TGIF

Well, it’s Friday and we are SO GLAD! NOT because the work week is drawing to an end. NOT because this has been a very difficult week and we are glad it is over. NOT because we have big plans for the weekend and are looking forward to the fun. We are glad simply because we are here!

Every day at camp is a Great Day! We say it and we believe it. Circumstances (including the day of the week, the weather, the food, and everything else) should not define our TGI attitude in life so while at camp we reflects this life philosophy. This does not mean we ignore our circumstances; on the contrary, we celebrate them!

On this day we are celebrating the joys of a simple change of routine (today we slept 1 hour later than normal… we do it every Friday and the girls LOVE IT). We are celebrating the joys of playing in the rain (it is lightly raining and has been doing so since EP last night). We are celebrating camp traditions (we are already anticipating Opening Vespers tonight) and are growing in the four fold way. It will come as no surprise that we will be celebrating tomorrow as well!

The EP last night was “Protect Your Senior”. Basically, our 43 Senior Seniors (rising 12th graders) were each assigned to a cabin group. The cabin’s task: protect their senior from the powdered color hazards around camp (the color is made of cornstarch). Everyone was given white t-shirts and the fun began. About 5 minutes into the program a light rain began to fall and this rain has been with us occasionally every since. This is a really “cool” EP that we will only do at Main Camp… the girls love the photos and the crazy feel of the night. We gave extra time to take showers and settle into bed, falling to sleep with the sound of rain on the tin roof. Heaven!

One word about tonight’s Opening Vespers, perhaps the most surprising of our camp traditions. It is a very simple EP. A very quiet EP. An EP with a very subtle message… you would think the girls would not enjoy it, but it is actually really liked. Opening Vespers always shows up on camper surveys as a favorite memory at the end of the summer. The reasons for this are mostly tied to the fact that it is beautiful and linked to our first days of camp. We will enjoy the old story of “The Keeper of the Flame”, say our verses, and light our candles. I hope it will be raining (we do this program in the Pavilion and the rain makes it so cozy)! The candles are the high point, and they are only lit for a minute or two… illustrating the fleeting beauty of life and encouraging the girls to notice the beauty that surrounds them every day.

Food today:

• Breakfast in Bed (Sleep Late Friday)… the girls enjoyed bagels, cream cheese, sausage links, cereal, milk, & juice in their cabin.
• Lunch: Parmesan chicken with Caesar Salad
• Dinner: Italian Night (Baked Ziti, Stromboli, Eggplant, and Canoli’s).

Hope you have a GREAT Friday and a GREAT weekend.

JB