Girls’ Camp 2012

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Good news!  I survived my fourth year of Girls’ Camp as a leader.  Whew!  It will now take me another week to recuperate and rest.  Let’s just say, today wasn’t what you would call productive.  Even now, it took me five minutes to figure out the word I wanted was productive and not productful.  Yeah, it’s going to be a long week.  I might have to do more retro postings.

In short, it was a very good week.  I think.  It really doesn’t matter what I think because, as I remind the girls, it ain’t Ancient Women Camp – it’s Girls’ Camp.  It’s their opinion that matters, not mine.  The most I can do is get feedback and, with the other leaders, make adjustments for next year’s camp.  So, this is the time when I ask the girls how they felt about camp.  Then I discreetly ask their mothers to get confirmation.  That’s when I hold my breath and hope for the best.

In my opinion though, it was a pretty good week.  There were a few minor personality clashes.  But that was on Wednesday – the day we wake up early and hike.  By the evening, we had a camp of some tired girls.  I don’t know about you, but when I get tired, I get a bit cranky.

I decided I had one goal this year.  My goal was to be a good leader.  The past three years I have been so focused on other things and I forgot to be a good Young Women leader.  This year I wanted an opportunity to connect and communicate with each girl.  Since I’m pretty good at the end of things, I treated this year as my last year.  I wanted to say what I needed to say and do what I wanted done.  Did it work?  Nope.  I’m going to need another year.

Cheesy me at camp

Facebook Stalking Anyone?

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I’m not sure how I feel about Facebook yet.  Oh yeah, I’m a daily user and peruser but I have mixed feelings about it.  On one hand, it’s been fun to reconnect with old friends.  On the other, it can make me feel kinda creepy in a stalkerish sort of way.  And this isn’t the 80’s anymore.  It’s no longer cool – or romantic – to stalk anyone.  Sorry, John Cusack, your boom-box stunt would now get you arrested and a restraining order slapped on you.  Ah, the 80’s.

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The Avenging Unicorn

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I am jealous.  Today a coworker brought in a present she received from a friend.  Her friend sends her the most awesome toys.  Last week she brought in a Zombie Apocalypse action figure set.  Complete with a dog running around with a severed human (er, zombie) arm.  I know what you’re thinking, how can that possibly be topped?  With three words that’s how, The Avenging Unicorn.

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The Joy of Domesticity

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My sister, NJ, and I went grocery shopping together the other day.  She confided in me, “There are two things I hate to do, shopping and laundry.”    As opposed to those who just enjoy the heck out of performing these two tasks?  I have never met a single person who has confessed loving to do either chore, myself included.  Granted, I haven’t asked every single person in this big world.  I know there are different strokes for different folks so it wouldn’t surprise me to eventually meet someone who gets giddy grocery shopping or who loves doing laundry.  To that person I have two little words:  you freak.

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During My Absence…

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I’m running away.  Heading for the hills. But just for the week. 

Monday morning I’m going to the Uinta Mountains with five other leaders and nine young women (yes, yes, I know that’s a high ratio of leaders to girls).  We will spend a week hiking, listening to inspirational talks, laughing, crying (in a good way), feeling the Spirit, learning gospel principles, and so much more.  And we will do all this without one single campfire (take that Boy Scouts!).  Fires are still banned here in Wyoming.  But that’s okay; it will be a great week anyway.  It’s always a highlight of my summer and a great opportunity to get to know the young women and other leaders in our ward. 

One of the perks of Girls’ Camp is it allows me – or forces me – to be sans technology.  No cell phones, iPads, iPods, computers, etc. are allowed (leaders do have cell phones for emergencies but we have to go up the hill to get service.  No Verizon,  I can’t hear you now). 

I could have been ambitious and wrote a few blogs ahead.  But ambition has never been my strong suit.  Instead, we’ll do a retro-ck’s days next week.   So, if you’re reading something and it sounds familiar, you’re not going crazy (unless you want to be). 

Enjoy your week and I’m sure you’ll get a full report when I get back.  Eventually.

The Connection

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People in a small town are interwoven as if connected by a giant spider web.  Be careful who you talk about, there’s a chance the subject of your story is related to the listener!

It was a small group of people who gathered around the opening in the earth.  If the deceased man had friends while living, none were compelled to brave the biting cold weather to bid him farewell.  Winter in Wyoming reaches inside a person and clenches the bones.  So, only a few family members came to say goodbye.  And only those that felt obligated to come.

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