Peace Like A River

I don't usually blog on Saturdays but before the storm I had planned to participate in the Back to Blogging Challenge and I didn't get to do that because we didn't have power. I think it all worked out for the best though because it's been a long week and starting the weekend with some positive reflection is a good way to go so I'm starting off with What Makes You Feel Peaceful?

I've mentioned before that my grandparents live in a teeny-tiny fishing village and my grandfather's warf/boat are my favourite places in the world. Being there is the best kind of peaceful because it's not necessarily calm & quiet but it's comfortable in the routine of hard work, community and contentment. It gets extra peaceful points watching the sunrise over the ocean. 

I love being in the kitchen, turning ingredients into food is calming and there's something extra satisfying about making something delicious. Photography is a fairly recent hobby, but something I've come to love a whole lot the world seems a little kinder when viewed through a camera lens. Campfires are flat-out magical. Some of my best memories are sitting around a campfire with friends either in silence as we all watch the flames or in joyful conversation.

Camp is the opposite of peaceful in a lot of ways, but there are small windows of time when it feels like a pretty peaceful place. My favourite time used to be in the morning for about half an hour before everyone was up and about for the day, sitting in the office sipping hot coffee and getting to check in with the counsellors as they went by getting ready for the day. And another window of time at the end of the day when mostly everyone was headed to bed sneaking away for a few minutes to watch the sunset. And at the end of a session eating the first non-camp food meal of the week (often Subway, pizza or chicken strips & fries) and watching episodes of Friends or How I Met Your Mother. 

The similarities of my peacefulness are pretty obvious. I like nature and the outdoors, food and documenting it all for the future. 

#goals

In the words of Mulan, "let's get down to business". 

October Goals:

1. Finish Project Life album for camp. 

In a quest to practice better self-care this year at camp I took more photos during sessions and then between session breaks printed photos and made spreads. It worked really well and it's something I'll almost certainly do again in the future. Inevitably, about half way through the summer I fell behind because I was spending breaks doing things. At this point I have about two weeks left of camp to finish and mostly it's adding journalling and embellishments. 

2. Get caught up with 'everyday' Project Life Album (April - September)

I knew this was going to be a problem when I first came up with the plan to do a separate camp album. In January I started my Project Life album using the monthly format but then did more of a weekly format during the summer in my camp album and didn't do anything in the album I started in January. I sort of have a game plan in mind using leftover photos from each week (I almost always printed too many) adding in a few extras and calling it a day. 

3. Organize & De-Stash Project Life/Scrapbooking/Planner supplies.

I am 100% on the Project Life bandwagon and can't imagine going back to 'traditional' scrapbooking. That means I have a lot of 12x12 papers that are just sitting around. Thanks to PLers on YouTube I got the idea to cut down some of those 12x12 papers into PL pocket sizes. I'll keep some large sheets because they come in handy for other crafty endeavours but for the most part I have no need for those big papers. Since I've enjoyed the Project Life bandwagon so much I've decided that in 2017 I'm also going to jump on the Happy Planner bandwagon! So I'd like to sort through all of my stuff and separate it into Project Life, Planner and General Crafting categories. This might be a bit of a lofty goal but we'll see what happens. 

4. Finish 2 books.

I am 75% through one I started in July about the FLDS but then put it down in favour of something a little lighter. I need to finish that one plus another one that I started and didn't finish because I got distracted re-watching How I Met Your Mother. 

5. Map out NaNoWriMo.

..2016 is the year, friends.

6. Take photos during Thanksgiving, Spark Camp & Friendsgiving.

I have lots of fun stuff planned for October this upcoming weekend is Thanksgiving and then I have a plan free weekend followed by a weekend of Spark Camp and then hopefully the next weekend a Friendsgiving weekend with H. & R.. And circling back to the getting caught up with Project Life I've learned it's much easier to stay caught up when you have photos to use! 

7. Publish Blog Posts!

I searched high and low for a 'Blogtober' link up of some sort since I missed out on Bailey Jean's Blogtember but I didn't find anything so I'm just going to make things happen on my own. It's highly unlikely (and impossible at this point) that I'll blog everyday in October but the plan is to make more of an effort and at least press the publish button a few times a week. 

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Sitting on the Fence

Ask me if I'd rather summer or winter and I won't hesitate to respond 'summer'. Ask me what I want to drink and most days I'll quickly respond with water, pop or coffee. I don't really consider myself to be indecisive...until I need to answer a yes or no question about something that could influence life in a big way. When that happens I like to take a good look at each side, size up the pros and cons, the what ifs and the maybes. And then I take a seat on the fence. 

