The Nordic Tearoom (Number 31)

[beanandspud]

We have moored the barge for the winter and have moved to a beautiful, cosy log cabin in deepest Scandinavia overlooking a frozen lake and surrounded by pine trees.

Mellors has lit the log fires and candles, it is snowing outside and there are comfortable seats for everyone and fleecy blankets to snuggle up in. For the more active tearoomers there are skis and sledges outside as well as a steaming hot tub for winding down after a busy day.

So pull up a chair. The kettle is on for and there is always plenty of depending on your mood and time zone. (Alternatively there is schnapps, smorgasbord and smoked fish).

Everybody is welcome ? share as much or as little as you like ? but no fisticuffs please!

That was going to be my suggestion, too (sash onto blanket). I know people that sew on their jamboree neckers as well. All of my jamboree neckers are still neatly folded and tied in a proper friendship knot in a box with other memoriabilia from the events.

Yes, she's keen, because I started at Brownies before she was two years old and she used to toddle to the door after me, holding out her hands and calling "Brubbies! Brubbies!" in a pitiful way because she wanted to come too. Really, though, it's because she's been a Brownie since she was 6 1/2 and has had to come on every Brownie outing, nearly all of which involve getting an interest badge or a souvenir badge.

Her plan is that, once she has gone up to Guides, she will become a pack helper at Brownies. I'm just starting to formulate a plan that, once she's gone up to Guides, I will hand over to the assistant guider and retire.

And this is why I like the GSUSA uniform of vests -- you can fit loads more on and share the weight over two shoulders instead of one.

When next we meet, Scout, will you teach me the friendship knot?

::Thinks: If it wasn't for Scout's encouragement I would have fallen off the Guiding wagon years ago::

If I can remember it -- I usually get my Scout friends to do my jamboree necker knots . My friend, MrsGuider, is good at them and gets a bit frustrated with me that I don't know it like the back of my hand but neckers are not part of GSUSA uniform. I think we have a centenary woggle somewhere and I keep finding random Scout ones from our time as Scout leaders.

In keeping Maud propped up I've slipped. Actually, I'm just struggling balancing MrScout's crazy work "schedule," the needs of Toddler and the needs of my units.

Oh darn it! I KNEW I should have gone through that plastic tub at home. Maud, I have some great pictures from my Wider Op (a Girl Scout opportunity scheme) that I went on when I was 16/17 (I had my birthday while I was on the trip). Talk about giggles! Also have pictures of a 13 year old me a the birthplace of GSUSA that are always good for a laugh. You might have gotten a kick out of them. I do definitely have WINGS03 things here.

I lied, I hadn't had my birthday yet -- I was only 12.

Aw! I'll have to get my mother to lend me the photo of me in Brownie uniform!

I have one of those over here! I was only a Brownie for one year.

UniS -

Can speak a bit today. Not much, still sounding very gruff, but enough to make myself heard. Trying NOT to though, got to rest it for Saturday. Will be very upset if I can't sing on Saturday. :(

Egads! Why are there radiotherapists pinned the wall? They look jolly cross What state was I in last night!!

Thumb, everything crossed for your voice returning.

Scout, you need a break. Hope you're getting one of some sort over the festive season?

Ooo, a Cameron Diaz!

Hope you feel better soon Thumb.

Nearly on the single digit countdown Amber ! Hurrah ! But do let the radiotherapists down from the wall - theres a national shortage.

My camp blanket has my best neckers round the neck, and then others rolled and sewn on. Even my brownie tie ! I fool myself that I am saving it for ds, but can't see that he'll be able to be a scout until Explorers age.

Mmmm, Steve Backshall in ripped wetsuit.....

Toddler: Cereal, cereal!
Give him cereal with milk (as requested).
Eats two bites.
Toddler: 'azin (raisin)
Give him a box.
Eats entire contents.
Toddler: 'azin
Give him another box.
Eats entire contents.
FINALLY goes back to soggy cereal and scoffs it.
Blurgh, over-soggy store brand cheerios. [green]

Now the empty raisin box is a person or animal and is talking and walking around his tray.

