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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!:  Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:03:20 PM
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Lisa Barnhart (#4830) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Going Green Merit Badge!
“I make soap for dishes, bath, and shampoo. I made natural cleaners as well. My fave is a soap bar at kitchen sink.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:04:06 PM
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Lisa Barnhart (#4830) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“I made and also bought some reusable shopping bags. I'm using them and liking doing so. It's going great!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:04:44 PM
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Lisa Barnhart (#4830) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“I made a Castile soap bar for kitchen sink and have researched lots of cleaning recipes. I'm keeping toxic items out of my home. It's going well - and it feels good!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:05:36 PM
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Lisa Barnhart (#4830) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Path to Zero Waste Merit Badge!
“I found some great Instagram accounts. I learned about a waste audit and why it is good to do. Love this concept and learning more!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:24:22 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level My Fair Farmgirl Merit Badge!
“Natural beauty starts in the kitchen; from pumpkins to paprika, many food ingredients do double as cooking and cosmetic ingredients. Fresh food, herbs, spices and plant oils offer an abundance of beautifying vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Health and beauty is an age old quest. Unfortunately, in modern times we have strayed from nature and our beauty solutions have become unnatural and unhealthy. It is important to know about the many synthetic ingredients used in generic skincare products. These harmful chemicals commonly used to stabilize fragrances and make plastic more pliable, are believed to disturb the body's endocrine and hormonal system. It's important to avoid products that list the word "fragrance" unless the label states that it comes from pure essential oils. Other nasties to avoid are parabens, petrochemicals, Nanos, and sulphates. My new motto is "if you wouldn't put it in your mouth, then don't put it on your skin". Your skin is the largest organ in the body and it absorbs and digests everything that you put on it.
I've gradually been replacing all of my skin care and beauty products to only include organic, herbal formulas. Most of the products I buy now come from the "Medicine Room" - a naturopathic herbal dispensary in Maleny, QLD. Dominique's products are formulated with organic herbs, olive and avocado oil extractions and beeswax. I also use a magnesium-based moisturiser (Magnesium, shea butter, coconut oil, hazelnut oil, apricot oil, glycerine, vitamin E) and my toothpaste is a New Zealand company called "Red Seal" which manufactures paraben free, non-fluoridated herbal and mineral toothpaste. I don't really wear make-up except the occasional concealer. This is probably the product I am having most difficulty substituting.
For the final component of this badge, I tried making my own deodorant. Using an aluminium conventional spray or roll-on deodorant is absolute rubbish for your health, resulting in the absorption of poisons that have possible links to breast and lymph node cancer. However, finding an aluminium free natural deodorant that actually works is like finding a needle in a hay stack, so I made my own using a recipe called "The B.O. Basher":- It is long-lasting, antibacterial, stain-free, zero-stickiness, zero-skin irritation and is naturally, an antiperspirant. Spray directly under your arms after showering. It can also be used to deodorize smelly clothes, musky bed linen and stinky feet.
125ml spray bottle
100ml alkaline water
20ml full proof vodka or gin
6 d citrus seed extract
8 d patchouli essential oil
6 d juniper berry essential oil
6 d lavender essential oil
5 d lemon essential oil
This is pretty straightforward. Add all the ingredients to the spray bottle, and shake well until all ingredients are dissolved. Spray as needed.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:25:41 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning a Beginner Level Make It Pretty Merit Badge!
“For this merit badge, I decided to make a simple collage of photographs for my best friend's 40th birthday. We have been friend's since Grade 8 in high school, so I had plenty of old photographs to choose from. I arranged them in the 1981 design (the year we were both born), had it printed at the photo shop, and finally framed the collage in a simple black frame.
I presented the collage of photographs to Marie on the night of her 40th birthday party. She loved it, and it was a great piece to trigger memories and stories of growing up together.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:27:07 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Expert Level Music Merit Badge!
“I have been playing piano and learning music theory since I was about 7 years old, so I decided to learn a new instrument for this merit badge. I purchased a set of bongo drums (made in Thailand) which included a book & CD "All About Bongos". The book included a history and overview of the bongos, tuning and drum care, playing techniques, traditional rhythm arrangements, & the audio/video play-along CD. I am gradually getting better at the 4 basic playing techniques (open tone, edge tone, muted edge tone and the thumb-fingers combination). Reading the music is very different to reading piano music, so it has been a fun challenge.