If at any point you ask me which choice I'm leaning towards I can easily list off a dozen pros and a dozen cons for each side of the proverbial fence. For the last four months the my fence has divided the line between "not going back to camp this summer" and "sign me up, my bags are packed". There are a lot of good reasons why I shouldn't return to camp this summer and there's a handful of reasons why I feel like I should go back combined with a handful of reasons why I want to return. There isn't a clear, consistent winner though and I know that there needs to be a winner. Sooner rather than later an e-mail is going to appear and I'll have to make a permanent decision. 

Somewhere along the line I read that you should 'try on' your decision and pretend that you've made that decision for a few days and then decide if it fits. So I've taken that advice and on the days I try out packing my bags and heading off to camp I jump into program planning, staff training ideas, brainstorming solutions to problems and let the enthusiasm and excitement take over. This lasts for a few days and then I remind myself to manage my expectations. And I soon as I remind myself of that I get flashbacks of the most stressful moments of last summer. And as soon as I put myself back in those situations I quickly flick the switch and become a firm no. For a few days I wear that decision and feel content, uncertain, but content. 

Fast forward a few days (or sometimes a few hours) of that decision and then I see a throwback Thursday photo or see a cool idea on Pinterest and the switch turns back to "pack your bags" and the cycle repeats. 

I embrace my Type A personality (at least I'm trying really hard because I don't think it's a bad thing, contrary to what a lot of people seem to think). One of my biggest Type A traits is I enjoy following rules and making the right decisions. When there isn't a clear right choice my brain kicks into overdrive, I start feeling (mostly self-imposed) pressure to choose correctly, not disappoint anyone, do what's best etc. etc. which leads to constant anxiety about making a decision and complete terror that I'll choose incorrectly and ruin my life. That might seem extreme and logically I know it's not exactly the reality of the situation. 

The reality of the situation is that if I say no that still leaves me with two options - find a non-camp related job or explore another camp. And if I say yes I head off to camp and continue on with life. None of those scenarios is likely to produce an outcome that will leave me feeling like I blatantly made the wrong choice. But that doesn't make choosing any easier.

Apples to Apples

I am  kind of in love with the apples growing on one of the trees in our yard. The branches seem to catch the afternoon sunlight just so and from a distance they look like the most delicious apples in the world. Of course once you get closer they don't look quite so charming but still pretty enough for a picture (or seventeen). 

Thinking back to summer, I came across this post earlier in the week. A mother's letter to her child's camp counsellor.  It's been awhile since I read something that so purely and genuinely expresses camp from a parent and camper's perspective. And I love coming across these types of things. It's hard for first year counsellors to really wrap their heads around the idea that despite their feelings of self-consciousness and self-doubt in their peer group the campers that they interact with don't see them as anything but amazing. It reminds me that it's the little things in life that our worth our admiration. 

All of this apple tree admiration and new beginnings had me thinking a lot about John 15:5 - "I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can't produce anything without me." That's been my food for thought (no pun intended) for this week. And it's been a good reminder to stay connected to God and everyone else in my life. And that connected involves a lot of different things - writing, texting, listening, speaking, sharing, forgiving, trusting, hoping. If we're going to make an effort to stay connected to our world and ourselves we need to be willing to put in some serious effort.

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. As usual I'm thankful for all the everyday blessings - food, healthcare, family, shelter, bed, heat, electricity, wifi and a closet full of clothes for all seasons. Sunday we're having Thanksgiving with my family and Monday with J.'s so I've got a full weekend ahead. And I'm pretty thankful for all that fullness. 

Blogtember 2015: Creative Memory Keeping

Blogtember is asking us to share our creativity. Lately I've been channelling all my creativity into memory keeping. I've been organizing my camp photos from this summer using a hodge lodge of Smash Book-ing, traditional scrapbooking and Project Life journalling. Sharing this creativity is a little challenging since I adhere to pretty strict confidentiality guidelines when it comes to camp. I tried to choose pages that didn't have a whole lot of people photos, but the ones that need I had to use my superb (haha) editing skills to make the faces go away. 

Part of my job involves doing Cabin Inspection each morning at camp. A few mornings each week the cabins do the usual tidying routine (making beds, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floor) and create a theme. This year the theme for the themes seemed to be 'in space'. It was weird and wonderful so I devoted a page to some of the cabin inspection photos. The pocket on the next page is full of cards and pictures that campers (and counsellors) had drawn and given to me during cabin inspection. 

When I went through my photos I realized I had quite a few photos of campers doing crafts so I put them all together and added a few little drawings that had been given to me. 

These pages are a work in progress and still need journalling added. One page documents a typical break spent at N.'s cottage. A candle lit supper, an evening stroll, (not pictured a Friends episode or three). The next morning breakfast was a priority and then usually a trip to town to window shop and a coffee and donut stop before heading back to the cottage. The next page is photos from the night R. & I picked H. up at the airport and the three of us were reunited for the first time in almost a year!

There are a couple of blue chairs at camp that in past years have always managed to creep their way into photos that would otherwise be great for promotional use. So this summer I made a game out of photographing the blue chairs in all the crazy spots I saw them around camp. Overall I have over 100 photos, these 8 are just some of my favourites. This page needs some more journalling as well.

