The most wonderful time of the year

I think the end of January is the most wonderful time of the year.

Not because of the weather, Superbowl or conference play in NCAA men's basketball, but because there are wonderful little groups of children dress alike and run from door to door in their neighborhood to sell middle-aged versions of themselves over priced, fattening, wonderful cookies.

I am a sucker and I buy expensive boxes of those little cookies every time. Who cares that we are in a recession- Mama needs a $5 box that contains 13 Samoas!!

I also think of girl scout cookies like the smell of my grandmother's pie crust. No matter where I am in life the taste of a thin mint takes me back to the days of my childhood- hocking cookies to neighbors for a merit badge and a discount to summer camp. I remember the sense of competition with the other girls in my neighborhood and the reaction my mom would have if one of those girl's parents tried to break the rules by going out before the annual cookie kick-off date! Selling cookies taught so many lessons - including DO NOT ever agree to be the cookie Mom- no one picks up the cookies at the right time and you get to have a garage full of cookies and your cars outside in the snow and ice. It was a thankless job and my mom volunteered to do it every year- which meant that the entire family got to spend a weekend picking up cookies and sorting them for the other troop members parents to pick up and deliver.

I loved being a girl scout and I love the cookies even today. I just have to practice some restraint in placing my order- Do you think 24 boxes of thin mints and 12 boxes of Samoas will get me through to next year?

Probably not- it just means I have more to eat in the 2 weeks following the delivery of the cookies.

I hope you all take part in the most wonderful time of the year and purchase a box of girl scout cookies!