I have a mystery on my hands...

It all began when as a little girl I was told stories by my Grandmother of all the wonderful adventures she orchestrated as a leader of a Girl Scout Troop. She taught me the songs they sang around the fires and while hiking on camping trips, she showed me how to make a daisy chain and whistle with a blade of grass. She also started me on the path of wanting to know the names of plants, trees, and to learn as much about animals as possible.

Then, when I was still too young, my sister became a Brownie. It's like Girl Scout Preschool. I was sooooooo jealous of her cute little brown dress, sash, and knee socks. And the beanie! Don't even get me started on how much I wanted a beanie of my own. She stayed in long enough to wear the green of an official Girl Scout. I was over it by then though because her troop didn't seem to resemble AT ALL the troop my Grandmother so lovingly talked about. My sister's troop did crafts. And... nope, that's pretty much it. They fulfilled the service portion of their duty by making these crafts for nursing home residents but it was mostly all crafts. I remember Christmas trees made out of Reader's Digest Magazines most vividly.

If you want to make one for yourself check out the step by step instructions on: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/crafty-christmas-tree-out-of-readers-digest-magazines-photos/#slideshow=slide1

I do remember that I enjoyed spray painting them green. We also made angels and something else. I remember silver and gold paint but not what we used it on.

Long story to say that I had no desire to be a Girls Scout!

Meanwhile all my friends who were boys were joining the Cub Scouts on their way to becoming Boy Scouts. They were going camping, learning how to make fires, pitching tents, canoeing! All the fun stuff I wanted to do!!!!

So I tried to join them. Rejected due to gender. Naturally.

Last weekend while cleaning out a box I came across a Boy Scouts of America membership card for one Lola Snyder until May 1985.

Uh what?

Mom and Dad had no idea what it was about so I contacted the Great Trail Council in Akron, OH and am awaiting further information. How cool would it be to know I was actually a Boy Scout. And, how sad that I didn't get to do anything with it.

So I'll let you know...

Magnetic Musings

I have been on a quest recently. A long term exploration of the internet and various stores to find the perfect bra. Here's what I have discovered:

It doesn't exist!

According to the History of the Bra on National Geographic women have been binding themselves in some way since the 13th century but it wasn't until 1928 that the modern, and I use that term loosely, sizing system was created by William Rosenthall, a man. Oh, his wife helped. Unfortunately sizes are not standard and vary internationally as well as from brand to brand. According to one "bra store" owner 8 out of 10 women wear the wrong size bra.

Isn't that helpful?

The most useful information I found was compiled by someone else in their blog. Here I found a couple of useful sizing charts as well as someone who obviously knows my pain.  

http://www.epbot.com/2013/04/everything-you-never-knew-you-needed-to.html

It's not enough to discover your band size. That's the part of the bra that sits on your rib cage. It's not enough to know what your cup size is. If I need to explain that you probably don't need a bra. You also have to know if you have top heavy breasts or bottom heavy. Think round with nipples in the center or pendulum with nipples on the top. There are bras made for both types but they don't tell you which ones they are!

You have to try them ALL on.

I have had at least 50 bras on in 10 or 11 different brands and I purchased...wait for it...0. Not one bra fit properly. Part of the problem is that manufacturers seem to assume that if your cup size is bigger then your band size must be as well. WRONG!!! Don't even get me started on how all plus sized women must be 6ft tall! Stores generally carry 36D but jump to 38DD or 38DDD. Can't get that because bras stretch out over time and I actually want it to be on the last set of hooks so I have somewhere to go. If you don't fit it tightly then as it stretches you are relying on the straps to hold the girls up and you WILL look saggy.

Online isn't really any better unless you have a lot of cash to spend on a really good bra or, 2) you don't care if it looks like something from the 50s.

So if you are a smaller size, and your breasts aren't sagging from age the you get TONS of options like this cute stripey one at a decent price point.

But if you have a larger cup size and gravity has taken a hold then cute bras cost a fortune and what you can afford looks like this: (and this isn't even all that bad, just boring!)

What's the point? Well I STILL don't have the right bra. I have ordered 4 online and have to wait until they come in to see if they fit. If they don't I may go back to the way they did it in the 13th Century - strips of cloth wrapped tightly and tied. At least I know it will fit and it might even look cuter than some of the options I have now.

Here are just three of the good books I have read lately.

This book is historical fiction coupled with mystery. Love the author's writing style and the detail of her characters. I was immediately engrossed in their lives. Although I did appreciate the portion set in the Japanese Internment Camps during WWII better than the more current mystery set in 1978. I wanted to stay in the WWII storyline longer.

Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield

This is the amazing story of a mother who fought for her son when everyone else had given up. Since the diagnosis was autism Jacob was immediately labelled special needs by the school system and set up with the prescribed protocols that go with that diagnosis. The problem was they weren't helping and Jacob seemed to withdraw further into his own world. His mother refused to give up on her son and accept his limitations. The family has since started Jacob's Place, a youth sports program for children with autism.    https://www.facebook.com/My.Jacobs.Place

The Spark: A mother's story of nurturing genius by Kristine Barnett

This is one of my favorite authors. He has all the elements I like in a good read, sarcastic characters with a wry sense of humor, decent science (I allow an author liberties), a paranormal bent (this one is UFOs), and general mayhem that always keeps you guessing. I'll read anything this man writes.

Extinction Machine by Jonathan Maberry

I'm going to be an aunt again!

No, my sister isn't pregnant. Those who read that part on Facebook and don't click on the blog will be texting my sister to see what's up. I am gaining a nephew-in-law! I've decided that there is such a thing and I am gaining one.

Hard to believe that this little girl who was (and still is) funny, smart, and always unpredictable has grown into this beautiful, self-assured woman who has made a wonderful, God honoring choice in a husband.

So welcome to the family nephew-in-law from the aunt of the bride!!!!!