Everything is still a work in progress. I've blogged about my style of memory keeping more back here. 

What I Did This Summer

I had nobel plans of blogging on a regular basis this summer but the reality of blogging without a reliable internet connection is a few posts a month. The Blogging Elite is hosting an August Adventures link up today, which is the perfect chance for me to share a sort of summer recap. 

What I read this summer...

I didn't read as many books as I would have liked, it averages out to a book a month, which is pretty disappointing. Especially considering Grace's Guide was a really easy read and I skipped one or two of the chapters because they really didn't appeal to me or apply to my lifestyle.  The Poisonwood Bible was a re-read. It's one of my favourite books and I like to re-read it every few years because there's always new details I pick up on and as I age I find myself relating differently to the characters. I finally got to read Wonder and came away with a lot of mixed feelings. There were parts of it that were wonderfully written and other parts that really made me cringe. Similarly, Say What You Will (not pictured) which I was totally in love with for 80% of the book but didn't care much for the eventual plot twist. The best book I read this summer was Call the Midwife I am eager to get my hands on the other two books in the trilogy after reading the first one. I loved that it was really easy to read a chapter or two at a time and the stories were a great mix of joyful and sad.

What I ate this summer...

I've never been a big breakfast person but this summer some of my favourite memories revolve around shared breakfasts. N. and I spent a lot of time at her cottage during break and cooking breakfast each morning while we watched Canada AM and got caught up on the outside world became a ritual. Breakfast always involved bacon, hash browns and coffee. When we didn't make our own breakfast we ventured into town and ate at the local breakfast/lunch spot. When we were in the city one break I had the most delicious Pink Lemonade drink on a patio. I love how many new restaurants I tried this summer! And when there's no restaurant in sight pizza and pop at the picnic table can make for a delightful dining experience. 

What I saw this summer...

I saw countless amazing sunsets and blue skies. I spent days sitting in the sand and being surrounded by water. I hung out with adorable duckings at the near by park and watched a guinea pig family at the zoo. I watched campfire flames and roasted marshmallows with friends. 

How I felt this summer...

This summer ran the full gauntlet of human emotions. I was challenged by difficult situations and felt scared, worried, frustrated, angry, sad, relieved and happy. Taking a step back from it all I am grateful. The challenges taught me a lot about how to deal with professional/work related issues and improved my problem solving speed. I got to spend two months with my best friends. I worked with some fantastic human beings. I won't say I loved every minute of my summer but I can say that I found something to appreciate during every moment of the chaos. 

Coffee Chat - Post Camp Edition

For the last four months this has been my view first thing in the morning (and often last thing at night). This summer was challenging. It challenged me to choose priorities, to carve out 'me time', and realize that sometimes I really need to say 'no' to doing more. I wasn't always successful with those things. My days started between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m., those same days ended close to midnight. 

One of the head counsellors summed up this summer best when he proclaimed that the highs were really high and the lows were really low. We had some spectacular moments when campers flourished and left camp with more confidence than when they came. There were also moments involving serious medical crises that made everyone sad, stressed, scared and sometimes angry at the world. 

I was fortunate enough to spend almost two months spending time with H. and R. next summer H. will be in school and only God knows where R. and I will be a year from now. I like to think we took advantage of our time together spending hours exploring the city, an afternoon shopping and another at the beach. Multiple nights sitting around a campfire and even more enjoying some good old fashion Girl Talk. Four years ago when I set out on my new camp adventure I never would have believed that two of the people I met there would become my closest friends. The three of us are different in so many ways that all seem to balance each other out and I love every minute of sharing my life with them. Even if most of the year we share it with a lot of help from iMessage and Skype and a little assistance from Canada Post. 

I don't have any "what comes next" plans and for the first time in my life I don't feel crushing and overwhelming panic/anxiety about that fact. I'm in the process of planning a road trip with J. in November. I'm working on finding a Girl Guide group to lead again and I've also been researching how to get involved in some camps that are closer to home. 

I don't have a mile long list of goals that I need to accomplish over the next few weeks. My priority is to relax, restore and re-energize after the summer. And let's be real, that means I'm going to watch a lot of Friends DVDs, try to sleep in past 7:00 (although so far that hasn't been successful), go to the beach and read a book and get back into a routine.

Eventually I will need to write my end of summer report and check off some things on a grown up for to do list but for the next week all that can wait. And I'm very at peace with the waiting.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. - Lamentations 3:25

Linking up with Life of Meg for Mingle Monday.

Coffee Chat July

This is what my desk looked like Thursday morning (Day 7 of our camp session). To quell any confusion about the Starbucks cup on my desk, it's a travel mug, the nearest Starbucks to camp is 2.5 hours away. On this particular morning my desk was covered with a travel mug of coffee, Finding Nemo DVD from movie night, my work computer, my personal computer, a list of campers who ordered t-shirts and photos, a list of things I needed to get done and a pile of homemade crayons that needed to be distributed to the campers who made them. 

