be there ... it's my opportunity to say, "Wow!"

The lives of young girls are full of amazing opportunities and experiences. When women look back on their younger years, often their most impactful moments are tied to adults - those who encouraged them, or those who tore them down. And the successes or hurdles to follow somehow find their roots in whether or not someone believed in her as a girl. That is why I am part of Girl Scouts today.

Seeing girls enjoy learning something new and expressing themselves is always a joy. But it is extra special when one of the girls who is a little more quiet or shy, a little less connected to the others, shares her project with me and tentatively whispers, "This is what I want to do when I grow up." Wow. What a precious moment. I have the joy of whispering back, "Go for it!"

This is where I get to do what our volunteers are doing every day ... being there to empower a girl, being there to believe in her, being someone in her world who looks at her and says, "WOW!"

Children of Incarceration Matter

It's a busy day at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Not only are Girl Scout
Cookie Top Sellers being recognized, but a quiet force of Girl Scouts
are gathering to show their support for SB 1612 to be heard in the House
Human Services Committee today.

I think of it as a "Bill of Rights" for the children affected by the
incarceration of their parents. This is an issue which Girl Scouts is
addressing on a daily basis with Girl Scouts Beyond Bars. Our growing
efforts started with Project M.E.N.D. (Mothers Encouraging & Nurturing
Daughters) and are seeing WONDERFUL returns for both the girls as well
as the mothers ... and now families.

We're proud to be on a path that brings courage, confidence and
character to any situation. And now those affected by it are making
their voices heard to bring change to their world. I'M SO PROUD!

http://www.ecapitol.net/viewtext.wcs?SB1612_ENGR~52nd

A vision for girls ...

As I started re-reading "The Path" by Laurie Beth Jones this morning, I remembered I was going to redo a Wordle for our GSEOK Leadership Message. Sometimes the page of black and white words takes a little investment to get the inspiration behind the words. But that's where my visual side comes in (and my love for things like Wordle, which makes the visual easy). I put in our message and the most prominent references show up visually. Girls. It's all about the girls.

My personal favorite key words come from the mission: Courage. Confidence. Character. That's what I want for my daughter. That's my desire for all girls to experience in life. With those three elements, their path is already built on some pretty solid ground. What a gift to give a young life! And it's something our volunteers, staff, and supporters do every day.

Girls and Airplanes (and Pearls)

When it comes to flying, sometimes it's exciting. Other times it's necessary and even sad. Such is the case today for my little one's holiday visit to her dad. We tried swapping holidays and BOY is it hard!

But while at the airport, we learned something really cool. The first wing walkers were women. How brave! My daughter wasn't interested in trying it, though the steward offered her a pair of goggles (JOKINGLY, of course).

But it was still a little hard to laugh. It's the first Christmas for both kids to be at their dad's place. But my daughter and I traded our pearls to keep each other near. It was our first year of a new tradition ... Holiday pearls as long as she is a Girl Scout (in the spirit of Juliette Low who sold a rare strand of pearls to find the Girl Scout Movement). At our Juliette Low Leadership Society Pearl Sale, I found some "twisty" pearls ... A colorful dyed strand for her and ivory for me. So if you see me in colors this week, you'll know why!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Shhh! Don't tell my daughter!

We're about to start a new holiday tradition ... Pearls. Today I had a great idea at the pearl sale, one that will honor the work of Juliette Low, founder of Girl Scouts. She sold a rare strand of pearls to fund the organization in 1914. Hopefully we'll hold a pearl sale every year because I want this endeavor to also help support Girl Scouts! So as long as my daughter is a Girl Scout, she'll get pearls in some form for the holidays.

I can hardly wait ... And I almost want to spill the beans! But my daughter is almost as connected as I am. So my nifty mother/daughter concept won't be pictured right now. But I'll post everything after it's revealed on Friday, December 18!

