i'm back. haley's visit was grand. i miss her already. wish each of you could have gotten a snip of her magic, too. she's really fabulous at what she does. and she even brought me a new blow dryer! one of those nice hot tools ones that they use at the salon. sisters are nice like that.
a million thanks to all of you who dropped in to tell me what you thought of my new style. never have i been paid such sweet compliments! and here i was, feeling kinda foolish for posting silly photos that i took of myself in the mirror. but you all were so very nice and said such lovely things and you made me feel okay with it. i thank you. i am still crazy over that fresh new cut feeling. the different length of my ponytail, the change in weight on my shoulders, the decrease in conditioner in the shower. the shortness has got me feeling as free as a fourth-grader. yay.
and now, on to the continued camp questions, as promised. thanks for sending me your queries. you guys are so willing to indulge me. thank you, thank you. you make this fun.
no.7 what to pack. a pair of jeans for cool days and long grass. more than one pair of flip-flops, because the gravel wears them down to wicked thin. clothes that make you feel free & up-for-anything. bug spray. one towel for the bathhouse, and another one for laying in the grass. a mini fan to keep by your bunk for hot nights. flashlight. hand sanitizer. notebook. water bottle labeled with your name. camera. money for a camp t-shirt and a snickers ice cream bar at the canteen.
no.8 what religious activities are involved? each season of camp has an overarching theme centered around a specific bible verse and the theme is carried out through the morning and evening chapel sessions. there's also 1) team devotions: talking about the lesson from chapel. 2) quiet time: for a half-hour after lunch, everybody spreads out & finds a spot in the middle of a field, or under a tree, or by the lake to relax, read, pray, and think. and 3) cabin devotions: time to talk with your counselor about what's going on in your life.
no.9 what age groups do we work with? each week of camp in the month of july and first week of august is designated for a certain age group. we have a week for senior high, two weeks for junior high, one for 5th and 6th graders, and one for 3rd and 4th graders. during the rest of the weeks of the camp season the camp is rented by outside groups and the ages vary widely.
no.10 how to 'rough it.' my tried & true camp secrets. laundry basket instead of a suitcase. keep a stash of baby wipes underneath your bunk, your feet are going to be filthy at the end of the day. find a girl who can french braid- be her friend. sheets instead of a sleeping bag. bring bug spray, black paint, and a bandana for war games. put dryer sheets in between your blankets to keep spiders away (this really works.) wear long pants during the night game. bring a sweatshirt, even if it is 90 degrees in the shade. bring candy to bribe the cabin clean-up judges. sleep in and shower in the afternoon when there's no line. skip shaving. find a good body spray- who needs a shower? go back for seconds at supper, or you will starve in your bed that night. leave the straightener at home and learn to love the messy look.
grant said.. wear things more than once. pack light. keep your stuff organized and make things multi-purpose. don't bring 10 photos of you and your boyfriend to put on the windowsill in your cabin. and don't bring a book for free time.
no.11 what will become of the blog/will i have internet access? yes, i will have internet access and yes, the blog will be up and running. thank you for wanting me to stick around. what a treat for me. i know i can't make any promises, but i am hoping to update this spot as often as i do now. i've discovered that writing about my life makes me enjoy it all the more. so here's to a summer of filling up my camp archives and nights of sitting up in bed in brygger, telling you all about the day's adventures. speaking of brygger, here's where you can take a peek at what all the camp buildings look like.
you can bank on a camp q+a, part 3 to pop up soon. i didn't expect to break this down into so many sections, but i seem bent on giving these wordy responses and i wouldn't want to scare you away with a novel-length post. so for now, i will stop. over and out.
12 comments:
"grant said... don't bring a book for free time."
I strenuously disagree. But then, Grant and I probably have different priorities.
i love camp. and i think it is because everyone is there because they love it OR it is your personal mission to make those few kids who don't love it excited about being there.
you will be seeing my mini-me 7th grade sister, caroline! and my oh-so-cool/ to cool sr. high sis, kami!
i agree w/ grant. personal experience. i always drag along books b/c of the free time...and then drag them all back home b/c it is way more fun to do everything else with everyone else :)
I don't know if you do this, but I gave you an award on my blog.
this was a great run down of your life at camp. i especially liked the roughin' it section; yes to french braids and yes to no spiders. will be trying your trick when we go camping. and hooray for snickers ice cream bars. a favorite. happy camping.. keep up the novels, am getting excited for you.
shetek looks like a mighty fine place. i love all the photos; like a real life parent trap camp. oh, you live the life!
Did I miss the "when i was a kitchen girl" post???
I hope not!
I love your stories, I'm a fan!
no wonder you're excited for camp! everything sounds so fun & it is so beautiful there. when i was in high school i went to a retreat called 'search', it looks like camp shetek is a similar setup...there was a feeling between people there that is hard to explain, but i think you know what i mean. a closeness with others that doesn't always happen in 'regular' life...
looking forward to hearing more!
pop over to my spot if you have a moment...i started my own list thanks to you and just wanted to share!
happy weekend summer!
I love the answers, and all the words. Sounds like such a fun time.
are there any rock stars at camp shetek?
that sign looks really nice. who put that up?
i completely agree with Elsa, books are definitely needed. :) yay for internet access at camp.
elsa, i am completely with you. remember the summer of harry potter?
anneliese, i am pumped to have your adorable duo of li'l sisters coming to camp! seeing faces from cbc is just the best thing ever. thanks for loving camp with me.
marta, loved your parent trap reference! one of my all-time favorite movies. i think that had a lot to do with my falling in love with the camp scene.
dear anonymous, you did not miss a thing! the kitchen girl post is still to come. thanks for your readership!
katrina, you have pinpointed something that i would love to talk more about sometime. that closeness between campers is really bizarre and wonderful. thank you for bring up such an awesome topic!
kelli, you are my faithful commenting sweetheart. i love hearing your thoughts! thank you for the delightful award, too! how lovely.
bryant, we do have our very own rock star at camp shetek. his name is jason gray and he truly rocks.
and may i say, you did a mighty fine job putting up that sign.
jessica, you are so right. i always have a book on hand. us kitchen girls have our hearts set on reading away the afternoon most days.
I had to search everywhere for this post, but it's so helpful! I'm going to be a camp counselor at a Bible camp in Minnesota, and the "roughin' it" section is going to save me time, space, and a little sanity. :)