The month of July seems to have gone by in a flash. There are only two more sessions of camp left which means in less than a month another summer will be in the books. If we're going to meet for coffee this month you'll have to come to me. Hopefully the weather would cooperate and we could sip our coffee down on the dock. 

I'd tell you that the past few weeks have been full of high highs and low lows. There are moments when everything is going perfect and I feel incredibly blessed to get to work here. Then there are moments when the group collectively forgets to tell anyone we're running low on toilet paper...and then bursts into the office at 7:30 a.m. to declare that the entire camp is out of toilet paper except for one roll in each of the cabins...and so an emergency town trip was made for toilet paper. 

If we were meeting for coffee I'd tell you about all the things I have written under the "To Blog About" heading in my planner. I'd give you a list of all the books I've read this summer and ask for your opinions. I'd gush about how in love I am with the new planner I bought that goes from August 2015-December 2016. I'd tell you that I've discovered a love for puzzles and I've found a new hair product that is making life a lot easier.

I'm still worried about what happens in September when camp ends. Except that I don't really have time to be worried about it so it's like a little mosquito buzzing in my ear. I should probably get back in the habit of setting monthly goals but I haven't given any August Goals any thought. I'd love to get back to my old eating habits and I'm dying to make blogging a daily habit but neither of those things are realistic until August 23rd when camp is officially over for the summer. And at that point it's just as well to call them September goals. 

I'd love to stay and keep chatting but I'm off to the city for a couple of days with H. & R.. And hopefully that means that a real life Starbucks/Second Cup coffee is in my near future. 

Summer Blogging

I really miss blogging.

And blogging without a reliable internet connection is near impossible. 

One of my main goals this summer was to find balance with work and hobbies that didn't involve work. Which sounded simple enough in May and although I have read a handful of books this summer, spent time with J. and other friends I haven't been great at keeping the blog updated. I am really disappointed about it, but frankly I'm not sure that there's anyway to improve. I am very much at the mercy of the internet. I would love to take time every few days to share some photos (another goal I've improved upon since last summer is I have been taking photos!) and write some words. I think I'd even been satisfied with having an hour each morning to read blogs while I sip my coffee, but most days that doesn't work.

I'm not even sure what the point of this post is, other to say that I'm still here. I'm still "in to" blogging. I am actively trying to blog about my life and stay in the loop of my favourite blogs. The summer is over half way through so an internet connection is in my near future. 

I'm going to go ahead and press publish before the internet quits on me. We're on a session break until tomorrow and this afternoon I'm off to town with my friend N. to pick up a new planner that I fell in love with the last time I was in town and grab some lunch. 

Coffee Chat June 2015

I've been trying really hard not to drink coffee on an empty stomach and to sort of limit my carb intake. So if we're going to have coffee first thing in the morning chances are I'd also have some vanilla yogurt along with mine. 

The first thing we'd talk about is how camp is going. I'd sigh and respond that it's going well although I often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. I might confide in you that it's near impossible to find time to talk to J. before 11:00 p.m. each night and by that point I'm practically falling asleep. These long distance relationship type situations are hard work. It is without a doubt worth the effort, but I'll be relieved when it's over. I'd ask about your experience with long distance relationships and hope that you might have some words of wisdom or advice to offer.

I'd tell you that I recently discovered a Vanilla Carmel flavoured creamer and it's been making my coffee extra delicious. I never use creamer at home but camp coffee needs a little extra boost. I know it's not a great choice health wise, but I think we all deserve an indulgence here and there. I choose to make mine Vanilla Carmel Creamer. And also thick cut, rippled, plain potato chips. What have you been indulging in recently? Or will your answers only make me want to rush to the nearest grocery store for more treats opposed to veggies?

If you're a regular blog reader you might ask how my summer goals are going. I'd be honest and tell you I was off to a really great start and then things quickly spiralled downwards. I haven't totally abandoned the blog and I've been getting to bed a little earlier than previous summers, plus most nights I read for at least 10-15 minutes right before bed. Lately though I've lost track of the Fringe Hours. I find myself acknowledging the fact I would love to spend 10 minutes taking photos of an amazing sunset and then hurrying away to fold laundry or prepare evening snack. I'm hopeful that this is the week I reclaim those minutes and use them for me instead of always prioritizing work.

I might share with you that my biggest, boldest, scariest and sincerest prayer right now is to find a full time position with a summer camp ministry near my hometown beginning this fall. I know it's a lot to request and in many ways it seems almost impossible, but I know that God can do the impossible. So I'm continuing to pray. I'm praying that specific prayer but also that God will lead me to the place He wants/needs me to be and that I can continue to trust Him. 