As part of this merit badge, I took my nephew to see the Esk Community Choir, together with special guests "Percussimo" - the amazing percussion ensemble from Brisbane. They did give me inspiration to learn the bongo drums.
My husband and I have also supported the St. John's Lutheran Church Choir on several occasions when we have attended Parish functions in Coolana.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:28:25 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Expert Level Carpe Cocoa Merit Badge!
“Ganache is a French term used to describe a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries, made from chocolate and cream. Ganache is normally made by heating equal parts by weight of cream and chopped chocolate, warming the cream first, then pouring it over the chocolate. I have made ganache several times, eg. when making a Caramel Hazelnut Torte recipe, in my Choc-cherry Truffle recipe, and my husband and I even had ganache on our wedding cake.
On a visit to Sydney in June, my husband and I took my friend, Leanne, to the Lindt store to buy a hot chocolate while we watched the fireworks over Darling Harbour as part of their Winter Festival. I ordered a dark hot chocolate which was based purely on melted chocolate rather than a powder with lots of artificial sweeteners. I actually quite liked the bitterness of the dark chocolate. The texture was a lot thicker as well.
For the last component of this badge, I organized a “Truffle & Trivia” Night at our church. We had 6 teams of 6 people participate with 10 rounds of questions on various topics. Halfway through the evening, we had an intermission where guests could indulge in the truffles and hot tea, coffee or my own homemade mulled wine. The truffles that I made were:
Hazelnut Truffles;
Chocolate Rum Truffles;
Hazelnut Apricot Truffles;
Lemon & Coconut Truffles;
Wild Orange Truffles;
Choc-cherry Truffles with Salted Coconut;
I have shared some of my recipes on the Farmgirl Chatroom under Merit Badge Chit Chat.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:38:17 PM
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Rea Nakanishi (Rea Nakanishi, #8284) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Putting Away for Winter Merit Badge!
“For this badge, I received some beautiful fresh corn on the cob so I blanched and froze the corn. I usually buy too many vegetables so I like to save as many as possible, so I blanched and froze celery and potatoes. I chopped and froze six large onions as well. I know I'll use them in soups this winter.
This turned out well. I always try to not waste food, so freezing the vegetables is always a great idea.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:50:30 PM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Leave It Better Than You Found It Merit Badge!
“Stewardship is very important to me for many reasons. First of all, I have children and grandchildren, and it is important to me that this earth stays clean and green and offers a happy, healthy future for continuing generations. I believe that if each person took responsibility in their lives to live in such a way that makes responsible, non-wasteful use of all resources then we never need worry about running out of those resources. And moreover, it makes a heart happy to see the roadsides and parking lots and public spaces free of litter and debris. This way, all folks can use public spaces without worry of things like children or pets being harmed on broken glass or poisoned by careless disposal of harmful waste. It also keeps our waterways clean and free of garbage that can poison or entangle wildlife. It also sometimes creates breeding grounds for disease carrying insects, greater chance of a fire starting, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.
One place in my area that is a constant source of littering and pollution is at the Saratoga Spa State Park and the adjoining Saratoga Performing Arts Center. It's often devastating to see the mess left behind after certain performances such as Phish and Dead and Company. These events bring campers and squatters that stick around our beautiful city for several days, leaving behind an unfathomable mess. It takes days to clean up and a lot of the mess is hard to pick up, like broken glass, aluminum can tabs, and cigarette butts. It makes me angry, and I do not understand why these events are allowed to book in such a beautiful and natural setting, considering the lack of care that is taken by the attendees to respect the property.
Another area that I'm seeing more trash is in the Adirondack Mountains and the local preserve/trail systems. I find wrappers, dog-doo bags, cigarette butts, and sometimes food scraps. Sometimes my dogs find the food scraps before I do and they eat them. This always worries me since I have no idea what they just ate, but so far we have had no issues.
