Weekend Journal

Today is Saturday, of course, the end of our first week at camp.

We are still settling into our new camp routines, but with every day camp becomes more and more comfortable. The bells and bugles not bring joy, for they signal the next big thing. That favorite class, food, or fun event that everyone has been talking about. We think less and less about what is going on at home, in Washington, or Europe… our eyes focus on what is in front of us and that is enough to fill the horizon completely.

Camp is an amazing place. Simple moments of beauty that in themselves might not be remarkable but when combined make for a tapestry that is impossible to describe. I see it coming together, it is almost there… it is wonderful that you have given your girls this opportunity. It is unique. It is powerful. It is good.

The heat wave continues. Today will be a replay of yesterday, so I will give you the lowdown on how it worked. While it was hot (high of 97), I did not see it impacting many classes. Ultimate Frisbee was playing in the shade… but they were playing to win! Hard running, intense competition… LOTS of smiles. The riders took yesterday as a barn day, anticipating a very uncomfortable day for horse and rider; but today they are back in the rings. It is hot but manageable. We take comfort in the forecast: gradually cooling temperatures for the next week. Joy.

Last night’s EP was beautiful. We blew the bugle late, giving the girls more play time and a more languid pace that suited the warm temperatures. Everyone wore their whites and as we gathered in the pavilion and sang some quiet songs, the mood of camp shifted into that magical place. The quiet EP’s do this and it always surprises me that the girls accept them with such complete abandon. My mother told the story to a silent audience, every face upturned and wide eyed. The cabins recited their verses beautifully (some with nervous giggles as they stumbled through, others with confident volume as they spoke as one). Then the lighting of the candles… Oh My. So beautiful… it was quite touching, especially as we reflected that the last time camp was this hot on this day was in 1935… and Dr. Sevier was leading in the same Opening Vespers ceremony with those girls. It was nice.

We started off the day with a brand new dish… Hot Skillets for every table (like you get at Waffle House). Take hash browns and put them in a cast iron skillet, cook till brown and crispy. Add cheese and eggs and bake to form a breakfast casserole. Top with fried eggs and hollandaise sauce… it was FANTASTIC.

Lunch is Chicken Fingers and french fries… big salad… honey mustard… very popular with the campers.

Dinner is German Night! Smoked Sausage, braised cabbage, german potato salad, and so forth. I guess it is not one of the favorite meals of the campers, but it is really good. One of the things we do with our kitchen is encourage the girls to try new food. For many of them, German food has never been something they thought of eating… maybe now they will change their mind!

EP is Team Fires! Great EP where the teams (odds and evens) choose their leaders, choose their mascots, learn their cheers, and set their goals for the summer. This is a necessary preparation for Challenge Day next week… lots of build up for that big event. It should be fun to once again be outside for an active EP.

Thank you for reading. Blessings to all.

Jimboy