Even though I'd love to chat well into the afternoon or late into the night this month I probably only have time for one cup of coffee. Here's hoping that next month I'll be able to suggest a refill so we can discuss a few other things that have been on my mind lately. 

Second Session Favourites

Our second session of camp wrapped up yesterday and I headed home for our longest session break of the summer. Making my first favourite of this week the fact that I'm writing this post from my living room couch. With a hot cup of coffee, reliable internet connection and no chance of being interrupted from the writing process but someone needing to know where the keys are to the shed or asking what's for breakfast. 

The start of my week was hidden with some unexpected favourite things. There was a mix up with the food order so myself and one of the head counsellors went on a grocery shopping adventure. Both those overflowing carts belong to us...our shopping list included 90 lbs of potatoes, 20 dozen eggs, 20 litres of apple juice, 20 litres of orange juice, 30 heads of lettuce, 10 lbs of tomatoes and 15 cucumbers. We got some looks as we looked at the grocery list the cooks had given us and tried to calculate how many packages of mushrooms we need to buy to be close to the one case of mushrooms they had ordered from our grocery supplier. Even if it's a little more stressful and confusion than usual grocery shopping is always my favourite. 

Chicken Cesar Salad is quite possibly my favourite meal, especially when it has real bacon and parmesan cheese and just the right amount of dressing. Chicken Cesar was my last non camp meal of the week before last session started and every bite was my favourite. Making the counsellors feel appreciated, loved and supported is not only one of the most important things I do but it's also one of my favourite things. This week I used Wunderbars and pieces of scrapbook paper to wish everyone a "wonderful week". 

After our marathon grocery shopping adventure N. and I made a pitstop for frozen yogurt before heading back to camp. Frozen yogurt is 100% a favourite.  Mine is on the left and on that particular evening I went for caramel frozen yogurt topped with graham cracker crumbs, gummy bears and hot fudge. Just looking at that photo makes me want more!

Sunlight reflecting off the water is my favourite.  The perfection of those moments when the sun is setting and hitting everything just right makes me feel all warm inside and filled with awe over how many amazing things happen in nature on a daily basis. I love spending time outdoors because it's where I feel really connected to God and 'see' Him at work. 

 

More spectacular sunlight reflection and the obligatory sunset photo for the week.

I've got a lot of weekend favourites over the next few days. Starting with an afternoon of Food Network shows and supper with J.. It's finally starting to feel like summer around here with temperatures in the low 20s and I'm excited to switch to shorts and t-shirts instead of pants and hoodies!

Linking up with Oh Hey, Friday & Friday Favourites!

You're Going to Rock It

While the vast majority of people are beginning their weeks today, mine is ending. Our first camp session ended today and I'm making time to blog about the week. We had some major and minor hiccups this week and some of our most popular programs didn't run. I am totally blown away by how amazing it was all handled by the counsellors though. What was a sucky situation to begin with could have been made so much worse had it not been for their positivity and upbeat attitudes. If the first week is any indication it's going to be a wonderful summer.

The week started off a little bitter sweet. I was so excited about this year's staff. It really is an awesome group of people. One of my goals this summer is to actually make some of those Pinterest things I've pinned and make an effort to show staff appreciation. For week one I went super simple but I think it was still a cute gesture and it went over well. I stuck the little note and candy in everyone's warm and fuzzy envelope. It was also my first Day 1 without H. & R. so to combat a little bit of that sadness the three of us wore matching socks as we went about our respective days. 

Since this session break is only two days long I'm sticking around camp rather than drive 6 hours home. My first night off was fully of tidying my room, reading, a long and leisurely phone call with J. and then sleeping for a solid 9 hours. Today I went into town to run a few errands, stroll through a few stores and pick up some groceries.

This evening I have a Skype date planned with H. & R. (as long as the internet cooperates). If the rain holds off I will take my camera and go for a stroll around camp and take in the sunset.

Tomorrow will be spent doing a lot of quiet reading and napping. I have a ton of blogs to catch up with and a few posts I want to write. Turns out I'm getting pretty good at this whole self-care and making myself a priority thing.

Camp Friday Favourites

{one}

Camp Sunsets.

I can almost guarantee camp sunsets will make an appearance on every single Friday Favourites/Friday Five List I make this summer. No further explanation required. 

{two}

J. stopped into camp for a quick visit on his way home from his sister's graduation Thursday. Long enough for me to give him a quick tour of camp, enjoy a meal at the diner close to camp and spend a few minutes reconnecting in person opposed to via technology. Plus he brought me Reese's Peanut Cups and our diner lunch involved Chicken Strips. I was a very happy girlfriend.