Lastly, I have a small pond/creek that I sometimes visit with the dogs on hot summer days. It's back off the main road enough that I don’t worry about them running off on me, but it is also a popular fishing hole and party location, so I do worry about food scraps and stray fish hooks.
So far none of us has found a fish hook with our foot, nor gotten cut on glass, but the fear of it does keep me from going sometimes.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:51:35 PM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Leave It Better Than You Found It Merit Badge!
“I've been in the habit of picking up trash as often as I can when I'm out. I usually have a grocery bag in my car so I can haul out the things that I find. I also walk around the parking lot of my place of employment as well as my own yard, picking up whatever litter I find. I typically do this on the main trail that my dogs and I visit, because it pleases me to see the space free of trash. Fortunately, there are not a lot of trash-tossers that use this space so it’s easy to keep up. The two worst areas that I encounter are the roadside at work and the Donation Collection bin in our parking lot. It seems that many people toss fast food containers as they drive by our mailbox, a sad consequence of being close to a business district, which I collect and dispose of. The Donation Collection bin unfortunately attracts boxes and bags of stuff, usually left OUTSIDE the bin, that are not even accepted by the organization that owns the bin. Most of what I collect at the roadside or remove from outside the donation bin goes into the trash bin, but I do sometimes separate out some recyclables and returnable bottles.
This is a daily routine for me, staying on top of litter and the occasional dumping that happens at my place of work.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2021 : 1:52:26 PM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Leave It Better Than You Found It Merit Badge!
“At my church, where I also work, we recently cleaned out the couple of acres of backyard where the sumac trees and scrub bush had grown up. This was a few days’ worth of work but a couple men of the church, and my after-hours input was to walk around the property and pick up the little bits of stuff that had blown into the area during the last couple years. I found some wrappers and small bits of trash but not too much. Now the area can be used for bonfires and youth group activities. As an aside, I'm considering asking someone to help me create a meditation garden in a back corner which I think people will enjoy!
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a concentration of “marine debris” that is described as more of a “swirling vortex” than a patch and is about twice the size of Texas! Obviously, this needs to be cleaned up, which is just what Boyan Slat and The Ocean Cleanup organization is attempting to do with what they refer to as “arrays” that are equipped with 10-foot-long screens to trap and collect the plastic floating in the water, which will then be emptied by clean up boat crews. The controversy is that these “arrays” have yet to be tested, and some scientists fear that the project will harm marine life and possibly make the problem worse. This project launches in 2022.
It will be interesting to see how effective it will be and, I’m sure, we all hope that marine life will be preserved and not harmed.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 1:25:54 PM
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Rea Nakanishi (Lacey, #8284) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning a Beginner Level Wild Game Merit Badge!
“Wild game near me would consist of deer, bear, elk, wild boar, and ducks. I would find most of the deer, elk, and wild boarin the Inner Northern California Coast Ranges. Permits are required for all wild game hunted in the area and only allowed certain times of the year.
Duck clubs are plentiful in the valley, but again, permits and only at certain times of the year. California has a Migratory Bird Treaty Act that ensures that birds waterfowl will continue to thrive. I know that wild game is popular in the area where I used to live and my neighbors were avid hunters. I had a chance to reread up on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. again. I used to have a 4-h group that made boxes for the wood duck waterfowl project.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 1:27:32 PM
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Rea Nakanishi (Lacey, #8284) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Intermediate Level Get It Together Merit Badge!
“My kitchen is pretty complete of all the items I need for cooking and baking, and I cleaned out my utensil drawer and downsized. Sometimes we just collect too many items. It was good to donate the unused items from my kitchen as well as linens and clothing to the church next to my work. They take in and help support refugees from war torn countries.
I did realize that I was missing one measuring cup and and two measuring spoons from the set. So I purchased a new set and I will be all set for when fall baking comes around!
This turned out well and got me motivated to clean out unused items. Just a little cleaning is always good for the soul!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 1:44:53 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Intermediate Level Get It Together Merit Badge!
“Working on this badge was great motivation to clean out my kitchen cupboards. My friend's daughter is in the process of moving out of home into her own place, so I was able to give all of my unwanted kitchen items & linens to her to start her new home. I put all of the items in a washing basket, which she can also use.