To be fair, his imagination is springing to life and it's so much fun to just sit back watch him interact with his toys in a new way.

(Oh, and the spoon has joined in the fun.)

I'm not sure what happened to my camp blanket.. I perhaps took all the badges off at some stage and there's likely to be a stash of badges somewhere but I can't think where.... I was one of the youngest at the 10 yearly camp that was held at Sherbern Castle and have some interesting pictures somewhere of me playing my violin, kneeling down in a field with some others playing their instruments too - I didn't do so many of the things to do because we rehearsed for the pageant every day - and at the end of the week the backdrop to the whole was the castle itself. I do remember that it rained quite a lot so we were banned from going in our tents and were in the large tent that our contingent had - which proved to leak so we had to cluster round in groups in the drier spots. Not quite sure how I got my camping badge which was then part of the requirement for your Queen's Guide badge...

Yay for nearly single figures Amber!

MT - I went to that camp too - the 75 in 85 one ? I remember the truly terrible rain, and that the Marchioness took sleeping bags into the castle to dry them

So we've probably met before CMot!!! What a small world.

None of our sleeping bags got wet... because we'd all had 'wrapping your bedroll in a waterproof way' practise sessions - and, as I said, were strictly banned from our tents other than going to sleep - and all warned very strongly not to touch the canvas... so our sleeping tents did actually keep the rain out sucessfully. And there were some international guides that were visiting and assigned different groups too... Did you take part in the pageant at all?

Actually, thinking about it, that would have been too late... Can't have been later than '80 for me, given the approximate age I know I was... put it this way, I was 3 months younger than the theoretical cut-off for qualification to go, but the guider said that I was pretty sensible so she'd take me along as long as I didn't flaunt the fact that I wasn't really old enough

Baking another birthday cake for miniThumb at the moment - I did one for his actual birthday on Sunday but tomorrow is the church playgroup's Christmas party and I said I'd take cake (same as last year) - think I will decorate it with cherries though, but I might put his number 4 candle on it as well.

Was supposed to be doing small sausages for tomorrow as well, but forgot and cooked them for dinner tonight - no time to get more in the morning because of swimming lessons and DH going off at 7am, so am thinking of doing mini-quiches but am concerned they might not work so well, plus the oven already has cake in it - argh!!

AND I still can't talk. Not looking good for singing on Saturday. :(

I did assorted 75 in 85 camps, but not that one. I'll have to look at my blanket to see which ones. I do remember some big blue funnels being a bit sneery about my patrol at one camp - no guiders from my unit on that camp- as we did not have a big green patrol tent. Our guider had figured that as we girls would have to lug every thing a long way we ought to take a light weigh family tent with a nylon fly sheet and an inner. it was great, we were nice and dry and had a sewn in ground sheet! We also did not all wear blue all the time, as guider did not believe in forcing families to buy clothes just for camp.

Just curious -- was "75 in 85" the 75th anniversary/birthday in 1985?

I'd just like to say projectile vomit has made me feel . I thought I got it all cleaned up and put Toddler to bed a little early and think I found some on the wall. Double .

Oh, UniS, I don't make my girls go in blue either -- especially since I'm in a lot of green (green is the GSUSA "color" so a lot of my camp-like tees are green). I met the then-head CEO of Guides on my first Guide Camp in the UK and I was wearing a bright yellow Girl Scout teeshirt while the rest of my Guide unit (and all of the camp since it was a county event) was in blue. D'oh!

Don't suppose you went to the regional Arts camp in 87 Mistle - now that had a pageant at the end of the week in front of the house (I remember rehearsing with the orchestra inside), and I don't remember doing a huge amount of anything but playing flute there.

Yes, 75th anniversary Scout. Yeuch on the vomiting.

I am home now - and unexpectedly the cleaner had been today so it is lovely and sparkly

Welcome home CMOT :)