{three}

I've become very aware of the fact grocery shopping is my happy place. Being in the kitchen cooking makes me feel calm and relaxed and I love a trip to the grocery store. My big activity for the afternoon is going to be browsing the flyer, making a grocery list and slowly wandering through the aisles. My meals at camp are technically all taken care of by our camp cooks. But there are some times I don't like what's being served. (Shepherd's Pie is the devil as far as I'm concerned.) I like to have some individual freezer meals stashed away for those times and also for times when I just don't feel like eating grilled cheese for the hundredth time this summer. 

{four}

Speaking of food at camp...Clif Bars are going to be a saving grace this summer. I try to avoid the standard pre-packaged quaker type granola bars because it's basically like eating a chocolate bar. I realize the Clif Bars aren't super fantastic amazing food. I feel a little better about eating one of them though opposed to something else. Plus they taste amazing. I'm a big fan of the Chocolate Almond Fudge and Crunchy Peanut Butter. I can't see myself getting on board with Oatmeal Raisin Walnut or Blueberry Crisp. 

{five}

I'm not sure why I'm struggling to come up with a fifth favourite thing this week. There's certainly been lots of good moments. I'm looking forward to the summer. I feel like things are under control, the chaos is organized and the pieces are all falling in to place.

 

Camp, Camp, Camp It Up

Today is the last full day of staff training. I've been at camp since May 17 and have really only stopped to sleep and eat! We had a really hard winter and there was a lot of damage done to the camp buildings and grounds. One of the most major things was the fireplace had to be removed. So when I showed up to camp there were two pieces of plywood covering a giant hole in the wall where the fireplace used to be, it's 99.9% fully repaired now and back to being a wall.

I haven't been fully successful in my quest to balance camp life and "real life". There have been a few days that started promptly at 7:30 a.m. and ended long after midnight, there have also been a night or two when I stepped away and enjoyed the moment. Drinking pop, eating chips and catching up with N., purposely leaving items unchecked on my camp to do list so that I had time to FaceTime with J., making a very conscious and consistent effort to journal even just a paragraph with pen and paper every night before bed.

I've gotten out my camera a couple of times and all in all I'm feeling pretty good about this summer. As always, I'm anticipating a few bumps in the road but overall I feel good about the upcoming weeks! And once Training Week is over and camper sessions start my goal is to get into a much better routine which includes blogging at least a couple of times a week!

Until then, bare with me, I'm itching to catch up with blog posts and keep a record of my own summer adventures. 

Stuff & Things: Summer Camp Edition

I am three sleeps away from the beginning of camp. This fact continues to blow my mind as I look at my Must Do List, my Want To Do List, and the multiple piles of stuff covering every available surface in my bedroom. I can't say I'm stressed per say, but I find the deepest, darkest corners of my mind wishing there was more hours in the day. Of course that isn't going to happen so I'm just going to have to put on my big girl drawers and get things done.

I am over the moon excited about being snail mail Camp Prayer Partners with Allie this summer!

Last night I spent over 3 hours cutting out tokens to use during a Staff Training activity based on The Spoon Theory. I'm excited about the activity, however my hand hurts from cutting hundreds of little paper squares. And I'm not even close to done yet.

I usually choose a verse for the summer but none have really come to me this summer. 

I have no idea where my phone charger is located. I saw it yesterday evening at 6:00 and when I went to plug my phone in at 10:30 I couldn't remember what I did with the thing. I assume it accidentally got buried beneath a pile of clothes or papers or is hiding beneath the tower or Larabars I have on top of my dresser. So many options. Update: It was downstairs on the kitchen cupboard. Apparently taking it upstairs to my room was a figment of my imagination.

Sunday I have a 6-7 hour drive to camp ahead of me. That kind of car time requires some serious music, currently very open to suggestions for some new music. I mostly listen to country and upbeat worship type music. And I prefer male singing voices to female (Except T-Swift, I love T-Swift always & forever). I flat out refuse to listen to anything with a bunch of swear words and tend not to like things that fall into the 'pop' category.

Today I have some utterly fabulous errands to run including a trip to the DMV, which I've been putting off for a month now but it needs to happen before I leave the province. I plan to cheer myself up afterwards with a trip to the grocery store.

I'm usually SO on top of craft ideas and planning activities for the summer. This year I have done next to nothing. I have a few crafts pinned on Pinterest but I haven't actually tried any of them to see if they work.

That's all I've got for today. I'm still in my pyjamas, and while I'm sure there will be at least one person impatiently waiting in their PJs at the DMV, I don't want that to be a conversation starter. Plus, I'm having dinner with J. and his parents tonight after I finish my errands.

What Is You Do? - Blogging Around the Campfire #2

The countdown is getting lower every day (does anyone else remember singing that song at Sunday School and church camp as a kid?) there's less than a week until I set off to camp for the summer. 

Whenever someone asks about my job and I reply "Camp Director" I get a nod, followed by a pause, followed by the question "And what is it that you do?". So if you've ever found yourself asking that same question when I blog about my camp life today is your lucky day!

