Ah, the week after Day Camps ends, you have to eat your Wheaties to make it through this week.
Let’s Start with the 6 Teams arriving back on Saturday, Sunday &Monday:-
Sunday, when Team 4 returned Steven (Gillian’s future brother-in-law) offered to drive out and meet her at the airport so, of course, I invited him to come back and share dinner with us. As soon as Gillian came in the front door she was rushed to the dining room and plonked down in front of my laptop in order to join (via Skype) the SYC Staff meeting, taking place at the Huyers’ home in Ottawa. It was just as well the meeting had not been moved to Montreal (a possible option) since it would have included dinner for about 15 people and with my dodgy, partially functioning fridge that might have proved problematic. While Gillian “joined” the meeting Steven descended to the garage to do some more work on my bicycle gears, I prepped dinner and then eventually we all regrouped and enjoyed our meal on the deck.
Monday (in between texts and calls, as two Teams arrived back in the city) was spent largely working on the Team Leaders’ Evaluation Meeting; this included preparing a dinner for 12, without proper refrigeration. Fortunately the dessert of homemade orange ice-cream sandwiches could be placed in the basement freezer, which is functioning just fine. The main course was more of a problem, given that I had chosen to make chicken salad and in 30º+ summer whether, cooked chicken should be properly refrigerated!
In the end the chicken was kept frozen until Tuesday morning, then quickly thawed and cooked. Gillian, who had offered to help that morning, sliced up all the salad veggies, I boiled the penne pasta so the salad came together at the last moment and was kept cool that afternoon in the dodgy fridge as the Team Leaders and Committee gathered on the deck for our marathon evaluation meeting. Thus Tuesday passed in a blur of cooking and meetings.
By Wednesday I had switched into Staff-PreCamp mode, going to pay for the groceries at the CO-OP, prepping items like salad dressing and spice mixes and shopping for refreshments in readiness for Thursday’s Prayer and Praise Gathering.
Wednesday was mega-hot and sticky so, of course, Gillian and Steven went off to climb Montreal’s Mont Royal!! That evening we set up the laptop on the porch and with a slightly cooler breeze blowing, watched together the Retreat Week movie, which Gillian had missed due to a long distance phone call.
And then it was Thursday, the day the Prayer and Praise Gathering! That morning more last minutes groceries were transported to Isaiah 40 and just after lunch I squeezed in a short visit over a cup of tea with some of the Sweetman clan,(including the newest arrival Laura’s baby, Aedan) who were just in town for a couple of days enroute to a family reunion in Ottawa. Stella (Laura’s Mum) also brought me a bag of household items that had belonged to her Mum (mentor and friend Vina), which she had generously offered to me as a remembrance. The silver tea set will be especially useful for future Spanish Inquisition High Teas!! After cleaning up everything I just had time to change into a fresh dress and hurry over to Isaiah 40 since Alexander and I had arranged for him to deliver the HUGE Pre-Camp grocery order at 5pm. Once there there was so much to do – melons to slice and jugs of infusion to make up for after the Gathering, groceries to unpack and arrange in the pantry and fridges, a group of people to instruct on room set up, a second group of Day Camp Team Members arriving to rehearse the Liturgical Dance, and then the band coming to practice, all organised chaos!! In between Gillian joined me and we ate a hurried picnic supper at the big kitchen table. Soon the Hall began to fill as the congregation arrived for the 7pm Gathering, led by Nick Brotherwood. We sang the Day Camp theme song for the last time, the Liturgical Dance was presented, we watched a short slideshow of 2016 photos, prayed and gave thanks for Day Camps and then moved on with songs and prayers themed around Junior and Senior Youth Camp. Refreshments followed and afterwards Gillian, Wil and I walked home, weary but still in a joyful mood.
Friday morning rain fell, after a two-week drought and although it was very welcome it did add to the complexity of moving the last bags and baskets of food over to Isaiah 40. I spent the morning tidying up last minute things at home and then headed over there by mid-afternoon to begin dinner preparation in earnest.
The Huyers had not made it down for the Prayer and Praise but Victoria with baby Andrew arrived soon after I did and other Camp Staff quickly followed. So the rest of Friday afternoon and evening, plus ALL day yesterday from 630am-430pm was spent in preparing and serving food to approx. 50 combined Junior and Senior Camp Staff. Mid- afternoon yesterday the Staff Commissioning Service was held, with Nick as Speaker and Celebrant and I was very honoured to be asked to administer the chalice, remembering to remove my apron just in time!
Upon returning home last evening there was a fair amount of tidying up to do since all the Huyers, plus Janice (who was helping with Pre-Camp child care) had stayed over on Friday night. There were also 50 table napkins to wash, all of which goes to explain why this post is being published late Sunday afternoon, instead of Saturday!
And so the 2 Camps are, right this moment, welcoming their Campers, about to begin their weeklong adventures. The coming week at home includes on Thursday, my day trip to SYC, where I’ll be leading 2 workshops and delivering all sorts of gifts, prayer letters, Team Evaluations etc.
On Tuesday there will also be the long waited arrival of the new appliances. It has been good to be so busy and SO exhausted each night I have actually been too tired to stay awake listening to the noise of the expiring fridge! At present I’m relying on 3 coolers to hold much of its contents since the fan has now stopped completely and I am concerned that some items are no longer being sufficiently cooled in there. It has also been a blessing that in all the busyness I have been able to push to the back of my mind the worry that the new fridge will not fit under the kitchen cupboards (more on this saga next weekend). Thanks to the EXTRAORDINARY generosity of a dear friend (who wishes to remain anonymous 😊), the burden of purchasing the fridge and stove has been greatly lightened. It will take a long time to get back on budget, but at least this is the season of plentiful vegetable boxes!!
To end off on a food note; everyone absolutely loved Nancy’s Rhubarb Cake, which was served yesterday morning as snack at Pre-Camp.
Full credit is given to the originator of the recipe in the title. YUM!!!!
Virginia Vandall-Walker’s Rhubarb Cake
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream or soured milk
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3 cups rhubarb
Topping:
- 1/2 cup golden sugar
- 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and sour cream/milk. Then add baking soda, flour and rhubarb. Spoon into 9 x 13” pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 F 45 to 60 minutes.