It’s amazing what could make the news back then. This appeared in the Women’s Activities section of the Redding Record-Searchlight, February 3, 1954, page 6. I remember being quite excited about it. I think American Girl magazine paid me $5.

‘The magazine is published for all girls by the Girl Scouts of America and reaches more than half a million subscribers monthly.’ (I see a publication on line for a magazine by the same name but it is for girls 8-12 and doesn’t appear to be part of Girl Scouts.)

‘Susanne is a sophomore at the Dunsmuir Joint Union High School. Following is her prize winning essay which is entitled, “A Great Accomplishment.”‘

“A very surprising thing happened to me the other day. I got out of bed within twenty minutes. The way I accomplished this amazing feat was this. First, I rolled over on my back and gazed out the window with half-closed eyes. Next, I yawned prodigiously. Then I closed my eyes again so they wouldn’t be strained by the bright light. With my eyes still closed I slowly wiggled my toes to see if my feet were still asleep. Finding they weren’t I drew my feet up until my knees were making a hump under the covers. This done, paused and rested for ten minutes after such exertion.

Being careful not to strain myself I got my feet and legs out of the bedcovers and completely relaxed for five minutes on my back, as all good hikers and people who exercise know is the best way to relax. Finally, with extra help from a pillow thrown by my brother, I sat up and laboriously dropped my legs over the side of the bed. This accomplished, got up exhausted and staggered in to wash my face.

Patent for this method applied for U.S. Pat. Off.”