The only wish list item that I had left to purchase for my own kitchen was a spiralizer. This gadget allows me to make vegetable noodles for a healthier meal option. It has 3 cutters to make spaghetti, fettuccine or ribbon cuts. I'm quite satisfied that I now have everything I need for a complete working kitchen.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 1:45:51 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Her-story Merit Badge!
“I read 2 biographies for this merit badge. One was entitled "Mary Gaunt: Independent Colonial Woman" by Bronwen Hickman, and the other was "Radio Girl" by David Dufty. I have shared what I learned on the Farmgirl Chatroom.
Mary Gaunt – Born on the Victorian Goldfields in Chiltern in 1861, Mary was well-educated and well-connected. She was a tomboy and a rebel – her father encouraged her, her mother disapproved. One of the first female students to attend the University of Melbourne, she wrote articles and stories in order to fund her travels. She trekked through the great mahogany forests of West Africa. She went to China in the chaos that followed the downfall of the Ch’ing dynasty, and narrowly avoided the marauding White Wolf. She proved that a woman can live by her pen in that era. When war came, she was trapped behind enemy lines and never made it home to Australia.
“I want to earn my own living – to be quite independent. I don’t care how little I earn at first, if I can go on improving, like a man. I want to earn enough to be sure of being comfortably off in my old age. To be decently dressed, you know, and be able to travel about a little, and buy books, and have money to give away…If I didn’t marry then, it wouldn’t matter a bit. I’d be a great deal better off than half the women who marry because they must.”
Mary married Dr Hubert Lindsay Miller on 8 August 1894 at St. George’s Church, Malvern. He sadly died after 5 years. They had no children.
In northern Victoria, on the fringe of the small township of Chiltern, is an empty paddock beside the pioneer cemetery where a few early graves bear witness to the bustle of goldfields life. In an empty field near the graves stands a gnarled pear tree, claimed by local people to be the remainder of the Woodlands orchard; the tree certainly looks old enough. If this was indeed the site of Woodlands, it is the most tangible remaining link with Mary’s earliest years – the garden where she played as a child. As her childhood homes were on the frontiers of the gold rush and in government residences in bush towns, little evidence of them remains.
Violet McKenzie (‘Mrs Mac’) – Born in Melbourne in 1890, Violet was a smart girl from a poor mining town who loved to play with her father’s tools. Violet recalled “I used to play about with bells and buzzers and things around the house. My mother would sometimes say "Oh, come and help me find something, it's so dark in this cupboard" – she didn't have very good eyesight… So I'd get a battery and I'd hook a switch, and when she opened that cupboard door a light would come on… I started sort of playing with those things”.
She became Australia’s first electrical engineer, a pioneer of the radio, founder of the Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC), successful businesswoman, and lifelong promoter for technical education for women. As the clouds of war gathered in the 1930s, she defied convention and trained young women in Morse code, foreseeing that their services would soon be sorely needed. Always a champion of women, she was instrumental in getting Australian women into the armed forces. Eventually, some 12,000 servicemen and women passed through her signal instruction school in Sydney, acquiring skill in Morse code and visual signalling (flag semaphore and International Code of Signals).
She set up her own electrical contracting business in 1918, and apprenticed herself to it, in order to meet the requirements of the Diploma in Electrical Engineering at Sydney Technical College and in 1922 she was the first Australian woman to take out an amateur radio operator's license. Through the 1920s and 1930s, her "Wireless Shop" in Sydney's Royal Arcade was renowned amongst Sydney radio experimenters and hobbyists. She founded The Wireless Weekly in 1922, established the Electrical Association for Women in 1934, and wrote the first "all-electric cookbook" in 1936. She also corresponded with Albert Einstein in the postwar years.
Cecil Roland McKenzie was a young electrical engineer employed by the Sydney County Council's Electricity Undertaking. He too was a radio enthusiast, and one of Violet's customers at the shop. They were married at the Church of St Philip in Auburn on New Year's Eve 1924. They built a house at 26 George Street, Greenwich Point complete with a wireless room in the attic. The house remains, but has been extensively renovated since the McKenzies lived there. Cecil & Violet had a daughter, stillborn, in 1926.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 2:05:06 PM
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Candy Hogan (Tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning an Expert Level 'Out There' Women Merit Badge!
