Friday!

Dense fog covered the camp like a blanket this morning, but never fear… SUNSHINE is here! Another glorious day of upper 70’s weather. Blue skies with lots of fluffy clouds. What a great day.

The girls are really settling into camp now. Everyone knows where their classes meet, the names of the other campers in their classes, the names of the girls at their table, the names of their favorite counselors, and the words to the dining room songs. We are dancing in the pit and in our cabins. We are having the first “real” talks with friends (what we call DMC’s— deep meaningful conversations). We go crazy when we hear the EP announcement at lunch and there is breathless anticipation for what the dessert will be at the end of a meal. Life is good.

This does not mean that camp has no hardship… many campers take a solid week to settle into camp in such a way that they never miss home… but they are fine. REALLY, they are fine. You might get a little homesick letter this weekend and if you do: don’t panic. Greystone is a community that knows each other well. If a camper is not adjusting to camp in a healthy way, we know about it and give you a call. Healthy adjustment is taking place with MANY campers this week… those campers who are adjusting to camp in a healthy way are having a blast in their cabin, making friends, enjoying classes, eating well, and contributing to the good feeling that covers camp every day. This does not mean that they don’t miss you from time to time. They convey this feeling in a letter home (most commonly) written during Rest Hour (the quiet hour spent in our bunks after lunch every day). In the quiet cabin, surrounded by her photo’s of you, snuggling with her stuffed animal… she might feel a pang of home sickness. This feeling is common and most often departs as soon as something else happens. In such a case, we might not even know that she was sad… and we don’t need to know! It is normal and a good thing (nice growth comes out of gaining control over one’s emotions).

However, sometimes a camper is actually homesick, and real homesickness is not healthy. Real homesickness is a big deal and we treat it very seriously. We will require your input, for we will want to do everything possible to assure a successful camp experience. Laura and the Group Leaders are very good at this. They will call you to let you know the details and find out what you think will best help your girl.

Homesickness is very rarely a problem; remember that almost 9 out of 10 campers choose to return to camp with the early bird enrollments. The girls appreciate how their character grows from overcoming hardships such as homesickness. Such growth is profoundly good and beneficial, a wonderful outcome of a good camp experience.

So don’t worry, but also don’t be afraid to call or email your Group Leader if you are concerned. Your Group Leader is your “Fly on the wall” and glad to check into the situation and give you a full report.

Breakfast today was a Greystone tradition that brought a huge cheer from the old campers: Truck Dirver’s Special!! This is a meal that you probably will never serve at home, but it is amazingly good. Home baked biscuits (as big as a cat’s head my father used to say), sausage gravy. End of story… but it is satisfying like you can not know. By the way, the fruit bar was completely full at the end of the meal (only the yogurt was completely used up). I had steel cut oatmeal with strawberries and blueberries…
Lunch will be a home made veggie lasagna with a special salad.
Dinner is beef stroganoff (very rich and hearty).

Speaking of food… you will see some photos of cooking class in there. The girls are enjoying a Mexican theme: Beef fajita’s, guacamole, fruit salsa, sugar tortillas. The girls make everything themselves and eat it at the end of the class. They break into “teams” to work at each of the stations with detailed instructions and raw ingredients waiting with a counselor to help. It is amazing to see the process, a well oiled machine indeed! White Hall Lodge got a major kitchen renovation last year, the new setup works MUCH better than ever before. Martha Walters, from Mt. Pleasant, is our Department Head for the fifth straight year and she is FANTASTIC. The girls love this class.

I also checked out the FAC (Fine Arts Center) upstairs… Metal Jewelry, Fabric Arts, Painting, Sewing, Scrap booking, and Crafts. WOW. That is all I can say. Every one of these classes is quality. The girls are learning some real skills and making some real art. It is a wonderful place to see!

Thank you for sharing your girls. I speak for each one of the counselors when I say this… They are DELIGHTFUL. A counselor was overheard telling a friend that she can’t wait to get back to the cabin every afternoon because she so enjoyed being with her girls. She is already dreading closing day. This is how we all feel; this community is amazingly good and uplifting. You have some really great children and are doing a GREAT job as parents. I know it is a big deal to let them go to camp, we really do appreciate being incorporated into the family plans for the summer.

Have a Great Day…

Jimboy