Hello Blog Friends!
Around here, we are whizzing through August! The sleepaway Junior Youth Camp/Young Leaders (JYC/YL) will be getting underway tomorrow with the staff, as of last evening, already at the campsite. Last Sunday, after church, Pippa came and picked up the camp name tags, I was REALLY GLAD to give them into her keeping, since, as of that morning, I think that, due to many changes, individual pages were reprinted at least 6 times!! Thankfully, after we went over them together, she pronounced them “prefect” As it had started to rain, we carefully wrapped them up before she took them away.
Monday, after breathing a sigh of relief that JYC duties were completed, the Treasurer sent me a list of e-Transfers to send and Pippa was back in touch asking if I could please contact her every time a camp water bottle was purchased (I’ve set up a folder with that info!!).
By Tuesday I t wasa able to get down to some serious work on aspects of the 2027 program and have now completed the Liturgical Dance choreography and have done more preliminary work on other parts of the Creative Connection section of the Manual.
All week we have been receiving bits and pieces of Feedback on this year’s program, since 5 of this summer’s 6 Day Camps have now taken place. Some helpful suggestions were made and these comments will be shared with those who are writing 2027 content.
In other areas of the Day Camp world, a second plea was sent out, as the hunt continues for Cook-Along Chefs. Last week’s email to prospective Advent program participants, urging them to order beeswax, while the weather is still warm, has elicited several positive responses and, Wednesday, my own batch of beeswax and wicking was duly ordered. That evening we held our monthly committee meeting, with only one member sending regrets, it still being peak vacation season! All the above issues were discussed and Jeff gave us a brief update on his progress, in developing the Cook-Along Cookbook, YAY!!
As is always the case on the day after, Thursday was largely occupied in meeting follow-up. Mae Anne had been delayed at work and could not attend, so I took care of sending out the monthly prayer concerns to the members of the Prayer Support Group. That evening Guylaine and I held a Zoom meeting so she could give me step-by-step instructions for admin access on the CTM Website. Ever since this blog moved onto the WordPress site, I have admin access to the Day Camp section, but accessing the home page etc. requires separate passwords. One hopes to get used to the process soon, since, with Guylaine (as of our last AGM) having left the position of Director of Communications, it falls on me as “Office Worker” to take on website editing.
Yesterday, a bunch of odds and ends were tied up. A notice went out to families, inviting them to participate in Season 12 of the Day Camp Cook-Along (October 10th ,17th & 24th), also encouraging them to pre-order a copy of the Cook-Along Cookbook. A list has also been set up with names of potential “presenters” for the Carols & Cocoa Concert and badgering on that topic is scheduled to start next week! Last year, alumnus Janice did an excellent job of MC-ing the event, we need to find someone of the same caliber to take on the task for this year.
On the homefront, work has begun on a birthday crown for my dear friend, Jillian’s little daughter, Clara, who will be turning one year old on August 18th! Up until a couple of years ago, I was only crafting crowns for my God children, but as they are now aging out (12 is the cut off age!) and as Jillian was one of my long-term Boarders and is generous on bringing her two daughters for lots of visits and cuddles, it was decided that these special friends warranted inclusion in the Birthday Crown tradition! Christmas knitting also continues and the second pair of socks is well underway! The weather has been a mixed bag all week, but at 730 or so, each morning, I head out and do a whiffle and, Tuesday, mowed the lawns. Yesterday, a neighbour, who is going on a short trip next week and has asked me to check on their house, brought me a bag with a few bits of produce she thought I could put to good use and a gorgeous pot of fresh basil, I sure hope to can keep it alive as I LOVE having a fresh herb in the kitchen.
This morning is the weekly Bake, with- Crusty bread, Kale Chips, Digestive Biscuits and Lemon Custard Pudding on the list.
Kale chips are very nutritious and make a great, healthy, alternative to potato chips. They also make a good accompaniment to soups!
Kale Chips
- 1 large bunch curly kale
- 3 Tbsps. Tamari
- 2 Tbsps. Nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsps. Apple cider vinegar
- ! Tbsp. Tahini
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Tear the kale into pieces, about the size of a potato chip, discarding the coarse veins. Spread the pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, vinegar and tahini. Add more Tamari or vinegar to get a thin mixture. Dribble the mixture, evenly, over the kale. Bake for about 15 minutes (or until crispy) in a preheated 350°F oven. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.