Some regular readers may have noticed that there was no “Reflection” post this past Sunday. That was because the day was spent in a blur of preparation for Monday’s day trip to Senior Youth Camp!
Never again will I be persuaded to lead workshops on the Monday of Camp week! There was so little time during the previous week to make preparations for the excursion that Sunday was a frazzling experience! Of course the priority had to be the completion of the Day Camp Team Evaluations, ten of which were to be given out at Camp.
It is my firm conviction that Camp is a great place to receive an evaluation of one’s summer ministry. The envelope can be opened and read while sitting on a rock by the lake or in private on a cabin bunk. There is time to reflect on the contents and there are counsellors ready and willing to talk or pray with anyone who chooses to share the contents with a confidant.
So first I finished each form and then sealed it in its envelope with the accompanying letter and group photo, and a nice sticker on the back, for good measure! That done I moved on to painting prayer letter cards for 7 particular staff and campers, writing the prayer letters and finishing little gifts to slip into those packages. Then I cooked up 2 batches of play dough and assembled a little “kit” for my Godsons including small rolling pins and animal cookie cutters.
By now it was getting late but I moved on to packing my own picnic lunch, snacks for myself,Randy and Li (my chauffeurs!) plus a bag full of Wil’s various necessities-water dish, water bottle, stash of carrots, blanket, spare leash etc.
Fortunately I had previously assembled all the supplies for my 2 workshops-tissue paper flower making and the Liturgical Dance, which I had choreographed to teach for the Closing Worship Service. Even so I went through the basket making sure nothing was forgotten and finally fell into bed very late!!
Monday morning I was up soon after 6 in order to be ready for 9 am pick up, since my morning chores also included a trip to feed my friend’s cats and a long “Wil Walk” so that he would not get antsy during a 2 hour drive. Randy and Li arrived soon after 9 and we piled into his van for the journey.
I dispensed coffee and biscotti to all (well Wil got a carrot) and then settled back to work on the HØstsocken over which I have been labouring for a week or so.A friend on her recent trip to Norway purchased this kit for knitting 2 pairs of complicated socks, with Norwegian-only instructions! As mentioned in a recent post, Jessica had nobly agreed to “Google Translate” them while on the train to Toronto, and I have been puzzling over the amusing translation ever since!
My favourite part is the shaping of the heel, which is referred to as “the bend of the wing” quite poetic, but prettytricky to figure out!!!
The workshops went well, 9 young people joined me for flower making, another 7 came to learn the dance, Wil had a couple of fabulous romps through the woods, the picnic was tasty and the weather was perfect! During the afternoon I met with 10 Team Members to distribute the evaluations, and was also able to track down each of the people for whom I had written prayer letters and to give them out personally. Randy dropped us at home just after 7pm, hot and sticky and somewhat travel worn but feeling very satisfied to have successfully accomplished the tasks of a very special day!!!
Of course the rest of the week has been spent wading through a ton of office work. Writing my Annual Report, sending out invoices and receipts for Day Camps, emailing an article and photos to the editor of our diocesan newspaper, and connecting with the special Team leading the Day Camp at the Armed Forces Base, Bagotville.
There have also been some interesting visitors. Tuesday night Brenda (a former Team leader and Committee Member) stayed over to break her long drive from Fredericton to Toronto, bringing with her some totally FABULOUS fresh LOBSTERS!!!! which we cooked and ate for our dinner that night. WHAT a treat!!
Wednesday Jessica and I met at the Supply Room and unpacked 5 sets of Team Supplies, stowing the contents into the tubs in which they spend 10 months of the year! We then sloshed home through heavy rain and enjoyed a glorious dinner of lobster salad! I even had lobster rolls for lunch the next day too. YUM!!!
Thursday there was another flurry of prayer letter writing as I had offered to write some for Campers who might not otherwise receive the traditional “Friday night” letter. A list of 8 names had been sent via email from Camp so, once again, I put together watercolours and began writing. Janice came by during the afternoon on her way to the terminus to catch a Provincial Bus back to Magog (near Camp). I had not yet wrapped my notes but fortunately she had time for a cold drink and biscotti while I finished the task.
That evening the Hendersons came for dinner. This is an annual invitation during Camp week, while their youngest daughter is at Camp. I did a reprise of the chicken salad I had made for the Team Leaders’ Evaluation meeting and for dessert made a yummy Blueberry refrigerator pie from “A Year of Pies”.
Yesterday both planned visits fell through as the young Mum with a tiny baby and a toddler who had been coming for a morning coffee called to say the baby was having a “melt down” and the Team Leader who had been supposed to come collect her Evaluation sent a message that she could not make it. During the evening I had a call from Emma who had led the Bagotville Day Camp Team, to give me a final report as they were making the long drive home. It seems the week went very well and parents were already talking about a Day Camp next year. YAY!!
Today the cool wet weather continues so much of my work has been indoors. There was a break in the rain late this morning, giving time for a weensy bit of gardening during which I was treated to the AMAZING sighting of what I believe to have been a Eastern Tiger
Swallow Tail Butterfly!!!!
Swallow Tail Butterfly!!!!
This afternoon I have been processing vegetables from my farm share and have just cooked a big pot of Hearty Cabbage Soup, which is going in the freezer to warm us on colder autumn evenings.The recipe is super useful because one can get a little tired of making vast amounts of coleslaw and this is great way to use a whole cabbage!
Hearty Cabbage Soup
- 4 Tbsps. each vegetable oil and butter
- 3 medium onions, sliced
- 4 potatoes, cubed
- ½ tsp. each salt & pepper
- 1 medium cabbage, shredded
- 1/2lb Kielbasa sausage, or other spicy
sausage, sliced - 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp. allspice
In a large soup pot, melt the butter and oil. Add the onion and potatoes and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.Remove half this mixture and place in the bowl of a food processor.Add the cabbage, 8 cups water, the thyme, allspice and sausage to the pot. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.Add one cup of the soup liquid to the onions and potatoes in the processor and blend until smooth. Stir the purée back into the soup and heat for 10 minutes. Serve hot with pumpernickel bread.Serves 6-8 as a main course.