“I built a wall tent. I caught my Catfish on 9/4/21 during our state free fishing day, took it home, gutted and cleaned it. I cooked it on 9/6/21 using a recipe of corn meal, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Fish is not my favorite food, but catching it was fun.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 2:06:14 PM
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Candy Hogan (Tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning a Beginner Level Make It! Merit Badge!
“My tools are organized in a tool box and home kit. My husband takes my tools—especially measuring tapes and hammers, so I started buying pink tools. I made a planter box out of reclaimed fence boards I had on my ranch. It was good.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 2:07:43 PM
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Candy Hogan (Tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Intermediate Level Cross-Stitch Merit Badge!
“The different types of fabrics to use for cross stitching are: Aida cloth, stitch linen, plastic canvas, even weave and specialty fabrics. The most common fabric is Aida; the stitches are 10 to 22 per inch with 14 stitches per inch being the most common.
I cross-stitched a pillowcase for my project. It took longer than I thought it would.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 2:17:40 PM
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Melissa Test (Miscrafter, #7835) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Cross-Stitch Merit Badge!
“I researched beginner level cross-stitching. Picked out a chart and learned that every chart has a thread/floss symbol chart that indicates which floss is to be used and where it is used in the pattern. For example DMC Floss coded blanc with a blank square on the chart means white in the particular chart I used.
I learned if I fan the end of the floss I can pull a piece of it out. Some parts of the chart require one strand, and others require two strands.
My stitches are to be consistent. If I work my first stitch from the bottom left to the top right diagonal hole I need to do all my stitches that way. Then come back from the bottom right to the diagonal left hole. Ex. start off across the row with ///// then come back with \\\\\\\ and it will make the "X". Or I can choose to do each x individually but I must be consistent with the way the "X" is sewn.
Terminology that I learned about is:
WIP = Work in Progress
FO = Finished Object
FFO = Fully Finished Object
UFO = Unfinished Object
Frog = Pick out or rip out stitches
SAL = Stitch Along
Unicorn Chart = is a chart that someone is looking for and hard to find.
Confetti = Random stitch
I have not FFO my project yet. I had to frog a few times and I am happy with the end result. I hope to research how to display my project. Maybe mount it on a block and display it in my craft room.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 2:28:41 PM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Staying Green Merit Badge!
“In the Going Green badge, I started making the switch to using all natural products in my home. I made soap at the Adirondack Folk School, I made homemade window cleaner and other simple products. Unfortunately, over the last 10 years I have been through some major life changes and, out of necessity, I had to fall back on mainstream products in some cases. So this summer, after college graduation, I got my home back into green mode.
Some of the changes I made a decade ago were easy to maintain, like making window cleaner, because it's so quick to make and a bottle lasts for a long time. I also do this everywhere that I have worked because it is a better product for cleaning windows than the store version, and I have used homemade window cleaner at my housekeeping/home care jobs, in the business that I built with my father and brother, and also now at the church where I am office manager. There are a few other general cleaners that I make using vinegar that have been easy “lifetime” changes.
The hardest for me to keep up with is laundry soap. I used a lot of laundry soap and DIY ingredients aren’t always available locally, so it's way too easy to just pick up a bottle at the store. I DO, however, look for environmentally friendly products, because caring for the earth and environment is always on my mind.
This summer, I made powdered laundry soap for the first time. I had the Fels Naptha soap already, but had to buy Borax at the store and ordered the Washing Soda online. I will most likely never make this again because I don’t like grating the bar soap and I have several nicks on my hands where the grater bit me! However, here’s my recipe:
Laundry Soap: Powdered (use 3 T per load)
2c Borax, 2c washing soda, 1 cup grated soap (Fels Naptha or other)
Laundry Soap: Liquid (using ¼ to ½ c per load)
Bring 3c water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add ½ c washing soda and ½ c Borax. Stir.
In separate container place 5.5 c water. Add ½ c castille liquid soap. Stir.
Add hot water to soap water and blend well. Store in glass jar or plastic jug.
