YW Camp

Every summer they make the teenage girls from church go to camp. This July, I was their camp director. This coming June, I will do it again. May God have mercy on our souls....and by that, I mean may we have NO rain. Here are a few highlights from last year. I've wondered whether or not to post these--because in the words of Bill Judd, "why take pictures of something you'll want to forget." I definitely had moments during the week when that was overwhelmingly true. But, I do love these girls (and their mothers, who really are some of my closest friends)...so I'll post these so that when they're in therapy in 10 years they can pull these out of the archive. And give credit to both of us (e.g., me AND their mothers).

...and now for a sidebar...

Let's forget for a moment that Lachlan is standing on our back porch. No, we don't live in a Western Kentucky trailer park--it just looks that way because I never got around to staining the porch this summer. I was too busy paying Sam Palmer to do 1500 other odd jobs. I should have convinced him to drop out of high school so that we would be all caught up before next spring.
Back to my thoughts about this picture. This is actually an outfit that L wore to church--with the sunglasses. She found these sunglasses at a park or public restroom or something like that...and as soon as she put them on it took me back to 1995. Brian Petersen's mother used to have an identical pair that she kept in the Chevy Lumina. Ah, the memories. I used to wear them when we'd drive around town and he'd always say "don't break those or my mom will kill me!" Still. funny.

I love it when the kids get their summer haircuts and all "tanned" up. I need to remember how good L's hair looks when it is in a shorter A-line. Note to self. I like looking at pictures like this because you can almost feel their hot little bodies on your lap.

Obligatory growth chart. Lachlan grew 3 inches, but only gained one pound this year. Just like a bird.

Jack with cousin Holden, who looked soooo confused in every one of the pictures I took on this trip.

See what I mean about the shorter hair? Looks good. She really is a pretty girl.

Mom and Lachlan. Riding the zoo train. Second note to self: for the love of Precious throw those sunglasses away!

Travelocity

I love the Eastern U.S., well parts of it. I often wonder if it is time for us to make a move. Watching Becca and Bruce head off to the Philippines this fall nearly made me sick with envy. I have to say that Eastern PA is a wonderful place. I could live there so easily--and this was a great trip because I actually spent most of the time visiting public schools and community gardens so I felt like a got a nice view of reality.

Although, the other part was at Longwood--with the largest lily pad collection in the Americas. These were as large as a dinner table. The flowers were as large as my head. 

And the orchid room. They have about 5000 species of orchids on the site. They only display about a third. This atrium was filled on all four sides. You really have to see it to believe it.

I have an incredible fascination with the Purple Martin. I want to put some of these houses in my yard, but they would only fill up with wasps. Curse you, desert climate.

The spice bush- you scrape the thin layer of bark off and it smells like Christmas. So cool. And look at these cool "woods"--I forget that you don't have to pray for trees to grow in other parts of the country.

Lancaster. This is just outside the Amish sector. Without a doubt my favorite type of home architecture. I love the windows with shutters, candles in the windows--l.o.v.e. I liked visiting the Amish Country. I thought that I was adventurous with food preservation, but I don't have anything on these folks. I brought home some raspberry butter. I can't even imagine how many raspberries you would need to make one pint of the stuff--but glory, it is heavenly.

One more reason I love the East. Toads. All the school gardens we visited had toad houses. The toads actually LIVE in them. I think it is so cool. Oh, and the ponds have these glorious bull frogs that make the most amazing sounds. They just hang out and you listen to them while watching the fireflies in the evenings. Seriously--I never get tired of it.

Hardwood trees. Reason #904.

#905...box turtles. I captured a wild box turtle and held it in my hands. This is a male because his eyes are red. It helps that I get to travel with a personal nature guide who could identify every bird or insect.

Lastly, a playhouse made entirely of twigs. Could you die? This would be a total fire hazard in CV--in the late summer you would have to have triple the insurance on the property just to make it legal. Still cool.

The Best of iPhone: Summer

 4th of July in Aggie Stadium. I love me some patriotic music. I don't always love going to choir practice. It's a weird sort of competitiveness--not much different than a church basketball game. A bunch of mediocre singers (myself included) acting like their contributions are felt worldwide. Nevertheless, I continue to punch my play card. Especially, if you throw in some fireworks and my sisters texting me when I'm on the jumbo screen. It's awesome.

 I went to Longwood Gardens in July (week before Girl's Camp: ugh). It's the premiere botanical gardens in the United States. Fortunately for me, it only means a flight to Philly and a short drive from the airport. I literally ate my way through the state. I was there exactly one week before the hottest summer on record hit the Northeast. I'm writing/designing an online course for them in partnership with National Gardening Association. School Gardening 101 and  102--I helped instruct the onsite portion. The class was fun. It helps me to remember why I love teaching so much.

 Fresh cheese platter with figs, nuts and artisan bread. Oh, and freshly cured olives.