Kayla from Gen Y Girl interviewed me all about my job and just what exactly it is I do to earn a paycheque! 

Head over and read my answers! Feel free to contact me with any questions you have!

Prioritizing Balance

Three weeks ago I started making a list. Goals for this summer, things I wanted to prioritize and accomplish between May 17 (first day of camp) and August 25 (last day of camp). Yesterday I got out the list intending to rewrite it and make it pretty enough to hang on my wall. As I started reading through the list trying to decide what size paper to use, debating between stickers and cricut cut outs I had a realization. I read through the list top to bottom, skimming the notes I'd written in the margins and between parentheses. Carefully thought about the reasoning behind the goals and what it would look like to accomplish them all. I realized I was asking too much.

Read. (something unrelated to work 15-30 minutes each day)

Write. (every second day blog post, creative writing, poetry etc.)

Photography. (10-15 minutes a day take photos of the ordinary) .

Quiet Time. (minimum half an hour before bed each day and/or half an hour first thing in the morning)

Journal. (Everyday!!!)

Meditate/Pray.

Sleep. (8-9 hours every night)

Wake Up Early. (15-30 minutes before all camp wake up time)

Go To Bed Early. (Before 11:00 p.m. every night)

Eat Balanced Meals. (3 full meals a day OR 5-6 well thought out/balanced/planned/healthy snacks)

Stay Hydrated. (1.5 litres water each day, limit pop to once or twice per week, limit coffee to 2 cups max per day)

My job is demanding. There are many long hours and unpredictable situations. My self care and mental health needs to be a priority, but sometimes it's not the first priority. I know that going in and part of what I love about my job is the chaos, you just never know what the day will bring. 

There will be days when the only thing I read is e-mails, the only thing I write is an incident report and the thought of capturing a moment on camera doesn't even cross my mind.

There will be days when the only Quiet Time I have is the 15 10 5 minute shower I rush through before someone else needs the bathroom. I won't have time to work though my thoughts on paper and it's entirely possible I'll fall asleep before I even finish reciting The Lord's Prayer. 

There will be days when I stay up late working on props for an elaborate theme day followed by mornings when I'm up early to get a head start on setting up an activity. And there will be nights when comforting a homesick camper takes priority over my sleep.

There will be days when I reach for the coffee pot or crack open a can of Coke instead of re-filling my water bottle. And I might find myself collapsing into bed after a hectic day only to realize the only thing I had to eat all day was a bagel, a granola bar, a handful of chips and 6 cups of coffee.

If I was talking with another camp person I would never expect them to have it all together like that. And if they told me they worked and lived on site during the summer and did all those things I wouldn't believe them. Or I would assume they spent all day accomplishing their personal goals and zero time doing their job. 

Life is about balance.

When I take a big step back my goal for this summer is really all about balance. Taking care of myself so that I can do my best work. And not expecting my best work to always be Pinterest worthy. This summer the list of goals on my bedroom door won't make me feel guilty or inadequate. Instead they'll serve as a a reminder and as encouragement to use my time wisely and make the best choices available. And when I do have a "bad" day there will still be things that I did well. And every day is a fresh start to make a few more choices and do the best I can to balance it all. 

May Goals & April Goals Revisited

First up let's take a moment to revisit April's Goals. 

Read 4 Books I read 2. I blame it on the fact The Fringe Hours took me twice as long to read because I kept re-reading paragraphs and really soaking up everything that was being conveyed.

Take Lots of Photos Maybe not as much as I originally planned but I used my camera on multiple occasions. Took a bunch of pictures Easter weekend, while on vacation and a few other times during the month.

Keep Writing This was a fail. I didn't make time to write this month. I don't have any excuses it simply didn't happen.

Revamp "About Me" I'm really excited about this one. After 3 years I finally rewrote and updated my About Me page on the blog! I love how it turned out and I only wish I had gotten around to doing it sooner.

Enjoy Vacation Success! You can read a little bit about my vacation here & here.

Overall I'm pleased with my progress. April was a pretty light month and it went by in the blink of an eye! It was a good month but I'm excited to move on to May! May marks the beginning of Summer 2015 and camp season for me so most of my goals revolve around that aspect of life.

I want to make a conscious effort this summer to make my bedroom at camp a relaxing and calming space. I don't spend a whole lot of time in my room at camp, primarily just an hour or two before bed but I still want it to be a space I can relax and decompress after a long day. In the past I've used random mismatched bedding, make shift storage boxes/containers on my dresser and the decor has been limited to damp towels and dirty laundry. I bought a new bedding set at Target when it was clearing out a few weeks ago and I have some other ideas about how to better organize my space. I think it will make a big difference in the way I make time for me this summer, which is something I've seriously struggled with in the past.

The past three summers I have essentially completely failed at maintaining the blog during camp (see note above about making time for myself). This summer I'm going to make time to blog and continue documenting life in this space.

