My husband brought home three boxes of some cookies this week — two boxes of Do-si-dos (his favorite) and chocolate mints (mine), which made me happy but it wasn’t enough to satisfy my cookie cravings.
I was a Girl Scout for most of my life and I loved it. As a city girl growing up in Philadelphia, I had never been camping and scouts introduced me to the joy of campfires, s’mores and “Kumbaya” sing-along camaraderie. I still have my Girl Scout badges in rows on my sashes. I bet there are a lot of you who have kept your badges as well.
During cookie sales, I remember how sad my troop members and I were when people walked by us without so much as a hello when we stood out in the chilly weather trying to sell cookies. I still try to make up for their snubs.
My daughter was a Daisy, Brownie, Junior and Cadet in Fort Lauderdale troops and she, too, learned so much in scouts. It’s a great institution so I try to do my part when it comes to cookie time. Of course, there’s the joy of eating the cookies and dipping into nostalgia with a dip of a Thin Mint into a glass of cold milk.
Happily, on Thursday (Jan. 30), I happily came across Claire Wasson and Victoria Grant (pictured here), both fourth graders who are in Troop 102, selling the colorful boxes of cookies at a table set up outside the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance pickup hub on Thursday afternoon with their moms, Kate Wasson and Paula Grant. They gave me an overview of all the varieties.
The newest are Lemon-Ups, replacing Savannah Smiles. Lemon-Ups are bigger than most cookies, tangy-sweet with a zippy lemon flavor. Another feature: Each cookie sports a motivational, imprinted message like “I am an innovator,” “I am Gutsy,” and “I am a Leader.”
Other flavors include Samoas, Tagalongs, shortbread Trefoils and Thanks a Lot (new to me). For more about the cookie lineup (including nutritional label info) see girlscouts.org/…/co…/all-about-cookies/Meet-the-Cookies.html
Cookies are $5, $6 for specialties — S’mores and Toffee-Tastic. It’s likely you’ll find cookies for sale outside markets around Tallahassee but 102 troop leader Carrie McNamara said her troop will be selling cookies outside Sam’s Club Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.
All the best to Claire, Victoria and all the young girls, parents and customers supporting the Girl Scouts. Take it from a former scout, it’s a program that makes a difference in a girl’s life.