You can still go to the Pearl Sale if you have time tonight until 7:00 p.m. Pearl Sale at Junior League. 3633 S. Yale. Benefits Girl Scouts! http://pitch.pe/37395
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

BOK Center Excitement with United Way!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

High Adventure Girls

Canoeing and tarp tenting adventure underway!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Tie-Dyed Angels

That's what Girl Scouts are ... tie-dyed angels. And today I had a visitation! Once again, my little self-sufficient world was rocked with kindness, this one from a tie-dyed angel. This particular one could easily be the queen of all who have sported the signature swirls and twirls. And judging from her widespread fame in this area, if her kindness spreads like her dye, this world is in for a colorful treat!

Her helping hand was more than I could have imagined, and it feels small to just say that she went "above and beyond." But knowing that I'm leaving things in her hands gives me a comfort I don't even know how to adequately express. These Girl Scouts are AMAZING. From young to old, those who inspire young girls are AMAZING. And today, this tie-dyed angel made me feel AMAZING.

If I am ever ambitious enough to make my own costume for any reason, I may find myself rolling up fairy wings and squirting them with dye!

We're All Different ... Or Are We?

I am inspired by this toolbox. It looks very much like an organization. We are all working side by side to accomplish the same mission. While our sense of purpose gives us a particularly strong common bond, we each have different skills and talents. And we are plugging those abilities in to the same engine that drives the largest leadership organization for girls.

Lately I've been contemplating differences. They give us flavor in our relationships ... and headaches, too. As a professional Girl Scout, I work side by side with some of the most interesting people I have ever met. They give flavor in the workplace ... and headaches, too!


Is that bad to say? Or just honest? I think if we all admit it, our working relationships can be strained and it can sometimes make completing a mission difficult.

Oftentimes, all I need is a word picture to get a bigger picture. When differences seem to get in the way, my goal is to back up and take a look at the bigger picture. We're in the same toolbox. Sure, we are each fit for different roles. But when it comes down to it, we're not as different as we think! Each one of us is here to make a difference, and together we can do it.

Girly, Girly Group Hugs!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Girl Scout Friends

The girls are now Junior Girl Scouts ... and the relationships that have been built over the last 3 years in this troop are deepening as they grow older. Shy gigglers have turned into screaming huggers. And even though most of these girls haven't seen each other over the summer, they come together like they haven't missed a beat.

I'm amazed by the sense of purpose that is beginning to develop. Girl Scouts isn't just something fun to do with others, they are asking about who they are going to help this year. Their brainstorming was fun to watch as they all had more ideas than we could possibly enact to make the world a better place.

Their cheers, their laughter, their smiles, their friendships ... little do they know that these moments are building relationships that may stand the test of time.

This spring, a volunteer shared how meaningful she realized her friendships through Girl Scouting had become. Her husband passed away, and when it came time to celebrate the life he lived with a memorial service, she turned and saw face after Girl Scout face in the crowd. Tears came to her eyes as she told the story. And they came to mine, too.

What an enduring treasure, these Girl Scout friends!

Working Luxuries

My daughter is ill ... so I feel a little guilty for it being the reason I can enjoy working luxuries. I am spoiled rotten after several days of stovetop Italian espresso in Riomaggiore this past spring. Coffee in the workplace is no longer up to my "coffee snob" standards, so I have been suffering. But today I indulge! I have my favorite coffee, my favorite attire (PJs!), and most of all my favorite little girl in the next room.

Meanwhile, I get to be a work-a-holic for an organization I love (you would laugh to see my desk at this moment - one desktop, one laptop, one BlackBerry all in use simultaneously - regretfully lacking the cameras I left in my office to work with today) in the comfort of my own home ... for today.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Sailing Through Life

I have to say ... this looks REALLY good right about now! Personally, the beauty and peacefulness of this moment are a much bigger draw than my desk and deadlines! But what I also love is seeing those girls two by two. Do they know they are learning things like teamwork? Do they know that they are fueling each other's confidence? Do they know that they now have a skill that makes one late-blooming, middle-aged Girl Scout a little envious?

Aside from one afternoon trying to learn how to windsurf in northern Minnesota, I have not spent any time maneuvering a sail. And with the pace at which my life travels, I don't know when the opportunity to learn will come. These are the types of things that I find myself wishing I had experienced in my youth. What a wealth of experiences are available to modern girls! Maybe I'll start catching up when I retire. If you see a windsurfing grandmother 30 years from now ... it just may be me!