Camp internet isn't exactly a top of the line high speed dependable connection which can be frustration. It is the perfect motivation to send some good ol'fashion snail mail though!

Back in 2013 I got creative and made really cute welcome bags for the staff. I didn't have time to it last year because things were so hectic but this year it's going to happen again. They probably won't be as elaborate as 2013 but I plan to stick a few candies, sample sized sunscreen and pen or pencil into a baggie with a cute "Welcome to Camp" tag and call it a day.

Camp is hard. It's wonderful and magical and I am incredibly fortunate to spend my summer helping others, being outdoors, learning and growing. It's so hard not to let it consume you though, even during breaks I've often found myself working on camp related projects or catching up on paperwork. I've now been inspired to use the fringe hours, taking 15 minutes in the morning to drink a cup of coffee while I read a book or journal. Spending  5 minutes before evening staff meeting snapping photos of the sunset. I'm going to find the time.

Sharing my goals with #friendswithgoals

Blogging Around the Campfire #1

I am super excited to be launching a brand new (and my very first) series on the blog! I don't have a set schedule quite yet, once a week or once a month. Probably more frequently in the summer when I'm actually at camp and a little less frequently during the winter months. 

Today I'm going to start things off by introducing you to my camp story. I've shared pieces of it here, here and here. And there's probably hundreds more mentions of camp throughout the last three years of blog posts. 

My parents sent me to church camp when I was 7 years old. I cried 75% of the week, because I missed my parents but I didn't want to go home. Even as a child I was a fickle creature. Over the next 10 years I fell in love with camp. I lived for the time spent at camp and as I grew older eagerly awaited the day I was old enough to be a counsellor. 

When I was 16 I signed up to do an LIT program at a different camp because my camp was on the small side and didn't have that kind of pre-counsellor program. When I was 17 I worked at a camp for children and youth who were "in the system" because I wasn't old enough to work at the came I'd grown up at, the rule was you had to be graduated from high school. The following summer when I was 18 I returned to my beloved church camp where I worked as a counsellor for two amazing summers. In 2010 I got the opportunity to be the seasonal director for the summer, which due to a lot of unfortunate and heartbreaking circumstances ended up being the last summer for that particular camp.

I had to take a summer off from camp because of my school schedule but in 2012 I was ready to return to camp. Through a series of coincidences and perfect timing I found myself accepting a position at my current camp which provides summer camps to children, youth and adults who have disabilities. The camp has no religious affiliation, and while there are days I deeply miss that sense of community and growth I experienced growing up at church camp I love the experiences I've had at my current camp. This will be my fourth summer there and to be honest if you had told me back in 2012 that I'd still be there four years later I would have told you flat out there's no way that's happening. I've had opportunities to walk away but the time just hasn't been right, I know I won't be there forever but I'm determined to learn as much as I can and put as much effort into making it an incredible place while I'm there. 

My dream job would be working in a year round position at a summer camp and retreat centre that does have a religious affiliation but is also fully accessible and includes programs for people with disabilities. That may be a tall order and a big dream but nothing is impossible.

I'm hoping that this series will give me a chance to share my love for camp and some of the lessons I've learned over the years and that others will want to share their camp experiences. If you'd like to do a guest post send me an e-mail(graceandgaloshes@gmail.com) or comment below and I'll be in touch. 

Open & Close

Summer is my favourite season. I look forward to the first day when the sun feels warm and the grass is noticeably green. I love the first week or so at camp when the days start off foggy and cool but then gradually become warm. The span of time when daylight starts at 5:00 a.m. and lasts until almost 10:00 p.m.. August is my favourite month because it has the perfect balance of hot days and evenings that are warm enough to be outside but cool enough to fall asleep. 

When I look back on this summer I'll think about the enormous potential and possibility I felt in May. Laughing and hypothosising with H. & R. about what was ahead. Which new counsellors would be amazing, which would quickly figure out that they weren't "camp people" after all. Who would develop camp-mances and who would start off uncertain but grow into an amazing counsellor.

And then I got thrown a curve ball. Followed by another and in a matter of days it felt like everything was flipped upside down. This was the first summer that I really doubted myself as a 'camp person' and as person. It's the first time that camp has ended and I haven't been certain that I'll find myself back in the same place next May. I know that there's a time for everything; for things to end and begin and it may be time for me to step away. 

I have no  idea what will unfold over the next few months. What doors will open and what ones will close. So as summer ends I'm looking forward to processing this summer, figuring out where I need to be and the things I need to step away from. Of course I will do it all while enjoying the scent of Crackling Woods candles, sipping on hot coffee and eagerly awaiting the premiere of my favourite shows. 

Fall potential and summer potential feel very different to me. Fall is about moving forward, taking time to figure out what went right, what was wrong, what I can change and identifying the things I need to hold on to and the things I need to let go. 

Liking up with Bailey Jean