One of the other instructors ran the Wildlife/Nature preserve for Delaware and he knew about the most amazing pubs. I ate at this place twice because this was the most incredible pizza I've ever had in my entire life. Seriously. I even had the same waiter both times. I have no shame when it comes to food.

 I've always wanted to visit Terrain. Oh, blessed mercy. If I had a million dollars I would probably spend it all here...and then I would probably think something like "wish I had a billion dollars so that I could by more tiny terrariums and decorate my cottage greenhouse with them."

 But wait, they also have food. This lovely roll is cooked in a Terra cotta pot by Martha Stewart's magic elves. They make their own lavender butter. Which I ate directly from this dainty cup after the bread was all gone.

 And then I ate a wee quiche with herbs and sprouts.

 And chased it down with a fried green tomato sandwich on multigrain bread and chipotle aioli. I was full, but I hate to waste good food. I actually have dreams about recreating this meal--I blamed my July weight gain on the stress of directing Girl's Camp, but it didn't really have a thing to do with it. I didn't even take any pictures of the cheese steaks or the fresh cream of mushroom soup that Kennett Square, PA is famous for....

 Then, while I was buying a seat belt extension for the plane ride home I noticed these finely designed items at the PHL--created by....can you see the name? Way to go mom.

One of my favorite nights of the whole summer. I've lost count of how many Indigo Girls concerts I've attended in my lifetime. I love it every time. It's so fun to see Big Stauffy cranking out the hits from the sidelines.

 --oh, Chicken Man, you always bring the house down and no one really knows why...you are a strange song, but very catchy.

 This boy. He can quote EVERY SINGLE restaurant jingle. Why? I guess we just watch too much TV and he is a marketing genius?? If we drive by a Chuck-A-Rama he will immediately say, "ooh, look, mom, over there. [while singing] The choice is yours at Chuck-A-Rama". He also likes to mention "Papa Murphy's the Take and Bake Revolution" AND "Arby's, It's Good News [gets it almost right] Food"--I've also heard "Chase, Keep on Keepin' on. Keep on Keepin' on"

 Talk to me, Goose. We spent quite a few dollars at the ShaveIce Shak. Jack loves Tiger's Blood and Lachlan likes to switch it up between banana and orange sherbet [can her choices be any more obscure?] Have you ever heard of anyone getting banana-flavored shave ice? Me, neither.

This was quite a dreamy scene from the shores of a very full Bear Lake. It ended with a bit of weirdness when Jack found a discarded pair of Scooby Doo pajama bottoms--which ended up in our garage at home until Jeff finally declared they he was totally creeped out by them and threw them away. Why is it still funny to me? Jack was totally planning on "growing into them."

 Dinner with the besties before Becca left for a great adventure. [sigh] Never enough time with them.

and no kidding, I've been sewing like I actually have a clue what I'm doing...I see stuff on Pinterest and I think "how hard can it be--she looks like a regular person" and for the most part it has been working out. Erica helped me with this creation. I got really ambitious after this project went so well.

 What he lacks in common sense--he makes up for with ingenuity...

Diesel Fuel Exhaust....Smells Like Freedom to Me

This morning I sent Lachlan to Kindergarten. Yesterday, Jack went to the advanced Preschool class.

Emotionally today, I'm somewhere between a gospel revival (hand clapping, jumping and sweating from jubilation) and a gospel spiritual (reverent, solemn, with a touch of head shaking and croaning).

And gospel music is the perfect metaphor because what you feel is so deep and proven. You know it--you live it and breathe it. 

We will experience a paradigm shift this year. When everything that we have been doing is going to need some modification to adapt to the current circumstance--which revolves around the fact that our kids are set to be influenced by the world.

Lachlan will finally figure out what all the words mean on all of the signs, books, television ads, magazines and music books. I sense that her level of frustration at her own lack of understanding has been almost crippling. She wants to know everything about everybody. I hope that her teacher Mrs. B will lock the bathroom door in the faculty lounge because I can almost guarantee that she will be followed. That poor woman is going to be tapped and poked and interrupted all. day. long. I should know. 

She was so excited to go to school this morning. Jeff made her Ramen Noodles for breakfast--she ate the whole package. I'm so glad, too, because she doesn't have a lick of fat on her. She wore new clothes, new shoes, had a new backpack. I even "styled" her hair. She likes me to wet it down, blow it dry and curl it.  This is "styled"--in fact, she told me that "Mrs. B would like her the best because she's probably never had a girl with styled hair in her class before...."

She was most excited about the bus. Of which, I have had MAJOR anxiety over. She's the only Kindergarten student on the morning bus. She practically lept in the doors. No tears for this kid. She had a huge smile on and waved frantically as it drove away.

I actually followed the bus to make sure that she could find her classroom. But she had a couple of neighborhood kids walk her to her class--and then she didn't even want to acknowledge that I was there. I had to call out her name several times before she would even look up.

She'll be fine. She will not miss me.

Praise the Lord. Amen.

Mrs. B, I hope you got a raise this year.