Your Not-So-(stereo)Typical Hiker

I'm tall ... but not currently slender and probably not who you you would expect to meet on a mountain trail or in a canyon. I'm loaded down with cameras and am sporting brand new "gear" (recently discovered the value of trekking poles, multi-terrain shoes, rugged water bottles, and backpacks), and I move SLOWLY. So I imagine that seeing an overly equipped, rotund hiker sliding down a slope while rolling backwards is not a common sight. FORTUNATELY, I don't think anyone saw me! Yes, me. At that moment, I didn't want to admit I am a Girl Scout!

All drama aside (I won't detail the excitement here, but if you are REALLY interested you can visit my personal blog), I have to admit that my first thought as I was lying at the bottom of Red Rock Canyon after performing my magnificent slidey-flip was, "THIS WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!" I found a series of "hidey-holes" in the rocks, a perfect place with shade to eat some lunch and write in my journal. I bet I could have camped there!

Brave thought for me ... but made me wish I had those kinds of opportunities when I was young. I wish I could turn back time and be part of a Girl Scout troop that had adventures. I wish I had opportunities to travel internationally like girls do now with destinations and the like. But I'll catch up as I can. And maybe one day I'll actually camp in a cave and get more pictures like this ...

Cox Tells All ... about Girl Scout Outreach!

Many thanks to Dawn Lowe and her Outreach Day Camp for helping Cox tell our story (and theirs - about their foundation). They are doing two features, so be sure to tune in for the first one coming up next week.

Cox Community Connection show airs on Cox Channel 7 in OKC and Cox Channel 3 in Tulsa. Here are the dates and times:

7/6 1pm, 4pm & 9pm
7/7 4pm & 5pm
7/8 9am, 1pm & 4pm
7/9 11:30pm
7/10 4pm & 11:30pm
7/11 3:30pm & 5:30pm

Girl Scout PR Stars SHINE!

Our girls got a special opportunity to be part of the Tulsa Area United Way press conference revealing their new campaign goal. It was the first actual press conference for all of them, and they were very excited to see the TV cameras! They did a GREAT job (and kind of stole the show). But what we really needed photos of was the parents in the back of the room. They were clicking and coaching smiles like crazy! Our girls really are STARS!

My First Girl Scout Hire ... Now a Mom!

Sasha (middle) is a dear soul. She came to us after going through the corporate wringer and was my first hire at Girl Scouts. During realignment, we embraced more people, and I would like to think Kami (right) and I armwrestled over Sasha, but I would have WON (wink)! She stepped into grant writing, and what a fabulous job she has done!

From a young woman with a powerful story, to a woman with life-earned wisdom, we have been honored to be part of her life. What a joy to celebrate her marriage and now motherhood! As I shared with her today, she will be wonderful in her new role (as she is in everything), doing it with all her heart and a spirit of excellence.

Sasha, we hope for ALL the best for you!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Tie Dyed Reflections

I just said a tired goodbye to my little Girl Scout who is officially on her first horse adventure of the summer. Of course, I couldn't leave without another photo. Sometimes moments like this cause me to randomly reflect ... Seeing how beautiful she is and is becoming ... Seeing how her features somehow match her tie dyed shirt (a classic Girl Scout project) ... And how glad I am to have people in her life to affect her in positive ways. As a currently single (and way too busy) mom, I couldn't do it on my own! My heart is thankful for all of you who make a difference by empowering girls.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Girl Scout Goes Skype

Just a cute thing on the Social Media side of Girl Scouting …

My daughter (Miss M) and her new video pal (Miss G) enjoyed their first Girl Scout oriented “Skype date” last night. The girls met through their moms who became acquainted during a Twitter chat about Social Media tools last week. Miss G is in NY and her mom teaches Social Media classes. It was adorable! She would say, “Turn to page 99 (in the Junior Girl Scout Handbook). Want to play that game?” They showed each other their vests and sashes, their badges and patches, their workbooks, and even their dogs. See the array?

Who knows ... they just might work together on a Bronze Award project involving social media (a mini-class for girls their age, how to connect online and stay safe, something like that) ... we'll just have to see what transpires in the coming weeks!