I'm having fun with this!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 2:30:00 PM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Staying Green Merit Badge!
“So, I've had WAYYY too much fun looking for and trying out new DIY products for my home! Here are some that I found. My favorite so far are the get air fresheners, BUT be sure that you don’t forget the SALT! I did, and my fresheners got moldy after a few weeks. The salt will prevent this. I have ingredients for my next batch ready to go. My favorite scent so far is lemongrass because it really is more noticeable than any of the others that I’ve tried, but it is so pleasant, too. I put my small jar of freshener in my guest bathroom with the door closed, and every time I stepped in there the whole room smelled lovely!
I'm watching for washing soda to reappear at the grocery store. There is a spot on the shelf for it but no boxes of soda. I don’t know if this is a shortage of stock or a new interest by others to make these products at home. So, I keep watching. I have half a box left but will definitely pick up another when I’m able so that I have it on hand. Here are some of my recipes. I haven’t tried the fabric softener yet, that’s my next project:
Fabric Softener: Place ½ c baking soda in gallon jug. Add 1c water and shake vigorously till mixed. Add 3 c more water and 3 c white vinegar. Swirl jug gently to mix. Add 5-10 drops of essential oil, if desired. (Use ½ c per load)
Bathroom Cleaner: ¼ c Borax mixed with 1 gallon hot water
Floor Cleaner: 2 c warm water, ½ c white vinegar, ¼ c rubbing alcohol, 3 drops dish soap, 5-10 drops essential oil. Swirl to mix.
DIY “Febreeze”: ½ c rubbing alcohol, 1 c water, 30+ drops essential oil. Put mixture in spray bottle to use.
Odor Eliminating Room Spray: Bring 2 c water to a boil. Remove from heat, add 1 c fabric softener and 1/3 c baking soda. Allow to cool and pour into a bottle.
Gel Air Freshener: (Use several drops coloring and essential oils as desired.)
Boil 2 cups water and 2 T salt. Stir till salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and add 4 envelopes of unflavored gelatin and stir till fully dissolved. Add color and scent at this point and stir. Pour into jars or tins. Allow to cool for a bit, then chill to set. These can be placed in the home out of sunlight. I love my air fresheners!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2021 : 2:30:59 PM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Staying Green Merit Badge!
“I love, love, LOVE my clothesline and I use it as much as possible in the rainy northeast. No need here to seal carpets because I never buy new carpet due to preferring hard floors. I do thoroughly clean new rugs and air them out regularly. My floor cleaning products are either homemade or environmentally safe. My house is pretty close to thoroughly green.
Some little things that I do to keep my electric usage down are:
• Placing reflective panels in the south-facing windows to keep the house cooler in summer. I use fans to draw in cooler air from the north-facing windows and only use the AC when it is unbearable.
• All my ceiling fixtures only have 1 lightbulb rather than 3 because I can easily do what I need to do in these rooms without that much light. I buy low kW usage bulbs, too.
• I have become accustomed to a cooler home in the winter (67 degrees) in order to allow the furnace to run less.
Because of these changes, my power/gas bill is extremely low, which is my second motivating factor due to the fact that I have been a full-time student and only part time employee. I have been able to keep up with all my bills by being mindful and controlling/managing my usage.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 16 2021 : 10:03:31 AM
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Stacy Sundgren (slsundgren, #7112) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Blogging Merit Badge!
“I decided to start a blog on a favorite subject of mine which is genealogy. I bought the book Blogging for Creatives. I've been trying to study that and get a handle on this area of personal social media.
How it turns out remains to be seen. A lot of the book is way beyond my techno skills, but I'm going to dive in and try to make it work. The topic will be genealogy. I'll focus on my own experiences in family research and offer ideas to help others do the same.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 16 2021 : 10:06:15 AM
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Stacy Sundgren (slsundgren, #7112) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Intermediate Level Blogging Merit Badge!
“I decided to use Blogger.com as my blog host. The title of the blog is "Growing Your Family Tree". Here is a link:https://growingyourfamilytree.blogspot.com/
The blog is very simple. I'm still learning to add extra things to the page, but for now I have my intro text, some photos and simple layout.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!: Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees
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