Hello Blog Friends!
Did you enjoy this week’s, extra ”Wednesday Words” post, I hope so! As usual, it has been a full week around here as, on top of all the usual office and Day Camps tasks, I have layered on the “Changing of the Decorations”.
The biggest work day project was compiling the Wednesday Words post, since the content was in a variety of files and had to be tracked down, assembled, uploaded, proofed and published, EEK!With next Wednesday being the monthly DC committee meeting, the agenda for that, also, needed to be prepped and sent out, along with a couple of other files. Meanwhile the CTM Treasurer has been cleaning up finances after the recent Junior Youth Camp so there have been a number of reimbursement E-Transfers to deal with, and still more to come!
The Main Presentation Creative Activities, for the 2027 Luke Street Program are now completed and I’ve almost finished writing the Creative Connection Chapter of the Manual. My goal was to complete both by the end of August and so may just squeak in under the wire. The good news is that I think a member of the DC committee is going to take a stab at writing the Explorer/Pathfinder resources. There are still a number of other outstanding sections, a couple of which are pretty large “asks”. We try to find individuals who have a passion for certain areas of the program, along with suitable talent for transcribing their ideas into the various manual sections. A lot of time is spent in prayer, trusting God will guide in finding just the right people.
During the week I also had a FaceTime meeting with DC committee member, Sharon, to begin pulling together thoughts and suggestions for the Alumni Advent Study Program. I’m excited, after this first meeting, and feel we are on the right track (no sneak peeks yet!!) Wednesday, there was also a text from the second of the two musicians who plan the Taizé worship music for our Team Gatherings, saying that she is on board for the upcoming “Harvest” TG. Yay!
Next week it will be full steam ahead to tackle the Cook-Along. At present, there is only 1 chef (we need 3) and NO families have signed up to participate. Since the Cook-Along Cookbook is under construction, as a celebration of TWELVE seasons of Cook-Alongs, it would be a bit of a fizzle if we had to cancel the twelfth series. Sigh.
With September 1st around the corner, next week will also be the time when advertising ramps up for the 2027 Day Camp Program. The DC committee (and our Prayer Support Group) are praying that 2027 will be a watershed year for turning a corner and significantly increasing the usage of CTM Day Camp resources.
As mentioned above, each late afternoon and evening has included a few hours devoted to the Changing of the Decorations (CofD!!) and I am pleased to report that nearly everything is completed. The only important component still to arrive is the delivery of 5 hardy chrysanthemum plants. I have been in contact with the local florists (a lovely Christian family from Korea) and Kim has assured me that the plants should arrive any day, so the CofD photos will appear in next Saturday’s post.
Today, I was up super early in order to mow the lawns before it got too hot and humid. Of course, as the next job on my list is the weekly Bake, it will soon be “hot and humid” in the kitchen but one cannot avoid extra heat when the oven has to be turned on and it would be sad to go through the coming days with no freshly baked goods. Tomorrow, we will be having an in-person Pod Gathering so one item on my list will be Wholemeal Shortbread, always a crowd pleaser! But before I head back to the kitchen, let’s finish off with a recipe. Last evening I tried this salad and decided it would be good to share. Bonus- it only took 10 minutes to prepare, Yum!!
Tuna and Feta Salad
- 2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- sea salt & black pepper
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
- ½ cup pitted, Kalamata olives, halved
- 4 oz. of feta, loosely crumbled
- 1 tin safe catch tuna, drained
In a shallow serving bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil and oregano. Add the tomatoes, onion and olives and toss, gently. Break the tuna into small chunks and layer on top. Finally, garnish with the crumbled feta. Serve with crusty bread or chips. Serves 2-4.